Every NFL Team's Biggest Rival

Rivalries are what make the NFL great. You can go back as far as you want, and no matter what the outcome turns out to be, you'll always enjoy the sights, sounds, tragedies and triumphs of brutal rivalry.

Because of the sheer volume of games played, each team and its respective fanbase has a Crock-Pot packed full of foes. For the purposes of this slideshow, we're going to narrow it down and expose the biggest ones for all 32 NFL franchises.

Using each feud's rich history as the barometer, it's time now to get started and find out who every NFL team's biggest rival really is.

The NFC West has become one of the more physical and talent-laden divisions in the NFL. Because of that influx of talent—and great coaching—rivalries run rampant within division lines.

For the Arizona Cardinals, right now, their biggest foe has to be the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams are built to battle against each other thanks to stout defenses, talented offenses and marquee players.

With Bruce Arians in charge of the Cardinals and the always feisty Jim Harbaugh running things in San Francisco, even the head coaches are polar opposites.

To date, the 49ers lead the Cardinals 28-18, but the way the Cardinals have been playing lately, those numbers should eventually even out.

The Atlanta Falcons' biggest rival right now is the New Orleans Saints. They are the two teams in the NFC South that you historically consider to be offensive juggernauts. 

In recent times, Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and the rest of the Atlanta cavalry have had to go blow for blow with Drew Brees and his offensive bandits.

The NFC South may be in a state of disarray this season, but that doesn't mean the Falcons and Saints' bitter rivalry has somehow dissipated.

At this juncture, the Falcons hold a slight edge over the Saints in the series, boasting a 48-43 record. When you have two teams that love to heave the football around in their respective domes, it usually makes for some darn good pigskin.

When you think about the Baltimore Ravens and who their biggest antagonist is, right away you think about the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Ravens' involvement with the series only dates back to 1996. That was the year they came into the league after then-owner Art Modell moved them to the city of Baltimore.

In less than 20 years, the Ravens and Steelers have collided on the gridiron in some of the most physically demanding games the league has ever seen.

Looking at the data Steelers.com compiled, the numbers between these two teams are remarkably close. Factoring in the most recent win, Pittsburgh now leads the series 24-17 and is 3-0 in postseason play against the Ravens.

Those numbers are more fuel for the fire.

"Everybody gets their game face on," Ravens edge-rusher Terrell Suggs told Mike Unger of Baltimore Magazine about facing the Steelers. "This is the one game we better win. It’s very personal."

You know a rivalry is great when both teams involved have given fans countless battles.

For the Bills, two games in particular come to mind the most. The first came in October 1972, when the Bills came within a point of taking down the unbeaten Miami Dolphins.

The game was tight the whole way through as stars like Mercury Morris and O.J. Simpson battled for supremacy. In the end, the Dolphins prevailed, but this particular contest would set the stage for years to come.

On the other hand, the 1993 AFC Championship Game was all about Buffalo.

Dan Marino was looking to carry the Dolphins into the Super Bowl, but the Bills had other plans for the Hall of Fame quarterback. The final score read 29-10, as Buffalo would go on to play the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVII—a game they would ultimately lose.

These two teams may not be the powerhouses they once were, but that doesn't erase history. The Bills' No. 1 foe will always be the Dolphins.

It's not easy naming a go-to rival for the Carolina Panthers. They feel like a team that just rolls along and keeps its head down.

But competing in the NFC South, the Panthers have played some pretty great games against the Atlanta Falcons as of late. Since the Panthers joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1995, they've played the Falcons 39 times.

Right now, they trail the Dirty Birds 24-15.

Even when the Panthers struggle, like they have during the 2014 campaign, they still manage to keep things close with the Falcons. In Week 11, that proved to be the case yet again. The Falcons and Panthers traded blows until the final whistle, before the Falcons ultimately won 19-17.

Times may be rough for the 3-7-1 Panthers, but you can always count on a grudge match with Atlanta to get people's blood boiling.

Thankfully, Panthers QB Cam Newton is only 25 years old and Falcons gunslinger Matt Ryan is 29. Without either guy getting long in the tooth, we should be able to enjoy this AFC South conflict for another decade.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have been going at it since 1921, when the Bears were called the Staleys.

This historic series between two of the NFL's most prestigious franchises has never let up, and it's always been very competitive. Since that first game, the series stands at 93 wins for the Bears, 91 for the Packers and six ties between them.

Chicago may be ahead right now, but if the recent trend continues, that won't last very long. Dating back to 2013, the Bears have dropped three games in a row to the Packers.

Jay Cutler and his crew are going to have to pick things up if they want to stop hemorrhaging losses.

Losses or not, this is still one of football's oldest and greatest rivalries. Bears vs. Packers is a staple of the NFL.

There's nothing quite like the Battle of Ohio.

That's what's always on the line when the Cincinnati Bengals meet up with the Cleveland Browns.

Ohio is a proud state full of football culture that goes from the high school level all the way up to the pros. And right now, the Bengals are king of the Buckeye State. They lead the Browns 43-39 when it comes to head-to-head duels.

Plus, since Andy Dalton was drafted to play quarterback in 2011, the Bengals have a 4-3 edge over their in-state rivals.

The beauty of this series comes down to how competitive the games are. Since 2007, only one game has been decided by more than 20 points.

For a long time, the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers were considered to be great adversaries. The games they played in were gravelly and full of emotion. But when the Browns returned to the city of Cleveland in 1999, those feelings of discord become incredibly one-sided. Since their return, the Browns have defeated the Steelers only six times.

Current head coach Mike Pettine realized that was a problem, so he put his team on notice right away, per ESPN.com's Pat McManamon.

McManamon also details just how important it is for the Browns to beat the Steelers, writing, "All this has taken place, yet on the rare occasions the Browns do beat the Steelers, the fans celebrate like they've just won the Super Bowl. It's an odd reality, but when fans have had so little to celebrate a win over Pittsburgh is magnified."

Hopefully, with their all new talent-laden roster, the Browns will be able to buckle down and make this series competitive once again.

The Dallas Cowboys have had plenty of teams they can't stand over the years. Whether that's the New York Giants, the San Francisco 49ers or even the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys are one NFL franchise with multiple rivals.

Still, when push comes to shove, it's all about the Cowboys and Washington. A slew of memorable games have come to mind whenever the Cowboys play their division counterpart.

Take 1999, for example. Down 35-14 in the fourth quarter, Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman willed his team back to tie the game and force overtime. In OT, Aikman completed the legendary comeback by hurling a game-winning touchdown pass to the devastatingly fast Raghib "Rocket" Ismail.

Perhaps the most surprising win for Dallas in this series came in 1974, when rookie quarterback Clint Longley replaced an injured Roger Staubach and rallied his team, throwing for a pair of touchdowns in a shocking 24-23 victory.  

Speaking of Staubach, who remembers his last regular-season game in a Cowboys uniform? In 1979, the Cowboys QB fought back and beat Washington after being down 34-21 with just under five minutes left on the clock.

There have been some incredible moments in Cowboys history over the years, and a lot of those moments have emerged after brawls with Washington.

It may not seem like much of a fight right now, as the Denver Broncos have won the last six games. But for a good chunk of time, the Broncos and Oakland Raiders were a part of one of the grittiest and most entertaining rivalries in all of sports.

Al Davis was the wrongdoer who assembled a band of talented misfits, and the Broncos, well, the Broncos were the good guys.

There's been a ton of great characters from both sides of the feud, but for the Broncos, John Elway and his then-head coach, Mike Shanahan, may be the most revered.

Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post recently wrote about one of the most violate chapters in Broncos history:

The boiling point in the feud came during the Mike Shanahan era. Davis made Shanahan the league's youngest head coach in 1988 after his successful stint as an assistant in Denver. But four games into the 1989 season, Davis canned Shanahan, who returned to the Denver staff that year.

Broncos fans have to be thrilled that they've taken over this series, dating back to November 2011. However, deep down, nothing will compare to the back-and-forth glory days of this epic feud.

Since the 1930s, the Detroit Lions have consistently gone to war with the Chicago Bears.

Now NFC North adversaries, the Lions and Bears play twice a year at minimum. The rivalry has historically leaned in Chicago's favor. Detroit has won just 65 games, while the Bears have racked up 96 victories.

Recently, though, it's been all Lions. In 2013, they swept the season series, averaging an outstanding 30.5 points per game.

The teams have yet to play in 2014, which means the Lions have a realistic chance to extend their streak to four wins in a row.

If the Lions' feud with the Bears is historic, the Packers' feud with the Monsters of the Midway is on a different planet. You could argue that the Packers' feud with the Bears is the most revered in league history.

Out of the 190 games they've played, the Packers have scored 3,235 points to the Bears' 3,254. It doesn't get much closer than that.

With Aaron Rodgers under center, Green Bay has gone 12-3 vs. the Bears. Those numbers are good enough to label him a "Bear killer." Talking to the media about the tale these two teams have weaved together, via Packers.com, Rodgers said there's been "a lot of bad blood over the years."

Doesn't matter if it's Rodgers, Brett Favre or even Bart Starr, the Packers' one advantage in this series has always been their quarterback.

Fair being fair, the Houston Texans haven't exactly had a lot of success when they've played the Indianapolis Colts. Out of the 25 times they've met, the Colts have won 21 of those games.

It's not that the Texans have been bad. The main problem is is found in two names: Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.

Having to face two franchise quarterbacks in a row has diminished Houston's chances of evening this thing up.

However, if we're looking at the glass half full, at least the Texans have JJ Watt on the defensive—and now offensive—end. He's an otherworldly player who can do so much for a team. And when you throw an offensive-minded head coach like Bill O'Brien into the mix, the future definitely looks bright.

It's rare in today's NFL to have your rival come from outside your division. You play those teams twice a year, which always makes strategizing a more complicated task.

But for the Colts, their biggest rival has been the New England Patriots. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady set the bar high, and hopefully Andrew Luck will be able to continue that trend.

Luck has a difficult task in front of him. Dating back to 2010, the Patriots have won all five times these two teams have faced off. It'll be interesting to see if the tide changes once Brady and Bill Belichick decide to hang it up.

In addition, these two franchises are on top of their respective games. Since 2001, the Colts and Patriots have been the cream of the crop in the AFC. Both teams have not only won Super Bowls, but they've also combined to appear in nine AFC title games.

The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't had much success of late, but that doesn't mean they don't have a rival. 

Of all the teams in the AFC South, the Jags' biggest combatant is the Tennessee Titans.

The series has been pretty close, with the Jaguars taking 17 games to the Titans' 23. More importantly, it's been filled with great players, and those players have made this matchup one of the more underrated duels in the NFL.

One guy who always did his thing against the Titans was running back Fred Taylor. On 258 attempts, he rushed for 1,056 yards and scored six total touchdowns.

The Jaguars have been suffering lately, but that doesn't mean this rivalry has been lopsided. Of the seven games they've won during the last three seasons, two of those came by way of the Titans.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders are enemies. There's no other way to slice it up and serve it.

Since they were AFL franchises, watching the Chiefs take on the Raiders has been a fun experience.

Checking out the infographic KCChiefs.com posted, the series is still incredibly close. Including the Raiders' shocking victory over the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football in Week 12, Kansas City still holds a 57-52 edge over the Silver and Black.

As the infographic highlighted, Ex-Chiefs passer Len Dawson said it best: "It's only a game, right? Not this one. This was not only a game. This is Raider week."

Here's a fun fact for all you Chiefs fans: Did you know that Elvis Grbac holds the record for the most passing yards in a single game against the Raiders? That's right. He tallied 504 of those suckers back in 2000.

Great rivalries are defined by moments.

The Miami Dolphins may not have a bigger moment than when Dan Marino threw a game-winning touchdown pass off of a fake spike in the Meadowlands.

The Jets may be ahead by a count of 50-46, with one tie, but that series could wind up breaking even in the next couple of seasons. Marino may be nothing more than a distant memory, but a young quarterback named Ryan Tannehill is starting to find himself on the gridiron.

With two games on the docket in 2014, you can bet that Dolphins fans would love to break out the brooms and sweep their New York rivals.

Heading into Week 12, the Packers had been going out on Sundays and destroying teams. That changed when they took the field against the Minnesota Vikings.

If there's one constant in the NFL, it's that division games are unpredictable. The two teams just know everything about one another. That proved to be the case once again when the Vikings barely lost to Green Bay, 24-21, in Week 12.

Perhaps the defining moment between these clubs took place when Brett Favre jumped ship and joined the Vikings in 2009. If that wasn't bad enough, that first season, Favre led the Vikings to a season sweep of the Packers.

I asked Arif Hasan, the editor-in-chief at Vikings Territory, about what makes this rivalry so unique. He answered with: 

"The Packers rivalry is unique among NFL rivalries because it can combine two elements that make for a really emotional matchup: It builds up on the border battle element that has existed for decades between Minnesota and Wisconsin and Minnesota was Packers country when the Vikings were founded in 1961, splitting the fanbase. It's not often rivalries can organically split families like that."

When it comes to the Vikings, it's the Packers or bust. All the other games matter, but this rivalry has a special place in the team's heart.

The New England Patriots have had plenty of rivals since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick formed an unholy alliance. One of the pair's biggest rivals is the incomparable Peyton Manning.

But if we're picking a team here, it has to be the New York Jets. The Jets and the Patriots represent so much more than just two football teams. Their history is vastly rich and equally complicated.

Belichick leaving a note saying he wasn't going to coach the Jets, then fleeing for the confines of the Patriots headquarters was what really set this whole thing off. Since then we've had Brady, Spygate, Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchez, the Butt Fumble and countless other wonderful memories between these two clubs.

Layer on the whole New York vs. New England debate, and you have yourself one of the most volatile rivalries in all of sports. 

"Since the two teams entered the NFL a year apart in the '60s, the Falcons and Saints—and even more, their fans—have fought one of the most underrated rivalries in sports."

Those are the words of Tommy Tomlinson, who was contributing to ESPN at the time.

Tomlinson is right. When the Saints and Falcons get together, the end result is usually compelling. Lately, it's been a series consisting of two teams with great quarterbacks playing in the comforts of a dome.

Ever since Brees and Sean Payton were put in charge, the Saints have managed to win 13 out of the 17 games they've played against Atlanta. That's good news for Saints fans no matter how the rest of the 2014 season turns out.

The New York Giants don't care very much for the Philadelphia Eagles. Two teams separated by just a few hours of driving time have become the fiercest of rivals.

St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher summed up the rivalry best when he said, "You've got history, tradition and proximity," via NFL Network's NFL Top 10. It all mixes up and creates the perfect storm of chaos.

Right now, the Giants currently lead the series 82-77 with two ties. No matter how many times the two teams meet, it's always intense and filled with emotion.

Some of the greatest players to suit up for Big Blue have taken part in this storied quarrel. Whether it's Lawrence Taylor, Phil Simms, Eli Manning or Michael Strahan, each one of these guys understands what it means to play against the Eagles.

No matter what their record is, the New York Jets will always want to beat the New England Patriots.

We can laugh about the Butt Fumble, but that doesn't take away from the job head coach Rex Ryan has done preparing his team for the Pats.

The toughest loss the Jets handed New England in recent memory was in January 2011. That was the time Ryan's defensive bravado was out of this world. Stunning the Patriots 28-21 in Gillette Stadium, Ryan's squad took down its foe in the AFC Divisional Round, surprising plenty of pundits in the process.

Coaches and players will come, and they will go. But what about the Jets' rivalry with the Patriots? That, my friends, will stand the test of time.

The Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos' vendetta isn't just a one-way street. As we discussed earlier, this squabble is as deep as the ocean floor.

Part of the reason fans want to see the Raiders get back to being the Raiders is so they can watch the Silver and Black thrash the Broncos like they did back in the day.

Take Bo Jackson, for example. In the four games he took the field in this rivalry, the Raiders went 3-1 against their archrivals. Jackson was a huge part of that, rushing for 308 yards and five touchdowns.

There won't ever be another Jackson, but little morsels of nostalgia like that make you itch for a return to the glory days. Hopefully, down the road, we'll see a revival of sorts for a team who likes to pillage just for fun.

The New York Giants may have the upper hand against the Philadelphia Eagles, but that doesn't mean the Birds haven't had their moments.

There are so many examples of the Eagles breaking Big Blue's heart. Remember Clyde Simmons' touchdown run? How about DeSean Jackson's spectacular punt return? And, of course, who could forget the Miracle at the Meadowlands?

The Eagles-Giants rivalry is great theater. That's about the only way to describe it.

Physicality.

That's the best word you can use to sum up the type of game you're going to get whenever the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Baltimore Ravens.

In the grand scheme of things, this rivalry is actually young. It wasn't until 1996 that these two teams met up and played. We've seen some crazy stuff transpire over the years, but perhaps nothing was quite as outlandish as the time Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stepped onto the field during a Jacoby Jones kickoff return.

Moments like that make it abundantly transparent: These two teams will do anything they can to beat one another.

California may be a big state, but when the San Diego Chargers take on the Oakland Raiders, there's only room for one team.

Another rivalry that has its roots soaked in the waters of the old AFL, the Chargers and Raiders don't like each other. Maybe it started when the Raiders poached Al Davis away from San Diego. Or maybe it's because the Chargers have to increase security around the stadium when Raiders fans come knocking.

At least Chargers fans can take solace in a man they know as LaDainian Tomlinson. During his career with Chargers and New York Jets, he torched the Raiders. He ran for 2,055 yards, caught 58 passes for an additional 378 yards and scored 26 total touchdowns. Plus, out of the 19 times he played against the Silver and Black, LT's team won 14 of those them.

Like a lot of teams in the league, the San Francisco 49ers are a franchise with multiple rivals. But in recent years, the battle between them and the Seattle Seahawks has taken center stage.

There are simply too many juicy narratives to go around. Jim Harbaugh vs. Pete Carroll. Michael Crabtree vs. Richard Sherman. Even the fact that both teams have mobile quarterbacks plays into this rivalry.

This Thanksgiving, another chapter will be written. With the Niners fighting for their playoff hopes at 7-4, they'll have to take down the Seahawks in order to push their playoff agenda forward.

Look for a side of hard-hitting, tough football to go with your delicious turkey dinner.

The Super Bowl champs earned their title last year. After three grueling battles with the San Francisco 49ers, playing the Denver Broncos turned out to be a walk in the park.

Of all the series in the NFL, this one may be the closest. The Seahawks have played the Niners 31 times since 1976. In that span, they've enjoyed 16 victories to the 49ers' 15.

That number just means the two games coming up this season are monumental. On one hand, the 'Hawks have a chance to pull away from their division rivals. On the other, if they let their foot off the gas, the Niners could take control of the series.

In some respects, this rivalry is sort of like that between the Ravens and Steelers. Both NFC West squads like to play physical and grind out wins.

The St. Louis Rams' biggest rival will always be the San Francisco 49ers.

Over the years, the two teams have played almost to a stalemate, with the 49ers slightly ahead in the series, 65-63-3.

It doesn't matter how good the 49ers have been. The numbers tell you that the Rams always come to play against their NFC West counterpart. This battle has been going on so long, it's been played in St. Louis, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Los Angeles and Anaheim.

Heck, just give the Rams a field anywhere on the planet. They'll just strap on their helmets, go out and play the 49ers.

Another unheralded series that has taken place over the years has been between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers.

This rivalry was the one that caused ex-Buccaneers QB Chris Simms to rupture his spleen, Cadillac Williams to tear up his knee and Anthony "Booger" McFarland to break his forearm in 2002.

There have been injuries and there have been great games, and there has been a ton of competition sprinkled on top of that.

Since 1995, this feud has brewed over and created some memorable moments. The Buccaneers may be down 17-11 in the series, but that doesn't mean they're willing to give up. Because whenever these two teams collide, the atmosphere feels like a playoff game.

The Tennessee Titans' beef with the Indianapolis Colts hasn't been scorching hot since the year Steve McNair and Peyton Manning shared NFL MVP honors. 

Despite that, it has produced far too many great games to be forgotten about. The Colts' commanding 26-14 lead may never turn in favor of the Titans, and a lot of that has to do with quarterback play.

As we mentioned in a previous slide, the Colts have had the luxury of not only Manning, but also Andrew Luck.

On the other hand, since McNair last took a snap for the Titans in 2005, they've had guys like Vince Young, Kerry Collins, Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Locker, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Charlie Whitehurst and now Zach Mettenberger all line up under center.

Until they figure that position out, the Titans will continue to struggle against the Colts.

Washington and the Dallas Cowboys will never be able to see eye to eye when it comes to football. 

This lengthy and complex rivalry has been hot since 1960, when Washington beat Dallas 26-14. Lately, it's lost some of its luster thanks to Washington's in-house struggles, but no matter what happens, nothing will ever be able to discredit the amazing legacy these two NFC East foes have carved out against each other.

If you're looking to brush up on your history, the good folks over at NFL.com created a great video detailing how and why this rivalry came to fruition.

All rivalry information and scores via The Football Database, unless noted otherwise. All stats via Pro Football Reference, unless noted otherwise.