Top 5 NFL team rivalries that you shouldn't miss
The NFL is a sport where divisional play dominates the already small schedule. This provides room for easy creation of rivalries. Others also exist outside of the divisions, whether that be due to past realignment or some memorable playoff showdowns.
So which NFL rivalries are the best of the best? Let's take a look at five that truly stand out above the rest as matchups that fans must never miss.
NFL team rivalries fans will regret missing
#5 - Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers
The Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers have an NFL rivalry dating all the way back to 1950. Some NFL fans may claim this is no longer a true rivalry because of the domination established by Pittsburgh since Ben Roetlisberger showed up. But that would be short-sighted given how far back the intertwined histories of these two teams go.
The Steelers lead the all-time series with a 78-61-1 record. That solitary tie came in 2018 at a time when the Browns were finally starting to turn things around.
The #Browns win!
The Steelers lose!
The Browns are in the playoff hunt and control their own destiny!
Browns fans today: https://t.co/4yge76lcNa
This all-time record also includes three NFL postseason matchups. The most recent, and arguably the most notable, came last season when the Browns routed the Steelers with a 48-37 final scoreline. Baker Mayfield and the Browns did the impossible, signaling a potential change of guard in this rivalry.
Roethlisberger is 25-2-1 in his career against the Browns. It's a mind-blowing number and shows just how one-sided things have been since 2004. Before then, the rivalry was much more balanced. That may be the case once again now that Roethlisberger's career is approaching its end.
#4 - Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants
The Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants have been playing each other since 1933. In all that time, the Eagles have enjoyed a slim 88-86-2 all-time advantage. It goes without saying that this game is a toss-up whenever the two NFL teams square off.
This NFC East rivalry features two of the most prominent cities in the United States. The East Coast rivalry is tough to match and it makes sense why fans of each of these two teams have so much hatred for the other side.
The Giants have four Super Bowls to their name, and the Eagles have one, which is one more thing that Giants fans can hang over the heads of Eagles fans when the banter gets going.
Eagles: Coach Sirianni discusses the Eagles-Giants rivalry https://t.co/zhPDU5NX5C
This is a geographic rivalry that should last as long as the NFL does because there is no way these two teams will ever not be in the same division. Unlike the Dallas Cowboys, there is no way the Eagles or the Giants would ever move out of the NFC East. Even with potential expansion, they are historical rivals and too close to ever move out of the same division.
Both teams are spending 2021 trying to see if they have their respective franchise quarterbacks. Only time will tell, as it has with all the other signal-callers and stars who have passed through both franchises since 1933.