National Football League rivalries As with all sports leagues , there are a number of significant rivalries in the National Football League ( NFL ) . Rivalries are occasionally created due to a particular event that causes bad blood between teams , players , coaches , or owners , but for the most part , they arise simply due to the frequency with which some teams play each other , and sometimes , rivalries exist for geographic reasons . Background . Purely geographic rivalries are rare in the NFL , since cross - town rivals do not play each other nearly as often as in other leagues that have more games ( and therefore more opportunities to play other teams ) . For example , Major League Baseball teams face every other league opponent at least 3 times during the regular season , and within a division as many as 19 times . In recent years , the NFL has changed its scheduling formula to ensure that every possible matchup will happen eventually , but many of those matchups will occur only once every 3 to 4 years . A main factor in the fact that crosstown rivals are almost always in opposing conferences is history : in all current markets ( New York , the SF Bay Area , and the Washington , D . C . area ) that have two NFL teams , each has one team ( Jets in New York , Raiders in Oakland , and the Ravens in Baltimore ) that was a member of the American Football League . And as part of the AFL - NFL merger , all AFL teams had to be retained , even if that meant multiple teams in one metropolitan area ( the Baltimore area is the lone exception - their team in 1970 , the Colts , had always been in the NFL , while their current team , the Ravens , were only enfranchised in 1996 ) . The newly merged league opted not to go through an extensive geographical realignment , and instead , the AFL formed the basis of the AFC , and the old NFL formed the basis of the NFC ; as a result , each team ended up in an opposite conference from their crosstown rival . This allowed the combined league to retain both existing television partnerships of each league - NBC for the AFL / AFC , and CBS for the NFL / NFC - instead of choosing one or the other ( ABC also joined the mix in 1970 with " Monday Night Football " ) . Games can be classified in 3 main categories : The NFL , sportscasters , journalists , and fans typically use the terms " division rival " or " divisional rival " instead of " intra - divisional rival " , and " conference rival " ( also " NFC rival " or " AFC rival " ) instead of " inter - divisional rival . " The use of a prefix such as " inter - " is reserved solely for games between opponents from different conferences . The oldest NFL rivalry , dating back to when the league was founded in 1920 , consists of its two remaining charter members : the Decatur Staleys / Chicago Bears and the Chicago / St . Louis / Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals . The longest consecutive game rivalry ( at least one game played in each non - strike season ) is between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears . It dates back to 1921 and is currently approaching 180 games , with 48 Hall of Famers and 21 league championships between the two teams . In the AFC the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns have the longest rivalry with over 110 games , two in the playoffs , and 14 league titles between them . The " turnpike rivalry " as it is called is only separated by a two - hour drive and began during the 1950 NFL season . Both of these teams were NFL franchises predating the American Football League that formed the basis of the AFC , and were moved to the AFC when the leagues merged in 1970 . No team in the NFL has faced a team from another league since 1969 ( 1961 if American Football League teams are ignored ) , and as such , interleague rivals do not exist . Though certain teams from opposing leagues ( e . g . the Hamilton Tiger - Cats ' and Toronto Argonauts ' enmity toward the Buffalo Bills over the Bills Toronto Series ) have fostered a rivalry for fan base and popularity , under current rules , the NFL cannot , and will not , schedule an actual game ( even an exhibition game ) against a non - NFL opponent , making such a rivalry academic . American Football Conference . AFC East . Buffalo Bills vs . Miami Dolphins . This rivalry between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins franchises has the teams playing two games against one another per season . In the 90 regular season games between the teams in the series , the Dolphins hold a 53 – 36 – 1 head - to - head advantage as of December 2010 . The teams have also met four times in the NFL playoffs . The Bills are 3 – 1 in the postseason contests , including a victory in the 1992 AFC Championship Game . New York Jets vs . New England Patriots . The New York Jets – New England Patriots rivalry has these two teams playing two scheduled games each season . Games between the two teams have often played out the fierce rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball , as the cities of New York City and Boston are approximately hours apart by car . More recently , the Jets have tried to overcome the Patriots domination in the division and the conference , facing them in the playoffs . Miami Dolphins vs . New York Jets . The rivalry between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets has these two teams playing twice per year . They have often competed for divisional supremacy , and have played a number of classic , memorable games . Currently , the Jets hold the advantage in the all - time series with a record of 47 - 43 - 1 , while the Dolphins have won the lone postseason meeting , defeating the Jets in the 1982 AFC Championship . AFC North . Baltimore Ravens vs . Pittsburgh Steelers . The rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers is one of the most intense in the National Football League . Both teams are members of the AFC North division , and play at least twice a year in what are often battles for divisional supremacy . Both teams are known for fielding tough , hard - hitting defensive squads , giving their games an extra element of physical intensity . The two teams have met in the postseason three times , all resulting in Steelers wins . They are the only two teams in the AFC North to have won the Super Bowl , and possess a combined 7 - 2 record in the game ( the Ravens won in their only appearance , all others came from the Steelers ) . Cincinnati Bengals vs . Cleveland Browns . The Battle of Ohio ( also known as the Buckeye State Series ) refers to games played between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals . This rivalry has produced 2 of the 8 highest scoring games in NFL history . With their October 4 , 2009 win in Cincinnati , the Bengals took the lead in the all - time series , 37 - 35 . Geography and a shared heritage add to this rivalry . Cleveland ( Northeast ) and Cincinnati ( Southwest ) are on opposite corners of the Buckeye state , and essentially split Ohio . Legendary Head Coach Paul Brown also started each franchise . The colors of each team are similar , since Paul Brown chose the exact shade of orange used by the Browns for the Bengals , and the Bengals original uniforms were identical to the Browns uniforms , excluding the word " Bengals " on the helmet . The rivalry would later be fueled by sociocultural differences . Although Ohio is geographically part of the Midwest , Cleveland identifies more with the Northeast while Cincinnati identifies more with the South ( and particularly Kentucky and Indiana ) and is more socially conservative than the rest of the state . This has led to the Browns fans being more rowdy while the Bengals fans are more laid - back . This was exemplified in 1989 during a game between the Bengals and Seattle Seahawks at Riverfront Stadium that had debris thrown from the stands . Bengals coach Sam Wyche then grabbed a microphone and told the fans , " You don ' t live in Cleveland , you live in Cincinnati ! " The Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals first played in 1970 . Previously , the Bengals were a part of the American Football League . After the AFL - NFL merger the Browns and Bengals were placed in the AFC Central Division . They have played twice a year since 1970 , except in ( Player ' s strike - shortened season ) and the years 1996 - 1998 ( Art Modell had moved the Browns staff and players to Baltimore to create the Baltimore Ravens ) . The Browns and Bengals have never met in the playoffs . Cleveland Browns vs . Pittsburgh Steelers . The Browns - Steelers rivalry is one of the most storied rivalries in the American Football Conference ( AFC ) and the NFL . With 117 meetings and counting , it is the oldest rivalry and surpasses other AFC rivalries by at least 5 contests . The two divisional foes have a natural rivalry due to the commonalities between the cities , proximity , etc . It is sometimes called the Turnpike Rivalry because the majority of driving route between the two cities is connected via the Pennsylvania and Ohio Turnpike s . AFC West . Kansas City Chiefs vs . Oakland Raiders . The Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders are considered to have one of professional football ' s most bitter rivalries . Since the American Football League was established in 1960 , the Chiefs and Raiders have shared the same division , first being the AFL Western Conference , and since the AFL - NFL merger , the AFC West . The Chiefs lead the regular season series 54 – 48 – 2 The Oakland Raiders won the most recent meeting in overtime 16 – 13 on December 24 , 2011 at Arrowhead Stadium . The Chiefs are ahead in playoff match - ups with a record of 2 - 1 . The Chiefs are one of two teams in the NFL with a winning record against the Raiders ( with 10 or more contests ) . Intraconference . Indianapolis Colts vs . New England Patriots . The rivalry between the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots is one of the NFL ' s most famed rivalries of the 2000s . The two teams combined for four Super Bowl victories ( three by the Patriots ) and six American Football Conference Championships since , while both are noted for their organizational excellence . The nature of this rivalry is somewhat ironic because while the Colts and Patriots were AFC East division rivals from 1970 to 2001 ( dating back to the Colts ' time in Baltimore ) , their intensified enmity wasn ' t prevalent until Indianapolis was moved into the newly - formed AFC South following the 2001 season as part of the NFL ' s realignment . The two teams did not meet in 2002 but have met every year 2003 - 11 . From the first game of the rivalry ' s renewal ( a 38 - 34 Patriots victory highlighted by a last - second goalline stand ) the rivalry has been bitterly close : following New England ' s 31 - 28 win in the Patriots lead the series with six wins ( two in the playoffs ) versus five wins ( one playoff ) for the Colts , and the Patriots hold a slim lead in points scored , 288 - 281 . The Colts and Patriots have met every year since 2003 as both teams often finished in the same position in their divisions . The other AFC East teams have only been able to play the Colts when the East and South divisions were scheduled to play a full interlocking schedule ; they will do so again in 2012 . The modern matchup is often headlined as a contest between Pro Bowl quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady , who together have won six NFL MVP awards in eight years ( 2003 - 2010 ; four of which by Manning ) . Tom Brady received his first start against the Colts after an injury to then - starter Drew Bledsoe , and proceeded to defeat the Colts in his first six games against them in the next years , including the 2003 AFC Championship game and a 2004 AFC Divisional playoff game . The Colts won the next three matches , notching two regular season victories and a win in the 2006 AFC Championship game on the way to their win in Super Bowl XLI . The Patriots 2007 quest for a perfect season included a comeback 24 - 20 victory in their final visit to the RCA Dome . The Colts won the next two matchups ; in their 2009 Super Bowl season they triumphed 35 - 34 following a risky 4th and 2 call by Bill Belichick . The 2010 matchup was Indy ' s first trip to Gillette Stadium since 2006 ; a last - minute Manning interception ended a 31 - 28 Patriots win . National Football Conference . NFC East . Dallas Cowboys vs . Philadelphia Eagles . The rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles has been one of the higher profile rivalries in the NFL over the past three decades , characterized by bitterly contested games that are typical of the NFC East . The teams play each other twice a season as they are in the same division , and thus they contest for the division crown often . New York Giants vs . Dallas Cowboys . The rivalry between the Giants and Cowboys is often regarded as one of the greatest rivalries in football . Dallas Cowboys vs . Washington Redskins . The rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins was called the top NFL rivalry of all time and " one of the greatest in sports " by " Sports Illustrated " . The two franchises have won 31 combined division titles and ten NFL Championships , including eight combined Super Bowl s . They are the two wealthiest franchises in the NFL . The rivalry started in when the Cowboys joined the league as an expansion team . During that year they were in separate conferences , but played once during the season . In , Dallas was placed in the same division as the Redskins , and since then they have played two times each year . New York Giants vs . Philadelphia Eagles . The rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants dates back to 1933 . However , the competition began to heat up when both teams came to relative prominence in the 1940s and 1950s . The rivalry is mainly based on the two teams being in the same division in the NFL since 1933 and the geographic New York – Philadelphia rivalry . It is ranked by Sports Illustrated as amongst the top ten NFL rivalries of all - time at # 4 . However , the geographic rivalry between the Eagles and Giants is well known in football circles , meriting mention on ESPN . com . The rivalry is the oldest of the NFC East and has been one of the best rivalries in the NFL in the 21st century . New York Giants vs . Washington Redskins . The Giants and Redskins have an old and storied rivalry . While this rivalry is more lopsided in the Giants favor , there have been great periods of competition between the two teams . Most notably during the 1980 ' s where they clashed for division titles and super bowl championships . Between 1982 and 1991 they combined for 8 division titles and 5 super bowl championships , 2 by the Giants ( 1986 , 1990 ) and 3 by the Redskins ( 1982 , 1987 , 1991 ) . The rivalry was put to sleep due to the Redskins recent struggles , but the rivalry was re - awoken in the 2011 season when the Redskins managed to beat the New York Giants twice in the regular season . NFC North . Chicago Bears vs . Green Bay Packers . The rivalry between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers began in and is the league ' s longest rivalry , with 182 regular - season and post - season games . Chicago currently leads the all - time series , 92 – 85 – 6 . The two clubs have won a combined 22 NFL championship s ( including 5 Super Bowl s ) and have 48 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame . Note that the strike - shortened 1982 NFL season did not include a Bears - Packers game . Because of this , the Bears - Packers rivalry is not the longest continuous ( played every year ) rivalry . That title goes to the Packers - Lions , who have played at least once each season since 1932 . The rivalry has led to the Chicago – Milwaukee rivalry being seen in other sports , as seen between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers in Major League Baseball and the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association . Chicago Bears vs . Minnesota Vikings . The Bears - Vikings rivalry began when the Minnesota Vikings entered the league as an expansion team in 1961 . The first time these two teams met , the Vikings stunned the Bears 37 - 13 . The rivalry has generally seen the home team win and has recently been the sight of thriller games with huge swings . For example , the Vikings saw a 14 point lead erased in less than 2 minutes but then rallied for a last second field goal in 2007 . Similarly , the Bears , huge underdogs in the 2009 matchup versus the Vikings , saw a 17 point and later 7 point lead erased , as the Vikings scored with 16 seconds left to tie . But the Bears would too survive , winning on a Devin Aromashodu touchdown in overtime . The rivalry has also been home to seemingly improbable plays , like two special team disasters for the Vikings , which costed them 14 points in a 2008 48 - 41 loss to the Bears . Another crazy sequence of plays was the 4th and goal defensive stand by the Vikings , followed by a 99 - yard touchdown pass to the former Bear Bernard Berrian on the next play , enroute to a 34 - 14 Vikings win in . Green Bay Packers vs . Minnesota Vikings . The Packers - Vikings rivalry began in 1961 , when the Minnesota Vikings entered the league as an expansion team . The rivalry is known for being very close , both in the all - time series and in each game . It is also considered to be one of the most intense rivalries in the National Football League , due these close games , the fact that both teams have often fought for the NFC North title , and the fact that the two states in which these teams reside ( Minnesota and Wisconsin ) have a rivalry in many sports , seen between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Milwaukee Bucks , and the Big Ten rivals , the University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota . Events such as Randy Moss mooning the Green Bay crowd in the only playoff game between these two teams ( won by the Vikings ) , and former Packer great Brett Favre ' s move to the Vikings have created more resentment between these teams . Green Bay Packers vs . Detroit Lions . The Packers - Lions rivalry began in 1934 when the Portsmouth Spartans moved to Detroit . It is the longest consecutively running NFL rivalry ever . ( The Bears - Packers rivalry is the longest running but there was not a Bears - Packers game in the strike - shortened 1987 season . In the last 3 meetings , two have gone to the Packers . NFC South . Atlanta Falcons vs . New Orleans Saints . The Falcons – Saints rivalry is a divisional rivalry in the NFC South . At 85 games played , the series is by far the oldest and most established rivalry in the division . Born one year apart , the Saints and Falcons were the first two NFL franchises in the Deep South ( Dallas being arguably southern but not in the traditional Deep South ) . They have shared many of the same players , such as Morten Andersen ( the leading scorer in both franchises ' histories ) , Bobby Hebert ( who quarterbacked for both teams in the 1990s ) , and Joe Horn ( the Pro Bowl Saints receiver who left for the Falcons in 2007 ) . They have also drawn coaches from the same families , and even shared a head coach : recent Falcons coach Jim L . Mora is the son of longtime Saints coach Jim E . Mora , and former Falcons and Saints coach Wade Phillips is the son of former Saints coach Bum Phillips . Although rarely noted by the national media - no doubt due to both teams ' long stretches of futility until the opening decade of the 21st century - games between the Falcons and Saints have riveted their respective regions for more than 40 years . Fans of both teams consider the other their most important and hated opponent . ESPN . com writer Len Pasquarelli has cited the rivalry as one of the best in all of sports : " Every year , bus caravans loaded with rowdy ( and usually very inebriated ) fans make the seven - hour trip between the two cities . Unless you ' ve attended a Falcons - Saints debauchery - filled afternoon , you ' ll just have to take my word for how much fun it really can be . " The all - time series is currently led by Atlanta at 45 - 40 ( 44 - 40 regular season , 1 - 0 playoffs ) . From 2006 onward the two teams have ecome consistent playoff threats ; the Saints won two division titles ( 2006 and in their 2009 Super Bowl season ) while the Falcons won the division title in 2010 and made the playoffs in 2008 . Both the Saints and the Falcons have been to the Super Bowl ( the Saints won it in Super Bowl XLIV over the Indianapolis Colts by 31 - 17 , while the Falcons lost Super Bowl XXXIII to the Denver Broncos 34 - 19 ) . NFC West . San Francisco 49ers vs . St . Louis Rams . The rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and the St . Louis Rams began in 1950 . The rivalry became one of the most intense in the NFL in the 1970s as the two California based teams ( the Rams then played their home games in Southern California ) regularly competed for the NFL ' s NFC West Division title . After the Rams move to St . Louis in 1995 the rivalry lost its geographical lore , though games are still intense no matter what the standings indicate . The cultural differences between the West Coast ( where the 49ers are based ) and the Midwest ( the home base for the Rams ) also added to the intensity of the rivalry . " Sports Illustrated " considers their rivalry the 8th best of all time in the National Football League . Inter - division . Dallas Cowboys vs . San Francisco 49ers . The Dallas Cowboys have been a major rival of the 49ers . San Francisco has played Dallas in seven postseason games . The Cowboys defeated the 49ers in the 1970 and 1971 NFC Championship games , and again in the 1972 Divisional Playoff Game . The 1981 NFC Championship Game in San Francisco , which saw the 49ers ' Joe Montana complete a game - winning pass to Dwight Clark in the final minute ( now known as " The Catch " ) , is one of the most famous games in NFL history . The rivalry became even more intense during the 1992 - 1994 seasons . San Francisco and Dallas faced each other in the NFC Championship Game three separate times . Dallas won the first two match - ups , and San Francisco won the third . In each of these pivotal match - ups , the game ' s victor went on to win the Super Bowl . Both the Cowboys and the 49ers are second all time in Super Bowl victories to the Pittsburgh Steelers with five each . The 49ers - Cowboys rivalry is also part of the larger cultural rivalry between California and Texas , or more specifically , the San Francisco Bay Area and the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex . New York Giants vs . San Francisco 49ers . The rivalry between the Giants and 49ers is rooted in the 1980s when both teams were on the rise . The Giants and 49ers have met in the playoffs 8 times in the last 25 years , with both teams having won 4 games . The Giants beat the Montana led 49ers 49 – 3 in the divisional round of the 1986 playoffs enrout to winning the first Super Bowl Championship in franchise history . They would again meet in the playoffs in the 1990 NFC Championship game . In one of the most physical football games ever played the Giants upset the 49ers 15 – 13 , ruining their hopes of winning three Super Bowls in a row . The 49ers would exact revenge in 1993 when they would soundly defeat the Giants in the divisional round of the playoffs 44 – 3 in the last game of Lawrence Taylor ’ s and Phil Simms ’ careers . The two met again in the 2002 playoffs in the closest - fought contest of the rivalry ' s history ; the Giants raced to a 38 - 14 lead before the 49ers erupted with 25 unanswered points ; a last - second field goal attempt by the Giants failed on a blown snap and a controversial throw to the end zone . Most recently , the 49ers and Giants met in the 2011 NFC Conference Championship game . The game was closely contested , with back and forth touchdowns and field goals , and headed into overtime with a tie score of 17 - 17 . On a Giants ' 3 - and - out , Kyle Williams dropped the punt , allowing the Giants to recover and clinch the game with a 31 yard field goal . As of the 2011 season the regular - season series is tied 14 - 14 while the playoff series is tied at 4 - 4 . Interconference rivalries . Dallas Cowboys vs . Pittsburgh Steelers . The Cowboys – Steelers Rivalry is an interconference rivalry . As such , the two teams only meet during the regular season every four years when the AFC North play the NFC East , and aside from occasional preseason matchups the only other way the two teams would meet would be the Super Bowl . However for the first decade of the Cowboys existence Pittsburgh and Dallas were heated division rivals , in fact the first Dallas Cowboys NFL game was against the Pittsburgh Steelers . Both teams also boast the most numerous Super Bowl matchup in history with three Dallas - Pittsburgh championships , more than any other Super Bowl pairing ( Dallas - Buffalo , San Francisco - Cincinnati , Washington - Miami , and New York - New England having been played only twice ) . The all - time series is currently tied at 15 - 15 . Governor ' s Cup rivalries . Texas : Dallas Cowboys vs . Houston Texans . The Texas Governor ' s Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the football game between the NFL ' s Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans . The two teams usually meet in the pre - season in years they do not play in the regular season . However in 2010 the teams faced each other in the pre - season and in week three of the regular season . The Governors Cup history dates back to the days of the Houston Oilers . In 1991 , after 13 straight games at Texas Stadium , the two teams went to a home - and - away format for the preseason . The two teams currently meet every fourth year in the regular season rotating home field advantage . Missouri : St . Louis Rams vs . Kansas City Chiefs . The Governor ' s cup for Missouri has been played annually ( outside of a few seasons ) by the Kansas City Chiefs and the St . Louis Rams since the Rams moved from Los Angeles to St . Louis in 1995 . The teams have met 17 times , 12 preseason games and 5 regular season games . The Rams lead the preseason series 7 - 5 and the Chiefs have won all 5 regular season games . The rivalry originates from St . Louis Cardinals and Chiefs annual series before the Cardinals moved to Arizona , the Chiefs led that series as well 16 - 7 - 2 , regular season and preseason included . Other current in - state / regional AFC - NFC rivalries . Philadelphia Eagles vs . Pittsburgh Steelers . These teams are two of the oldest in the league . Both were enfranchised in 1933 , and played frequently prior to the AFL - NFL merger . The teams were division rivals from 1933 - 66 , except for a two - year period during World War II in which the Steelers merged with other teams , the first year of which was a merger with the Eagles . As hapless as the Eagles / Steelers were in their early years , the rivalry was pretty even in the first 24 meetings . Heading into their second 1947 meeting , the Eagles only had a 12 - 11 - 1 series lead . From there , the Eagles began to dominate the series , going 16 - 4 over the next 20 games , including the 1947 Eastern Division playoff , that remains their only playoff meeting to this day ( any others have to come in Super Bowls ) . In 1959 , it was on October 11 at Philadelphia that commissioner Bert Bell died of a heart attack while watching these teams play . The Eagles scored the game - winning touchdown as Bell suffered his fatal heart attack . Few knew that he had planned to leave his post to regain ownership of the Eagles the next year . From 1957 - 63 , the rivalry was competitive again . The Steelers won 7 of 14 games , with both games in 1963 being ties . The Eagles won 5 of the last six in the divisional rivalry ( which ended 38 - 23 - 3 in favor of the Eagles ) . In 1967 , the teams were placed in separate divisions for the first time ever ( the Eagles in the Capitol , the Steelers in the Century ) . They only met once each year from 1967 - 69 , with the home team winning all three games ( the Eagles twice , the Steelers once ) . In 1970 , the Eagles remained with most of the old NFL teams in the National Football Conference , but the Steelers were one of three teams to make the move to the American Football Conference , as part of the NFL - AFL merger . Meetings became much more infrequent , with only 10 meetings since the merger . They did not meet at all from 1980 - 87 , though they were planned to meet in 1982 on " Monday Night Football " . From 1988 - 2000 , the teams met every three years , luckily enough despite the NFL scheduling formulas in place over those years . Philadelphia has continued to dominate the rivalry , which now is staged every four years ( their next meeting after 2000 was in 2004 , and will meet in every leap year barring a change to the formula ) . The 2000 game was the first overtime game in the series . The Steelers had a 10 - point fourth quarter lead at home ( their final meeting at Three Rivers Stadium ) , but the Eagles stormed back and sent the game into overtime , where David Akers would kick the game - winning field goal . 2004 brought much more hype to the series . Both teams entered the game with the best records in their respective conferences . But the Steelers dominated that day , as then - rookie Ben Rothlisberger won his sixth consecutive start , 27 - 3 ; the game was also noteworthy for a heated sideline exchange between Eagles receiver Terrell Owens and quarterback Donovan McNabb . Both teams advanced to their respective conference championship games in 2004 ( just as they did in 2001 , the first time that happened ) , but only the Eagles would go on to the Super Bowl , where they lost to the Patriots ( in contrast , both lost in 2001 , while in 2008 , the Steelers would win against the team that beat the Eagles , the Cardinals ) . Overall , the 2000s marked the first time in years that both teams were regularly competitive . At least one team has made the playoffs every year since 2000 , and are a combined 2 - 2 in the Super Bowl ( both championships won by Pittsburgh ) . Battle of the Bay : Oakland Raiders VS . San Francisco 49ers . The Raiders and 49ers share a rivalry that dates back to the first season of the AFL . The Raiders , despite being named after Oakland , were forced to play their home games in San Francisco for the first two years - a situation that sat well with neither team , nor their fans . It was only in 1962 that the Raiders began playing in Oakland . Both teams saw success in different periods . The Raiders won their first two Super Bowl championships while in Oakland ( in a five - year span ) , while the 49ers won five titles between 1981 - 94 ( during all but one year - 1981 - of this period , the Raiders were in Los Angeles ) . The Bay Area has a total of seven Super Bowl championships . As a cross - town rivalry , it has been relatively evenly - matched . The Raiders won two of the first three games from 1970 - 79 , while the 49ers have dominated the series since 1995 , going 3 - 1 . From 1979 - 2000 , they met every 3 years ( except in 1997 ) . They are currently scheduled to meet in every season that shares a calender year with a Winter Olympics ( for at least 16 weeks ) . In the meantime , the Raiders won 3 of 5 during the time they were in LA . The 2002 meeting was noteworthy as the Niners faced their former receiver Jerry Rice for the first time since he was released by San Francisco after the 2000 season ; taking place on November 3 at Network Associates Coliseum the Raiders rallied from a 20 - 13 gap in the fourth quarter , tying the game on a Charlie Garner touchdown run . The Niners drove to a field goal attempt but Jose Cortez missed badly . The game went to overtime and Jeff Garcia ran for a first down , then came a foot short on a third - down attempt , leading to a Fred Beasley sneak for the first - down conversion ; a throw to Terrell Owens set up another Cortez FGA , this one a successful 23 - yarder and a 23 - 20 Niners win . Rice was held to six catches for 74 yards while Owens , the receiver who replaced him as the Niners ' # 1 deep threat , had 12 catches for 191 yards . The two teams were regular matchups on each others ' preseason slate , but following two shootings at Candlestick Park on August 20 , 2011 ( following a 17 - 3 Niners win over the Raiders ) came word that the preseason rivalry would be discontinued . Battle of New York : Jets vs . Giants . Over the years , there have actually been several NFL teams playing in the New York City metropolitan area , but the Giants and the Jets are the only surviving teams . The modern rivalry dates back to 1970 , when the Giants beat the Jets 22 - 10 at Shea Stadium . The Jets won 4 of the next 6 meetings to take a 4 - 3 series lead heading into the 1996 meeting . One of the more memorable contests was in 1974 . The game went into overtime - 1974 was the first year of overtime in the regular season . The Jets and Giants played a back - and - forth game , with most of the time having either the score tied or the Giants in the lead . Entering overtime , the score was tied at 20 , but the Jets would take the victory when Joe Namath threw a 5 - yard touchdown pass to Emerson Boozer . This is seen as some as the true beginning of the rivalry . Oddly enough , it was not played in New York , but rather the Yale Bowl in New Haven , Connecticut - the Giants ' then - home , Yankee Stadium , was being renovated and thus unavailable for use ( New Haven is today considered part of the extended NYC metro area ) . The rivalry became more heated in the 1980s , when the Jets left Shea Stadium to take residence as tenants in Giants Stadium . The Jets had to pay dues to the Giants . This ended in 2010 when MetLife Stadium opened - it is a joint partnership between both teams . Most recently , in 2011 , the Giants defeated the Jets in a heated Christmas Eve match that had major playoff implications . The convincing victory propelled the Giants to a playoff run and eliminated the Jets from postseason contention . The teams will meet next in 2015 , and every four years after that . Denver Broncos vs . Seattle Seahawks . When the Seattle Seahawks were established in 1976 , they were originally part of the National Football Conference , West Division . The next year , the Seahawks moved to the AFC West , and so the Seahawks would face the Denver Broncos twice a year , once at home and again on the road ( they only met once in 1977 ) . The first meeting between the two teams , took place on October 2 , 1977 . The game was hosted at the Seattle Kingdome . The match resulted in a 24 - 13 Denver win . The Seahawks first win against the Denver Broncos took place on December 8 , 1979 at the Seattle Kingdome . The final score was 28 - 23 . On December 24 , 1983 , the Seahawks hosted the Broncos in the AFC Wildcard playoff game . This was Elway ' s first playoff game . The Seahawks advanced with a huge 31 - 7 victory over the Denver Broncos . During the John Elway era , The Broncos went 21 - 12 against the Seattle Seahawks , including the 1983 loss in the Wildcard playoffs . Overall , the Broncos are 34 - 18 against the Seattle Seahawks