The NFL and college football are the two most popular sports/leagues in the entire country.
Besides the unparallel excitement of both, the pure sense of extreme urgency that both offer on a game-to-game basis is completely unmatched by any other sport.
One clear advantage that college football has over the NFL is the amount of fierce and historic rivalries they feature.
Having said that, it’s not like the NFL doesn’t have hate-filled rivalries of their own.
Virtually every divisional matchup is a rivalry to some degree, as are a few notable out-of-division rivalries featuring contending teams that always seem to run into each other on a yearly basis.
The good old days of Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning may be long gone, but we still have a few juicy rivalries across the league.
When thinking about rivalries in the NFL, a few matchups instantly pop in our heads – Steelers vs. Ravens, Bears vs. Packers, every single NFC East matchup … The list goes on and on.
Mike Florio and Chris Simms of NBC Sports recently dove into the current state of rivalries in the NFL, and both came up with their very own top three.
Interestingly, with the exception of one of Florio’s choices, neither list was filled with truly historic rivalries. Instead, both Florio and Simms focused on matchups that have emerged in recent years as the most heated and meaningful.
Their complete rankings are as follows…
Mike Florio’s Top 3 Rivalries
#1. Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions
#2. Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers
#3. Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Chris Simms’ Top 3 Rivalries
#1. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals
#2. Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers
#3. Philadelphia Eagles vs. San Francisco 49ers
One notable trend in their rankings is the prominence of the Kansas City Chiefs. As back-to-back defending Super Bowl champions that shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise.
With Patrick Mahomes at the helm and three Super Bowl victories in the past five seasons, the Chiefs have become central figures in the NFL world.
Besides their divisional rivalries with the Raiders, Broncos and Chargers, the Chiefs have forged heated rivalries with conference foes such as the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills (as well as the NFC’s San Francisco 49ers).
What are your thoughts on Florio and Simms’ rankings?
What do YOU think are the top three rivalries in the NFL?
Are you a sucker for the old, historic rivalries? Or do you much prefer the new-age ones that have been recently built???