Here's an info on the NFL teams.
Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints are currently champions of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL).
The Saints were founded in 1967, as a result of the AFL-NFL Merger, for which legislation was helped pass in Congress by the Louisiana contingent of Senators and Representatives. Louisiana was rewarded for its lobbying with an NFL franchise, which can be considered a direct result of the existence of the rival American Football League (AFL 1960 - 1969) and the subsequent merger of the NFL with the AFL. They went more than a decade before they managed to finish a season with a .500 record and two decades before having a winning season. The teams first successful years were from 1987-1992, when the team made the playoffs four times and had winning records in the non-playoff seasons. In the 2000 season, the Saints defeated the then defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams for the team's first playoff win.
The Saints' home stadium is the Louisiana Superdome. The team has played its home games in the "dome" since 1975. However, due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina to the New Orleans area, the Saints' 2005 home opener was played at Giants Stadium, the home stadium of their opponent, the New York Giants. The remainder of their 2005 home games were split between the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, and LSU's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After a $185 million renovation of the historic stadium, the team returned to the Superdome for the 2006 season. The team played its 2006 home opener in front of a sold-out crowd and national television audience on September 25, 2006, defeating its NFC South rival, the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 23-3. The victory received a 2007 ESPY award for "Best Moment in Sports."
The Saints are one of six teams never to have played in a Super Bowl. The Saints did qualify for the NFC Championship Game on January 13, 2007, after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 27-24 in the divisional round of the playoffs. They are the first team in NFL history to reach a conference championship after losing 13 or more games the previous season. They suffered a 39-14 loss the following week to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship.
The Saints conduct summer training camp at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi.
Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team that is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Northern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC), in the National Football League (NFL). The Steelers are the oldest and most championed franchise in the AFC. The team has appeared in six Super Bowls and, along with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, is one of three teams to have won the Super Bowl five times. They have appeared in thirteen Conference Championship Games and have hosted more conference championship games than any other NFL franchise. They are the only team in NFL playoff history to win a Super Bowl after being seeded sixth in the playoffs, winning three consecutive games on the road followed by a Super Bowl XL victory in Detroit on February 5, 2006 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Originally named the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team joined the NFL in 1933 [1] when owner Art Rooney, Sr. paid a US$2,500 franchise fee to the league.[2] Prior to 1933, strict state blue laws had prevented sporting events from taking place on Sundays, when most NFL games were scheduled.
The team was renamed the Steelers in 1940, after the city's prominent steel industry. A fan suggested the name in a contest held by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the team.
See also: Cleveland Browns#1991-95: Bill Belichick and Modell's move
On November 6, 1995, then-Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell announced his intention to move the team to Baltimore, citing the inadequacy of Cleveland Stadium and the lack of a sufficient replacement along with his heavy debt. The decision triggered a flurry of legal activity that ended when representatives of Cleveland and the NFL reached a settlement on February 8, 1996. It stipulated that the Browns' name, colors, and history of the franchise were to remain in Cleveland, including past records and the attribution of its Pro Football Hall of Fame players. A reactivated Cleveland Browns team would then begin play in 1999, while Modell's relocated club would technically and legally be an expansion team, the Ravens.[1] Still, some consider the Ravens and the pre-1995 Browns organization as one continuous entity, using terms like "The Modell organization" or "Art Modell's franchise" to denote it.[2]
The CFL team, the Baltimore Stallions, had proved such a success and the fans showed up in droves to prove they deserved an NFL franchise. This caught the attention of Modell.
After relocating his franchise, retaining the current contracts of former Browns players and personnel as per the agreement made by the city of Cleveland and the NFL, owner Art Modell hired Ted Marchibroda as head coach, who had previous experience with the Baltimore Colts during the 1970s and the Indianapolis Colts during the early 1990s. Ozzie Newsome, the Browns tight end for many seasons, joined Modell in Baltimore as director of football operations. He was later promoted to Vice President/General Manager.
Focus groups, a telephone survey, and a fan contest were all held to help select a new name for Modell's relocated club. Starting with a list of over 100 possible names, the team's management reduced it to 17. From there, focus groups of a total of 200 Baltimore area residents reduced the list of names to six, and then a phone survey of 1000 people trimmed it down to three, Marauders, Americans, and Ravens. Finally, a fan contest drawing 33,288 voters picked "Ravens", a name that alludes to the famous poem, "The Raven", by Edgar Allan Poe, who spent the latter part of his life in Baltimore, and is also buried there.[3]
[edit] 1997 season
In 1997 the Ravens started 3-1. Peter Boulware, with 11.5 sacks, was named AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year, but the Ravens finished 6-9-1.
[edit] 1998 season
Baltimore began the season by moving into their new stadium Raven Stadium (eventually the stadium would be called PSINet Stadium and later M&T Bank Stadium). Testaverde, who had left for the New York Jets, was replaced by Eric Zeier, and later, former Indianapolis Colt Jim Harbaugh . Cornerback Rod Woodson joined the team after a successful stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Priest Holmes started getting the first playing time of his career and ran for 1,000 yards, but the Ravens finished with a 6-10 record.
After three consecutive losing seasons, Marchibroda was succeeded by Brian Billick, who had served as the offensive coordinator for the record setting offense of the Minnesota Vikings the season before.
[edit] 1999 season
In the 1999 season, with a newly renamed stadium, PSINet Stadium (now M&T Bank Stadium), Baltimore showed a marked improvement. Quarterback Tony Banks came to Baltimore from the St. Louis Rams and had the best season of his career with 17 touchdown passes and an 81.2 pass rating. He was joined by receiver Qadry Ismail, who posted a 1,000-yard season. The Ravens struggled early, starting 3-6; but rattled off four consecutive wins to put themselves in playoff contention. A loss in the final week sent them home early with an 8-8 record.
[edit] 2000 season—Super Bowl champions
Banks shared playing time in the 2000 regular season with Trent Dilfer. Both players put up decent numbers (and a 1,364-yard rushing season by rookie Jamal Lewis helped too) but the defense became the team's hallmark and bailed a struggling offense out in many instances through the season. Ray Lewis was named Defensive Player of the Year. Two of his defensive teammates, Sam Adams and Rod Woodson, made the Pro Bowl. Baltimore's season started strong with a 5-1 record. But the team struggled through mid-season, at one point going five games without scoring an offensive touchdown. The team regrouped and won each of their last seven games, finishing 12-4 and making the playoffs for the first time.
During the 2000 season, the Ravens defense broke two notable NFL records. They held opposing teams to 165 total points, surpassing the 1985 Chicago Bears mark of 198 points for a 16 game season. They broke another 1985 Chicago Bears record by holding teams to 970 yards rushing.
Since the divisional rival Tennessee Titans had a record of 13-3, the Ravens had to play in the wild card round. They dominated the Denver Broncos 21-3 in their first game. In the divisional playoff, they went on the road to Tennessee. With the score tied 10-10 in the fourth quarter, an Al Del Greco field goal attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown by Anthony Mitchell, and a Ray Lewis interception return for a score put the game squarely in Baltimore's favor. The 24-10 win put the Ravens in the AFC Championship against the Oakland Raiders. The game was rarely in doubt. Shannon Sharpe's 96-yard touchdown catch early in the second quarter followed by an injury to Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon were crucial as the Ravens won easily, 16-3.
Baltimore then went to Tampa for Super Bowl XXXV against the New York Giants. The game was also dominated by the Ravens. They recorded four sacks and forced five turnovers, one of which was a Kerry Collins interception returned for a touchdown by Duane Starks. The Giants' only score was a Ron Dixon kickoff return for another touchdown; however, the Ravens immediately countered with a return by Jermaine Lewis. The Ravens became champions with a 34-7 win, becoming only the third wild card team to win a Super Bowl championship.
[edit] 2001 season
In 2001, the Ravens attempted to defend their title with a new quarterback, Elvis Grbac, but an injury to Jamal Lewis and poor offensive performance stymied the team. After a 3-3 start, the Ravens defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the final week to clinch a wild card berth at 10-6. In the first round the Ravens showed flashes of their previous year with a 20-3 blowout over the Miami Dolphins, in which the team forced three turnovers and outgained the Dolphins 347 yards to 151. In the divisional playoff the Ravens played the surprisingly strong Pittsburgh Steelers. Three interceptions by Grbac ended the Ravens' season, as they lost 27-10.
[edit] 2002 season
Baltimore ran into salary cap problems in 2002 and was forced to cut several players, including Sam Adams, Rod Woodson and Shannon Sharpe. The Ravens regrouped through the draft with picks like safety Ed Reed. Longtime backup QB Chris Redman took over behind center. The Ravens stayed somewhat competitive, before a December slide cost them a playoff spot with a 7-9 final record. Those who left on the big cutdown were: Sam Adams (Buffalo Bills), Rod Woodson (Oakland Raiders), Shannon Sharpe (Denver Broncos), Jamie Sharper (Houston Texans), Jermaine Lewis (Houston Texans), Tony Siragusa (retired), Elvis Grbac (retired), Randall Cunningham (retired), Larry Chester (Miami Dolphins), Rob Burnett (Miami Dolphins), Obafemi Ayanbadejo (Miami Dolphins), Kip Vickers (n/a), Brad Jackson (Carolina Panthers), Danny Knight (Indianapolis Colts), Qadry Ismail (Indianapolis Colts), Sam Gash (Buffalo Bills), Leon Searcy (n/a), Eric Zeier (retired), Duane Starks (Arizona Cardinals), and coach Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals). The Ravens did sign quarterback Jeff Blake from the New Orleans Saints. The team re-signed linebacker Ray Lewis.
[edit] 2003 season
In 2003, the Ravens drafted their new quarterback, Kyle Boller, but he was injured midway through the season and was replaced by Anthony Wright. Jamal Lewis ran for 2,066 yards (including a record 295 yards in one game against the Cleveland Browns on September 14). With a 10-6 record, Baltimore won their first AFC North division title. Their first playoff game, at home against the Tennessee Titans, went back and forth, with the Ravens being held to only 54 yards total rushing. The Titans won 20-17 on a late field goal, and Baltimore's season ended early.
Ray Lewis was also named Defensive Player of the year for the second time in his career.
In April 2003, Art Modell sold 49% of the team to Steve Bisciotti, a local businessman who had made his fortune in the temporary staffing field. After the season, Art Modell officially transferred his remaining 51% ownership to Bisciotti, ending over 40 years of tenure as an NFL franchise owner. Modell still has an office at the Ravens' headquarters in Owings Mills, Maryland, and acts as a consultant.
[edit] 2004 season
The Ravens attempted to engineer a trade for Terrell Owens in the 2004 offseason, but the NFLPA filed a grievance with the NFL, claiming Terrell Owens should have been granted free agency. Just before a judge made a decision in the case, the NFL and NFLPA came to a settlement, which set up a 3-way trade between the Eagles, 49ers, and Ravens. Owens went to the Eagles, and the Ravens got back the pick they had traded to the 49ers, and were also granted a 5th round draft pick. Boller remained quarterback through the entire season. Ed Reed became a full-fledged star on defense, with nine interceptions. Reed was also named the league's Defensive Player of the Year. He broke the NFL record for longest INT return, with a 106 yard return against the Cleveland Browns. Baltimore remained in playoff contention the entire season, but with a 9-7 record did not go to the playoffs.
[edit] 2005 season
In the 2005 offseason the Ravens looked to augment their receiving corps (which was second-worst in the NFL in 2004) by signing Derrick Mason from the Titans and drafting star Oklahoma wide receiver Mark Clayton in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
The 2005 season (the Ravens' 10th Anniversary season) began as the featured Sunday Night Football game televised by ESPN. This game against the Indianapolis Colts led the announcer to state, "What a wonderful way to begin the season, the game between the team that plays here now and the team which used to play here." The game's first half was a defensive slugfest, with the score at the half 3-0 Colts, but the second half saw the Ravens fall apart and starting QB Kyle Boller was lost to a foot injury (Colts 24, Ravens 7).
In the 2nd week road opener versus historic rival Tennessee, backup QB Anthony Wright failed to spark the offense and the defense couldn't hold the Titans back, allowing the second straight loss (25-10). During the team's bye week, coach Billick tried to install the idea that after the bye, the season starts anew and they forget about their past losses. This strategy led the Ravens to a Week 4 Win against the Jets (13-3), but the Ravens fell apart against the Lions (35-17), setting a franchise record for penalties in a single game (21). The Ravens rebounded at home the next week against the Cleveland Browns, with a final score of 16-3. However, from Week 7 to Week 10, the Ravens would lose to the Chicago Bears (10-6), the Pittsburgh Steelers (20-19), the Cincinnati Bengals (21-9), and the Jacksonville Jaguars (30-3).
The Ravens turned the tide in a Week 11 rematch with the Steelers at home, winning 16-13 in OT, but were season-swept by the Bengals the next week, 42-29. The Ravens won their next game against the hapless Houston Texans 16-15, but lost a week later on the road to the Denver Broncos 12-10. Then, the Ravens played their final two home games under the prime time light. First, they manhandled the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night 48-3. Then, they destroyed any playoff chance that the Minnesota Vikings had by winning on Sunday Night 30-23. Despite the resurgence of Kyle Boller, they couldn't carry their momentum entirely. Despite leading the Browns 13-6 at halftime, they lost the lead in the 3rd quarter and trailed for the rest of the game, ultimately losing 20-16.
The Ravens ended their season 6-10. Despite having the same regular season record as the Cleveland Browns, the Ravens were technically third in the AFC North, since they beat the Browns on the division records tiebreaker: In the AFC North, the Ravens were 2-4, while the Browns were 1-5.
And here are the NFL rivarly teams that play against each other.
NFL Rivalry
[edit] AFC North
The AFC North is significant in that substantial rivalries exist between nearly every team.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns
First met in 1970; suspended after the 1995 season; restored in the 1999 season.
Signature moment: Paul Brown got fired from the team he founded in Cleveland in the mid-1960s by then-owner Art Modell. After the American Football League Bengals joined the NFL, Brown began an intrastate rivalry with the Browns. The rivalry became known as "The Battle of Ohio"; it has also been nicknamed "The I-71 Rivalry," since both teams' home cities are served by Interstate 71.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
First met in 1970.
A relatively recent rivalry, though termed by Sports Illustrated in 2006 to be "The Nastiest Rivalry in the NFL"[1].
Signature moment: After a long drought of non-winning seasons, the Bengals reached the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. But their first playoff game was against the division-rival Steelers. In the second play of the January 2006 playoff game, Kimo von Oelhoffen (a former Bengal and now former Steeler) ran into quarterback Carson Palmer, causing a tear in Palmer's ACL and MCL, a hit that the officials called "unavoidable". The Steelers would go on to win the game and advance to Super Bowl XL winning their fifth world championship.
Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
First met in 1950; suspended after the 1995 season; restored in the 1999 season.
Signature moment: In the midst of an October 1975 game between the two teams, Steeler defensive tackle Joe Greene was ejected after he repeatedly kicked Browns' offensive lineman Bob McKay in the groin.
Signature moment: In their second meeting of the 1976 season, Steelers' quarterback Terry Bradshaw was sacked by Browns' defensive end Joe (Turkey) Jones. Instead of merely tackling Bradshaw, Jones lifted him up and slammed him head-first into the Cleveland Stadium turf. Bradshaw would miss the next two contests.
Signature moment: In the Browns' first season returning to the league, the team met the archrival Steelers in week 10 of the 1999 NFL season. A last minute field goal kick by Phil Dawson got the Browns their second win of the year with a 16-15 upset victory in Pittsburgh. The victory was especially notable considering the dominating 43-0 victory the Steelers notched in the Browns home opener, their first game back to the NFL after a three-year hiatus. In December 2006, the Browns' official website ranked Dawson's game winning field goal as one of the sixty greatest moments in franchise history.[2]
Signature moment: This rust belt rivalry moved from the old NFL Eastern Conference to the AFC after the AFL-NFL merger. Prior to the merger, the Browns had made the Steelers their favorite patsy, but Pittsburgh won four Super Bowls in the 1970s while the Browns foundered. The teams met in their first playoff battle in 1994, which the Steelers won at Three Rivers Stadium. The teams met in the playoffs for a second time in 2002 when Pittsburgh overcame a 17-point deficit and scoring 22 points in the 4th quarter to win 36-33.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
First met in 1996
Signature Moment: These two teams met in the 2001 AFC Divisional playoffs. There was a lot of jawing before the game as both teams split their regular season meetings. The Ravens were riding high following a 20-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card round. However, the Steelers defense proved to be too much as they physically dominated the Ravens offense, forcing four turnovers and recording three sacks while holding the Ravens offense to just 150 total yards as the Steelers prevailed 27-10.
Signature Moment: In the 2002 season, Baltimore cornerback James Trapp intercepted a pass and was thrown out of bounds by Steelers wide receiver Antwaan Randle El. This triggered a wild chain of events as skirmishes broke out between both teams as Steelers safety Lee Flowers and wide receiver Hines Ward got into a scuffle with Baltimore cornerback Chris McAlister. Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress jumped into the fight in an effort to protect his fellow teammates but was thrown to the ground where Baltimore cornerback James Trapp stomped on Burress' stomach with both feet and ripped Burress' helmet right off. Consequently, Burress and Trapp got into a fight and both were ejected from the game.
Signature Moment: In the 2004 NFL season, Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter shoved Baltimore tight end Todd Heap to the ground. The Ravens were not even running a play as they spiked the ball immediately as it was snapped. Heap was nursing an injured ankle that he suffered on the previous play and he limped to the line of scrimmage before Porter shoved him. Porter's shove made the injury worse as Heap was unable to return to the game. Many Ravens players were angry at Porter, accusing him of taking a cheap shot on Heap.
Signature Moment: In the 2006 NFL season, the Ravens shut out the Steelers 27-0 in the first meeting, then held them to 7 points in the next meeting, scoring 35 of their own and ending the Steelers playoff hopes.
Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens
First met in 1999
A recent rivalry, it began before these teams first met. After the Browns moved to Baltimore for the 1996 season and were renamed the Ravens, Cleveland fans began counting the days not only until they could have a team again, but also until they would play the Ravens, and then-owner Art Modell. It is understandably difficult to understate the amount of hatred and vitriol Browns fans feel towards the Ravens organization in general, and the Modell family in particular.
Signature Moment: During the 2001 season, the defending Super Bowl Champion Ravens were beaten twice by the Cleveland Browns. Baltimore fans were especially upset after the second loss because Elvis Grbac, who had replaced the Super Bowl winning Trent Dilfer, threw four interceptions. Elvis was even seen crying on the field after throwing the last of them.
Signature Moment: In 2003 Jamal Lewis rushed for 295 yards against the Cleveland Browns on September 14. This set an NFL record for the most rushing yards in a single game.
Signature Moment: In 2004 Safety Ed Reed set an NFL record for the longest interception return after returning an interception 106 yards for a touchdown.
[edit] AFC East
Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins
First met in 1966
Signature moment: Bills owner Ralph Wilson originally wanted an AFL team in Miami, but was denied and thus founded the Buffalo Bills as a charter member of the AFL.
Signature moment: The glory days of this rivalry occurred during the late 1980s and early 1990s when Hall of Famers Jim Kelly and Marv Levy led the Bills against the Dolphins led by Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Don Shula.
Signature moment: Dolphins linebacker Bryan Cox taunted Bills' fans for years, claiming they had made racially cruel remarks to him.
Signature moment: 1980 marked a major breakthrough for the Bills in this rivalry. They beat the archrival Miami Dolphins for the first time in 11 years in their season opener, en route to winning their first AFC East title. The victory led to the fans at Rich Stadium tearing down the goal posts.
Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots
First met in 1966
Signature moment: During "The Snow Plow Game" in 1982, played in blizzard conditions at the Patriots' home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, a work release prisoner drove a plow onto the field during a timeout late in the game to create a clean area for a field goal kick, leading to the only score in a 3-0 Patriots win. Dolphins coach Don Shula later convinced the NFL Rules Committee to ban such home field advantages.
Signature Moment: In the final game of the 1993 season the Patriots hosted the Dolphins amid widespread speculation that owner James Orthwein would move the team to St. Louis for 1994. The game was tied at 27 into overtime when Drew Bledsoe fired a 36-yard touchdown to Michael Timpson. The 33-27 win knocked the Dolphins out of the playoffs; weeks later Robert Kraft (who controlled the team's lease with Foxboro Stadium that would have prevented them from leaving in any event) purchased the team from Orthwein with help from the NFL, securing the team's future in Foxboro.
New York Jets vs. New England Patriots
First met in 1960
Signature moment: Former Patriots (and New York Giants) coach Bill Parcells left New England due to a dispute with owner Robert Kraft over team direction, and the Jets negotiated the right to hire Parcells. Three years later, former Parcells assistant Bill Belichick left the Jets — one day after agreeing to succeed Parcells as head coach — to coach New England.
Signature Moment: In September 1999, the Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium for the season-opener against the Jets. The Patriots led 14-10 in the second quarter when Vinny Testaverde tore his left achilles and was out for the season, an injury that crippled the Jets' chances at playoff contention for the season. The game itself was a back-and-forth affair that ended with an Adam Vinitieri field goal in the final 30 seconds of a 30-28 Patriots win.
Signature moment: Much was made in 2006 when Eric Mangini, Belichick's former defensive coordinator in New England, left to become head coach of the Jets in January. It was widely reported that Belichick was not happy with the move and that the relationship between the two had soured greatly. Indeed, much scrutiny was focused on the postgame handshakes between the two in their teams' two regular season games — a 24-17 Patriots victory in week two and a shocking 17-14 Jets road victory in week ten. The teams met again in the Wild Card round of the playoffs with the Patriots coming out victorious, 37-16. When the two coaches met at midfield, they embraced, surrounded by a mob of photographers.
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots
First met in 1960
Signature Moment: In November 1998 Doug Flutie led the Bills to a 21-17 lead with less than two minutes to go; Drew Bledsoe led a game-winning drive in which he threw a 26-yard touchdown try on the final play; a pass interference call in the endzone extended the game by one untimed down, and Bledsoe lofted a pass from the one-yard line to Ben Coates for the win; the disgusted Bills went to the locker room even though the extra point still had to be kicked; with no opposing players on the field Adam Vinitieri ran in an unopposed two-point conversion for a 25-21 Patriots win.
Signature moment: Prior to the 2003 season, the Patriots released team captain Lawyer Milloy; he then signed with the Bills. The two teams met in Week 1 of the regular season, with the Bills rolling to a 31-0 victory which including a sack by Milloy. In the last week of the regular season the Patriots gained revenge with a 31-0 victory, during which the opening scoring drive was aided by a pass interference call against Milloy.
New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins
Main article: Dolphins-Jets rivalry
First met in 1966
Signature moment: The Jets and Dolphins met at the Orange Bowl in the 1982 AFC championship game. Playing on a muddy field, the teams battled to a 0-0 tie at halftime before Dolphin linebacker A.J. Duhe took over. Duhe intercepted three passes by New York quarterback Richard Todd in the second half, returning the final pick 35 yards for a touchdown to clinch Miami's 14-0 victory and a berth in Super Bowl XVII.
Signature moment: On November 27, 1994, the Jets battled the Dolphins at The Meadowlands for a share of first place in the AFC East. Miami, who at one point trailed 24-6, came back to make it 24-21. Then, with 22 seconds left in the game, Dan Marino faked a spike and tossed the ball to Mark Ingram, which resulted in a game-winning touchdown for the Dolphins. The "fake spike" propelled Miami to the division title, while the Jets lost all of their remaining games that year.
Signature moment: On October 23, 2000, the Jets hosted the Dolphins at The Meadowlands on Monday Night Football. Miami dominated most of the game, building a 30-7 lead in the fourth quarter and undoubtedly leading many television fans to turn off the game early, but things were just getting started. Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw two quick touchdown passes, followed by a John Hall field goal to bring the Jets within seven, and with 3:55 left to play, Testaverde threw a 24-yard strike to Wayne Chrebet to tie the game. Miami would then score a touchdown that seemingly crushed the Jets' hopes, but with just 42 seconds to play, Testaverde found Jumbo Elliott open on a tackle-eligible play for a three-yard touchdown to tie the game at 37-37. Although Miami got the ball first in the ensuing overtime, the Jets would eventually win on Hall's 40-yard field goal, capping an amazing comeback victory by the Jets and a just reward for the remaining fans that stuck around to the bitter end. In an online poll in 2002, as part of Monday Night Football's 500th game, fans would vote this the greatest Monday Night game of all time.[3] This comeback became known as "The Monday Night Miracle".
[edit] AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans
First met in 1995
Signature moment: The Jaguars played the Titans in the 1999 AFC Championship, but Tennessee upset Jacksonville and went to Super Bowl XXXIV instead. It was the third Titans victory over the Jaguars, as the Titans swept both regular season meetings, and Tennessee was the only team to defeat Jacksonville that year. The rivalry was fueled by quote from Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher claiming that the Jaguars' stadium was the Titans home away from home.
Signature Moment: The Jaguars beat the titans 15-12 for the first time in Tennessee in 2004. which started a string of Jacksonville victories in the series
Signature Moment: In 2006 The Titans defeated the Jaguars 24-17 even though the Jaguars gained over 300 yards, 23 first downs, and controlled the ball for 44 minutes; the Titans in contrast gained less than 100 yards on offense, scoring primarily on special teams and with defensive scores off Jacksonville turnovers
[edit] AFC West
Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs
First met in 1960
Signature moment: Former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana finished his career in Kansas City, and led the Chiefs to a memorable comeback at Denver's Mile High Stadium.
Signature moment: After suffering a defeat at the hands of the Chiefs in the regular season, Denver went on to beat Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium in the playoffs, eventually winning Super Bowl XXXII.
Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders
First met in 1960
Signature moment: The Broncos beat the Raiders in 1977 to win their first AFC Championship.
Signature moment: In the 1993 season finale, the Raiders scored an overtime victory against the Broncos to make the playoffs, setting up another game between the two in Los Angeles the following week. Outspoken Raiders' owner Al Davis commented before the playoff game that the Broncos were "scared to death of us"[4]. Despite the Broncos' protestations to the contrary, the Raiders made their owner's words stand up, winning 42-24.
Signature moment: In 1995, former Raider coach Mike Shanahan, who was at the time in an ongoing contract dispute with Davis, became Denver's head coach, heightening an already contentious AFC West rivalry.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders
Main article: Chiefs-Raiders rivalry
First met in 1960
Signature moment: In 1969, the final season prior to the merger between the AFL and NFL, the Raiders defeated the Chiefs twice during the regular season (27-24 at Kansas City and 10-6 at Oakland). The two teams met again in the last AFL championship game at the Oakland Coliseum, with the Chiefs taking a 17-7 victory. Kansas City would go on to win Super Bowl IV the next week against the Minnesota Vikings.
Signature moment: In the first meeting between the teams during the 1970 season, the Chiefs held a 17-14 lead late in the fourth quarter and appeared ready to run out the clock. Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson rolled around right end and gained enough yardage for a first down, and as he fell to the ground, he was speared from behind by Raiders defensive end Ben Davidson. A fight ensued, and Davidson was shoved out of the way by Chiefs wide receiver Otis Taylor. Offsetting penalties were called, and the play was nullified. Kansas City was forced to punt, and the Raiders took advantage, as George Blanda nailed a 48-yard field goal with two seconds left to secure a 17-17 tie. Due to this play, the NFL changed the rules so that Davidson's personal foul would have been enforced at the end of the play, and Taylor's penalty would have been assessed only after the Chiefs had been awarded a first down. The tie proved to be costly for the Chiefs, as Oakland would clinch the first AFC West championship with a 20-6 victory in Oakland in Week 13.
Signature moment: Former Super Bowl XVIII MVP Marcus Allen joined the Chiefs after falling out of favor with Oakland's owner, Al Davis.
Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers
First met in 1960
Signature moment: The Raiders are many teams' most hated rival, and the Chargers have been in the same division and state for over 40 years. In their only playoff meeting to date, the Raiders went into San Diego to defeat the Chargers 34-27, in the 1980 AFC Championship Game.
Signature moment: In a 1978 game, the Raiders were behind 20-14 with 10 seconds to go and facing fourth down on the Chargers 14. Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler deliberately fumbled forward (he would admit doing so in a post-game interview), and teammates Pete Banaszak and Dave Casper batted the ball forward until Casper fell on the ball in the end zone for the touchdown that tied the game. The Raiders won with the ensuing point-after kick. The play would enter NFL lore as the "Holy Roller", or the "Immaculate Deception" among Chargers fans. The play directly led to changes in NFL rules regarding fumbles on fourth down or within the last two minutes of the game.
Signature moment: In a Monday Night Football doubleheader on September 11, 2006, the Chargers shut out the Raiders, 27-0, for the first time since 1961.
[edit] Intradivisional rivalries: NFC
[edit] NFC North
The three dominant teams in the NFC North division (the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears) all have long, historic and deeply charged rivalries between them. The rivalry between the Bears and Packers is the greatest in all of professional football.
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears
First met in 1922
Signature moment: Pro football's longest and most storied rivalry. Green Bay was often overshadowed by the Monsters of the Midway (led by George Halas) for many years, until Vince Lombardi came to Wisconsin to dominate the 1960s.
Signature moment: Packers star halfback Paul Hornung was suspended for the 1963 season by commissioner Pete Rozelle for gambling, but Green Bay still finished the 1963 campaign 11-2-1. The two losses, however, came to the Bears, 10-3 in the season opener at Lambeau Field and 26-7 in week ten at Wrigley Field, ending coach Vince Lombardi's first quest for three consecutive NFL championships, a goal the Packers would reach from 1965-67. The Bears finished the 1963 season 12-1-1 and defeated the Giants for the NFL championship, 14-10, on an 8-degree day at Wrigley.
Signature moment: On September 7, 1980 the Packers and the Bears were tied at 6-6 in overtime. A 32-yard pass from Lynn Dickey to James Lofton helped set up a game-winning field goal attempt by Packers' kicker Chester Marcol. Bears' defender Alan Page was able to block the field goal, sending the ball straight back to Marcol. Surprised by getting the ball back, Marcol ran around the Bears defenders who were confused by the play. Marcol received a block and was able to run in for the game winning touchdown.[5]
Signature moment: In Week 12 of the 1986 season Green Bay defensive tackle Charles Martin wore a towel with specific Bears numbers written on it (#34, Walter Payton, #9 Jim McMahon). It was considered a hit list by many. Following a McMahon interception Martin came up from behind and body slammed him to the turf, separating McMahon's shoulder, ending the quarterback's season. Martin would be suspended for two games, at the time the longest suspension in NFL history.
Signature moment: Packers quarterback Don Majkowski led the Packers to a comeback and a game-winning touchdown pass to WR Sterling Sharpe with only seconds left to play. Initially the play was called a touchdown, but line judge Jim Quirk had called a penalty on Majkowski for being beyond the line of scrimmage when he threw the pass. With a nervous and tense crowd at Lambeau Field, the call went up to the instant replay official, Bill Parkinson. Several minutes later the call came down and the touchdown was correctly awarded as recorded by instant replay. The Lambeau faithful and Packer players erupted with joy because it marked the first time since 1984 that the Packers had beaten their long-time rivals. The game has been called "The Instant Replay Game" by many fans and was given its own notation in the Bears programs for many years.
Signature moment: In the opening week of the 2006 season, September 10, the Chicago Bears handed legendary Packer quarterback Brett Favre his first shutout in his 16-year career, winning 26-0 in Green Bay. The Packers beat the Bears in the last game of the season 26-7, which was widely speculated (incorrectly, as it later turned out) to have been Favre's last game.[6]
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings
First met in 1961
Signature moment: In a Monday Night Football game in 2000, the Packers and Vikings were tied at 20-20 in overtime when Brett Favre threw a long pass that Vikings cornerback Cris Dishman deflected towards Antonio Freeman, who was on the ground. The ball went straight from Dishman to Freeman's shoulder, who then rolled over to make the catch at the 15-yard line, and took it into the endzone for the touchdown and the 26-20 win. This prompted Al Michaels, who was broadcasting the game on ABC, to famously utter, "He did what?" This catch has gone down as the "Improbable Bobble."
Signature moment: January 9, 2005 represented the first time that the two clubs have faced each other in the playoffs. The Vikings jumped to an early lead and carried by arm of Daunte Culpepper ultimately won 31-17. After his second touchdown, Viking's wide receiver Randy Moss faux mooned Packer fans, mocking the move that Packer fans perform to rivals as they leave Green Bay.[7]
Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings
First met in 1961
Signature moment: The first meeting between the 2 teams in 1961. The upstart Minnesota Vikings upset the dominant Chicago Bears in the Vikings first game as a franchise. Also memorable was the meeting between the 2 teams in 1998 when former Vikings linebacker Dwayne Rudd taunted a Chicago player en route to scoring a defensive touchdown.
[edit] NFC East
This entire division can be considered one giant rivalry in itself, since every team shares a rivalry with every other team, and also because this division holds 10 of the 41 Super Bowls played as of 2007. The rivalries are so entrenched that when the NFL realigned the divisions into the four-team format, the teams remained in the same division (despite the fact that Dallas is west of the Mississippi River and the St. Louis Rams, who play in the NFC West).
Also notable, the Giants, Redskins, and Cowboys respectively handed the Buffalo Bills their four consecutive Super Bowl losses between the 1990-93 seasons. The Cowboys pulled off the last two victories. The closest win came during Super Bowl XXV, when Scott Norwood's game-winning field goal attempt sailed wide right. The Giants won by only one point, 20-19.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins
Main article: Cowboys-Redskins rivalry
First met in 1960
Perhaps no NFL rivalry has had more national spotlight than the Cowboys/Redskins rivalry. Whether it was Landry vs. Allen or Landry vs. Gibbs, or Staubach vs. Theismann, or Dorsett vs. Riggins, the two annual Cowboys vs. Redskins games are a big deal no matter what the records are. The teams have won a combined total of 8 Super Bowls and have played each other twice in the NFC Championship Game. Many consider the rivalry to be one of the biggest in all sports. Dallas leads the all-time series 55-35-2, though Washington has the advantage in NFC Championship Game battles two games to none.
Signature Moment: The rivalry began even before the Dallas Cowboys existed when then Redskins owner George Preston Marshall opposed the proposal for an expansion team in Texas. A behind-the-scenes battle would then ensue, and finally culminate when the would-be Dallas owners bought the rights to Washington's fight song, "Hail to the Redskins" and threatened to not allow Marshall to play it at his team's games. Marshall then backed down, the Cowboys were born, and the rivalry began in 1960.
Signature moment: November 10, 1962 was the date of the infamous Cowboy Chicken Club game, as four banners reading "CHICKENS" were unfurled over the 50 yard line and end zone facades of D.C. Stadium, during "Hail To The Redskins." Two acrobats then ran onto the field releasing a chicken and throwing colored eggs into the crowd, during the National Anthem. The chicken prank dated back to the season before as the Chicken Club planned to release 75 white chickens and one black chicken during the halftime show of a game on December 17, 1961. The black chicken and colored eggs symbolized then Redskins owner George Preston Marshall's stance against signing African-American players to play for the Redskins. After apprehending one of the acrobats (the other escaped), the game began and the Cowboys marched to a 38-10 victory.
Signature moment: In their first ever playoff meeting, the Redskins would crush the Cowboys 26-3 in the 1972 NFC Championship Game, halting the Cowboys bid to reach three consecutive Super Bowls.
Signature moment: In the first Monday Night Football meeting between the clubs on October 8, 1973, future Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Ken Houston preserved Washington's 14-7 victory at RFK Stadium by tackling Dallas running back Walt Garrison on the Redskin 1-yard line as time expired. The best Dallas could have hoped for was a 14-14 tie, since overtime for regular season games was not adopted until 1974, and the two-point conversion option was not added to the rules until 1994.
Signature moment: On Thanksgiving 1974, backup Dallas QB Clint Longley, subbing for an injured Roger Staubach, threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson to cap an amazing comeback and defeat the Redskins 24-23. Longley never saw significant playing time after that.
Signature moment: Washington led by 13 points late in the final game of the 1979 season, but Dallas QB Roger Staubach led two scoring drives as time was running out to win the game 35-34. Staubach threw an 8-yard pass to Tony Hill for the last touchdown. The win knocked the Redskins out of the playoffs for the 1979 season.
Signature moment: Perhaps the most remembered contest of this rivalry was the NFC Championship game at RFK Stadium in 1982, where the rivalry was personified with the entire stadium chanting "We Want Dallas!" throughout the game. The game was highlighted by Redskins guard Darryl Grant high-stepping into the end zone to add insult to the Redskins 31-17 victory.
Signature moment: In the first game of the 1983 season, Washington led 23-3 at halftime. The Cowboys came roaring back and dominated the second half, taking a 31-23 lead before winning 31-30 to defeat the defending Super Bowl champions.
Signature moment: Dallas had a 1-15 record in 1989, the worst in the NFL. Their sole victory was a midseason game versus the Redskins.
Signature moment: The Redskins were 11-0 and on their way to winning the Super Bowl when they faced the Cowboys in October 1991. The young Cowboys played with reckless abandon. They recovered an onside kick, went for it on fourth down, and connected on a Hail Mary touchdown pass. Dallas won 24-21. Dallas would go in to win three of the next five Super Bowls.
Signature moment: The Redskins finished 6-10 in 1995, but swept the season series with the Cowboys. The Cowboys went on to win the Super Bowl that season.
Signature moment: Washington led 35-14 going into the 4th quarter in the 1999 season opener. Dallas, led by "the Triplets", Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith, mounted a comeback to tie the game. Dallas won in overtime on a 76-yard touchdown pass from Aikman to Raghib "Rocket" Ismail.
Signature moment: On Sep. 19, 2005, down 13-0 in the waning 4 minutes of the Monday Night Game, Redskins QB Mark Brunell threw two long touchdown passes to Santana Moss, ending the game with the Redskins on top with a 14-13 win. The triumph over Dallas was capitalized later in the season when Washington, with its home crowd chanting "We Want Dallas" in a way reminiscent of their 1982 NFC Championship meeting, defeated the Cowboys 35-7 and giving the Redskins their first sweep over the Cowboys since 1995.
Signature moment: The "Hand of God" game occurred on November 5, 2006 at FedEx Field when the Redskins won through a most unusual series of events. With the game tied 19-19, Redskins kicker Nick Novak missed a 49 yard field goal attempt, turning the ball back to Dallas on downs. The ensuing plays, in turn, set up for Dallas' Mike Vanderjagt, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, to try for a 35-yard field goal with 6 seconds remaining. The kick was blocked by Redskins’ safety Troy Vincent and picked up by the Redskins' Sean Taylor. Taylor returned the kick to the Cowboys' 44-yard line with no time left on the clock. However, the Cowboys' Kyle Kosier committed a 15-yard facemask penalty on Taylor during the return, which caused the game to be extended by one untimed down. Some analysts and fans disputed the call as it appeared to be an incidental facemask. From 47 yards out, Nick Novak made the game winning field goal to send the Cowboys back to Dallas with an unexpected loss. The trajectory of the kick would have taken it wide right, as with the earlier missed attempt. However, in mid-flight the kick clearly veered back to the left as though it had been redirected by the "Hand of God."
Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles
First met in 1960
This rivalry is still considered one of the greatest in the NFL as both teams, along with their die hard fans, pose a great challenge to each other whenever they meet.
Signature moment: When the Cowboys visited Veterans Stadium for a Monday Night Football contest on September 23, 1974, Dallas was coming off of its eighth consecutive playoff appearance in 1973, while the Eagles had suffered through its seventh consecutive losing season. But thanks to a 97-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Joe Lavender and a 45-yard field goal by Tom Dempsey as time expired, Philadelphia pulled off a 13-10 shocker. The 1974 season marked the only time between 1966 and 1983 in which the Cowboys did not make the playoffs, and the Eagles finished 7-7 in 1974, the only non-losing season for the franchise between 1967 and 1977.
Signature moment: One of the first signs of the end of the Cowboys' dominance of the NFC in the late 1970s came in the 1980 NFC Championship, when the Eagles, led by quarterback Ron Jaworski toppled Dallas in a frigid Veterans Stadium, 20-7.
Signature moment: The Eagles had another strong season in 1981 and faced Dallas in a December showdown for the division title. The Cowboys won the showdown 21-10 to force the Eagles to settle for a wild card playoff berth.
Signature moment: During the 1987 NFL players strike, the Cowboys replacement team (augmented by some veteran players) defeated the Eagles replacement squad 41-22. After the game, Eagles coach Buddy Ryan fumed about the Cowboys playing veterans against his team made up of only replacement players and running up the score. In reality, the Cowboys did not score any points in the fourth quarter and the Cowboys veteran offensive players saw little action. For example, Dallas running back Tony Dorsett carried the ball four times and Dallas quarterback Danny White threw three passes, none for scores. When the teams met again two weeks later with all regular players on both sides, the Eagles controlled the game and had a 30-20 lead with seconds to play. With the Cowboys thinking the Eagles were running out the clock, Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham faked a kneel-down and threw a pass to the goal line. The play caught the Cowboys by surprise and the defensive back committed pass interference in the end zone. The Eagles scored a rub-it-in touchdown on the next play to make the final score 37-20. The Eagles went on to dominate the Cowboys for the rest of the decade.
Signature moment: The Cowboys' traditional home Thanksgiving game in 1989 saw several skirmishes between players of both teams, with Cowboys kicker Luis Zendejas eventually being knocked out of the game with a concussion. In the wake of the Cowboys' 27-0 defeat, the only shutout Dallas has ever suffered on Thanksgiving, Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson accused Eagles coach Buddy Ryan of placing bounties on Zendejas and Cowboys QB Troy Aikman. The game became known as the Bounty Bowl. Two weeks later, chaos again broke out in Veterans Stadium as snowballs were pelted at the Dallas bench, with Coach Jimmy Johnson needing a police escort on the way out. This is known as Bounty Bowl II. One of the participants in the snowball throwing was future Philadelphia mayor and Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, an avowed Eagles fanatic.
Signature moment: Philadelphia defeated Dallas in 9 out of the last 10 meetings when the teams faced off in a late season game at Veterans Stadium in 1991. The young Cowboys were on the verge of being the "Team of the 1990s" and took a big step by winning the game 25-13 behind backup QB Steve Beuerlein, who started the game in place of an injured Troy Aikman. The Cowboys finished 11-5 and went to the playoffs as a wild card team while the Eagles missed the postseason despite a solid 10-6 record.
Signature moment: The strongest sign of the end of the Dallas dynasty of the mid-1990s came when Dallas wide receiver Michael Irvin was injured in an October 1999 game at Veterans Stadium that left his briefly paralyzed; he lay prone on the Vet's hard Astroturf field and had to be taken off on a stretcher. All the while Philly fans cheered sadistically at the fall of the hated Irvin, who would be forced to retire due to the injury; the cheering by Eagles fans was condemned by Rich Eisen on ESPN.
Signature moment: On December 19, 2004, Terrell Owens, still an Eagle, was brought down by a horse-collar tackle by Cowboys safety Roy Williams which resulted in a severely sprained ankle and a fractured fibula. This almost ended his season but Owens came back for Super Bowl XXXIX in which he had 9 catches for 122 yards. The following season, horse collar tackles were outlawed by the NFL.
Signature moment: Cowboys safety Roy Williams returned an interception for the winning touchdown in a Monday Night Football game in 2005. Donovan McNabb, the star Eagles quarterback was injured on the play and missed the rest of the season. The Eagles went 2-5 the rest of the season with their backup quarterback.
Signature moment: After being released by the Eagles, Terrell Owens was signed by the Cowboys for a 3 year, $25 million deal on March 18, 2006. The Eagles and Cowboys squared off at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 5 of the regular season. The minute Owens stepped on the field, he was hailed with boos and jeers from the crowd. He only had 3 catches for 45 yards and the Eagles claimed the victory 38-24. The game was won on a Lito Sheppard Interception touchdown return for 102 yards. The two teams rematched on Christmas Day in Week 16 at Texas Stadium with both backup quarterbacks, Jeff Garcia and Tony Romo, starting for each team. The Eagles once again defeated the Cowboys 23-7 and clinched a playoff spot. Owens had 2 catches for 23 yards and the only Dallas touchdown.
New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins
First met in 1937
In the league's early years, this northeast corridor battle had the biggest stars on the league going up against each other — Sammy Baugh of the Redskins, Y.A. Tittle and Frank Gifford for the Giants, and Sam Huff who played for both teams. The modern version of the rivalry saw Bill Parcells' Giants and Joe Gibbs' Redskins battle to see who would go to the Super Bowl from the NFC, in the 1980s and early 1990s. The Giants and Redskins each won two Super Bowls between the 1986 and 1991 seasons.
Signature moment: On a Monday Night Football game in 1985, Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor sacked Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, breaking Theismann's leg on the play. The gruesome injury was caught on live television and replayed multiple times, and Theismann was forced into early retirement. Taylor, who frantically motioned to both sidelines for medical help for Theismann following the play, is still shaken by the incident to this day, and refuses to watch replays of the catastrophe.
Signature moment: In 1986, the teams met for the NFC championship game after the Giants swept the Redskins during the regular season. When New York won the coin toss, the Giants opted to take advantage of a swirling wind at Giants Stadium that was gusting in excess of 50 miles per hour rather than have its offense battle the wind in the opening period. Washington was forced to punt into the gale, and the Giants scored a touchdown on their first drive. New York scored all of its points in the first half of a 17-0 victory, catapulting Big Blue to Super Bowl XXI and an eventual world championship.
New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys
First met in 1960
Signature moment: North vs. South. The bright lights of New York and the wide open spaces of Texas. The games between these two teams have served as a metaphor for both America and pro football.
Signature moment: The Cowboys defeated the Giants 20-13 on October 11, 1971, the first Monday Night Football meeting between the teams and the last NFL game at the Cotton Bowl.
Signature moment: On December 19, 1981, the Giants defeated the Cowboys 13-10 in overtime on a frigid Saturday afternoon in Giants Stadium to help Big Blue reach the playoffs for the first time since 1963. Joe Danelo kicked the winning field goal in overtime after missing a game-winning attempt earlier in sudden death.
Signature moment: In the final game of the 1993 season, with both teams at 11-4 and competing for playoff position, Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith suffered a separated right shoulder in the first half, but continued to play in obvious pain, amassing 168 rushing yards, including 41 on the game-winning drive, as Dallas won 16-13 in overtime. Smith also locked up the NFL rushing title with his tough, gritty performance. After the game, sportscaster John Madden paid a visit to Smith in the locker room to congratulate him, the only time Madden (as an announcer) would pay such a visit to a player, later writing "[It] was one of the toughest efforts I've ever seen by any football player in any game."[1] The win earned the Cowboys a bye in the playoffs, giving Smith time to heal, and he would go on to lead the Cowboys to victory over the Bills as the MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII.
Signature moment: In 2003, the teams met at Giants Stadium on Monday Night Football. The game marked former Giants coach Bill Parcells' first visit to Giants Stadium as head coach of the Cowboys. The Cowboys led 29-14 after three quarters, but they squandered the lead over the last 15 minutes, and found themselves down 32-29 with just 11 seconds to play. The Giants simply needed to kickoff and play a "prevent" defense for 1 or 2 plays, but the kickoff went out of bounds, putting the Cowboys at their own 40 with no time elapsed, and Quincy Carter completed a deep pass to Antonio Bryant, who went out of bounds at the New York 34 to stop the clock with 4 seconds left. Billy Cundiff then converted a 52 yard field goal as time expired to send the game to overtime, and kicked a 25 yarder with 5:56 left in OT to win it for the Cowboys. Cundiff tied an NFL record with 7 field goals in the game, out of 8 total attempts.
New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
First met in 1933
The Giants/Eagles rivalry is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating all the way back to 1933. It is also considered along with the Redskins/Cowboys rivalry to be the chief rivalry within the division.
Signature moment: In a 1960 game, the Eagles' Chuck Bednarik cleanly blindsided Giants running back Frank Gifford, sending Gifford into an 18-month retirement due to a severe concussion.
Signature moment: These two teams have had one of the longest rivalries in the NFL, due to their geographical proximity, although it has only lately picked up due to both teams struggles in the past. On November 19, 1978 at Giants Stadium, the Giants were leading the Eagles 17-12 with 20 seconds remaining. Offenseive coordinator Bob Gibson called for a running play when all that was needed was for the Giants to take a knee. The handoff between quarterback Joe Pisarcik and Larry Csonka was fumbled and Eagles cornerback Herman Edwards grabbed the loose ball and returned it for the winning score. This play is commonly referred to as "The Miracle at the Meadowlands" by Eagles fans and just "The Fumble" by Giants fans.
Signature moment: On January 7, 2001 in a divisional playoff game, the Giants defeated the Eagles 20-10 thanks to Ron Dixon's 97 yard kickoff return and Jason Sehorn's acrobatic 32 yard interception return. This win would help propel the Giants to Super Bowl XXXV which they ultimately lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-7.
Signature moment: In the two teams' first meeting of the 2006 season, Philadelphia held a 17-point lead going into the fourth quarter. However, the Giants rallied to tie the game, and go into overtime. In overtime, Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw a game winning touchdown pass to WR Plaxico Burress, and the Giants won 30-24. In the second meeting, the Eagles would get some payback in a 36-22 victory, which was capped with DE Trent Cole intercepting a pass from Manning (who was getting hit and he ended up throwing the ball up in the air) and returning it for a touchdown. They would meet for a third time in the 2006-2007 playoffs, where the Eagles won on a late field goal, 23-20.
[edit] NFC South
New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons[8]
First met in 1967
Signature moment: Born one year apart, the Saints and Falcons were the first two NFL franchises in the Deep South (Washington and Dallas being arguably southern but not in the traditional Deep South). Each team considers the other its biggest rival, and they have traditionally 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 shared coaches; recent Falcons coach Jim L. Mora is the son of longtime Saints coach Jim E. Mora. Former Falcons and Saints coach Wade Phillips is the son of former Saints coach Bum Phillips.
Signature moment: 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."[9]
Signature moment: Most recently, the Falcons were the opponent in the Saints' first game in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, held on September 25, 2006. The Saints won the nationally televised match 23-3; the game was the highest-rated program in the history of ESPN and the second-highest-rated cable program of all time.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers[10]
First met in 1995
Signature moment: The Panthers and Falcons have played each other in both the NFC West and now the NFC South. Their games have been marked by intensity, close scores, and remarkable performances. Carolina's first ever regular season game was against the Falcons, a loss. But Carolina went on to defeat Atlanta later that season, their seventh win---the most ever for an expansion franchise. More recently, Atlanta's Michael Vick and Carolina's Julius Peppers, often considered two of the best athletes in the League, have faced each other with spectacular results. The Falcons have manhandled the Panthers since the arrival of Michael Vick until the Panthers showed a glimpse of hope in the 2005 season. In 2005, the Panthers beat the defending NFC South champion Falcons by winning at home 24-6 and then, they overtook the Falcons on New Year's Day 44-11 in Atlanta. This ended the Panther's eight-game losing streak in the Georgia Dome and clinched a playoff berth in the process, along with making their largest margin of victory in franchise history. However, in the opening game of the 2006 season, the Falcons would win in Carolina, 20-6. The Panthers got their revenge later that season, beating the Falcons 10-3 in Atlanta on December 24. The game featured Carolina running the ball 52 times, while completing only 4 passes. On some plays, Carolina ditched the passing game entirely by taking quarterback Chris Weinke out of the game and direct-snapping the ball to running back DeAngelo Williams. The game has become known to a point as the "I-85 Rivalry", named so because both cities are along the route of Interstate 85.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers[11]
First met in 1995
Signature moment: This rivalry did not begin until the Panthers and Buccaneers were both placed in the NFC South after the 2002 division re-alignment. Tampa Bay defeated the Panthers twice in 2002 on their way to winning the Super Bowl. In their first meeting of 2003, Carolina was leading Tampa Bay by a score of 9-3 at the end of the game. Tampa Bay scored a touchdown in the final play of the game, but Carolina tackle Kris Jenkins blocked the extra point. The Panthers went on to win in overtime off of a John Kasay field goal. This would become a familiar sight for Tampa fans, as Carolina went on to beat the Buccaneers off of a touchdown catch by Steve Smith with 1:06 left in the game on November 9, 2003, a 40-yard touchdown pass from Jake Delhomme to Keary Colbert with 20 seconds left in a game in which Buccaneers kicker Martin Gramatica missed 3 field goals (November 28, 2004), and a 46-yard field goal by Panthers kicker John Kasay with 7 seconds remaining in a game where Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms took so many hard hits that he ruptured his spleen (September 24, 2006). This rivalry has been known for often harsh exchanges of words between players on the two teams, most notably a long feud between Carolina punter Todd Sauerbrun and Tampa Bay kicker Martin Gramatica (both are no longer with the teams). Carolina has won 7 out of the last 8 meetings between the two teams.
[edit] NFC West
St. Louis Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
First met in 1950
Signature moment: The rivalry was much more intense before 1995, when the Rams were in Southern California and not the Midwest. The Rams ran roughshod over the NFC West in the 1970s, but Joe Montana, Steve Young and the Niners dominated the 1981-98 period, winning five Super Bowl titles. Between 1990 and 1999, the 49ers won 17 straight games against the Rams. In recent years, the balance of power has shifted back to the Rams, who won Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000 and narrowly lost in 2002.
St. Louis Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks
First met in 1976
Signature moment: Although these two teams were never really rivals until the 2002 realignment when the Seahawks moved back to the NFC West from the AFC West, the two teams developed a healthy, albeit short so far, rivalry as the Seahawks began to contend for the division. In 2003, the Seahawks notched an exciting 24-23 victory in Seattle by scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. However, the Rams won the rematch in St. Louis (27-22) on their way to winning the division. In 2004, the Seahawks looked set to a convincing victory over the Rams and a 4-0 start. However, this time the Rams would be the ones to come back, overcoming a 27-10 fourth quarter deficit to win 33-27 in overtime in Seattle. Despite the Rams winning the rematch in St. Louis as well, the Seahawks wound up winning a very mediocre NFC West that year. In the playoffs, however, they would once again be foiled by the Rams, losing 27-20 at home. The Seahawks nearly tied the game in the final seconds, but Bobby Engram dropped quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's pass in the end zone to effectively end the game.
Signature moment: In 2006, a week 6 matchup would determine control of the division as the Rams started the season a surprising 4-1. The Rams led 21-7 at halftime, yet Seattle came back and late in the game, the Seahawks trailed 28-27. When they were supposedly whistled for an illegal formation with four seconds left, St. Louis thought that automatically ended the game with a ten-second runoff. However, there was no penalty and kicker Josh Brown kicked they game-winning 54-yard field goal. Brown kicked another last-second field goal in their rematch that year, a 24-22 win at Seattle.
[edit] Intraconference rivalries: AFC
New England Patriots vs. Oakland Raiders
First met in 1960
Signature Moment: The 1976 AFC Divisional Playoff, forever known as "The Ben Dreith Game." Officiating became a controversy during this game with several questionable hits and a running controversy involving constant mugging of Patriots tight end Russ Francis by Raiders linebacker Phil Villapiano. Holding a 21-17 lead in the final minute, the Patriots stopped the Raiders on a 3rd-and-18 play where quarterback Ken Stabler threw to the endzone; referee Ben Drieth flagged Patriot Raymond "Sugar Bear" Hamilton for roughing the passer, though replays showed no roughing; the call stood and the Raiders scored the game-winning touchdown with ten seconds left.
Signature Moment: The 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff, forever known as "The Tuck rule Game"; Tom Brady was hit as he tried to throw the ball; the ball flew out and was ruled a fumble, until it went to review and was ruled an incompletion, a ruling that kept a Patriots drive going and was capped off by an improbable 45 yard field goal through driving snowstorm by Adam Vinatieri.This sent the game into overtime where the Patriots would win 16-13.
Buffalo Bills vs. Tennessee Titans (Houston Oilers)
First met in 1960
Signature moment: In their second playoff meeting, on January 3, 1993, the then-Houston Oilers took a commanding 35-3 lead over Buffalo early in the third quarter. However, backup quarterback Frank Reich led the Bills to an improbable comeback, scoring 35 unanswered points to take a 38-35 lead. The Oilers scored a last-minute field goal to force overtime. However, an interception in overtime led to the Bills' game-winning field goal to beat the Oilers 41-38.
Signature moment: Seven years later, the Oilers had moved to Tennessee and renamed themselves the "Titans." In their first playoff game as the Titans, on January 8, 2000 they once again faced the Bills, this time in Nashville. The Bills scored a field goal with just 16 seconds left in the 4th quarter to take a 16-15 lead and what seemed like a sure victory. All that was needed was for the Bills to prevent the Titans from doing anything significant on the kickoff, and there would likely be little time left for the Titans to try and score. However, a controversial lateral from Frank Wycheck to Kevin Dyson on the kickoff return enabled Dyson to run 75 yards for the game-winning touchdown and a 22-16 victory. The play would come to be known as the "Music City Miracle" and some fans saw this as revenge for "The Comeback".
Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos
First met in 1971
Signature moment: Over three seasons in four years, Cleveland lost to Denver in the AFC Championship game. In January 1987, after the 1986 season, John Elway led "The Drive" to secure a tie in the waning moments at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium; the Broncos would go on to win in overtime. In January 1988, at Mile High Stadium, after the 1987 season, Cleveland nearly had its own comeback drive, but Earnest Byner's costly fumble at the goal line saved the day for Denver. The game after the 1989 season was not as close, easily won by the Broncos.
Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots
First met in 1970
Signature Moment: Peyton Manning made his second ever trip to Foxboro in September 1999 and led the Colts to a 28-7 third-quarter lead. After a Drew Bledsoe touchdown early in the fourth, Ty Law hammered Colts receiver Marvin Harrison and forced a fumble recovered by the Patriots; Bledsoe led a drive ending in a Ben Coates TD. Law then broke up a third-down Manning throw and forced a Colts punt, and Bledsoe connected to Coates for the game-tying touchdown with the two-minute warning on the horizon. Edgerrin James was then hit inside Patriots territory by Tebucky Jones and fumbled to the Patriots again, leading to a game-winning Adam Vinitieri kick with 30 seconds to go, thus securing a 31-28 Patriots win.
Signature moment: Despite spending 31 seasons in the AFC East, many of the Colts' most memorable games with the Patriots came after realignment shifted them to the AFC South. From 2000-2004 the rivalry was focused around Brady vs. Manning.During this time the Patriots always managed to dismantle Indianapolis with precise victories. Including the 2003 AFC Championship game where the Patriots completely dictated the game early on and the Colts never recovered, as Manning had 4 interceptions leading to a 24-14 loss. The following year the Colts met a similar demise as they lost in the divisional round 20-3.
Signature Moment: In November 2003 the Patriots traveled to Indy for the first time in two years and exploded to a 31-10 third-quarter lead, but two Tom Brady interceptions helped lead to 21 unanswered Colts points. A 70-yard kick return by Bethel Johnson led to a Brady to Deion Branch touchdown. The Patriots gave up a field goal later and a punt with over one minute to go led to a Colts drive to the Patriots' two-yard line, but a heroic goalline stand led by Rodney Harrison and Willie McGinest sealed a 38-34 Patriots win.
Signature moment: The Colts finally won a regular season game in Foxborough on Monday, November 7, 2005, with their dominant offense and their improved defense to make their overall record 8-0. The final score was 40-21 and it marked the end of Peyton Manning being winless against the Patriots since 2000.
Signature moment: In the biggest comeback in a conference championship game, the Colts rallied from a 21-3 deficit against the Patriots in the 2006 AFC Championship game and won a shootout, 38-34. The win kept the Patriots from reaching the Super Bowl for the fourth time in six years, and instead earned the Colts their first trip since before moving to Indianapolis. The Colts later beat the Chicago Bears 29-17 in the Super Bowl and Peyton Manning was named MVP, dispelling Manning's long-standing reputation of a playoff loser.
Signature Moment: Tom Brady's first game as starter for the Patriots came in Week Three of the 2001 season against the Colts, who were 2-0 entering the game. The heavily-favored Colts were flattened 44-13 in a game highlighted when Patriots linebacker Bryan Cox crushed Colts receiver Jerome Pathon in the first quarter, a hit that dissuaded Colts receivers from physical play for the rest of the game.
Signature moment: Prior to the Manning vs. Brady showdowns, the most memorable meeting between the two teams came in a Monday Night Football game on September 18, 1978. Colts running back Joe Washington had the best game of his NFL career in a driving rainstorm, running for a touchdown, catching a touchdown pass from Bert Jones, and throwing for a third score to help the Colts take a 27-20 lead midway through the fourth quarter. New England drove to a tying touchdown on a quarterback sneak by Steve Grogan, but on the ensuing kickoff, Washington picked up a squib kick and ran it back on the slushy field to the game-winning touchdown in a 34-27 triumph. An incredulous Howard Cosell exclaimed, "What a football game this turned out to be!" as Washington scored the winning touchdown.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Main article: Chiefs-Colts rivalry
First met in 1970
Signature moment: The underdog Colts defeated the heavily-favored Chiefs in the 1995-96 playoffs 10-7 after three missed field goals from Kansas City kicker Lin Elliot.
Signature moment: In 2003, both the Colts and Chiefs possessed the NFL's two best offenses, but the Colts again defeated the Chiefs 38-31 in the 2003-04 playoffs in the only puntless playoff game in NFL history.
Signature moment: In 2006, the Colts had the NFL's worst run-defense, and Kansas City running back Larry Johnson carried the ball a record 416 times for almost 1,800 yards. The Chiefs were widely expected to run all over Indianapolis when the two teams met in the playoffs for the third time in 11 years, but the Colts' defense stepped up. The Colts would later go on to win Super Bowl XLI with the NFL's worst run defense in the regular season.
Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Jets
First met in 1969
Signature moment: "Broadway" Joe Namath of the Jets guaranteed a win over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Namath delivered a 16-7 victory and was named MVP.
Signature moment: The Colts swept the season series from the Jets in 1970 and 1971 following the AFL-NFL merger, but when the teams met in week 2 of the 1972 season, Namath was healthy for the first time in nearly two seasons. In his first appearance at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, Namath riddled the Colts for 496 yards and six touchdowns as New York beat Baltimore for the first time since Super Bowl III, 44-34. The Jets needed all of Namath's heroics, as the Colts' Johnny Unitas threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns. This game is widely regarded as one of the greatest passing duels, if not the greatest, in NFL history.
Signature moment: In the 2002 playoffs, the Jets and Colts met in the Wild Card round. In Jets QB Chad Pennington's first playoff appearance, he led the Jets to a 41-0 rout of the Colts. The game was the second most lopsided shutout playoff game in the history of the NFL. Pennington tied the Jets franchise record for most TDs in a playoff game (Joe Namath, Vinny Testaverde). This game was the only time the Jets and Colts met in the postseason with the exception of the 1969 Super Bowl.
New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Signature Moment: "Fog Bowl II," as fog blanketed Foxboro Stadium for the 1996 AFC Divisional Playoff. The Patriots behind a huge running game by Curtis Martin and turnovers by the Steelers erupted to a 28-3 win, the Patriots' first playoff win since 1985.
Signature Moment: In the 2001 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers dominated the regular season and earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Steelers were expected to dominate a Patriots team that many believed didn't really belong in the title game. However, the Patriots storybook season continued as Drew Bledsoe replaced an injured Tom Brady to lead the Patriots to a hard-fought 24-17 victory, stunning the crowd at Heinz Field. The Patriots scored on a Troy Brown punt return touchdown, a Bledsoe throw to David Patten, a blocked Steelers field goal returned for a touchdown, and an Adam Vinatieri field goal.
Signature Moment: These two teams met in the 2004 season with the Steelers coming out on top with a dominating 34-20 victory over the Patriots at Heinz Field. The victory ended the Patriots' record 21-game winning streak, and paved the way for the Steelers' 15-1 record and quarterback Ben Rothlisberger's own winning streak of 13 regular season games in 2004. The victory was also crucial to the Steelers eventually clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. However, the Patriots, led by Brady, once again went into Pittsburgh and came away with a 41-27 playoff victory in the AFC Championship game. For the second time in four seasons the Super Bowl ambitions of the Steelers fell short by one game. Not only did New England give Roethlisberger (who had struggled the previous week against the New York Jets) his first loss as a starter, but in a week 3 rematch in 2005 the Patriots also gave Roethlisberger his first regular season loss, as the Patriots won 23-20.
New York Jets vs. Oakland Raiders
First met in 1961
Signature moment: Arguably, the teams' most memorable game was a regular-season game whose ending was missed by the majority of American television viewers. Taking place in Oakland on November 17, 1968, the teams traded many scores until the Jets kicked a field goal to take a 32-29 lead with just over a minute remaining in the game. At this point, due to a communication mishap at NBC, the network cut its telecast at 7:00 PM EST to begin the heavily-promoted movie Heidi. The Raiders scored two touchdowns in the final minute to win the game 43-32. In addition to the effect the game had in the standings, the game had a lasting effect on the way sporting events would be televised in the future.
Signature moment: The teams would meet again that season, at Shea Stadium to decide the 1968 AFL Championship, as well as the league's representative in Super Bowl III. With Oakland leading 23-20 late in the fourth quarter, Joe Namath staged a drive to score the winning touchdown to give the Jets the championship. They would go on to defeat the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl.
Oakland Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
First met in 1970
Signature moment: The "Immaculate Reception" - a catch of a deflected pass by Pittsburgh RB Franco Harris helped build the Steelers' legacy as the team of the 1970s, in their first playoff victory against an Oakland team that quickly became their regular black-shirt rivals.
Signature moment: In Week 8 of the 2006 season, the Raiders defense shined as they forced four turnovers from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite their offense getting outgunned in total yards (360-98), Oakland would return two interceptions for touchdowns on the way to a 20-13 victory.
[edit] Intraconference rivalries: NFC
Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers
First met in 1960
Signature moment: The Ice Bowl was the 1967 NFL Championship game, played in arctic conditions in late December at Green Bay. The temperature was -13°F at kickoff and dropped throughout the day, with windchills of -40°F and below, and is considered one of the coldest NFL games ever played. Green Bay won 21-17 on a late quarterback sneak by Hall of Famer Bart Starr, and the game will undoubtedly live forever as the one that started the legend of "the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field."
Signature moment: Three decades after the Cowboys lost to the Packers in the "Ice Bowl", the teams would again meet in post-season play with a championship title on the line. This time the Cowboys claimed the NFC Conference Championship (an NFL record 8th NFC title for Dallas and its 3rd in four years) by defeating the Green Bay Packers 38-27 at Texas Stadium on Jan. 14, 1996.
Signature moment: After seven losses in Dallas over the past five seasons (including playoffs), Green Bay fans chanted "WE WANT DALLAS!" in the waining moments of the Packers 1996 divisional playoff victory over San Francisco. The fans were hoping to see the Packers eliminate the Cowboys from the playoffs at Lambeau Field as the Cowboys had done to the Packers each of the past three seasons at Texas Stadium. Unfortunately for the Packers faithful, this "dream game" did not materialize as the Cowboys would fall to the Carolina Panthers the next day. However, by virtue of the NFL scheduling formula, a game between the two teams at Lambeau Field was scheduled for November 23, 1997. Packers fans looked forward to the game all year, calling it the Showdown In Titletown. The Packers did not disappoint their fans as running back Dorsey Levens scampered for a then-team-record of 190 yards as Green Bay routed the Cowboys 45-17.
Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers
First met in 1960
Signature moment: While the Cowboys dominated the rivalry in the 1970s and the Niners dominated in the 1980s, both clubs battled for NFC supremacy throughout the 1990s. The Niners won 4 Super Bowls in the 1980s, with quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young, as well as receiver Jerry Rice. The Cowboys would later rise to the top, winning 3 Super Bowls in the 1990s, with quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and receiver Michael Irvin.
The games between these teams, including six NFC Championship games, and three consecutive contests in the early 1990s (won by Dallas in 1992, 1993 and San Francisco in 1994) , always showcased the cream of NFL talent and coaching genius. These were two of the last great teams of the days before the NFL imposed a salary cap, eventually leading to major rebuilding as these franchises had to cope with the new rules.
In the 1970 NFC championship game, Dallas used two touchdowns in the third quarter to take control of a tie game. The Cowboys held on for a 17-10 victory and their first berth in the Super Bowl. It was the last NFL game played at Kezar Stadium, with the 49ers moving to Candlestick Park in 1971.
The two teams met again in the NFC title game in 1971, this time at Texas Stadium. The game turned on a critical error by 49ers quarterback John Brodie, whose ill-advised screen pass deep in his own territory was intercepted by Cowboys defensive end George Andrie to set up a second quarter touchdown. San Francisco never recovered, and Dallas suffocated the 49er offense the rest of the way in a 14-3 victory en route to the world championship in Super Bowl VI.
The rivalry essentially began during the 1972 divisional playoffs, when the 49ers were close to sealing a win against the defending Super Bowl VI Champion Dallas Cowboys. In his earliest come-from-behind moment, Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach came off the bench to relieve rival quarterback Craig Morton to throw two touchdown passes in the last 90 seconds to defeat the 49ers in San Francisco 30-28..
Perhaps the best known game, however, was the 1981 NFC championship game played in Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Joe Montana completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Dwight Clark with 51 seconds left, to take a 28-27 lead and eventually win the game. Montana's pass was a high and desperate heave as he was about to be forced out of bounds, and Clark made a spectacular leaping grab at the back of the end zone. Clark's catch was captured perfectly by a photographer and placed on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and the play has since been known in NFL lore as simply The Catch and set San Francisco on the path to become the "Team of the 1980s".
A decade later for the 1992 NFC Championship and the right to go to Super Bowl XXVII, in a hard fought battle on the very same field, it was the Cowboys emerging victorious with a 30-20 win against the 49ers cementing themselves as the "Team of the 90s".
In the 2000 season, Terrell Owens, then a member of the San Francisco 49ers, tried to re-ignite an old rivalry between two rebuilding franchises in what was best known as the Star Incident. In a game at Texas Stadium, Owens, after scoring a 2nd touchdown, ran out to midfield as he did the previous TD and posed on the Cowboys' star logo, before being blasted off of the Cowboys logo by former Safety George Teague. In an instant, he became public enemy number one in Dallas, but ironically, 6 years later, he is currently a Dallas Cowboy and was quoted that he will now embrace the star.
New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers
First met in 1952
Signature moment: The Giants and Niners have had seven playoff meetings over the last 25 years. In 1981 and 1984, San Francisco beat the Giants, both times at Candlestick Park (38-24 and 21-10 respectively), as they were in the midst of their 1980s dominance while the Giants were still rising to glory. However, New York exacted revenge in 1985 and 1986 at Giants Stadium, 17-3 in 1985 and a resounding 49-3 rout in 1986 as the Giants went on to win the Super Bowl that year. However, the 49ers would have their own rout in the 1993 playoffs, crushing the Giants 44-3.
Signature Moment: In January 1991, the two teams met once again in the playoffs. Unlike their previous meetings, this game would determine the NFC Championship, and thus the right to advance to the Super Bowl. During the season, both teams started out 10-0 and met on Monday Night Football, with the 49ers winning a defensive struggle 7-3. The 49ers were coming off of back-to-back Super Bowl victories, had home-field advantage, and were the favorites to win. However, Matt Bahr would kick five field goals for the Giants, including the game-winner as time expired, and the Giants won 15-13. It would be the only time during the rivalry that the road team won a playoff game.
Signature Moment: The teams had another classic match in San Francisco in the first round of the 2002-03 playoffs. Despite an inconsistent season, the 49ers had made it to the playoffs by winning the NFC West, but the wild-card Giants were favored to win, and after taking a 38-14 lead deep into the third quarter, it looked like the oddsmakers were right. But the Giants defense, which had been highly ranked all year, began to collapse, and with two quick touchdowns and two successful two-point conversions, followed by a field goal, the Giants lead was suddenly down to 38-33. With 1 minute left to play, Jeff Garcia hit Tai Streets for a 13-yard touchdown pass to take a 39-38 lead. Giants QB Kerry Collins led a furious drive to put the Giants at the Niners 23 yard line with 6 seconds left for a shot at a game-winning field goal. After a botched snap, holder Matt Allen attempted a desperate pass down the field, which fell incomplete but should have resulted in an obvious pass interference call on the Niners Chike Okeafor, who tackled Rich Seubert while the pass was in the air. Instead, the Giants were flagged for having an ineligible receiver downfield, a call which was later acknowledged by the NFL to be incorrect.[2] The flag resulted in the end of the game, a bitter defeat for the Giants, and for the Niners, the second biggest comeback victory (24 points) in NFL playoff history.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
First met in 1977
This is a relatively new rivalry in the NFL. The Eagles won several straight games in the early 2000s, including two playoff wins in Veterans Stadium which ultimately cost Tony Dungy his job as Buccaneers head coach at the conclusion at the end of the 2001-02 season. Philadelphia won the next meeting in the regular season of the following year, only to be defeated by Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship game in the final game at The Vet. Since that game the series has been reversed, with Tampa winning both subsequent meetings between the two teams.
Signature moment: In 1979, Tampa Bay had its first winning season and earned a trip to the playoffs, where they upset the Eagles in the divisonal round for their first playoff win.
Signature moment: On January 12, 2002 the Eagles crushed the Buccaneers at Veterans Stadium in the Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs, 31-9, one year after having defeated them 21-3. It would prove to be the last game Tony Dungy coached as head of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Signature moment: In the last game ever to be played at The Vet, the Eagles once again faced the Bucs, this time in the NFC Championship game on January 19, 2003, trying to advance to their first Super Bowl since Super Bowl XV. Instead, Tampa Bay won its first playoff road game in franchise history. The Eagles scored less than a minute into the game thanks to a long kickoff return followed by a Duce Staley touchdown run. Tampa, behind the strength of its league-best defense, rebounded and won the game 27-10, with Ronde Barber's 92 yard interception return for a touchdown late in the 4th quarter being the clincher. The Bucs went on to defeat Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII. Interestingly, the teams opened the following season against each other in the first game for the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Once again, the Bucs walked away victorious, winning 17-0.
[edit] Interconference rivalries
Oakland Raiders vs. Seattle Seahawks*
First met in 1977 (*Seahawks were a member of the AFC West from 1977-2001)
Signature moment: On November 29, 1981, with many of the Raiders key defensive players injured, the Seahawks were able to control the start of the game. Seattle took an early lead of 3-0. Then they came back with a touchdown after a Raiders field goal putting them back in the lead 10-3. The Hawks stretched their lead by going 80 yards on just six plays making the score 17-3, and then returning a fumble for a touchdown, 24-3. With a nine-yard touchdown pass after a safety but an unfortunately blocked field goal, the Raiders cut the lead to 13 (24-11). Following a defensive stand that forced a fumble, the depleted Raiders cut the lead again with a touchdown to wide receiver Bob Chandler. Seahawks 24, Raiders 18. After another defensive stand the Raiders scored again on a pass to running back Arthur Whittington, and took the lead for the first time, 25-24. With another touchdown by Derrick Jensen, the Raiders jumped to an eight-point lead, 32-24. Seattle didn't give up and had a late score in the fourth, but with no time remaining the Raiders stood victorious with a 32-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Signature moment: During the 1983 season, the Seahawks parlayed a season sweep of the Raiders (38-36 at Seattle and 34-21 at Los Angeles) into the franchise's first playoff berth. The Seahawks and Raiders met for a third time in the AFC championship game, but this contest turned into a rout as the Silver and Black cruised to a 30-14 victory en route to victory in Super Bowl XVIII over the Washington Redskins.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
First met in 1960 (Became interconference, or AFC-NFC, in 1970)
Signature moment: The Cowboys and Steelers are two storied franchises, and among their many games, the two teams have faced each other in 3 Super Bowls, more than any other pair of teams. Both teams had outstanding defenses during the 1970s, with nicknames like the "Doomsday Defense" for Dallas and the "Steel Curtain" for Pittsburgh. The Steelers also had all-time greats on offense like Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris and Lynn Swann, and Dallas featured players such as Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, and Randy White. Pittsburgh beat Dallas 21-17 in Super Bowl X in 1976, and won the 1979 rematch in Super Bowl XIII 35-31 in one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. Both teams fell on hard times in the 1980s, but both came back in the 1990s, and 17 years later, Dallas finally got payback for its earlier losses in Super Bowl XXX in 1996. Cowboys cornerback and Super Bowl MVP Larry Brown's 2 second half interceptions turned the tide of the game and gave Dallas a closely fought 27-17 win over Pittsburgh. The Cowboys and Steelers are only two of three teams with a record number five Super Bowl championships.
Oakland Raiders vs. San Francisco 49ers
First met in 1970
Signature moment: The Bay Area rivals met for the first time in the final game of the 1970 season in a driving rainstorm at Oakland. The 49ers came into the game needing a victory to claim the NFC West division championship, which would be the 49ers' first in their 25 seasons in professional football (having started play in the All-America Football Conference in 1946 before joining the NFL in 1950), while the Raiders had already clinched the AFC West. Oakland scored an early touchdown and was driving toward another score when the muddy ball slipped out of the hands of Raider quarterback Daryle Lamonica and into the hands of 49er defensive back Rosey Taylor. The shift in momentum was a dramatic one, as San Francisco would score 38 unanswered points en route to a surprisingly easy 38-7 victory and the division championship. Raider coach John Madden turned to 43-year old backup quarterback (and placekicker) George Blanda in an attempt to jump-start the stagnant Oakland offense, but Blanda had a pass intercepted and returned for a touchdown by 49er defensive back Jimmy Johnson. The game ended with third-string quarterback Ken Stabler fumbling the ball away to San Francisco defensive end Tommy Hart, which turned out to be the Raiders' ninth turnover of the game.
Signature moment: The Raiders moved down the coast from Oakland to Los Angeles prior to the 1982 season, but in a twist of scheduling irony, they would play their first game representing the City of Angels in San Francisco against the reigning Super Bowl champion 49ers. The Raiders certainly didn't endear themselves any more to Bay Area fans by claiming a 23-17 victory.
Although the Raiders won Super Bowl XVIII during their second season in Los Angeles, their fortunes soon floundered, while the 49ers' took off, as San Francisco won four Super Bowls while the Raiders resided down the coast. During that time, many of the Raiders' disaffected fans switched their loyalty to the west side of San Francisco Bay, and the Raiders had a hard time capturing back some of those loyalties when Al Davis moved the team back to Oakland in 1995.
New York Giants vs. New York Jets
First met in 1970
Signature moment: The two teams' first meeting came in the 1969 preseason, but the game was played at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut, as the teams' home fields, Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium were used exclusively for baseball during the exhibition season. The Jets, the reigning Super Bowl champions, treated this game as being more important than Super Bowl III seven months earlier, feeling that they needed to prove a point to their NFL brethren that the Jets, not the Giants, ruled the Big Apple. Joe Namath threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first quarter as the Jets routed Big Blue, 37-14, leading Giants owner Wellington Mara to fire coach Allie Sherman immediately following the contest.
Signature moment: In 1974, with the Jets and Giants both in the midst of horrible seasons, the teams once again met at the Yale Bowl (now serving as the Giants' home while Giants Stadium was under construction). Led by new quarterback Craig Morton, acquired from the Dallas Cowboys earlier in the season, the Giants held a 20-13 lead midway through the fourth quarter before the Jets drove to the Giant 5-yard line. With the 70,000 fans in attendance and the Giant defense expecting Namath to pass, the gimpy-kneed Jets icon called his own number, limping around left end on a bootleg for the touchdown that tied the score and sent the game into overtime. The Giants had the first crack at victory in sudden death, but Pete Gogolak missed a 42-yard field goal wide left, although the Hungarian kicker swore that he made the kick. The Jets didn't miss their opportunity, as Namath hit Emerson Boozer, who slipped into the left flat behind linebacker Brad Van Pelt, for the touchdown that gave Gang Green a 26-20 victory. The victory launched the Jets on a six-game winning streak that allowed them to finish the year at 7-7, while the Giants began a six-game losing streak that saw them finish the season at 2-12, the worst record in the NFL. This game meant that the Giants had the dubious distinction of being the first team to lose in overtime in both the postseason (The Greatest Game Ever Played, the 1958 NFL championship game against the Colts) and the regular season, as overtime was first played in regular season games in 1974 (a week two matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos ended in a 35-35 tie).
Signature moment: The Big Apple's two NFL teams were two of only four teams to not make the playoffs in the decade of the 1970s (the New Orleans Saints and expansion Seattle Seahawks, who did not join the NFL until 1976, were the others), but in 1981, both clubs were in position to make the post-season as the season headed into its last weekend. The Jets would only need to defeat the Green Bay Packers to reach the AFC playoffs, while the Giants would need to defeat the powerhouse Dallas Cowboys and hope for some help - in the form of a Jets victory - to make it in the NFC. In a strange twist of fate, both teams played at home on different days, with the Giants taking the field first on Saturday, December 19 in New Jersey. The Giants and Cowboys battled into overtime before New York kicker Joe Danelo nailed the game-winning field goal (after missing an earlier attempt in sudden death) for a 13-10 victory. The next day, the prayers of an entire city were answered in Queens when the Jets routed the Packers, 28-3, putting both the Jets and Giants into the playoffs. In another interesting side note, the Jets had defeated the Giants 28-7 at Giants Stadium during the '81 campaign, the teams' first meeting since the aforementioned 1974 contest.
Signature moment: In 1988, the Giants and Jets played on the season's final weekend (the Jets were the designated home team at Giants Stadium), with the Giants needing a victory to clinch the NFC East championship. But the Jets played spoiler by pulling off a 27-21 upset, keeping Big Blue at home for the second consecutive season after the Giants' victory in Super Bowl XXI.
St. Louis Rams/St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Chiefs
For more details on this topic, see Governor's Cup (Missouri).
First met in 1968 (Cardinals/Chiefs), 1996 (Rams/Chiefs)
Signature moment: In the early 2000s, the St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs both possessed two of the best offensive squads in the league, which led to many shootouts between the two teams. The Chiefs' hiring of former Rams coach Dick Vermeil ignited the rivalry further, as he would face off against his old coaching buddies, including his offensive coordinator of "The Greatest Show on Turf", Mike Martz.
Miami Dolphins vs. Chicago Bears
First met in 1971
Signature Moment: In 1985, the Chicago Bears were the greatest football team to ever take the field. In week 14, with the Bears sitting at a perfect 13-0, Chicago went into Miami for a heated Monday Night Football match-up. The Dolphins were one of the AFC's top teams that year as well, and as fate would have it, Miami preserved their own team's legacy as having the only undefeated season, lighting up the historic Bears defense for 38 points in a 38-24 beating of Chicago.
Signature Moment: In an eerie repeat of 1985, the Dolphins went into Chicago with the Bears as one of the NFL's best, still without a loss. However, this time the Dolphins were not as good; they had an abysmal 1-6 record going into the week's contest. With the frigid cold at Soldier Field, the Dolphins seemed helpless this time in defending their team's history. However, with the help of Bears quarterback Rex Grossman's 5 turnovers, the Dolphins lit up another phenomenal Bears defense in a huge 31-13 upset.