Monsters of Gridway: Top Ten NFL Rivalries

Times like these, I'm glad to be a football fan. Not because the draft is tomorrow. Not because the season is only a few months away. Not even because cheerleader tryouts are starting, and I get an inside peek at the contestants.

It's because football fans never stop trash talking each other. Plain and simple.

After much deliberation, I think I have finally found a way to make everyone happy. For the record, this doesn't include the rivalries of yesteryear. This includes the rivalries that still fume in the pits of one's stomach. It includes those rivalries that make one cringe at the very mutter of the opposition's name.

No my friends, this includes the rivalries that caused the most buzz during this competition. So with that being said, here is the Top 10 Best Rivalries of the NFL. 

#10 Cleveland Browns-Baltimore Ravens

 #9 Jacksonville Jaguars-Carolina Panthers

#8 Cincinnati Bengals-Cleveland Browns

#7 New England Patriots-Indianapolis Colts

#6 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams-San Francisco 49ers

Now that the bottom 10 are in, let's take a look at the Top 5, and why they're there.

#5 Green Bay Packers-Chicago Bears

This rivalry is self explanatory. It may not have as much hype as the college football rivalries, but it still has enough wick to light a candle under any Packers/Bears fan. Since 1921, Green Bay has had to lock horns with the Monsters of Midway, and every time has either been a classic or a blowout. Still people boast with pride of how great their team is to this day. 

Originally known as the Staleys, the Chicago franchised took the first meeting 20-0 from Green Bay on November 27, 1921. Since that time, the two teams have battled for more than just bragging rights. The eventual champion of the league usually emerged from these two titans of terror.

In 1925, the Bears fell to Green Bay for the first time 14-10 on September 27, 1925 in their fourth meeting of the regular season. Seven years later, the Packers fell short of their fourth straight championship when NFL did not count ties.

Fast forward three decades with some change, and the Bears-Packers rivalry still has the fire that it had since their initial meeting. This is why they are the #5 ranked best rivalry.

#4 St. Louis Rams-Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks played the Rams only once while in the AFC, and even that game left people breathless. After the 37-34 shootout in Seattle, many wondered if these two titans would meet up once more. Their prayers and thoughts were answered one year later.

On May 22, 2001, the Seahawks returned to the NFC when they filled the last spot in the NFC West. Little did anyone know, this would start something major in that division. Every single time these two teams meet, playoff implications are right around the corner. Since the turn of the century, and the Patriots' dominance over the NFL, the Rams and 'Hawks have been to the Super Bowl. 

In any event, the division winner seems to always be between these two juggernauts, and no one is complaining whatsoever about that...unless you're the 49ers. Still this series that has flip flopped between the AFC and NFC still holds a fire everytime the two teams collide during the regular season. 

The only question left is: What will happen if these two meet in the playoffs?

#3 NFC East

There was much criticism in regards to why there were several rivalries not in this list that came from the Beasts of the NFC East. So to make it a fair deal, I decided to include the entire division because all four teams know how to duel. 

Like the dangerous elbows of Rasheed Wallace, and the frame of Bill Laimbeer, the NFC East has managed to do what no other division has done: Have all four members of this division make it to the Super Bowl. Out of the four, three of them have won it, and the lone goose egg of the bunch has come pretty close. 

Filled with smashmouth players (Terrell Owens, Michael Strahan, Clinton Portis, and Donovan McNabb) and decades of animosity, the NFC East has managed to have at least two teams in the postseason every year. Not to mention that three of its residents have also done what no other team has done in history: Beat the same team on different occasions to become Super Bowl Champions (Buffalo).

Whether it's Dallas-Philly, Washington-NY Giants, Dallas-NY Giants, Philly-Washington, and every other division combination you can think of, the NFC East has supplied all of us with enough old school football with new school feeling to keep us guessing.

#2 New England Patriots-The Other 31 NFL Teams

Since the marriage of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, the Patriots have found nothing but success in their present and future. Much to the chagrin of the other 31 teams in the league, the Patriots have broken the curse that hung over them back in the 80s and during the "Era of Tuna." Unfortunately, they're not making many friends.

Being the first of the Boston teams to find success in this decade came with a heavy price. Outwitting the favored St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI was the start of something bigger than anyone anticipated for New England. Since that time, almost every team has fell at the hands of Darth Belichick and his "unstoppable" Storm Patriot Troopers.

But in every feel good story, there has to be a villain to keep it interesting. In this case, New England has 31 villains. From division rivals Buffalo and NY Jets to NFC East powerhouses NY Giants and Dallas, all the way to the lowly Houston Texans, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins, New England has done anything and everything to make sure that every team in the NFL has a bigger reason to hate their guts on Opening Day.

And you're wondering why they're ranked #2? That's because the #1 best rivalry goes to...

#1 Denver Broncos-Oakland Raiders

It's been a long while since either of these teams has had something to be proud of. In this case, this honor is bigger than those Super Bowls. Why you ask? Because in between those Super Bowl wins came crappy seasons. And in between those crappy seasons (and in all cases during) came the Broncos and Raiders. 

Denver and Oakland have arguably the biggest fan rivalry in all of professional football. Even if these two teams are battling for draft picks, fans are still beating the holy hell out of each other. Whether it's in a bar in Fort Collins or a tavern in Altadena, when these two teams meet, it's an all out war. And trust me and believe me when I say this: None of those wars are pretty.

Whether they are fighting in Los Angeles, Oakland, Denver, or even Aurora, the Oakland/Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos leave everyone, even those who aren't fans of either team, in a frenzy and bloodthirsty.

That's what makes them unique. That is what makes them fierce and tough. That is what makes them psychotic. That is what makes them #1.

And depending on who you're rooting for will determine which #1 finger you get. And that is what makes their games so damn good.