10 Best Individual Rivalries in the NFL
NFL rivalries between teams persist across decades, fueled even more by the rapid-fire arena of social media chatter and players' Twitter accounts. And when it comes to individual rivalries, whether between two players or a player and a coach, fans should get their popcorn ready because sparks are sure to fly.
These 10 individual rivalries are all between active NFLers, so, sorry, but there will be no Terrell Owens or his erstwhile quarterback. These beefs remain meaty even today, regardless of whether or not the individuals in question claim to have quashed the conflict.
From the NFL's dirtiest player stomping people to a good-natured sibling rivalry, these feuds keep some nastiness in a league increasingly marked by rulebook-imposed decorum.
10. Osi Umenyiora vs. LeSean McCoy
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The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles have long enjoyed a bitter rivalry, stoked by the fires of NFC East competition, a geographical proximity that makes a side-choosing battleground out of Central New Jersey and a rowdy Philly fanbase made rabid by a complete lack of Super Bowls.
Naturally, some brash players will inevitably get into a war of words, and Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora ended up engaging in precisely that with Eagles running back and bad tipper LeSean McCoy.
Social media can bring a wealth of positive things to journalism and sports, but Umenyiora and McCoy used it for some old fashioned name-calling, a la two kids in middle school:
"Happy Mothers Day Lesean Mccoy! Enjoy your special day!!
— Osi Umenyiora (@OsiUmenyiora) May 13, 2012"
The defensive end had also referred to McCoy as "Lady Gaga." McCoy responded by labeling Umenyiora a "ballerina," but Osi didn't seem too worried about it, pointing out his fortunate career, which has included a pair of Super Bowl titles.
Again, the Eagles have never won a Super Bowl.
The two eventually buried the hatchet and ceased their misogynistic teasing. With Osi now on the Atlanta Falcons, the rivalry is less heated, but at least we'll always have Mother's Day.
9. Wes Welker vs. Bill Belichick
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Wes Welker played for many years with the New England Patriots, becoming a favorite receiving target for quarterback Tom Brady.
Then Welker dropped a pass during Super Bowl XLVI that arguably cost his team another Vince Lombardi Trophy. Brady's wife, Gisele Bundchen, was captured on camera griping after the game by TheInsider.com, via ESPN, saying: "My husband can not f----g throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times."
That anti-Welker sentiment further increased when the Pats did not retain him for the 2013 season, and Welker joined the AFC rival Denver Broncos.
Of course, there was an incident the following season during the playoffs, as Welker appeared to run a pick on Pats defensive back Aqib Talib, injuring him in the collision.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick sounded off in a subsequent press conference, saying Welker's hit on Talib was, via SI.com: "One of the worst plays I've seen. ... It was a deliberate play by the receiver to take out Aqib. No attempt to get open."
Belichick would not even deign to use Welker's name while addressing the play in question.
It's generally not a good idea to get on the bad side of a man who is often compared to Darth Vader. Fortunately, the two claim they have moved past the incident, but Belichick does not really seem like the forgive-and-forget type.
8. Peyton Manning vs. Eli Manning
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Imagine for a moment that you have a competitive little brother who is not as talented as you. After decades of playing one-on-one basketball, badminton, wrestling, tug-of-war, Madden, Monopoly and holding footraces down the block, the fire of fraternal competition burns brightly.
Now imagine you get a lucrative job as a quarterback in the National Football League. Then your little brother follows on your heels and gets hired for the exact same job at another franchise. While this lil' bro does not possess the same raw talent in equal measure to you, he somehow manages to enjoy more overall success with his organization.
That's got to sting, and while Peyton Manning is surely happy that Eli Manning has won two Super Bowls and beaten archnemesis Tom Brady on both occasions, it must chap his rear to have fewer championship rings than his brother.
Peyton's got the records, but Eli's got the rings, which surely inspires pride and jealousy across the table in equal measure at Thanksgiving dinner.
Then again, Eli could never inspire as much disdain from his brother as, say, "idiot kicker" Mike Vanderjagt.
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7. Ndamukong Suh vs. Aaron Rodgers
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Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh evokes both fear and disdain from his opponents, owing to his tremendous physical ability, imposing size and penchant for what is widely perceived to be dirty play.
Just ask Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers—whom Suh stepped on during their Week 17 meeting, which nearly merited a suspension but was overturned on appeal—or ask Rodgers' former offensive lineman, Evan Dietrich-Smith.
During a 2011 game, Suh was ejected and suspended for two games for stomping on Dietrich-Smith's arm. Suh also once stomped on an opponent's groin, but 20 years ago, they simply called that "football."
In 2011, Suh received the most votes by a wide margin for "dirtiest player" in a poll of NFLers conducted by Sporting News. He successfully defended that title in 2012.
As of 2013, head-hunting safety Brandon Meriweather, who plays pro football in Washington D.C., essentially swiped the ignominious distinction from Suh, though that comes as more of an indictment of Meriweather's reckless play than a sign that Suh has curtailed his unnecessary roughness.
Suh has roughed Rodgers up before, and he even taunted Rodgers, mimicking the QB's signature celebration after sacking Green Bay backup Matt Flynn in the same game that the Lions allowed Flynn to toss six touchdowns.
But all of that's changed now, and Suh wants you to know that he's matured and won't stomp on anybody ever again. Rodgers may want to double check that claim.
6. Richard Sherman vs. Patrick Peterson
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As noted by ESPN's Josh Weinfuss, when the Arizona Cardinals agreed with cornerback Patrick Peterson to a five-year contract extension in July 2014, "the team announced the extension, which will keep Peterson under contract through 2020, without specifying the pay."
Peterson himself wasted no time in specifying the pay and took to Twitter to share his great news with the world:
"Happy to announce my 5 year extension with @AZCardinals! $70M and $48M Guaranteed!! #AZCardinals #P2Nation #YearOfTheCardinal
— Patrick Peterson (@RealPeterson21) July 30, 2014"
Specifically, Peterson was delighted to be earning more money than other defensive backs in the league, especially one particularly brash "Legion of Boom" member, per Weinfuss: "The deal will surpass extensions signed recently by the Cleveland Browns' Joe Haden (five years, $68 million) and Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman (four years, $56 million)."
With the island formerly known as Darrelle Revis having succumbed to global warming and rising sea levels, the fight to be called the league's top cornerback rages on, and Sherman certainly seems to have the bragging rights to back it up:
"Want what I got? Get the stats I got! Least targeted. #opinionvsfact pic.twitter.com/f2juIjKm66
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) May 13, 2014"
Not to mention, Sherman's got the bling as well:
"Can't ever be too mad lmao... pic.twitter.com/ZHA28B9Tji
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) July 30, 2014"
Even if Peterson has a few more dollars in his contract, Sherman's public profile exploded during last year's playoffs, and now he's hocking all sorts of products, from headphones to beef jerky.
5. Cortland Finnegan vs. Andre Johnson
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It will never be entirely clear to anyone why football players try to punch each other, especially considering that punching a helmet can really hurt your hand.
However, watching Tennessee Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan play against Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson, it becomes slightly clearer as to why the physicality might devolve into fisticuffs.
Naturally, both players got ejected for fighting, and neither was permitted to return after only five minutes, because the NFL is not the NHL and you're not allowed to have boxing matches in football.
Finnegan now plays for the Miami Dolphins, and Johnson surely enjoyed this highlight of Detroit Lions runner Joique Bell bowling over Finnegan like a traffic cone at a DMV driving-exam course.
4. Terrell Suggs vs. Tom Brady
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Terrell Suggs has earned some bragging rights thanks to six Pro Bowls, the 2011 Defensive Player of the Year honor, a Super Bowl title and the Baltimore Ravens' franchise record for sacks. However, when speaking about arguably the best player on arguably the best team in the game, maybe his best course would be to tread lightly.
In a 2013 interview, ESPN's Lisa Salters asked Suggs about his thoughts on New England Patriots QB Tom Brady for the program E:60.
Suggs laid bare his feelings about the man known from Bridgeport to Bangor as "Tom Terrific," via TMZ: "I don’t like him. He don’t like me. I don’t like his hair. I don’t like his smug attitude. But then again he probably doesn’t like my a--hole attitude. Everybody just seems to worship the guy, not me though."
And these comments from Suggs merely continued a pattern of chatter over the past several years. In 2011, Suggs sounded off on SiriusXM's Mad Dog Radio with Chris Russo. Talking about Ben Roethlisberger's two Super Bowl wins, Suggs seemed to dismiss Brady's trio of rings, via Yahoo Sports:
"Brady has three, I think, a questionable three. ... You know, you’ve got the tuck rule incident, and then you’ve got the videotaping of the other team’s practices. It’s just like, OK, what’s going on here? You know? But, hey, it is what it is. They won the games no matter how you did it. But, um, it’s whatever.
"
Yes, three Super Bowl victories are, um, whatever.
Brady usually allows his play on the field to do the talking and responding in such situations, as per the Patriots' team habit, but he did take the opportunity to respond in 2010, telling WEEI's The Dennis and Callahan Morning Show, via NESN.com: "He had his chance. Maybe if he gets another chance he can try to back those words up, but he had a chance yesterday. You know, we’ve played guys a lot, and they’ve beat us one time in all the times that I’ve played them. They talk a lot for beating us once in nine years."
Of course, the Ravens' 28-13 victory in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 13, 2013 helped back up Suggs' trash talk, as did his team's subsequent victory in the Super Bowl.
During the 2014 divisional playoffs against Baltimore, Brady and the Pats pulled out some trickeration, and wide receiver Julian Edelman's 51-yard touchdown turned the game around and helped propel the Pats to victory.
3. Steve Smith vs. Aqib Talib
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Steve Smith Sr., now with the Baltimore Ravens, has long been a combative receiver who stands taller than his 5'9" frame. Playing for many seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Smith established a reputation similar to a junkyard dog, packing ferocity and intensity into his undersized stature.
And that's why New England Patriots defensive back Aqib Talib should have known better than to mess with Smith. You come at a wild dog, and he will bare his teeth.
Smith punctuated a 2013 Panthers win over the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football with one of the best postgame interviews in recent memory.
Asked about what happened during a scuffle on the field with Talib, Smith responded: "You're gonna have to ask him, 'cause he didn't finish the game. Ice up, son. Ice up."
Smith also took a shot at the entire Pats defense when asked what happened on Ted Ginn Jr.'s touchdown: "Bad tackling." It was a very nice run after catch by Ginn as well, but Smith couldn't pass up the opportunity to insult Talib as often as possible in a short span of time.
Smith's advice to Talib to "ice up" became an amusing meme, and there are even T-shirts for sale.
2. Richard Sherman vs. Michael Crabtree
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The NFC Championship Game on Jan. 19, 2014 had everything a fan could ask for: A bitter divisional rivalry pitting two elite defenses and two top young quarterbacks against each other, while also pitting the old-school, historically successful San Francisco 49ers against the new-school, upstart Seattle Seahawks.
And then Richard Sherman topped off that decadent sundae of deliciousness with some piping hot caramel sauce.
With Seattle leading 23-17 and the game clock dipping below 30 seconds, San Fran's Colin Kaepernick heaved a pass into the end zone intended for Michael Crabtree. However, cornerback extraordinaire Richard Sherman leaped up and tipped the pass away from Crabtree and directly to linebacker Malcolm Smith for the clinching interception.
The play confirmed Sherman's prowess in the secondary, as his sublime play sealed the victory, and he did it so deftly, it looked like a routine set in volleyball.
Crabtree took some exception to Sherman, and the cornerback let loose in the postgame interview, while also managing to slightly flap the unflappable Erin Andrews, Fox's sideline reporter.
Sherman raised his personal profile and income exponentially with the viral invective. Andrews understandably bristled when Sherman began his cacophonous rant, but he was fully justified after securing his team's berth in the upcoming Super Bowl: “I’m the best corner in the game! When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you gonna get! Don’t you EVER talk about me.”
Andrews' logical question—"Who was talking about you?"—became a sort of postmodern counterpoint to Travis Bickle's famous self-interrogation in Taxi Driver: "You talkin' to me?"
Sherman quickly cleared up any confusion about who was talking about him: "Crabtree! Don’t you open your mouth about the best. Or I’m gonna shut it for you real quick. L-O-B [Legion of Boom]!”
The memorable exchange quickly flew around the Internet and received the Muppets treatment. It also got the little-kids-reading-the-script treatment. And it's made more powerful by an NFC West rivalry that will burn intensely for years to come.
1. Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning
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If only they both wore short shorts, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning would clearly be the Larry Bird versus Magic Johnson rivalry of the gridiron. The QBs' historic rivalry, forged during Manning's days under center for the Indianapolis Colts, pits a pair of future Hall of Famers against each other, a counterpoint between two of the best players ever to play the position.
While Manning owns most of the passing records in existence, Brady can let his three Super Bowl rings speak for themselves.
Because football is a team game, it's hard to ascribe too much personal responsibility to the tremendous success enjoyed by the New England Patriots franchise under Brady, but head-to-head, he has the clear advantage over Peyton.
As noted by the Associated Press, via NFL.com, following the Denver Broncos' 43-21 loss in New England on Nov. 2: "Manning fell to 2-7 at Gillette Stadium and 5-11 overall against Brady, even though he threw for 438 yards and two touchdowns. ... The two touchdown passes increased Manning's total to 515. He broke Brett Favre's record of 508 earlier in the season."
Manning himself phrased his feelings on the loss in stark terms: "Well, I don't usually stink, but I stunk today. I don't make any excuses."
These guys both set impossibly high standards, as do their fans. Brady has five Super Bowl appearances and three rings. Manning has three Super Bowl appearances and one ring, including an oft-mentioned sub-.500 playoff record (11-12 to Brady's 18-8).
Ultimately, they're both incredible, amazing QBs, and the rivalry is marked by longstanding mutual respect. Brady has unquestionably found more postseason success, but Manning seems the ever-so-slightly more superlative quarterback.
And Peyton can always rest easy knowing that his little brother, Eli Manning, snatched two Super Bowl wins away from Brady like Lucy snatches the football away from Charlie Brown.
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