Patriots vs. Jets: Are They Among the Best Rivalries in the NFL?

From old school showdowns to new decades of dominance, there are more than enough gridiron rivalries etched into National Football League history.

With those same football archives in mind, in addition to looking at the league from a 2010 perspective, today we’ll be power ranking some of the best current NFL rivalries as the new season quickly rolls into Week 3.

So, where does the New England Patriots vs. New York Jets matchup rank in my personal 10 best rivalries in the NFL this season?

And what other teams are invited members to today’s top 10 list?

Let’s begin…

Honorable Mention: Colts Vs. Giants

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INDIANAPOLIS - SEPTEMBER 19: Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts gives instructions to his team during the NFL game against the New York Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 19, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Im

Although a fairly new “rivalry,” you can never underestimate a showdown between two very talented brothers.

In this particular case, we’re talking about Peyton (Colts) and Eli (Giants) Manning—as the annual kickoff between Indianapolis and New York should be quite a sight to see for many years to come.

Interesting enough, this particular matchup happens to be this Sunday night’s (Sept. 19) nationally televised football game; and thus far, it’s been a very entertaining game…

10. Jets Vs. Dolphins

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MIAMI - OCTOBER 12: Running back Thomas Jones #20 of the New York Jets scores a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins at Land Shark Stadium on October 12, 2009 in Miami, Florida. The Dolphins defeated the Jets 31-27. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

This is actually a long-standing rivalry that still lives on passionately to this day, as the twice-annual showdown between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins is often a showcase matchup.

The Jets, holding an all-time advantage in the series at 46-42-1, have only faced the Dolphins once in postseason play—a game Miami won 14-0 (1982 AFC Championship).

In the teams last meeting, the Dolphins narrowly escaped with a 30-25 victory over the Jets on Nov. 1, 2009.

The Dolphins and Jets are slated to face off twice in 2010: Sept. 26 at Miami and Dec. 12 at New York.

9. Dolphins Vs. Bills

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 12: Chad Henne #7 of the Miami Dolphins readies to pass as Chris Ellis #93 and Marcus Stroud #99 of the Buffalo Bills rush during the NFL season opener at Ralph Wilson Stadium on September 12, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York.

Another near-lifelong rivalry in the NFL is the duo of games every season between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills.

Miami, holding a 53-35-1 edge in the all-time series between the two teams, have matched up with Buffalo on four different occasions in postseason play—with the Bills holding an impressive 3-1 record in those contests.

In the teams’ latest showdown, Miami won 15-12 at Buffalo on Sept. 12.

The other meeting between the Dolphins and Bills in 2010 is slated for Dec. 19 at Miami.

8. Giants Vs. Cowboys

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 06: Felix Jones #28 of the Dallas Cowboys runs the ball against the New York Giants on December 6, 2009 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defeated the Cowboys 31-24. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty I

There have been at least four incredible showdowns between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys since 2000, and that’s not even counting the long-standing rivalry between the two squads prior to the latest decade.

And there are bound to be many more in both 2010 and beyond.

In the team’s latest matchup, on Dec. 6, 2009, the Giants edged the Cowboys 31-24.

The Cowboys and Giants face off twice this season: Oct. 25 in Dallas and Nov. 14 in New York.

7. Titans Vs. Steelers

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NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 19: Lawrence Timmons #94 of the Pittsburgh Steelers tackles Bo Scaife #80 of the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on September 19, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Steelers won 19-11. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

The 2010 version of NFL rivalry between the Titans and Steelers has already begun, with Pittsburgh garnering a 19-11 victory over Tennessee on Sept. 19.

With the win, the Steelers improve to 40-29 in all-time series against the Titans.

However, since the team bolted from Houston to Tennessee, the Titans were 7-1 all-time at home heading into Sunday’s showdown with the Steelers (dropping to 7-2 all-time after the Sept. 19 loss).

In postseason play, meanwhile, Pittsburgh is 3-1 against Tennessee (losing their lone playoff game in Nashville in 2002).

The Titans and Steelers will not face each other again during the 2010 regular season.

6. Chargers Vs. Broncos

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DENVER - NOVEMBER 22: Quarterback Chris Simms #2 of the Denver Broncos looks to deliver a pass against Kevin Ellison #25 of the San Diego Chargers during NFL action at Invesco Field at Mile High on November 22, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. The Chargers defe

When looking at truly heated rivalries in the NFL, one of the first to come to mind are the annual matchups between the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos.

And with the 100th meeting between the two teams kicking off on Nov. 22, 2009, the Chargers cruised to a 32-3 victory.

Denver leads the all-time series between the two teams 54-45-1.

The Chargers and Broncos will face off twice this season: Nov. 22 at San Diego and Jan. 2, 2011 at Denver.

5. Steelers Vs. Ravens

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PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 27: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers lines up under teammate center Justin Hartwig #62 before the snap during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on December 27, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (P

From the teams first NFL showdown on Sept. 8, 1996, to their latest on Dec. 27, 2009, the rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens has been heated and intense from the get-go.

Through the 28 meetings between the two teams, Pittsburgh leads the all-time series 19-11; the Steelers are also 2-0 against the Ravens in postseason play.

The Steelers and Ravens will play each other twice in 2010: Oct. 3 at Pittsburgh and Dec. 5 at Baltimore.

4. Patriots Vs. Jets

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 19: LaDainian Tomlinson #21 of the New York Jets is tackled by Brandon Meriweather #31 of the New England Patriots at the New Meadowlands Stadium on September 19, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Jets defeated the

The rivalry between the New England Patriots and New York Jets has been going on for 102 meetings and counting.

In the team’s latest showdown, the Jets won 28-14 on Sept. 19 at New York.

In postseason play, meanwhile, the Patriots are 2-0 all-time against the Jets.

The two teams will face each other one more time this season, on Dec. 6 at New England.

3. Cowboys Vs. Redskins

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LANDOVER - SEPTEMBER 12: Nick Sundberg #57 of the Washington Redskins prepares to snap the ball during the NFL season opener against the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField on September 12, 2010 in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins defeated the Cowboys 13-7. (Ph

The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins have a rivalry that has been going on since 1960—lasting 101 meetings and counting.

In the latest showdown between the two teams, the Redskins escaped with a 13-7 victory over the Cowboys on Sept. 12, 2010, at Washington.

Dallas leads the all-time series 59-40-2 while Washington is a perfect 2-0 against the Cowboys in postseason play.

The Redskins and Cowboys will face each other one more time this season, on Dec. 19 at Dallas.

2. Colts Vs. Patriots

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INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 15: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts greets Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots after the game at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 15, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Colts won the game 35-34. (Phot

Through 73 extremely intense meetings, the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots have poured blood, sweat, and tears into the two teams' riveting rivalry that began in 1970.

The Patriots lead the all-time series 44-29, with the Colts escaping with a 35-34 victory in the two team’s latest showdown on Nov. 15, 2009.

In postseason play, meanwhile, New England leads Indianapolis 2-1 all-time.

The Colts and Patriots will face off just once in 2010: Nov. 21 at New England.

1. Packers Vs. Vikings

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GREEN BAY, WI - NOVEMBER 01: Quarterback Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings takes the field before his team takes on the Green Bay Packers in the game at Lambeau Field on November 1, 2009 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

This rivalry, heated as it may have been prior to Brett Favre’s departure from the Packers, became a yearly must-see when Favre bolted from Green Bay for Minnesota.

In the two 2009 meetings, Minnesota won both games—with Favre and the Vikings winning 30-23 on Oct. 5 before taking a 38-26 victory on Nov. 1.

The Packers and Vikings will kick off twice this season: Oct. 24 at Green Bay and Nov. 21 at Minnesota.

Are you ready for some football rivalries yet??

We’re only two weeks into the 2010 NFL season, with 14-plus weeks of top-notch rivalry showdowns to go…

Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at [e-mail]