NFL's Best Rivalry?

[display name]

I don't disagree but here's my perspective:

1. Our rivalry is so good because they can beat us and make the playoffs and contend for a Super Bowl.
2. Without Ben they have a significantly lessened chance of making the playoffs let alone Super Bowl.
3. I am not at all sold on any of their current backups eliminating my first two concerns.

The team hasn't had a losing season since 2006, and the games are almost always decided by 7 pts or less.

That's a rivalry.

[GrimCoconut]

The team hasn't had a losing season since 2006, and the games are almost always decided by 7 pts or less.
That's a rivalry.

I never mentioned anything about the past in a negative way. I only questioned their abilities going forward.

[Gordo52]

I am inclined to believe it's Ravens Steelers. The physicality of the two teams, the fanbases being some of the best in the league, and the geographicaly close cities, and most of all the mutual respect (but hate) make me believe it's this. Even though the Steelers had a dissapointing season last year, both the games against the Ravens were very close.
Another thing that makes it great is the fact that the styles of play are actually very similar.

Agreed 100%.

The only reason I think patriots & ravens are a better rivalry is because I have a deeper hatred for the patriots and all of Boston sports fans. And it's been around for a good amount of time. (2007ish). Not as long as Ravens-Steelers but still.

I'm sure the player would say its Baltimore, Pittsburgh though. Nothing beats a classic, hard hitting BAL PITT game.

[jaege]

whoa man.......im just talking football
 
if you don't care what I have to say why do you keep responding to me....personally I like talking football with fans of other teams more because they have a different point of view. no one knows a team like a fan of that team......

The guy isn't trolling. No reason he cannot toss in his two cents as regards our rivalry. I am surethat many Steeler's fans feel the same as us on this topic.

[jaege]

Ravens-Steelers
Colts-Pats
Broncos-Raiders
Pats-Fins
Redskins-Cowboys
Giants-Cowboys
Bears-Packers
 
List goes on!

Okay, Ravens-Steelers, yes
Colts-Pats, used to be a rivalry as produced by the NFL, but now that Manning is gone so is the "rivalry" NFL will not be pushing it anymore so it will die.
Broncos-Raiders? Who are the Raiders? A team has to win a game, any game, occasionally to be part of a rivalry. Someone has to care. Might as well call the Steelers Browns a rivalry.
Pats-Fins, see the Broncos Raiders above
Redskins-Cowboys, Giants-Cowboys was a really hot rivalry, may shape up into something again if the Cowboys ever get a QB.
Packers-Bears still has something going.

[TonyTone1192]

Lol I never once came to the conclusion that our rivalry is not there. It very much is so.

 

I was just making the claim that unless the Steelers return to their ways, then the level of the rivalry will diminish. If anyone says that our rivalry was the best before 2008 they are making a VERY biased statement. B/c the Colt-Pats held the NFL's best rivalry for some years... Is that rivalry still there? Yes! Is it still number one? No!

 

All good things come to a last and I would LOVE to continue to hold on the the NFL's best rivalry, but the steelers have the oldest defense in the league(They've already started to let go of a few pieces) and Big Ben as well as Polamalu can't stay healthy(the reasons that they've beat us a couple of times in the past 5 seasons)

 

As I said earlier in this post, we still hate them and they still hate us!! That will NEVER go away, but I sense that the level(ranking amongst other rivalries) of our rivalry is BEGINNING to diminish & the Rivalry that will become the new hot thing(number one in the league) will be the SEA/SanFran

[GrimCoconut]

As I said earlier in this post, we still hate them and they still hate us!! That will NEVER go away, but I sense that the level(ranking amongst other rivalries) is BEGINNING to diminish & the Rivalry that will become the new hot thing(number one in the league) will be the SEA/SanFran

I can't crown this the #1 rivalry yet--but I do see it being the next big thing very, very soon. It depends on whether or not these two teams can repeat their success. I'm not yet sold that they can. 

 

Right now, the #1 rivalry is the Ravens-Steelers because the Ravens are rising whereas the Steelers are entering a bit of a decline but not enough to cause the rivalry to drop. 

[TonyTone1192]

I can't crown this the #1 rivalry yet--but I do see it being the next big thing very, very soon. It depends on whether or not these two teams can repeat their success. I'm not yet sold that they can. 

 

Right now, the #1 rivalry is the Ravens-Steelers because the Ravens are rising whereas the Steelers are entering a bit of a decline but not enough to cause the rivalry to drop. 

 

Ohh definitely... It would be premature to give that crown to them right now. I can agree w/ you on our rivalry remaining number 1.

 

It pains me to say it but I don't see the niners losing more than 4 games next season (excluding post-season) but It's all up to the Seahawks... really, Russell Wilson. They have a great defense already set, and an excellent running game, they just need Wilson to continue to grow.

 

The sole reason that I have this rivalry becoming the best is b/c if they can each become two of the best teams in the NFC(the Niners are already there) then it will be create for two possibly three epic match ups a year.

 

Many fans tend to forget that the Seahawks were 48 seconds away from meeting their division foe in the NFC title game this past season after splitting the season series w/ them

[GrimCoconut]

Ohh definitely... It would be premature to give that crown to them right now. I can agree w/ you on our rivalry remaining number 1.

 

It pains me to say it but I don't see the niners losing more than 4 games next season (excluding post-season) but It's all up to the Seahawks... really, Russell Wilson. They have a great defense already set, and an excellent running game, they just need Wilson to continue to grow.

 

The sole reason that I have this rivalry becoming the best is b/c if they can each become two of the best teams in the NFC(the Niners are already there) then it will be create for two possibly three epic match ups a year.

 

Many fans tend to forget that the Seahawks were 48 seconds away from meeting their division foe in the NFC title game this past season after splitting the season series w/ them

I don't know about the Niners being assured the NFC West crown just yet. The Rams & Cardinals have also both improved--especially the Rams. When you account for the fact that the Rams already played them tough, I think it's highly possible the Niners lose more games than the majority of people expect. I also question Kaepernick's ability to have as good of a year as he had last year, especially when I highly suspect the read-option will be a focal point for defenses. 

[Tank 92]

AHHH, sweet memories............

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_exWYNtHq0

 

 

[ravensdan]

Jarvis looks good in training camp so far

our D-line is
Woodley-top of the line
Ziggy-eh some steelers fans hate him....I think he's average but not bad
Mclendon-played most of the time last year and the coaches love him.....greenbay even tried to steal him
The "Diesel"-Fear the Beard
Jarvis/Worilds-mostly unproven but have major upside

so I think it could be pretty good

we lost what essentially was our number 3 CB....we lost lewis who last year was our number two CB....but we were going to make him win the job from allen because the coaches think he is a star...he wanted to much money for that role...so we signed Gay and let him walk

How do we have a Shaky offense......

WR-Above Average
QB-Top Tier
RB-Young and Promising
O-Line-all were drafted in the top two rounds but one.....this year they should be very good
TE-early year bad........mid year Top Tier

IDK but it looks pretty good

What about Cameron heyward on the d line?

Gay is a huge downgrade from Lewis.

Polamalu has missed more time than he's played recently so it will be interesting to see what shamsrko can do.

Personally I think the steelers and patriots are our greatest competition this year

[TonyTone1192]

I don't know about the Niners being assured the NFC West crown just yet. The Rams & Cardinals have also both improved--especially the Rams. When you account for the fact that the Rams already played them tough, I think it's highly possible the Niners lose more games than the majority of people expect. I also question Kaepernick's ability to have as good of a year as he had last year, especially when I highly suspect the read-option will be a focal point for defenses. 

 

Very true... Now that D-coordinators have an entire offseason to prepare for the read-option I do believe that it will be less effective.

And yes, the NFC West, IMO, has become the toughest division in football. The Cardinals are two solid offensive lineman away from being an average team. The Rams have improved each season for the past 3 years. But I can't see either of those two teams being better than Seattle or SanFran

[TonyTone1192]

AHHH, sweet memories............

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_exWYNtHq0

 

This makes me feel all warm inside!

[Inqui]

ill give you a little background on me if it helps lol

 

some people here know this but my wife is actually a ravens fan.....we met at a game way back

 

so as weird as it seems im actually a little bit of a ravens fan because my wife has as much ravens gear as I have steelers stuff so it kind of rubs off a little

 

Man, what wouldn't I give to be a fly on the wall at your place during Steelers week.  :lol:

 

For what it's worth though, count me on the list of people who think the Steelers are on the decline. They'll be back for sure, but we've gotten so much better in the last couple of years that I think we'd beat you guys in the playoffs if we met. Not like there's anything wrong with that, mind. It's all swings and roundabouts really and we'll start dipping off in the next decade or so while you guys dominate us again (I feel filthy saying that, but).

[GTRavens]

Interesting comparison between the Ravens-Steelers and Ravens-Pats rivalry. Here's the main difference:

 

The Ravens and the Steelers have mutual respect for each other.

The Ravens and the Patriots don't.

[JoeyFlex5]

no I don't agree that the ravens are by far the better team.....lets go through it

 

One... in the two games last year we split.....and that was without our starting QB in either.....and we beat you with our third string

 

Two... yes the past two years a mixture of injuries and bad luck have kept us from going far in the playoffs....but three years ago we were in the superbowl.....why weren't the ravens there...oh yea they lost....who did they lose to...oh yea the steelers

 

Three....last year the ravens went on a run in the playoffs that was great......they earned the championship by getting hot at the right time, which is common. but you guys were not that same team during the regular season....you almost lost the division even though Ben couldn't play for the most important stretch

 

don't get cocky

youre using bad luck as a reason to lose to tebow.. we lost to brady in the afc championship, which let me remind you, would have made it 2 super bowl trips straight, due to bad luck. if we had no luck at all in 2012 in foxborough it wouldve been a super bowl trip, followed by another in 2013, so lets not bring luck into it, and while you guys beat us in 2010, you went ahead to beat a totally sorry jets team, and then lose to the packers(and that game was nowhere near as close as the score shows, the packers basically owned the steelers throughout that game, even with injuries and dropped passes) and you beat us while we were on a awful 3 game skid last year, the broncos also beat us, and we all know the end to that story. since the steelers lost the bowl, it has been a one sided rivalry, since joe came here, the squealers spent 3 years as big brother, and now theres no question who has been big brother the past 2 years. 

 

and also you cant blame injuries, because part of being a franchise qb, is staying healthy, if your starting qb is hurt and cant start, does it mean youre team should be excused until hes ready to play again? hellllllll to the no, dont act like accountability just goes out the window because your team leader is injured, "consecutive games started" is a underrated stat for a qb, and if youre hurt every year, well too bad, maybe its time your front office fixes that, but they havent, because they seem to think its ok to play with a hobbled qb all year. so before you blame luck and injuries, blame your FO for allowing it to happen

[ThePurpleWall]

Steelers-Ravens

 

Patriots-Ravens

[SteelersProphet]

What about Cameron heyward on the d line?

Gay is a huge downgrade from Lewis.

Polamalu has missed more time than he's played recently so it will be interesting to see what shamsrko can do.

Personally I think the steelers and patriots are our greatest competition this year

 

Cameron Heyward is a backup as of now.....he gets a lot of playing time due to rotation though

Gay is a downgrade but he is good enough to be CB 3

and the SHARK will gobble up many interceptions

 

youre using bad luck as a reason to lose to tebow.. we lost to brady in the afc championship, which let me remind you, would have made it 2 super bowl trips straight, due to bad luck. if we had no luck at all in 2012 in foxborough it wouldve been a super bowl trip, followed by another in 2013, so lets not bring luck into it, and while you guys beat us in 2010, you went ahead to beat a totally sorry jets team, and then lose to the packers(and that game was nowhere near as close as the score shows, the packers basically owned the steelers throughout that game, even with injuries and dropped passes) and you beat us while we were on a awful 3 game skid last year, the broncos also beat us, and we all know the end to that story. since the steelers lost the bowl, it has been a one sided rivalry, since joe came here, the squealers spent 3 years as big brother, and now theres no question who has been big brother the past 2 years. 

 

and also you cant blame injuries, because part of being a franchise qb, is staying healthy, if your starting qb is hurt and cant start, does it mean youre team should be excused until hes ready to play again? hellllllll to the no, dont act like accountability just goes out the window because your team leader is injured, "consecutive games started" is a underrated stat for a qb, and if youre hurt every year, well too bad, maybe its time your front office fixes that, but they havent, because they seem to think its ok to play with a hobbled qb all year. so before you blame luck and injuries, blame your FO for allowing it to happen

 

First off im not using bad luck or injuries as an excuse.....but they did play a big role and to say it is not an excuse

 

also im just saying that even without ben in both those games they were close and we won one....that's it

 

Injuries happen....but when they happen and how serious are random......and we had bad luck with that

[ROH522155]

Referencing your SB title of 3 years ago is lame considering you're talking to fans of the DEFENDING Super Bowl Champions...

[jaege]

Cameron Heyward is a backup as of now.....he gets a lot of playing time due to rotation though

Gay is a downgrade but he is good enough to be CB 3

and the SHARK will gobble up many interceptions

 

 

First off im not using bad luck or injuries as an excuse.....but they did play a big role and to say it is not an excuse

 

also im just saying that even without ben in both those games they were close and we won one....that's it

 

Injuries happen....but when they happen and how serious are random......and we had bad luck with that

 

 

Good teams overcome bad luck, Steelers, Ravens, Pats whoever. Same thing for injuries. Luck tends to even out over the season, so it is a wash. If a team is built well, it will be able to compensate for injuries too. Besides, one team's bad luck is another team's great play. A lot of it is perspective.

 

The only thing we can really go with is the end result. Ravens won this year and did not win last year. Steelers did not make the playoffs this year and were beaten early last year. A couple years ago they did much better. We swept them last year and split this year. Based upon that very short sample the Steelers are on a bit of a decline, and/or the Ravens are on a bit of an incline. Enough that the teams are more equal now. We will see what this year brings.

 

 

To be fair three years ago is still recent history.

[BOLDnPurPnBlacK]

A rivalry isnt created out of thin air. 2 teams that are well balanced and play a few good games ISNT A RIVALRY.

 

A true rivalry has historical significance. It has pageantry surrounding it. It is its own institution. A rivalry is created and carried by the players of those teams, the coaches, and the fans and is passed down. It breeds a hatred and a mutual respect for the rival - not one that can even be explained.

 

No, neither team HAS TO WIN GAMES for it to be a rivalry. A rivalry exists beyond records. It becomes the Superbowl in a down year with nothing else to play for. Being swept by a rival takes the luster off of a good season. Regardless of standing, during that game, that day, nothing else exists except the rivalry and the desire to destroy that teams will to play, and as fans destroy their ability to say their team is better. A RIVALRY brings out the best and worst of both sides. You teach your kids about a rivalry.

 

THIS IS RAVENS/STEELERS.

 

You may care about 49ers/Seahawks, and NFL.com might, but the players dont eat.sleep.breathe that match up. And its not something they will ever learn. Rivalry doesnt just happen. Rivalry is a seed that gets planted with some action, which sparks hatred... water it with a few cheap shots, some heart breaking losses and it grows. 

 

49ers/Seahawks is a good matchup. No more, no less. Same with Colts/Pats. That was never a rivalry. Manning/Brady is the rivalry, and that exists. They bring out the best in eachother.

 

My point is, to say that 49ers/Seahawks could become the best rivalry in the NFL this year is to completely butcher everything a rivalry represents. Rivalries arent fabricated for TV ratings or talking points. And rivalries dont become, they just are. No one had to talk about Ravens/Steelers becoming a rivalry. They were put in the same division, stepped on the field, and hated eachother. Plain and simple. It continued during down years, and shined during playoff runs. This isnt the 1st year the 49ers and Seahawks will be inthe same division, so why all the sudden is it a "rivalry?"

 

There are only a few rivalries left. GB/Chicago is a good one with good history. The NFC East is the most like the AFC North IMO where you could consider every team a rivalry. They truly hate eachother. The players learn about it when they walk in the door. Fans hear about it from their mom and dad. Same as us.

[CARavensFan]

I don't disagree but here's my perspective:

1. Our rivalry is so good because they can beat us and make the playoffs and contend for a Super Bowl.
2. Without Ben they have a significantly lessened chance of making the playoffs let alone Super Bowl.
3. I am not at all sold on any of their current backups eliminating my first two concerns.

 

As far as No. 2 I guess my thought process is that they were able to be very competative with us with Leftwich and Batch playing for an injuryed Ben and they just picked up Gradkowski who I feel is an upgrade over eitherof those two as backup QBs.

 

Thought I do I agree that if Ben misses significant time it hurts their playoffs chances because their offense is so dependant on them and when they are not in the divison/playoff hunt it hurts the luster of the rivalry some what, but they are still competative in  games with us due to the rivalry between us.

 

What about Cameron heyward on the d line?

Gay is a huge downgrade from Lewis.

Polamalu has missed more time than he's played recently so it will be interesting to see what shamsrko can do.

Personally I think the steelers and patriots are our greatest competition this year

 

Denver doesn't get any love from you huh?

[cwfRaven]

Interesting comparison between the Ravens-Steelers and Ravens-Pats rivalry. Here's the main difference:

 

The Ravens and the Steelers have mutual respect for each other.

The Ravens and the Patriots don't.

Excellent point!

[cwfRaven]

A rivalry isnt created out of thin air. 2 teams that are well balanced and play a few good games ISNT A RIVALRY.

 

A true rivalry has historical significance. It has pageantry surrounding it. It is its own institution. A rivalry is created and carried by the players of those teams, the coaches, and the fans and is passed down. It breeds a hatred and a mutual respect for the rival - not one that can even be explained.

 

No, neither team HAS TO WIN GAMES for it to be a rivalry. A rivalry exists beyond records. It becomes the Superbowl in a down year with nothing else to play for. Being swept by a rival takes the luster off of a good season. Regardless of standing, during that game, that day, nothing else exists except the rivalry and the desire to destroy that teams will to play, and as fans destroy their ability to say their team is better. A RIVALRY brings out the best and worst of both sides. You teach your kids about a rivalry.

 

THIS IS RAVENS/STEELERS.

 

You may care about 49ers/Seahawks, and NFL.com might, but the players dont eat.sleep.breathe that match up. And its not something they will ever learn. Rivalry doesnt just happen. Rivalry is a seed that gets planted with some action, which sparks hatred... water it with a few cheap shots, some heart breaking losses and it grows. 

 

49ers/Seahawks is a good matchup. No more, no less. Same with Colts/Pats. That was never a rivalry. Manning/Brady is the rivalry, and that exists. They bring out the best in eachother.

 

My point is, to say that 49ers/Seahawks could become the best rivalry in the NFL this year is to completely butcher everything a rivalry represents. Rivalries arent fabricated for TV ratings or talking points. And rivalries dont become, they just are. No one had to talk about Ravens/Steelers becoming a rivalry. They were put in the same division, stepped on the field, and hated eachother. Plain and simple. It continued during down years, and shined during playoff runs. This isnt the 1st year the 49ers and Seahawks will be inthe same division, so why all the sudden is it a "rivalry?"

 

There are only a few rivalries left. GB/Chicago is a good one with good history. The NFC East is the most like the AFC North IMO where you could consider every team a rivalry. They truly hate eachother. The players learn about it when they walk in the door. Fans hear about it from their mom and dad. Same as us.

 

Oooooh!I This gives me chills!  :)