By Kevin Nielsen, Sportsnet.ca
With the Lions and Cowboys hosting their annual Thanksgiving matchups this Thursday (live on Sportsnet) we thought what better way to help celebrate the American Turkey Day than by looking at the top five rivalries in the NFL.
While there have been many classic rivalries in the NFL over the years, today’s 32 teams multiplied by a 16-game schedule means rivalries ebb and flow. In no particular order, here are what we think are the best five going right now.
Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders
The Raiders have been a terrible team the past few seasons, but the hatred these two AFC competitors share stretches back for decades. You could also throw the Chiefs in this mix, but because current Broncos’ coach Mike Shanahan left the Raiders in a contract dispute in 1995 and moved to the mountains to coach in the Mile High City sets this feud apart.
The teams first met in 1960 and continue to meet twice a season, with the Raiders holding a significant lead (58-39-2). The Raiders dominated until 1977 when the Broncos beat the Raiders in the AFC title game from a play called the ‘Faux Fumble’. Nearing the final gun, the Raiders recovered a fumble and returned it for an apparent game-winning touchdown. The officials, however, called it back and the Broncos went on to their first Super Bowl appearance.
| Last five meetings: | |
| Sept. 16, 2007 | Denver 23, Oakland 20 |
| Nov 12., 2006 | Denver 17, Oakland 13 |
| Oct. 15, 2006 | Denver 13, Oakland 3 |
| Dec. 24, 2005 | Denver 22, Oakland 3 |
| Nov. 13, 2005 | Denver 31, Oakland 17 |
More recently, Raiders owner Al Davis hired Shanahan to coach the team in 1988. At the time Shanahan was the Broncos offensive coordinator. After only a year-and-a-half, Davis canned Shanahan and he returned to Denver as quarterbacks coach despite being told he wouldn’t be paid out by Davis if he returned to Denver. Shanahan took Davis to arbitration and won, though some reports suggest Davis still refuses to pay his debt to Shanahan.
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| Broncos’ coach Mike Shanahan. (Getty) |
This feud has continued both on the field (Raiders’ Bill Romanowski vs. Broncos’ Shannon Sharpe in 2003) and off the field as well. Davis and Broncos owner Pat Bowlen have been known to trade barbs in the media.
The Broncos won the first meeting this season, 23-20 in overtime, in Denver in a wild finish. Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 52-yard field goal at 11:13 of overtime but the play was called back after a referee ruled Shanahan called a timeout seconds before the ball was snapped. Janikowski narrowly missed the kick and the Broncos went the other way and Jason Elam hit the game-winning field goal.
The two squads will renew their rivalry on Dec. 2 in Oakland.
