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.
New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts
Despite changing divisions when the NFL realigned in 2002, over the past five years the series between the Colts and Patriots has developed into the marquee match-up in the NFL. The two clubs have combined to win four of the past six Super Bowls, (Patriots 2002, 2004, 2006 – Colts 2007) and have had several key matchups along the way.
The first memorable meeting of the decade came on Sept. 30, 2001, when Tom Brady made his first start as the Patriots quarterback, subbing in for an injured Drew Bledsoe against the undefeated Colts. The rookie led New England to a resounding 44-13 victory and a rivalry was born.
The rivalry was fairly one-sided until the Colts finally defeated the Patriots at Foxboro Stadium, 40-21, in 2005.
| Last five meetings: | |
| Nov. 4, 2007 | New England 24, Indianapolis 20 |
| Jan. 21, 2007 | Indianapolis 38, New England 34 |
| Nov. 5, 2006 | Indianapolis 34, New England 31 |
| Nov. 7, 2005 | Indianapolis 40, New England 21 |
| Jan. 16, 2005 | New England 20, Indianapolis 3 |
Last season, the Colts beat the Patriots twice, including in the AFC title game on their way to collecting the club’s first Super Bowl title.
That win set up what many referred to as the "Match of the Century" earlier this season when the two clubs went into Week 9 with undefeated records. The Patriots had been thrashing teams all season by an average of 25 points per game and were heavy favourites.
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| Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning. (Getty) |
However, with less than 10 minutes remaining, the Colts managed to hold a 10-point lead. New England then lived up to its advanced billing scoring two touchdowns in less than six minutes to take the lead. A fumble by Colts QB Peyton Manning sealed the game.
“Some victories do mean more than others,” linebacker Tedy Bruschi, told the Associated Press afterward, confirming the importance of the game. “This is one we’re going to remember.”
The two clubs are not scheduled to meet again this season, but it would not be a surprise if they were to face off in another meaningful playoff classic.
