Intraconference rivalries in the American Football Conference

See also National Football League rivalries
There are multiple rivalries in the American Football Conference outside of the conference's division rivalries. Some of the league's bitterest rivalries involve AFC teams within the conference.
AFC East vs. AFC West
The first set of intraconference rivalries occurred in the American Football League as the league's eight teams played each other twice a season split between the AFL East and AFL West.
New York Jets vs. Oakland/LA Raiders
*First met in 1960 (as New York Titans)
*Raiders lead regular season series 20-15-2
*Playoff series tied 2-2
*Next scheduled meeting September 25, 2011 @ New Jersey
*Signature Moment: By far the most famous matchup between the two clubs was 1968's Heidi Game. The Jets, playing the Raiders in Oakland, clawed to a 32-29 lead with just over a minute remaining, but NBC Sports switched over the broadcast to the 1968 film version of the story Heidi. The decision proved ill-advised, as the Raiders drove to a touchdown, then scored on a Jets fumble near their goalline, for a 43-32 Raiders win. Angered viewers upon learning the outcome via a television scroll during the movie's opening short-circuited NBC's telephone switchboard and NBC's own Huntley-Brinkley Report made prominent note of the uproar.
*On October 25, 2009 the Jets routed the Raiders 38-0 in one of Oakland's worst home losses ever. Mark Sanchez ran in a touchdown and later threw a 35-yard score to David Clowney; with the Jets metaphorically eating the Raiders for lunch Sanchez was caught by CBS cameras eating a hot dog on the sidelines, which caused a stir for days afterward.
Miami Dolphins vs. Oakland/LA Raiders
*First met in 1966
*Raiders lead regular season series 16-13-1
*Raiders lead playoff series 3-1
*Next scheduled meeting December 4, 2011 @ Miami
*Signature Moment: The most famous matchup in the rivalry's history is one of the most dramatic playoff games in league history, the "Sea Of Hands" game, the AFC Divisional Playoff held at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 21, 1974, a year after the Dolphins embarassed the Raiders at the Orange Bowl in the AFC Championship Game 27-10. The Dolphins led 26-21 in the final minute when Ken Stabler rolled out of the pocket from the Dolphins 8-yard line; he was hit and as he fell to the ground he flipped the ball toward running back Clarence Davis, described by Stabler as having "the worst hands on the team" - but this time Davis caught the ball amid a swarm of Dolphins defenders for the touchdown and a 28-26 Raiders win. The win ended Miami's drive for a fourth consecutive Super Bowl appearance and potential third consecutive championship.
*Signature Moment: Dan Marino's first NFL action came off the bench on Monday Night Football at the LA Memorial Coliseum on September 19, 1983. Replacing David Woodley in the fourth quarter, Marino threw two touchdowns, to Joe Rose and Mark Duper, in a 27-14 Raiders win. Marino became Dolphins starter two weeks later.
*Marino was 6-5 in eleven career meetings with the Raiders. His final home game against the Raiders came on October 16, 1994 in a game where the big story turned out to be a sideline argument between quarterback Jeff Hostetler and coach Art Shell that led to Vince Edwards replacing Hostetler for several plays. The Raiders led 17-10 but Marino found Keith Byars for the tying 18-yard score, and in overtime Pete Stoyanovich won the game for the Dolphins on a 29-yard boot and a 20-17 final.
New England Patriots vs. Oakland/LA Raiders
*First met in 1960 (as Boston Patriots)
*Regular season series tied 14-14-1
*Patriots lead playoff series 2-1
*Next scheduled meeting October 2, 2011 @ Oakland
*Though the Patriots and Raiders were American Football League rivals from the league's 1960 launch (during the league's ten years as an independent league the Raiders led the series 11-8-1), three moments stand out above all others in this rivalry. First came the 1976 AFC Divisional Playoff on December 18, forever known as "The Ben Dreith Game." Numerous hard hits and questionable calls and non-calls, notably involving a running feud between Patriots tight end Russ Francis and Raiders defender Phil Villapiano, permeated a game where the Patriots led 21-17 in the final minute when Ken Stabler was hit on a 3rd-down incompletion by Ray Hamilton; Dreith flagged Hamilton for roughing the passer, but replays were inconclusive, as they showed Stabler ducking away from Hamilton upon his throw; Stabler ran in the winning touchdown with ten seconds remaining and Hamilton was ejected for protesting the call. Two years later during the 1978 preseason a Steve Grogan throw for receiver Darryl Stingley missed and Stingley was hammered by Raiders defensive end Jack Tatum; Stingley suffered paralysis and would never walk again. Finally, in the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoffs came the Tuck Rule Game; with the Raiders leading 13-10 in a driving snowstorm Tom Brady was hit as he started a throw; the ball popped loose and was recovered by the Raiders, but referee Walt Coleman went to replay and reversed the initial call of a fumble; the Patriots drove to the tying field goal and won in overtime 16-13.
New England Patriots vs. San Diego Chargers
*First met in 1960 (as Boston Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers)
*Patriots lead regular season series 19-14-2
*Patriots lead playoff series 2-1
*Next scheduled meeting September 18, 2011 @ Foxboro
*Signature Moment: The Chargers' only league championship entering 2011 came on January 5, 1964 in the AFL Championship Game at Balboa Stadium. The Chargers had beaten the Patriots twice that season and in the title game put up more rushing yards (318) than the Patriots had yards of offense (303). John Hadl and Tobin Rote also threw for 305 yards as the Chargers scored seven touchdowns in a 51-10 runaway.
*Signature Moment: On October 14, 2001 the 3-1 Chargers led by former Patriot Doug Flutie traveled to face the 1-3 Patriots in the third career start for Tom Brady. The game proved to be the turnaround for the Patriots as the Chargers clawed to a 19-16 lead in the fourth quarter. Special teams play proved critical as Adam Vinatieri had missed a PAT and also a field goal, and in the final seven minutes punter Lee Johnson blew the snap at the Patriots 25; he raced backwards and fumbled, and Derrick Harris ran in a Chargers touchdown; Bill Belichick deplored his special teams play as "the worst in a year and a half." Despite this Brady led two scoring drives; his touchdown pass to Jermaine Wiggins (his only catch of the game after a week in which Belichick had been critical to the players of tight ends play) tied the game, and after Wade Richey missed a 59-yard FGA the game went to overtime tied 26-26; after a Chargers punt the Patriots gained crucial ground on a pass interference penalty, and Vinatieri booted the winning field goal and a 29-26 Patriots win.
*Signature Moment: On January 14, 2007 the 14-2 Chargers hosted the 13-4 Patriots at Qualcomm Stadium in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. Behind league MVP LaDanian Tomlinson and third-year quarterback Philip Rivers the Chargers clawed to a 21-13 lead in the fourth quarter. On a 4th down play with 6:50 to go Tom Brady rifled a pass that was intercepted by Marlon McCree, but as McCree started back upfield Troy Brown yanked the ball out of his hands and Reche Caldwell grabbed the fumble; the change of possession thus gave the Patriots a fresh set of downs and Brady later lobbed a 4-yard touchdown to Caldwell; New England then tied the game on a 2-point conversion run by Kevin Faulk. After forcing a Chargers punt the Patriots were pinned at their own 30 on third down; Brady launched a deep strike to Caldwell and the former Charger raced to the San Diego 14. Stephen Gostkowski booted the field goal with 1:10 to go. Rivers led a furious drive with no timeouts to work with but Nate Kaeding missed a last-second 54-yard FGA. As the Patriots celebrated a furious Tomlinson went after Caldwell, Artrell Hawkins, and Ellis Hobbs on the field and had to be separated from them; a bitter Rivers ripped Hobbs as "the sorriest cornerback in the league." Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer was fired after this game, the 13th career playoff loss of his coaching career.
*Signature Moment: In their first game since Spygate broke out the Patriots hosted the Chargers on September 16, 2007 and with national and even international media covering the game in the wake of the controversy the Patriots unleashed a particularly forceful attack. After Tom Brady touchdowns to Ben Watson and Randy Moss the Patriots clawed to a 17-0 lead in the second quarter when Adalius Thomas intercepted a Philip Rivers pass at his own 35 and raced to a touchdown. The Chargers managed two second-half touchdowns but could do nothing to stop a 38-14 Patriots win.
New York Jets vs. San Diego Chargers
*First met in 1960 (as New York Titans and Los Angeles Chargers)
*Chargers lead regular-season series 18-11-1
*NY Jets lead playoff series 2-0
*Next scheduled meeting October 23, 2011 @ New Jersey
*Signature Moment: On December 18, 1960 the NY Titans traveled to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the finale of the two teams' inaugural season. The Titans were 7-6 and the Chargers 9-4, and the ensuing game became the highest-scoring matchup in the rivalry's history. Titans quarterback Al Dorow threw two touchdowns in the first half, while Paul Lowe ran in a 25-yard Chargers score and Jack Kemp threw a touchdown with a missed PAT, for a 16-14 Chargers lead at halftime. The second half became a shootout; led by Kemp the Chargers put up 17 points in the third quarter but leads of 26-14 and 33-22 could not be held as the Titans behind a Dorow pass to Bill Shockley and a Leon Burton rushing score led 36-33 entering the fourth. The Chargers finally put the Titans away on two more Kemp scores (one rushing) for a 50-43 Chargers win. It would be the Chargers' final game in LA; they would lose to the Houston Oilers in the AFL title game and move to San Diego after the season.
*Signature Moment: On November 3, 2002 the 2-5 NY Jets turned their season around at Qualcomm Stadium against the 6-1 Chargers. With new quarterback Chad Pennington 1-2 as a starter the Jets surprised the Chargers as Pennington opened scoring with an eight-yard rushing touchdown. From there the Chargers were buried, trailing 31-7 at the half and losing 44-13. Chargers quarterback Drew Brees was intercepted twice and held to 192 passing yards while LaDanian Tomlinson was held to 60 rushing yards.
Miami Dolphins vs. San Diego Chargers
*First met in 1966
*Dolphins lead regular season series 12-11
*Playoff series tied 2-2
*Next scheduled meeting October 2, 2011 season @ San Diego
*Signature Moment: The signature game between the two clubs remains the 1981 AFC Wildcard playoff round held in brutally hot and humid conditions at the Orange Bowl on January 2, 1982. The Chargers erupted to 24 points in the first quarter as Miami quarterback David Woodley proved ineffective. In the second quarter Don Shula benched Woodley and put in Don Strock, and Strock erupted with three touchdown throws (one of them a hook and lateral play to Tony Nathan), tying the game at 24 in the third quarter. The game lead then tied or changed four times as Strock led the Dolphins to a 38-31 lead before Dan Fouts tied the game again, on a nine-yard touchdown to James Brooks. The star of the game was Chargers tight end Kellen Winslow, who caught 13 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown and blocked Miami's last-second field goal attempt, forcing overtime. Exhaustion and dehydration plagued both teams and was illustrated as Winslow had to be helped off the field by teammates several times. Two missed FGAs in overtime finally led to Rolf Benirschke's game winner with 1:08 left in overtime and a 41-38 Chargers win.
Miami Dolphins vs. Denver Broncos
*First met in 1966
*Dolphins lead regular season series 10-4-1
*Broncos lead playoff series 1-0
*Next scheduled meeting October 23, 2011 season @ Miami
*Signature Moment: In the 1998 season the Broncos faced the Dolphins twice. First on December 21 at Joe Robbie Stadium the Broncos clawed to a 13-7 halftime lead, but Dan Marino finished off the Broncos on three consecutive touchdown throws. John Elway completed just 13 passes and was intercepted twice in a 31-21 Dolphins win. The Broncos finished 14-2 and on January 9 hosted the Dolphins at Mile High Stadium a week after Miami defeated the Bills in the Wildcard round of the playoffs. Marino was intercepted twice, the Broncos rushed for 250 yards and three scores, and blew out the Dolphins 38-3. It was the third and final matchup between Marino and Elway, fellow picks in the famed 1983 NFL Draft.
New England Patriots vs. Kansas City Chiefs
*First met in 1960 (as Boston Patriots and Dallas Texans)
*Chiefs lead series 16-12-3
*No playoff contests entering 2011
*Next scheduled meeting November 21, 2011 @ Foxboro
*Signature Moment: The Boston Patriots edged the Dallas Texans twice in the span of one week in the 1961 AFL season. On October 29 at the Cotton Bowl a pair of Cotton Davidson touchdown throws put the Texans up 17-7, but a Butch Songin touchdown and two-point conversion set up Gino Cappelletti's game-winning field goal for an 18-17 Patriots win. The ensuing Friday, November 3, the Texans arrived at Braves Field and with an overflow crowd necessitating placing some fans straddling the endzones, the game became a slugfest; Babe Parilli and Songin were rotated in and out under center and each had a touchdown throw. The Texans erased a 14-7 Patriots lead and the game lead tied or changed four times in the second and third quarters. In the final minute the Texans got the ball and raced to the Patriots red zone; on the final play Davidson's throw to Chris Burford sailed incomplete when a fan ran across the endzone. "We saw it on film the next day and laughed like hell," Cappelletti said.
*Signature Moment: On October 10, 1999 the 4-0 Patriots traveled to Arrowhead Stadium to face the 2-2 Chiefs. Drew Bledsoe was intercepted twice and the Chiefs clawed to a 16-7 lead in the third quarter. A Bledsoe touchdown to Shawn Jefferson brought New England to within 16-14 and the Patriots drove to outside the Chiefs red zone in the final seconds, for a 32-yard field goal attempt by Adam Vinatieri; he'd missed a 48-yard attempt earlier in the game and this time his 32-yard attempt deflected off the right upright, ending in a Chiefs win. "If I'd done my job earlier, I wouldn't have put Adam in that position," Bledsoe said afterward.
*Signature Moment: The only overtime game in the rivalry's history came on September 22, 2002. The Chiefs clawed to a 17-9 lead in the third quarter on two Trent Green touchdown throws, but the Patriots then erupted with three consecutive Tom Brady touchdown throws (to Troy Brown, Daniel Graham, and David Patten. After an Eddie Kennison touchdown catch and a 42-yard Antowain Smith touchdown run the Chiefs tied the game on consecutive Priest Holmes rushing scores, the last on the final play of regulation. Tied 38-38, the Patriots won the coin toss and stormed down field in half a dozen plays before Adam Vinatieri booted the winning 35-yard field goal and a 41-38 final. The game was also Brady's first 400-yard passing game as he threw for 410 yards.
*Signature Moment: Bernard Pollard's hit on Tom Brady's leg halfway through the first quarter on September 7, 2008 threw New England's 2008 season into uncertainty and wound up changing the future of both the Chiefs and Patriots backup quarterback Matt Cassel. Cassel, under fire in some media and fan circles entering the game because of shaky preseason play, replaced Brady, who wound up having to sit out the season with a serious knee injury, clawed the Patriots to a 17-10 win over the Chiefs, highlighted by a 50-yard pass to Randy Moss out of his team's endzone and a later touchdown strike to Moss. Cassel led the Patriots to an 11-5 season and was traded to the Chiefs for 2009.
AFC South vs. AFC East
The Tennessee Titans were division rivals in the AFC East during the AFL era in their first ten seasons as the Houston Oilers, while the Colts were part of the AFC East 1970-2001.
Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans vs. Buffalo Bills
*First met in 1960 (as Houston Oilers)
*Oilers/Titans lead regular season series 25-14
*Bills lead playoff series 2-1
*Next scheduled meeting December 4, 2011 season @ Orchard Park, NY
*Signature Moment: The rivalry remains driven by one game, the 1992 AFC Wildcard meeting at Rich Stadium. The Oilers behind Warren Moon stormed to a 35-3 lead but the Bills led by backup Frank Reich erupted with 35 second half points; a late Oilers field goal sent the game into overtime tied 38-38 when Moon was intercepted early in the fifth period, setting up the winning field goal and the biggest comeback win in pro football history.
*Signature Moment: Before their epic 1992 playoff showdown, the highest-scoring game in the rivalry happened on September 24, 1989 at the Astrodome. The Bills clawed to a 13-10 lead in the second quarter, but late in the quarter the Oilers lined up for a Tony Zendejas field goal attempt; the kick was blocked and Mark Kelso stormed to a 76-yard touchdown. After a 63-yard Jim Kelly bomb to Don Beebe the Oilers roared back on an Alonzo Highsmith score and a blocked punt recovered by Cris Dishman for a 7-yard touchdown. Another Kelly touchdown bomb (this one a 78-yard score to Andre Reed) opened the fourth quarter, and was followed by a 26-yard Warren Moon strike to Ernest Givens; Moon was hammered hard on the play and Givens had to leap over Buffalo defenders and landed viciously hard on his feet in the endzone. Moon stayed in the game and a Kelly interception led to a Lorenzo White score. The Bills then took a 41-38 lead on Kelly's touchdown to Thurman Thomas before Zendejas' 52-yard field goal forced overtime. The Bills then finished it off on Kelly's 28-yard touchdown to Reed and a 47-41 Bills win.
*Signature Moment: On January 8, 2000 the Oilers, now the Tennessee Titans, played their first playoff game against the Bills since the 1992 epic. Bills coach Wade Phillips (a former assistant coach with the Oilers under his father) had played Doug Flutie as quarterback for almost the entire season, but in a late-season contest against the Indianapolis Colts decided to start Rob Johnson, who'd been replaced by Flutie early in the 1998 season; Johnson led a 31-6 win and Phillips decided to play Johnson in the Wildcard playoff round. Johnson completed just ten passes for 131 yards while his counterpart Steve McNair ran in a touchdown but had only 76 passing yards and a pick. Al Del Greco missed a 43-yard FGA and it appeared to be a fatal miscue as Steve Christie booted a 41-yarder to put the Bills up 16-15 with just 16 seconds to go. But everything changed on the subsequent kickoff as Frank Wycheck lateralled to Kevin Dyson at the Titans 25 and Dyson stormed past the Bills for the game-winning touchdown; the play went to review and was upheld, for what became the final playoff game for the Bills entering 2011.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Miami Dolphins
*First met in 1970 (as Baltimore Colts)
*Dolphins lead regular season series 45-24
*Dolphins lead playoff series 2-0
*Next scheduled meeting 2012 @ Indianapolis
*The rivalry began in the season after Don Shula left the Baltimore Colts and took over the Dolphins. The Dolphins were charged with tampering and had to surrender a draft pick to Baltimore as a result. Shula went 35-17 against the Colts and won his only playoff matchup against them, the 1971 AFC Championship Game.
*Signature Moment: Dan Marino broke Fran Tarkenton records for career completions and touchdowns in both 1995 meetings with the Colts; on October 8 Irving Spikes caught a touchdown that tied the completions record, then Keith Byars caught the record-breaker for completions; on November 26 Byars caught Marino's record-breaking 343rd touchdown. However, the Colts won both games; in October Jim Harbaugh wiped out a 24-3 Colts gap to force overtime; Pete Stoyanovich missed two FGAs and it proved fatal as Cary Blanchard booted the game-winner early in overtime for the 27-24 Colts win; in November the Colts raced to a 24-0 lead and held on for the 36-28 win.
*Signature Moment: Dan Marino in his final year and Peyton Manning in his second year squared off in two thrillers in 1999. On October 10 Manning scores to Marvin Harrison and Marcus Pollard put the Colts up 17-9 after three quarters, but from there the game erupted - Marino completed a 28-yard score to Tony Martin but a two-point try failed; Terrence Wilkins ran back the ensuing kick for a 97-yard touchdown; Cecil Collins ran in a 25-yard touchdown; Pollard caught his second score of the game from Manning; Olindo Mare booted a 43-yard field goal, then with 1:54 to go Sam Madison sacked Manning for a safety; facing 4th and 10 at his own 40 Marino then launched a deep bomb caught by Oronde Gadsden to the Colts 10; Gadsden then caught the ball at the side of the endzone; the pass was first ruled incomplete but a huddle between the officials led to the catch declared a touchdown. The 34-31 Dolphins win left the Colts 2-2, but from there they erupted; on December 5 the Dolphins hosted the Colts, who'd taken command of the AFC East while the Dolphins were fighting a second-half slide. The Colts raced to a 24-10 halftime lead, but Manning was intercepted by Sam Madison who scored in the opening minute of the third quarter. Consecutive Marino touchdowns (to Tony Martin and Stanley Pritchett) offset Manning's score to Terrence Wilkins, and an exchange of field goals left the game tied at 34 with 36 seconds remaining in regulation; Manning drove the Colts down enough that Mike Vanderjagt booted a 50-yard field goal on the final play, a 37-34 Colts win.
* The rivalry forms the basis of the "Manning's Mind" ad by Sprint telecommunications; in the ad Manning is in a hotel corridor looking to throw the ball as Jason Taylor storms forward and an electronic voice counts down seconds before the sack; each door Manning opens is to a surrealistic situation (notably Marvin Harrison underwater surrounded by dolphins) before a boy in a Manning jersey makes a suggestion on the throw.
Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots
*First met in 1967 (preseason) @ Harvard Stadium
*First met in 1970 (as Baltimore Colts and Boston Patriots)
*Patriots lead regular season series 44-27
*Patriots lead playoff series 2-1
*Next scheduled meeting Sunday Night Football December 4, 2011 season @ Foxboro
*Main article Colts-Patriots rivalry
*Though the rivalry began in 1970 when the Colts were slotted into the AFC East with the 1970 merger, it did not rise to prominence until 2003 when the two teams met in the regular season and the playoffs, beginning a run encompassing eleven meetings over the next eight seasons involving two of the strongest teams in the conference (who combined for six Super Bowl appearances in the 2001-9 period) and two of the league's most famous quarterbacks (Tom Brady and Peyton Manning). From 1994 through 2010 one or both teams have made the playoffs.
Indianapolis Colts vs. New York Jets
*First met in Super Bowl III (as Baltimore Colts)
*Colts lead regular season series 40-26
*Jets lead playoff series 2-1 (also won Super Bowl III; Super Bowl matchups no longer possible)
*Next scheduled meeting 2012 season @ New Jersey
*The rivalry primarily encompassed the 1970-2001 period when the two teams were AFC East rivals, but it remains defined by the game considered the most important upset in football history.
*Signature Moment: Joe Namath and Johnny Unitas did not meet for a full game until September 24, 1972 at Memorial Stadium. Namath opened the scoring on a 65-yard pass to Eddie Bell for a Jets touchdown; the PAT was no good, and the Colts drove to the Jets 40 where Unitas handed off to Tom Matte; Matte then threw the ball back to Unitas, who bobbled and then secured it, then launched it to Sam Havrilak for the touchdown (it was the same play Earl Morrall had infamously botched in the Super Bowl matchup with the Jets). After a pair of Colts field goals Namath unleashed three more touchdown throws (to John Riggins, Don Maynard, and Rich Caster) in the second quarter, sandwiching Don McCauley's 93-yard kickoff return score for the Colts. In the fourth McCauley's one-yard score and a Unitas touchdown to Matte, however, could not stop two Namath touchdown bombs to Caster, and the Jets won 44-34. Namath accounted for 496 passing yards while Unitas had 376, making the game one of the greatest passing duels in league history.
*Signature Moment: Two years later on December 15, 1974 another dramatic passing duel occurred at Memorial Stadium in the season finale for both teams. The Jets were rallying from a 1-7 start and two John Riggins rushing scores in the second quarter helped put the Jets up 28-10 at the half. But the Colts behind new quarterback Bert Jones fought back; while Namath threw two touchdowns Jones (with 53 throws and 36 completions for 385 yards) threw four touchdowns, but was also intercepted four times (Burgess Owens scored for the Jets on a Bert Jones pick). Jones' efforts were not enough in a 45-38 Jets win.
*Signature Moment: On January 4, 2003 the Jets, winners of the AFC East the week before, hosted the AFC South wildcard Colts in the first playoff meeting between the two teams since Super Bowl III. Peyton Manning endured a miserable night as he threw two interceptions and the Colts were stampeded by 180 rushing yards and two LaMont Jordan touchdown runs to go with three Chad Pennington touchdown throws. The 41-0 shutout left Manning 0-3 in playoff runs in his career to that point and his demeanor in the game was criticized by kicker Mike Vanderjagt in a television interview, which earned an angry retort from Manning before the Pro Bowl.
Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans vs. New England Patriots
*First met in 1960 (as Houston Oilers and Boston Patriots)
*Patriots lead regular season series 21-15-1
*Playoff series tied 1-1
*Next scheduled meeting 2012 season @ Nashville
*The Oilers and Patriots were founding members of the American Football League and met twice a year 1960-69; in that time the Patriots led the series 11-9. The 1970 merger moved the Oilers out of the AFL East into the new AFC Central.
*Signature Moment: The Oilers and the Patriots met twice in a season for the first time since 1969 in the 1978 season. On November 12, 1978 at Schaefer Stadium the Oilers ended New England's seven-game winning streak as the Patriots raced to a 23-0 lead in the second quarter but Steve Grogan was intercepted twice and the Oilers erupted with four straight touchdowns (twice marred by missed PATs by Toni Fritsch). The Oilers won 26-23, then faced the Patriots on New Year's Eve 1978 at Foxboro with quarterback Dan Pastorini wearing a flak jacket to protect his injured ribs. The Patriots were in chaos as coach Chuck Fairbanks had been suspended for the regular-season finale but inexplicably brought back for the playoff game. The Patriots were crushed 31-14 in their first ever home playoff game. Pastorini threw three touchdowns while Steve Grogan threw two interceptions and was knocked out with a knee injury.
*Signature Moment: 25 years later the two clubs met twice in the season again, this time with the Patriots now in a new stadium (Gillette Stadium) and the former Oilers now the Tennessee Titans. On October 5, 2003 the 3-1 Titans met the 2-2 Patriots amid Game Four of the 2003 ALDS involving the , a game most of the 68,000 in attendance listened to on radios or portable television sets while the stadium jumbotron provided regular updates. This led to several bizarre bouts of audience applause at seemingly inopportune times, as Red Sox scores coincided with a Troy Brown punt-return touchdown called back on an Asante Samuel penalty and a Steve McNair rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter. After the Titans took a 27-24 lead the Patriots scored on a Mike Cloud touchdown and a Ty Law interception of McNair, for a 38-30 Patriots win. The Patriots raced to a 14-2 record while the Titans finished 12-4 and won a wildcard playoff over Baltimore before returning to Foxboro on January 10, 2004 in temperatures barely above zero. The game lead tied or changed five times with the Patriots up 17-14 just inside the two-minute warning; a fourth-down heave by McNair went for Drew Bennett, who was surrounded by Patriots defenders; the ball bounced off his hands as he was hit and the game ended in the Patriots win.
*The bitterness of the rivalry came out even in preseason matchups, such as August 2007's matchup at Gillette Stadium as the two teams jawed several times before and during the game and Tom Brady was hit numerous times, once in the head, leading to a Rodney Harrison shot to Vince Young on the subsequent Titans possession.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins
*First met in 1998
*Regular season series tied 2-2
*Jaguars lead playoff series 1-0
*Next scheduled meeting 2012 @ Miami
*Signature Moment: The first ever meeting between the two teams came on Monday Night Football on October 12, 1998. After Fred Taylor ran in two touchdowns for a 14-0 Jaguars lead the Dolphins scored three straight touchdowns, two on Dan Marino throws to Troy Drayton sandwiching a Karim Abdul-Jabbar run. But with the Dolphins up 21-14 Mark Brunell erupted on a pair of touchdown throws to Keenan McCardell, putting the Jaguars up to a 28-21 win.
*Signature Moment: Dan Marino's final game came in the 1999 AFC Divisional Playoffs at Alltel Stadium on January 15, 2000 and it was easily the worst of his career and perhaps the worst loss in Dolphins history. Three Jaguars backs led by Fred Taylor combined for 251 rushing yards and three scores while Mark Brunell and future Dolphin Jay Fiedler threw for four touchdowns. The Jaguars led 41-0 before Marino connected with Oronde Gadsden at the end of the second quarter, but the seven points would be all Miami could muster as Marino completed just 11 passes and was intercepted twice. The Jaguars led 62-7 by the 50:00 mark of the game and the scoring phase thus ended as the Jags cruised the final ten minutes to their biggest playoff win ever.
AFC North vs. AFC South
This is a set of rivalries born from the original AFC Central, as the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars were members of that division until it was split into the present-day AFC North and AFC South; the Houston Texans serve the market once served by the Titans in their period as the Houston Oilers; it was in this period that Houston's team made themselves the most hated team in the division.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans
*First met in 1970
*Steelers lead regular season series 40-29
*Steelers lead playoff series 3-1
*Next scheduled meeting October 9, 2011 @ Pittsburgh
*The Steelers dominated the rivalry during the Houston Oilers days with 34 regular season wins and three playoff wins spanning the 1970-96 period, but with the move to Tennessee the Titans took control of the rivalry, winning ten regular season games and one playoff game from 1997 entering 2011.
*Signature Moment: The two teams met twice in 2002, both games at LP Field in the first year the Titans played in the AFC South. The Titans shot down the Steelers 31-23 on November 17 in a game where Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox suffered temporary paralysis after being sacked by Keith Bulluck; Kordell Stewart, who'd been benched for Maddox earlier in the season, came on with a pair of touchdown throws and a 2-point throw, though it was not enough to win the game. Maddox recovered, missing only two subsequent games (Steeler wins over Cincinnati and Jacksonville), and led the Steelers to the AFC Divisional Playoffs on January 11, 2003. Maddox was intercepted on his first throw and the Titans raced to a 14-0 first quarter lead, but Maddox regrouped and led the Steelers to 20 subsequent points, aided when Eddie George was hit and fumbled to the Steelers early in the third and had to leave with a concussion. Up 20-14, the Steelers blitzed Steve McNair to no effect as he threw two more touchdowns, but the chase flip-flopped again on a 21-yard Hines Ward touchdown catch (with successful 2-point conversion), an exchange of field goals, and a missed Joe Nedney field goal attempt (he made the kick but the Steelers called timeout before the snap, and the stadium mistakenly began firing off fireworks in erroneous celebration, then missed the reboot). The game went to overtime and Nedney missed a 31-yard attempt, but was knocked down by Deshea Townsend and the Steelers were flagged for roughing the kicker; Nedney connected on the 26-yard rekick and the Titans had the win; Steelers coach Bill Cowher raged at referee Ron Blum to no effect.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
*First met in 1995
*Jaguars lead regular season series 11-9
*Jaguars lead playoff series 1-0
*Next scheduled meeting October 16, 2011 @ Pittsburgh
*Signature Moment: In 2007 the Jaguars met the Steelers twice in the season for the first time since 2001. On December 16 the Jags traveled to Heinz Field and backs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew bullied the Steelers run defense with 216 yards and a 12-yard score. After Heath Miller caught an 18-yard score from Ben Roethlisberger the Steelers led 7-3 in the opening minute of the second, but quarterback David Garrard stormed to touchdown throws to Ernest Wilford, Reggie Williams, and Dennis Northcutt, but kicker Josh Scobee blew back to back PATs, so the Jaguars led 22-7 after three quarters. Roethlisberger touchdowns to Hines Ward and Nate Washington and a two-point conversion tied the game with just under six minutes to go, but Roethlisberger was sacked five times and Taylor's score in the final two minutes finished off the Steelers and a 29-22 Jaguars win. On January 5, 2008 in the Wildcard playoffs the Jaguars returned to Pittsburgh and raced to a 28-10 lead after three quarters, and once again the Steelers wiped out the gap, scoring three touchdowns, two on Roethlisberger throws, but two-point tries failed twice and the Steelers led only 29-28. The Jaguars drove downfield and Josh Scobee finished off the Steelers from 25 yards out with 37 seconds remaining; the win was the first in the playoffs for Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
*First met in 1996
*Jaguars lead regular season series 9-7
*No playoff contests
*Next scheduled meeting Monday Night Football October 24, 2011 @ Jacksonville
*Signature Moment: For the first four seasons of the rivalry the Jaguars won closely contested games. On November 10, 1996 the two teams met in Jacksonville both at 3-6. The Ravens raced to a 27-16 fourth-quarter lead on Vinny Testaverde's third touchdown throw of the game, but Mark Brunell led back-to-back touchdown drives for a 30-27 Jaguars win. Two weeks later at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium on the 24th of November the Ravens clawed to a 25-10 lead after three quarters, but again Brunell roared the Jaguars back with two touchdown throws that forced overtime, where Mike Hollis won it for Jacksonville (28-25) on a 34-yard field goal. The win launched a six-game streak to the playoffs for the Jaguars.
*On August 31, 1997 the Ravens hosted the Jaguars to open the 1997 season. Mark Brunell was injured and Rob Johnson started for Jacksonville. The Ravens clawed to a 27-21 fourth-quarter lead but Johnson found Jimmy Smith for the game-winning 28-yard touchdown. The win helped Johnson land a lucrative contract with the Buffalo Bills in 1998. On November 30 the Jags hosted the Ravens and this time the Ravens came back, from a 29-14 gap; Eric Zeier lobbed a 7-yard score to Eric Green to put the Ravens down 29-27 but the two-point try failed, ending in the Jaguars win.
*Signature Moment: After ten straight losses (dating to the team's 1995 season as the Cleveland Browns) the Ravens ended Jacksonville's streak on September 10, 2000 at the new M&T Bank Stadium. The Jaguars raced to a 23-7 lead at halftime, but the Ravens behind Tony Banks took a 36-32 lead in the fourth quarter. The game was decided in the final two minutes; first Mark Brunell launched a 40-yard touchdown to Jimmy Smith, then on the ensuing Ravens drive former Bronco Shannon Sharpe caught a 29-yard score with 41 seconds remaining, ending a 39-36 Ravens win.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans
*First met in 1996 (Ravens @ Houston Oilers)
*Regular season series tied 8-8
*Ravens lead playoff series 2-1
*Next scheduled meeting September 18, 2011 @ Nashville
*This rivalry dates to 1970 in the previous incarnation of the two clubs as the original Cleveland Browns and the Oilers. When the Ravens were created they and the Oilers/Titans were rivals in the AFC Central until 2002 with the formation of the AFC South.
*Signature Moment: In Baltimore's 2000 Super Bowl season they faced the Titans three times. On October 22 the Titans sacked Tony Banks and Trent Dilfer five times and intercepted four passes for a 14-6 win at M&T Bank Stadium, but in the rematch at LP Field on November 12 the Titans took a 23-17 lead after Perry Phenix ran back a Dilfer interception for an 87-yard touchdown, but the PAT by Al Del Greco bounced off the upright. Dilfer connected with Patrick Johnson with 25 seconds remaining and Del Greco missed a 43-yard FGA, for a 24-23 Ravens win. On January 7, 2001 the division champion Titans hosted the wildcard Ravens and Del Greco had a nightmarish day with two missed FGAs. The game was tied at 10 in the fourth when the Ravens defense and special teams exploded, as the Ravens blocked a third Del Greco FGA and Anthony Mitchell ran back a 90-yard touchdown. Later Ray Lewis picked off Steve McNair and ran back a 50-yard touchdown, ending the competitive phase of the game 24-10 for the Ravens.
*Signature Moment: The Ravens won five straight in the series until in the 2003 Wildcard playoffs they hosted the Titans on January 3, 2004. Defenses once again controlled the game as Steve McNair and Anthony Wright combined for two touchdowns and five interceptions. The Ravens run game was limited to 54 yards while Chris Brown and Eddie George combined for 149 rushing yards. Gary Anderson's 46-yard field goal with 29 seconds remaining ended a 20-17 Titans playoff win.
*Steve McNair quarterbacked both clubs.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts
*First met in 1996
*Colts lead regular season series 7-2
*Colts lead playoff series 2-0
*Next scheduled meeting December 11, 2011 season @ M&T Bank Stadium
*This rivalry pits the former Baltimore Colts against Baltimore's present-day NFL team.
*Signature Moment: On November 29, 1998 the Colts made their first trip to Baltimore since the infamous midnight move out of the city in March 1984. Former Colt Jim Harbaugh was now Ravens quarterback and former Colts receiver Floyd Turner was with him; watching prominently on the Ravens sideline was Colts legend John Constantine Unitas. Two Marshall Faulk touchdown runs and a Peyton Manning strike to Torrance Small put the Colts up 24-10, but Harbaugh led a 28-point comeback with three touchdown drives, a two-point conversion throw to Turner, and two field goals from future Colt Matt Stover, the last with 1:25 to go in the game. Following the 38-31 Ravens win, Harbaugh gave the game ball to Unitas.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans
*First met in 1968 (Houston Oilers @ Bengals)
*Oilers/Titans lead regular season series 39-31-1
*Bengals lead playoff series 1-0
*Next scheduled meeting November 6, 2011 season @ Nashville
*Signature Moment: The lone tie in the series came at the Astrodome on November 9, 1969. The Bengals' Greg Cook, despite a shoulder injury incurred against Kansas City earlier in the year, threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns, three of them to Bob Trumpy. Five Oilers backs led by Hoyle Granger rushed for 219 yards while Don Trull threw two touchdowns and ran in two scores. Horst Muhlmann's late field goal ended the scoring tied 31-31. Oilers kicker Roy Gerela also booted a 50-yard field goal.
*Signature Moment: The apex of the rivalry came between Bengals coach Sam Wyche and Oilers coach Jerry Glanville in the 1980s. The two coaches carried a bitter feud onto the field and in the late 1980s this led to a series of blowout games. The Oilers were crushed 44-21 on October 23, 1988 at Riverfront Stadium and on December 11 annihilated the Bengals at the Astrodome 41-6. The biggest of all came on December 17, 1989 at Riverfront in near-zero degree temperatures. Boomer Esiason threw four touchdowns, Erik Wilhelm added a fifth, and five Bengals backs rushed for 192 yards and three additional scores. The Bengals won 61-7.
*Signature Moment: The Titans officially christened their new identity after 39 seasons under the name Oilers and also Adelphia Coliseum on September 12, 1999 hosting the Bengals. Steve McNair raced the Titans to a 26-7 lead in the second quarter with two touchdown throws and a rushing score, but the Bengals exploded to 28 points by the fourth quarter and led 35-26. But McNair drove the Titans down for a touchdown pass to Eddie George and finally Al Del Greco's winning field goal for a 36-35 Titans win.
Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans
*First met in 1970
*Browns lead regular-season series 33-27
*Oilers lead playoff series 1-0 (no playoff meetings as Titans entering 2011)
*Next scheduled meeting October 2, 2011 @ Cleveland
*Signature Moment: The Browns won the first nine meetings between the two clubs until the 1974 season finale on December 15 at the Astrodome. Mike Phipps threw a 41-yard touchdown to Steve Holden in the first quarter, but this 7-0 Browns lead was erased by Dan Pastorini's seven-yard score to Mack Alston. In the third the Oilers erupted as White Shoes Johnson caught a six-yard Pastorini pass and Fred Willis ran in a five-yard score, both offsetting a field goal and a Greg Pruitt rushing score. Willie Rodgers' 20-yard touchdown was enough for the Oilers to absorb a late Phipps touchdown throw for a 28-24 Oilers win. The win secured a 7-7 record for the Oilers after going a combined 2-26 the previous two seasons. Players hoisted coach Sid Gillman onto their shoulders in celebration.
*Signature Moment: In their final meeting in the AFC Central, the 7-7 Titans hosted the 6-8 Browns on December 30, 2001 and the ensuing game became the highest-scoring in the rivalry's history. The game lead tied or changed nine times in the contest, and at the half the score was tied at 24. Two Eddie George rushing touchdowns put the Titans up 38-24, but the Browns behind a Jamel White rushing score and a Tim Couch touchdown throw tied the game at 38, in time for a late Phil Dawson field goal and a 41-38 Browns win.
*Signature Moment: With the Browns in the former AFC Central now known as the AFC North they returned to The Coliseum on September 22, 2002 with both teams 1-1. Two Steve McNair touchdown throws put the Titans up 28-14 in the fourth, but Tim Couch came through on touchdown throws to Andre Davis and in the final twelve seconds to Dennis Northcutt. The game went to overtime tied at 28 and the Browns marched down field for Dawson's winning 33-yard field goal and a 31-28 Browns win.
AFC North vs. AFC East
This is a rivalry dating to the AFC Central but which has heated up in the period of the 1990s forward.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots
*First met in 1972
*Steelers lead regular-season series 13-8
*Patriots lead playoff series 3-1
*Next scheduled meeting 2011
*Signature Moment: On December 8, 1974 at Schaefer Stadium the Steelers all but wrapped up a playoff berth with a 21-17 win over the Patriots. Jim Plunkett managed a touchdown throw to Mack Herron but was intercepted once and sacked in the endzone (by L.C. Greenwood) for a safety; the Patriots also fumbled twice. Franco Harris was a one-man army with 136 rushing yards and a touchdown; he had fifty more rushing yards than Terry Bradshaw had passing yards (86). The game ended any hope of a playoff berth for the Patriots.
*Signature Moment: On September 26, 1976 at Three Rivers Stadium the Steelers hosted the Patriots as two-time defending Super Bowl champions. Both teams, though, were 1-1. The Steelers clawed forward and led 20-9 in the third after a two-yard Franco Harris score, but second-year quarterback Steve Grogan shocked the Steelers on two touchdown bombs (to Russ Francis and Darryl Stingley) and a rushing score. The Steelers closed to 30-27 in the fourth but could get no closer as the Patriots pulled off their first win in the rivalry.
*From 1972 through 1995 the Steelers dominated the rivalry, winning ten of the first thirteen games played between the two clubs.
*Signature Moment: On January 5, 1997 the Patriots hosted the Steelers in the AFC Divisional Playoffs, New England's first home playoff game since 1978. The Steelers had gone to Super Bowl XXX the year before and looked to advance toward Super Bowl XXXI, but this was derailed in the first half in Foxboro in thick fog, leading the game to be dubbed Fog Bowl II. The Patriots opened fire right away as Drew Bledsoe completed a 53-yard strike to Terry Glenn to the Steelers 2-yard line. Later a screen to Keith Byars turned into a 41-yard touchdown, but the star of the game was Curtis Martin, who scored following Glenn's catch, then burst through the Steelers defense for a 78-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. A 23-yard Martin score in the fourth finished off the Steelers, 28-3; Martin compiled 166 rushing yards (and even caught two passes for nine yards) while the Steelers periodically rotated quarterbacks Mike Tomczak and Kordell Stewart in and out; Stewart had no completions in ten pass attempts and Tomczak was intercepted twice.
*Signature Moment: On January 27, 2002 at the new Heinz Field the 14-3 Steelers hosted the 12-5 Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. Neither offense opened up with much production, but a Steelers punt in the first led to a 55-yard Troy Brown return touchdown. The game was a penalty-laden affair for the Patriots, with 12 fouls eating up 87 yards (to just three for 25 yards against Pittsburgh) but several completions overturned on both sides highlighted controversy over referee Ed Hochuli and his crew's performance. Late in the second quarter Tom Brady completed a strike to Brown across midfield but was hit in the legs by Lee Flowers; out with an ankle injury, Brady handed over to Drew Bledsoe, who'd been replaced by Brady in the second game of the season due to a life-threatening injury against the New York Jets. Bledsoe completed two passes to David Patten, took a hard blow running to the sidelines, then launched a touchdown strike to Patten. A blocked field goal attempt led to a Troy Brown lateral to Antwan Harris and a third Patriots touchdown. Kordell Stewart led two touchdown drives but with the score 24-17 was intercepted twice in the final five minutes, ending in the Patriots win and all but ending Stewart's role as starting quarterback.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins
*First met in 1997
*Dolphins lead regular-season series 5-3
*Ravens lead playoff series 2-0
*Next scheduled meeting TBD
*Signature Moment: Dan Marino's only game against the Ravens came at Memorial Stadium on October 19, 1997 as the Dolphins edged the Ravens 24-13.
*Signature Moment: The Ravens have defeated the Dolphins twice in playoff matchups, both at Joe Robbie Stadium. On January 13, 2002 Olindo Mare's 33-yard field goal in the first quarter was the only score for the Dolphins as ex-Niner Elvis Grbac threw only 18 passes with 12 completions and a touchdown while six Ravens backs rushed for 226 yards and a Terry Allen score and a 20-3 Ravens win. Seven years later on January 4, 2009 the two teams met again, both rejuvenated after a miserable 2007 for both. After an exchange of field goals in the first quarter the Ravens behind rookie sensation Joe Flacco, the rushing tandem of Le'Ron McClain and Willis McGahee (137 yards and a touchdown), and Ed Reed's 64-yard interception return touchdown buried the Dolphins 27-9. Chad Pennington managed a fourth-quarter touchdown throw but the PAT was blocked.
*Signature Moment: The year before the 2008 playoff game had been a nightmare for both teams and on December 16 the 0-13 Dolphins hosted the 4-9 Ravens. Kyle Boller had a touchdown and an interception and was replaced by Troy Smith. An exchange of field goals in the fourth left the game tied at 16 and forced overtime; two Matt Stover FGAs missed with one blocked by the Dolphins. Just under seven minutes into overtime Cleo Lemon from his 36-yard line threw a short completion to Greg Camarillo; Camarillo raced past Ravens defenders and scored, ending a 22-16 overtime win and saving the Dolphins from a winless season.
Cleveland Browns vs. New York Jets
*First met in 1970 on Monday Night Football
*Browns lead regular-season series 12-8
*Browns lead playoffs 1-0
*Next scheduled meeting TBD
*Signature Moment: The only playoff meeting between the two clubs to date came on January 3, 1987 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. The Jets used both of their quarterbacks (Ken O'Brien and Pat Ryan) and combined for 237 passing yards and a Wesley Walker touchdown catch. The Jets led 20-10 early in the fourth quarter, but Bernie Kosar led a drive ending in a Kevin Mack touchdown run. In the final four minutes Kosar had the ball and threw an incompletion deep inside his own territory, but seconds after releasing the ball he was hit by Mark Gastineau. The hit was flagged for roughing the passer and the Browns kept going to the game-tying Mark Moseley field goal. Neither team could score in the first overtime and the game went to a second, where Moseley was placed in range for the winning 27-yard field goal. The 23-20 Browns triumph was the third-longest game in NFL history and Gastineau's late hit became a defining moment in his career.
AFC West vs. AFC North
Some of the league's bitterest rivalries - Pittsburgh/Oakland, Denver/Cleveland, Denver/Baltimore - are to be found in this series.
Oakland Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
*First met in 1970
*Raiders lead regular season series 10-9
*Playoff series tied 3-3
*Next scheduled meeting TBD
*Signature Moment: Almost from its beginning this rivalry became the bitterest in football and the game that officially launched it as such came in the 1972 AFC Divisional Playoffs at Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers led 6-0 until Ken Stabler ran in a 30-yard touchdown with 1:17 left in the fourth. Facing 4th and 10 with 22 seconds left Terry Bradshaw threw deep to Frenchy Fuqua; Fuqua was drilled by Jack Tatum and the ball bounced backwards where it was grabbed inches off the ground by running back Franco Harris, who ran it through blocks to the winning touchdown. The play, considered the greatest and most controversial in NFL history, ended a stunning 13-7 Steelers win, the first in a playoff game as the team was completing its 40th season in the league.
*Signature Moment: A year later on December 22, 1973 the Raiders hosted the Steelers in the AFC Divisional playoffs and buried the Steelers 33-14. Five Raiders backs rushed for 232 yards and two touchdowns while picking off Terry Bradshaw three times.
*Signature Moment: On December 29, 1974 the playoff rivalry flip-flopped again as the Steelers faced the Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum a week after Oakland's Sea Of Hands victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Steelers picked off Ken Stabler three times while Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier rushed for 209 yards and two Harris scores. Terry Bradshaw managed just 95 passing yards and a touchdown, enough for the Steelers to win 24-13.
*Signature Moment: On September 12, 1976 the two-time defending champion Steelers faced the Raiders in Oakland and the rivalry escalated as George Atkinson blindsided Steelers receiver Lynn Swann with a forearm smash that left Swann with a concussion; the hit was denounced by Steelers coach Chuck Noll and led to a defamation lawsuit by Atkinson. The Steelers led 21-7 early in the fourth but the Raiders exploded, outscoring the Steelers 24-7 en route to a 31-28 win.
*Signature Moment: The rivalry regained some of its early viciousness on December 3, 2000 at Three Rivers Stadium. The Steelers erased a 17-7 halftime gap and took a 21-20 lead in the fourth; the Raiders were driving but missed a fourth-down play in the final seconds, mystifyingly thinking the play was third down instead of fourth. The rivalry became ugly again when Raiders defensive end Regan Upshaw spit in the face of Steelers punter Josh Miller; it earned Upshaw a $29,000 fine from the league.
Denver Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns
*First met in 1970
*Broncos lead regular season series 15-5
*Broncos lead playoff series 3-0
*Next scheduled meeting TBD
*Signature Moment: Two games above all others define the Broncos-Browns rivalry. On January 11, 1987 the Browns hosted the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game and led 20-13 with just under six minutes remaining. John Elway was pinned at his own 2-yard line, but from there completed five passes, ran twice, handed off three times to Sammy Winder, and completed a five-yard touchdown to Mark Jackson with 39 seconds to go. Tied at 20 the game went to overtime; after a Browns punt the Broncos drove 60 yards and won just under six minutes in on Rich Karlis' field goal, 23-20. On January 17, 1988 in the AFC Championship Game, this time in Denver, the two offenses put up points; the Broncos led 38-31 with four minutes to go when the Browns drove to Denver's 8-yard line with 1:12 left in the fourth; at this point Earnest Byner was hit at the Broncos 2-yard line and fumbled to Denver. The Broncos surrendered an intentional safety but otherwise had the win, 38-33.
Denver Broncos vs. Baltimore Ravens
*First met in 1996
*Ravens lead regular season series 5-3
*Ravens lead playoff series 1-0
*Next scheduled meeting TBD
*Signature Moment: Shannon Sharpe went to the Ravens after the 1999 season, and in the 2000 AFC Wildcard playoffs he helped his new team burn his old one as the Ravens hosted the Broncos. Sharpe caught a 58-yard touchdown from Trent Green, while Jamal Lewis ran in two scores. Gus Frerotte completed just 13 passes with an interception and was replaced by Jarious Jackson, who completed five passes. It was not enough as the Ravens routed the Broncos 21-3 on their way to Super Bowl XXXV.
*Signature Moment: Two years later (and a year after catching five passes for 50 yards in a 20-13 Ravens win at Invesco Field) Sharpe returned to the Broncos and on Monday Night Football returned to M&T Bank Stadium on September 30, 2002. The Ravens, winless in the season's first two games, exploded as Todd Heap caught two touchdowns. The play of the season for Baltimore special teams came on the final play of the first half; Jason Elam tried a 57-yard field goal; it fell short and was caught in the endzone by Chris McAlister, who hesitated, then raced out of the endzone and raced down the sideline for a 107-yard touchdown. The score ended a 31-point second quarter by the Ravens, who also picked off Brian Griese three times and won 34-23.
AFC West vs. AFC South
San Diego Chargers vs. Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts
*First met in 1970
*Chargers lead regular-season series 15-9
*Chargers lead playoff series 2-1
*Next scheduled meeting TBD
*Colts legend Johnny Unitas played his final NFL season in 1973 with the Chargers.
*Signature Moment: On New Year's Eve 1995 the Chargers, fresh off their trip to Super Bowl XXIX, hosted the Colts in Indianapolis' first playoff game since 1987. The game lead changed five times between them in the second and third quarters before the Colts put it away on fourth-quarter touchdown runs from Zack Crockett and Jim Harbaugh, winning 35-20. It was the first playoff win for the Colts since the 1971 season while the Chargers would not make the playoffs again until 2004.
*Signature Moment: On October 4, 1998 the Colts defeated the Chargers 17-12 at the RCA Dome. It was the only career meeting between Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf, the top two picks in the 1998 NFL Draft. Both quarterbacks completed 12 of 23 passes and combined for only 297 yards, one touchdown (by Manning to Marshall Faulk), and two interceptions. The win was Manning's first in the NFL while Leaf had his third straight loss.
*Signature Moment: Six years later on December 26, 2004 the Colts hosted the Chargers with both teams 11-3. Ryan Leaf's career collapsed in ruins and with him out of football the Chargers had begun picking up the pieces with the drafting of LaDanian Tomlinson and Drew Brees in 2001. Brees and Tomlinson raced the Chargers to a 31-16 lead in the fourth, but following Tomlinson's touchdown run in the fourth Dominic Rhodes ran back the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, then Manning launched a 21-yard touchdown to Brandon Stokley; with the score Manning broke Dan Marino's 1984 record of 48 touchdown throws with his 49th. After an Edgerrin James two-point conversion forced overtime Mike Vanderjagt won it 34-31 on a 30-yard field goal.
*Signature Moment: The two teams met twice in 2007. First on November 11 the Chargers hosted the Colts in a rainstorm and raced to a 23-0 lead in the second quarter, but despite throwing five interceptions Peyton Manning led the Colts back; they clawed to within 23-21 but in the final minutes Adam Vinatieri inexplicably missed a short field goal attempt; the Colts got one final chance but Manning was intercepted for the sixth time in San Diego's 23-21 win. The Colts then hosted the Chargers in the AFC Divisional Playoffs on January 13, 2008. Philip Rivers threw three touchdowns but was knocked out in the fourth quarter with a knee injury; former Tennessee Titans backup Billy Volek took over and ran in a one-yard score, putting the Chargers up 28-24. Manning's fourth-quarter efforts failed, and the Chargers advanced to the AFC Championship Game.
*Signature Moment: The two teams met twice again, in 2008, with both games at Qualcomm Stadium. On November 23 the Chargers erased a 20-10 fourth-quarter gap and tied the game, but in the final minute the Colts drove down for Adam Vinatieri's 51-yard game winner and a 23-20 final. The loss dropped San Diego to 4-7, but the Chargers won four of their last five games and won the AFC West; they hosted the 12-4 Wildcard Colts on January 3, 2009; the fact of an 8-8 team hosting a 12-4 team in the playoffs led to controversy over playoff seeding. The Colts clawed to a 17-14 lead in the third as LaDanian Tomlinson was knocked out after just 25 yards rushing and a touchdown, but Nate Kaeding's late field goal tied the game, and in overtime Darren Sproles began bulling forward on the ground; from the Colts 22 he tore open the Colts defense and scored, ending a 23-17 Chargers win, the eighth playoff loss in Peyton Manning's career.
*On November 28, 2010 the Colts hosted the Chargers for the first time in a regular-season game since 2005 and it was an ugly affair for the Colts as Peyton Manning was intercepted four times (Kevin Burnett and Eric Weddle both scored on Manning picks) while the Colts also fumbled once. The Chargers ran away with a 36-14 rout.
Oakland Raiders vs. Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts
*First met in 1970 @ Baltimore
*Raiders lead regular-season series 7-5
*Playoffs tied 1-1
*Next scheduled meeting TBD
*Signature Moment: The very first meeting between the Raiders and Colts came in the 1970 AFC Championship Game in Baltimore. George Blanda accounted for all 17 Raiders points on touchdown passes to Fred Biletnikoff and Warren Wells, the PATs on both scores, and a 48-yard field goal. The Raiders had clawed within 20-17 in the fourth until Johnny Unitas connected with Ray Perkins for a 68-yard touchdown, securing a 27-17 Colts win and their second ever Super Bowl trip.
*Signature Moment: On Christmas Eve 1977 one of the greatest playoff games in history took place in Baltimore. The Colts took a 10-7 halftime lead, then the game lead changed six times on two Dave Casper touchdown catches, a Pete Banaszak rushing score, two Ron Lee rushing scores, and a Marshall Johnson 87-yard kickoff return touchdown following Casper's first touchdown catch. Errol Mann's late field goal forced overtime, but the extra period went scoreless so a second overtime had to be played; by the start of the second OT the Raiders were on the march and Ken Stabler finished off the game on a ten-yard post pattern to Casper; Casper scored and the 37-31 double OT Raiders win was dubbed "Ghost To The Post," a play on Casper's nickname and the post patterns he ran.
Oakland Raiders vs. Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans
*First met in 1960
*Raiders lead regular-season series 23-19
*Raiders lead playoff series 4-0
*Next scheduled meeting TBD
*The Raiders and Houston Oilers were part of the American Football League upon its 1960 launch and met twice a year for their first seven seasons; they met once a year in the regular season for the AFL's 1967-9 period before the merger with the NFL aligned them into different divisions of the AFC.
*Signature Moment: On December 22, 1963 the Raiders hosted the Oilers at Frank Youell Field for the year's regular-season finale. The game became the highest-scoring affair in the rivalry's history. Quarterbacks George Blanda and Tom Flores exploded to a combined 749 passing yards and eleven touchdowns (Blanda also kicked seven PATs) while the two teams also rushed for a combined 314 yards and scores by the Oilers' Dave Smith and Charley Tolar. The game lead tied or changed twelve times before Mike Mercer's 39-yard field goal ended a 52-49 Raiders win.
*Signature Moment: 25 years later the two teams met at the Astrodome on September 11, 1988 and another highly-competitive game ensued. With Warren Moon unavailable after an overtime win over the Colts the week before, Cody Carlson started the game for the Oilers. The two teams traded rushing touchdowns (by Marcus Allen and Allen Pinkett) in the first quarter before Steve Beuerlein erupted with three touchdown throws for the Raiders; the Oilers, however, added a second Pinkett rushing score and a Carlson throw to Drew Hill to stay at 28-21 at the half. The Oilers never let the Raiders get away and after a second Allen rushing score, Pinkett won the game on a three-yard score for a 38-35 Oilers win.
*Signature Moment: On August 31, 1997 the former Houston Oilers debuted as a Tennessee team at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium and hosted the Raiders, who drew a strong fan contingent to the Oilers' stadium. The Oilers opened scoring on a field goal and a 48-yard Steve McNair touchdown to Chris Sanders. The Raiders fought back in the third quarter on three Jeff George touchdown throws, the last of which forced overtime. The star of the game, though, was sophmore Titans running back Eddie George, who accounted for 216 rushing yards and a touchdown and helped set up Al Del Greco's game-winning field goal in overtime, a 24-21 Oilers final.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tennessee Titans
*First met in 1960 (as Dallas Texans and Houston Oilers)
*Chiefs lead regular-season series 26-20
*Chiefs lead playoff series 2-0
*Next scheduled meeting TBD
*The Texans and Oilers were the signature franchises of the American Football League upon its 1960 launch, combining for five AFL titles in the league's ten seasons as an independent league.
*Signature Moment: The Texans and Oilers met for the 1962 AFL championship at Jeppesen Stadium on December 23. Texans quarterback Len Dawson threw for 88 yards and a touchdown while running backs Jack Spikes, Curtis McClinton, and Abner Haynes led the rushing game as Dallas amassed 199 rushing yards in total. The Texans went up 17-0 in the first half, but George Blanda led the Oilers all the way back to tie the game 17-17 entering overtime. The first overtime went scoreless, but in the second the Texans finally won on a 25-yard Tommy Brooker field goal. The 20-17 win was the last for the team as the Dallas Texans, and owner Lamar Hunt moved the team to Kansas City for the 1963 season.
*Signature Moment: The Chiefs and Oilers met in the 1993 AFC Divisional Playoffs on January 16, 1994 at the Astrodome. The Oilers picked off Joe Montana twice and led 13-7 in the fourth quarter, but Montana unleashed the magic he'd wielded with the 49ers with two touchdown throws and a drive ending in a Marcus Allen score in the fourth. The Chiefs won 28-20, and the loss led to the release of Oilers quarterback Warren Moon and acceleration of controversy over a new Houston stadium, setting off a franchise malestrom that ended when the club moved to Tennessee. The game was also the final playoff win for Montana in his career and for the Chiefs entering 2011.
*Signature Moment: The highest-scoring matchup in the rivalry took place on Monday Night Football on December 13, 2004 at the Coliseum. Injuries to Steve McNair left backup Billy Volek as starter, and Volek erupted on Kansas City's defense with four touchdown throws, three of them to Drew Bennett. The Chiefs rushed for three touchdowns (by Derrick Blaylock and Larry Johnson) and led 35-28 in the fourth; a Volek score to Derrick Mason and a Gary Anderson field goal put the Titans up 38-35 but the Chiefs finished off the game on a Trent Green touchdown to Eddie Kennison and a Titans fumble Kawika Mitchell ran into the endzone for the touchdown and a 49-38 Chiefs win.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu