PatsFans.com Article

Ranking the New England Patriots' rivalries
By: John Morgan

Who do you rank as the Patriots' biggest rivals? Most are surely in agreement with number one, but what team is next? The Colts, Steelers, or someone else? Let's hear your list of the biggest rivalries the Pats have, and whether you agree or disagree with...

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fair catch fryar

Definitely agree with the Jets being number one for the time-being, but five years ago they weren't even in the top 3, as Indy was the definitive rival. As far as your analogy with the subsequent sports team loyalties relative to the Patriots/ Red Sox, I was always under the impression that it was a general rule that Jets-Mets and Giants-Yankees are the rule of thumb as NY allegiences go.

FortressX

I feel the Broncos are disrespected in this article and should be ranked above the Ravens.

PatsFanSince74

I think it's a moving target. Almost any team in the Division could be the top rival in any given year (OK, except maybe Buffalo). But, until the Jets became consistently competitive again over the last two years, the number one rivalry since 2002 was definitely the Colts, IMO.

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supafly

I'd have to rank them like this, in terms of current biggest rivalry:

1. NY Jets--goes w/o saying, especially since Rex has the 3 out of 5 record, and the major playoff loss.

2. Indy--great rivalry that goes back to the AFCE days within the division, but has been fueled by the recent playoff appearances in the SB years, the super close games, and the "Manning vs Brady" debate that we all hear about way too much.

3. Pittsburgh--no doubt about this one, the 2 AFCCG wins on their turf, the trash talking in the 2007 season, and the whining about 'spygate' make this the 3rd biggest rival. Not only that, but the PIT fans are total douches.

4. Miami--always a huge rival, from 'squish the fish' to the current divisional 2x a year battles. MIA always seems to play us tough, and there have been times where TFB has outright struggled miserably against them.

5. Baltimore--This one has started to become more relevant due to the home playoff loss (embarrassing), the great game from 2007 on MNF, the tough defensive matchups that they give us, and the recent trash talking from Tuggs, Lewis, and Scott in the past.

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I think these are the top 5, and I actually think they're pretty easy in my opinion. I did not read the article though, as maybe they have better reasoning for different opponents.

DarrylS

Close to my sentiments, except I would flip flop 4 & 5, Miami is a huge rival, but they are not as "forminable" as they once were.. and Baltimore needs a beating.

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"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

MoLewisrocks

Agreed, JETS are the what have you done to me lately rivalry only. Colts and Steelers have been the rivals of the decade so for me they remain #1 and #2 (oddly # of SB's won too...). I'd put JETS 3rd as only legit division rival at the moment and Ravens 4th with Miami having slipped to 5th and clinging by a thread only for historical purposes and based on division.

9 of 10 AFC SB contenders in the last decade have been one or the other of Pats, Colts, Steelers.

Triumph

For obvious reasons.

1 Jets
2 Colts
3 Steelers

Been a lot of banter back and forth and the Ravens are a team you love to hate.

4 Ravens

Because of Shannon Sharpe and the National Guard game.

5 Broncos

I dont see Miami as much as a rival at all.

Ron Sellers

I think the list in this article is fairly accurate, especially when you consider his specifying "right now, heading into the 2011 season". However to me that puts a little too much emphasis on what teams are good and which ones are not; it almost ends up paralleling little more than the latest Power Ranking that newspapers, magazines and sports websites love to print.

There will naturally be a shift in interest as the number of wins teams have goes up and down, but a good rivalry will maintain regardless. When the day comes that the Ravens fall back to a sub-.500 team, there will be little or no rivalry between the two teams; however, the rivalry with the Dolphins was still present even when they struggled through a 1-15 season. Remove the current won-loss records from the equation, or make them all equal and then how much interest is there between the two clubs? To me that's the best way to look at what rivalries are the best/biggest.


Speaking of the Dolphins, they were actually by far the Pats biggest rival for a very long time. The Jets did not supplant them as the Pats' number one rival until about fifteen years ago when Leon Hess saw no problem with negotiating a contract with a head coach of another team while that coach should have been solely focused on preparing his team for the Super Bowl, and then after he bolted he (Bill Parcells) then snapped up the Pats' star RB, RFA Curtis Martin. It's been on between the two ever since then, but before that Miami was the Patriots' number one rival.

Personally I'd rank them this way, though I'm sure many will say I have Buffalo too high on the list:
Jets
Dolphins
Colts
Raiders
Steelers
Bills
Broncos
Giants
Chargers
Ravens

jetophile

If we're strictly talking about the AFCE, as a Jets fan, Miami has always been the true pukes of the division - and that's when the Colts were still in there. It was a tough divide, though. You had Shula, who coached the Colts, Manning who stayed in school to avoid the Jets, Shula, who coached Miami, The Mud Bowl, etc. Hateration on all cylinders, but Miami always wins out in the end in my book.

As to the Boston Patriots (I liked it so much better when you cheating ******s actually had a CITY other than an AREA - yeah, yeah, the Jets play in NJ because of that tool, Woody Johnson, but it doesn't make my point moot), it's really the fan base. I know you have a handful of Steve Grogan fans, but "I know you are, but what am I?" will never be an answer to your pall and taint.

Anyway, BECAUSE of the YOUNG fanbase , NE has ALMOST become neck and neck with Miami. See ya down the stretch if all goes well with no significant injuries on both sides.