Intradivisional rivalries in the American Football Conference: Difference between revisions

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AFC East

This, like the NFC East, can be considered one giant rivalry as the teams within have bitter and closely contested histories with each other. The AFC East also has the most Super Bowl appearances of any AFC division with sixteen appearances (compared to thirteen in the AFC West, nine in the AFC North, and four in the AFC South) to go with six wins (the AFC North has seven wins and the AFC West is tied with the East with six Super Bowl wins apiece while the AFC South has two). The New England Patriots are presently 3-3 in Super Bowls, the Miami Dolphins 2-3, the New York Jets 1-0, and the Buffalo Bills 0-4.

Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins

First met in 1966
51-34-1 Miami leads series (Buffalo leads playoff series 3-1)
Next scheduled meeting September 12, 2010 @ Buffalo & December 19 @ Miami

Bills owner Ralph Wilson originally wanted an AFL team in Miami, but was denied and thus founded the Buffalo Bills as a charter member of the AFL.

The rivalry, like other rivalries of this division involving the Dolphins, usually revolves around the dynamic of weather contrast between south Florida and the Northeast. The Dolphins are traditionally a warm-weather team and the Bills a cold-weather team; thus, the Dolphins would traditionally host the first game of the rivalry each year early in the season (to take advantage of the heat) and the Bills host later in the year (taking advantage of colder, snowier weather). Much of the rivalry was lopsided in Miami's favor, especially during the '70's and '80s. But during the 1990's and a significant portion of the 2000's, Buffalo has held Miami's number. This rivalry is often considered one of the greatest and most storied in football history.

Signature Moment: On October 9, 1983 rookie quarterback Dan Marino made his first career start for the Dolphins as they hosted the Bills at the Miami Orange Bowl. The game opened with an exchange of turnovers as the Bills fumbled the opening kickoff at their 15-yard line but Marino was intercepted on his first throw. The Bills raced to a 14-0 lead but Marino settled down and a Woody Bennett rushing score and a 63-yard Marino throw to Mark Duper tied the game. Following a Joe Ferguson touchdown to Booker Moore Miami coach Don Shula called for an end-around; it led to a 48 yard Mark Clayton touchdown throw to Duper. The Bills fell behind in the fourth when Ferguson was picked off by Fulton Walker and Marino connected with Clayton from 14 yards out, but Buffalo rallied from down 35-28 in the final three minutes, tying the game in the final 30 seconds on a short Ferguson pass to Joe Cribbs. Two Dolphin field goal tries by Uwe von Schamann in overtime failed and the Bills finally triumphed with a Joe Danelo field goal in a 38-35 win, their first in the Orange Bowl since 1966. Ferguson and Marino combined for 741 yards passing, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions.

The glory days of this rivalry occurred during the late 1980s and early 1990s when Hall of Famers Jim Kelly and Marv Levy led the Bills against the Dolphins led by Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Don Shula. Kelly's first encounter with the Dolphins came in a 27-14 Dolphins win in October 1986 at the Orange Bowl. Marino threw for 337 yards and a touchdown while Kelly threw for 218 yards and two picks; Marino then won the rematch at Rich Stadium that November as Marino threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns (to Kelly's 189 yards and two scores) in a 34-24 Dolphins win. Kelly's first win over the Dolphins came at Joe Robbie Stadium in an overtime thriller in October 1987; Kelly and Marino combined for 662 passing yards and six touchdowns as Marino forced overtime on a fourth-quarter touchdown throw only to see Bills kicker Scott Norwood win the game in overtime with a 27-yard field goal and a 34-31 Bills win. Kelly's first home win came at the end of that November in a 27-0 shutout at Rich Stadium.

Despite only three wins in 23 career meetings against the Dolphins as Bills quarterback, Joe Ferguson completed 319 passes, the most of any Miami opposing quarterback.

Dolphins linebacker Bryan Cox taunted Bills fans for years, claiming they had made racially cruel remarks to him.

Signature moment: 1980 marked a turning point for the Bills in this rivalry. Despite five interceptions thrown by Joe Ferguson the Bills defeated the archrival Dolphins 17-7 in their season opener. It was the first Buffalo win over Miami since 1969 and began a Buffalo run en route to the team's first AFC East title. The victory led to the fans at Rich Stadium tearing down the goal posts.

Signature Moment: The real breakthrough for Buffalo in the rivalry came as the Bills made their very first trip to new Joe Robbie Stadium on October 25, 1987. To this point the Dolphins utterly commanded the rivalry with 31 wins in 34 meetings since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, and Miami appeared ready to continue their stranglehold as Dan Marino exploded to three touchdown throws in the first half. But after halftime the Bills wiped out Miami's 21-3 lead as Robb Riddick accounted for three Buffalo touchdowns (two 1-yard rushes and a 17-yard catch) and Jim Kelly threw for 359 yards. The Bills erupted to take a 31-24 lead in the fourth, but Marino led the Dolphins back and found Mark Clayton for the tying score. In overtime the Bills took over and Scott Norwood drilled a 27-yard field goal for a 34-31 Bills win. The win flipped the rivalry around as Buffalo won 14 regular season meetings and two playoff matchups over the next nine seasons.

Signature Moment: Both teams lit up the scoreboard at Rich Stadium on January 11, 1991 in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. Buffalo's "K-Gun" offense began asserting itself as Jim Kelly opened the scoring with a 40-yard touchdown to Andre Reed in the first quarter. Two Scott Norwood field goals were followed by Thurman Thomas' 5-yard rushing score and a 20-3 Buffalo lead before Miami finally got some offense going. Dan Marino went deep and Mark Duper caught a 64-yard touchdown, but 30-27 was the closest Miami would come, as Thomas' second rushing score and Kelly's 26-yarder to Reed in the fourth finished off the Dolphins in a 44-34 Bills win on their way to the ill-fated Super Bowl XXV.

Signature Moment: The Bills ended a two-year Miami winning streak in the rivalry in 2002. On October 20 at Joe Robbie Stadium both teams rushed for 132 yards (Travis Henry accounted for all of Buffalo's rushing yardage while Ricky Williams carved up 97 yards for Miami) but the Bills got the better of the quarterback battle as Drew Bledsoe threw for 182 yards and a score while Ray Lucas threw for 165 yards and a score but also threw four interceptions (Nate Clements ran back one Lucas pick for a 29-yard touchdown) in a 23-10 Bills win. On December 1 a snowstorm hit Ralph Wilson Stadium but it didn't stop Bledsoe from erasing a 14-3 Dolphins lead after one quarter; Drew erupted with 306 yards and three touchdowns, including a dramatic Eric Moulds catch off a Dolphin's shoulderpads in the third quarter as Buffalo routed the Dolphins 38-21. Ray Lucas was benched after the first half and Jay Fiedler took control of the offense for the rest of the season.

The rivalry is referenced on the Steve Martin album Comedy Is Not Pretty! on the track "How To Meet A Girl" when Martin simulates background conversation about football and artificial turf and one "partier" exclaims disbelief that Buffalo could beat Miami ("Buffalo beat Miami?! You're sick, you're sick!"), which at the time of the album's 1979 recording had not happened since 1969 and would not end until 1980, a total of twenty straight Dolphins wins over the Bills.

Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots

First met in 1960
Next scheduled meeting December 26 @ Buffalo
58-40-1 New England leads series (leads playoff series 1-0)

Lou Saban coached the Patriots in the AFL's inaugural season of 1960, losing both that year's matchups against the Bills. Saban's Patriots defeated the Bills on September 23, 1961 but he was fired two weeks later. Saban took over the Bills and coached them in two stints - 1962-5 and 1972-6 - where he went 12-4-1 against the Patriots, including eight straight wins in the 1970s before being fired in October 1976, two weeks before New England defeated the Bills in Buffalo.

Signature Moment: In their first season as the New England Patriots and at Schaefer Stadium, they hosted the 0-9 Bills on November 14, 1971 in a game where both teams broke 30 points. The Bills opened the scoring when Ike Hill ran back a 68-yard punt for a touchdown. The Patriots answered with two Jim Plunkett touchdowns (to Randy Vataha and Tom Beer) before James Harris, taking over after Dennis Shaw was benched, found Marlin Briscoe from 15 yards out and a 14-all tie. The second quarter erupted in points as John Leypoldt followed up Briscoe's touchdown with a 17-yard field goal, then Plunkett found Carl Garrett from 80 yards out and on the next Bill possession Roland Moss scored off a blocked punt. The Bills rallied, scoring on three more Leypoldt field goals and a Patriots endzone fumble, but a Plunkett touchdown to Eric Crabtree and a Charlie Gogolak field goal ended hopes of a Bills win and a 38-33 Patriots final. Two weeks later the Bills hosted the Patriots, still looking for their first win of 1971. The Bills raced to a 17-6 lead as Dennis Shaw connected twice with J.D. Hill in the first half, then O.J. Simpson added a six-yard score to another Leypoldt field goal to hold off a Jim Nance rushing touchdown and a Plunkett toss to Ron Sellers, ending a 27-20 Bills win, what would be their only win of the 1971 season.

Signature Moment: O.J. Simpson's assault on the NFL's 1973 record books began at Schaefer Stadium on September 16. The Patriots were debuting with new head coach Chuck Fairbanks and rookie players John Hannah, Darryl Stingley, Sam Cunningham, Brad Dusek, and Ray Hamilton. Cunningham made the first splash with a seven-yard rushing touchdown, but the PAT was no good. After this the game belonged to Simpson as he roared to an 80-yard touchdown. Simpson exploded to 250 rushing yards and a second touchdown (a 22-yarder in the fourth quarter) while teammate Larry Watkins added 105 yards and two scores of his own, ending in a 31-13 Bills triumph and the opening salvo of Simpson's 2,000-yard season.

Signature Moment: On October 20, 1974 the Bills hosted the Patriots with both teams atop the AFC East, the Bills at 4-1 and the Patriots 5-0, and the weather acting in bizarre fashion as the game started under overcast skies but wavered all day between sunshine and snow squals. The Patriots opened as Sam Cunningham burst through the Bills line and ran in a 75-yard touchdown. From here, though, the Bills erupted as tight end Paul Seymour (originally slated to be moved to the offensive line by the drafting of Reuben Gant only to be kept at tight end thanks to a preseason injury to Gant) caught a ten-yard touchdown and O.J. Simpson exploded to two touchdowns. Two Cunningham touchdown runs and a second Seymour catch left the score 27-21 entering the fourth. John Leypoldt booted a 35-yard field goal for a 30-21 Bills lead and the Bills controlled the clock until a late turnover gave the Patriots one last shot in the final two minutes. Jim Plunkett found Reggie Rucker for the touchdown with nine seconds remaining, but the Bills recovered the onside kick, ending a 30-28 Bills win. On November 3 the Bills traveled to Schaefer Stadium. O.J. Simpson was held in check for the first half as the Patriots raced to a 14-6 second quarter lead, but the Bills stayed in contention and the score was 21-19 Patriots at the half. The game lead changed three times in the second half on a Dave Washington interception return touchdown for the Bills, a Mack Herron score off Jim Plunkett passes to linebacker/tight end John Tanner for the Patriots, and a John Leypoldt field goal. The Patriots drove to field goal range in the final seconds but John Smith's kick was blocked by rookie Jeff Yeates. The 29–28 Bills win ruined the Patriots' first-half momentum as they slipped from 6–2 to a 14-game finish of 7–7, while the Bills advanced to the playoffs.

Signature Moment: O.J. Simpson had one of his greatest days as a player on November 23, 1975 at Rich Stadium against the Patriots. Two Joe Ferguson touchdown throws were answered by a pair of Sam Cunningham rushing scores for a 14–14 tie in the second quarter, but then Simpson ran in a two-yard score. Trailing 24–14 at the half, the Patriots behind a 21-yard touchdown throw involving rookie quarterback Steve Grogan and rookie tight end Russ Francis and another Cunningham rushing score took a 28–24 lead. But Simpson took over with a three-yard touchdown catch from Ferguson. The Patriots tied the game at 31 when Simpson finished them off with a one-yard rushing touchdown and another three-yard catch from Ferguson for a 45-31 Bills win.

Signature Moment: After nine straight losses to the Bills, the Patriots finally took them down in a season sweep in 1976. First they defeated the Bills in their own stadium on October 24, offseting two O.J. Simpson rushing touchdowns by scoring on rushing touchdowns by Steve Grogan and Sam Cunningham and a Russ Francis catch by Grogan. The Patriots edged a fourth-quarter Bills rally for a 26-22 win. Two weeks later Simpson was thrown to the Astroturf of Schaefer Stadium by Mel Lunsford; Simpson attacked Lunsford and both were ejected for fighting. In the second quarter a Marv Bateman punt from his 29 was picked up by rookie Mike Haynes at the Patriots 11-yard line; Haynes weaved through Bills defenders and ran in the first punt return in Patriots history. The Bills managed a Gary Marangi touchdown run and a George Jakowenko field goal in the second half but it could not stop a 20-10 Patriots win.

Signature Moment: The first home game for the Patriots under Robert Kraft ownership came on September 11, 1994, as the Patriots erased a 35-21 gap to tie the game in the fourth quarter, but a late Steve Christie field goal ended a 38-35 Bills win. On December 18 the 7-7 Bills hosted the Patriots needing a win to stay in playoff contention. The Bills raced to a 17-3 lead in the second quarter but from there the Patriots exploded to 38 unanswered points off three Drew Bledsoe touchdowns, a Ricky Reynolds fumble recovery for a touchdown, a Marion Butts score, and a Matt Bahr field goal. The 41-17 Patriots win all but clinched a playoff berth for the Pats and eliminated the Bills from the '94 postseason.

Signature Moment: In November 1998 Doug Flutie led the Bills to a 21–17 lead with less than two minutes to go; Drew Bledsoe led a game-winning drive in which he threw a 26-yard touchdown try on the final play; a pass interference call in the endzone extended the game by one untimed down, and Bledsoe lofted a pass from the one-yard line to Ben Coates for the win; the disgusted Bills went to the locker room even though the extra point still had to be kicked; with no opposing players on the field Adam Vinatieri ran in an unopposed two-point conversion for a 25-21 Patriots win.

Signature moment: Prior to the 2003 season, the Patriots released team captain Lawyer Milloy; he then signed with the Bills. The two teams met in Week 1 of the regular season, with the Bills rolling to a 31-0 victory which included a sack by Milloy. In the last week of the regular season the Patriots gained revenge with a 31-0 victory, during which the opening scoring drive was aided by a pass interference call against Milloy.

Signature Moment: The Patriots erased an 11-point gap in the final five minutes on September 14, 2009 on Monday Night Football at Gillette Stadium. The game featured the return to competition of Tom Brady and the official Bills debut of Terrell Owens. Widely expected to rout the Bills based on a 3-1 preseason record versus Buffalo's uninspiring 1-4 preseason, New England instead was hit in the mouth; a high Brady pass was grabbed in mid-air by Aaron Schobel and run back for a 26-yard Bills touchdown. The Bills clawed to a 24-13 lead with just over five minutes left in the fourth and sent over a quarter of the 68,000 in attendance starting for the parking lots, but a Leodis McKelvin fumble in Buffalo territory on the kickoff return for the Bills late in the fourth quarter led to a Patriots game winning touchdown. Both late touchdowns ended in catches by Ben Watson. The game ended in a 25-24 Patriots win. The game kicked off Monday Night Football's 40th season and was part of the NFL's Legacy Series commemorating the 50th season of the teams of the American Football League; the two teams thus wore AFL-era throwback uniforms, the Bills in road whites with red buffalo logo and the Patriots in home reds with the Pat Patriot logo.

New England's 38-30 win at Gillette Stadium was the highest-scoring matchup in the rivalry since 1994, and came in the first game in which the Patriots were without back Kevin Faulk since the 1998 season. Ryan Fitzpatrick, replacing Trent Edwards led the Bills to a 16-14 lead in the second quarter but the Patriots picked off Fitzpatrick twice in the fourth quarter and outscored the Bills 21-14 in the second half. Danny Woodhead, picked up by the Patriots the previous weekend, scored his first NFL touchdown. As a result of Fitzpatrick's ability to improve the offense's play, Edwards was released from the roster the next day.

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets

First met in 1960
Next scheduled meeting October 3, 2010 @ Buffalo & January 2 @ New York
53-45 Buffalo leads series (leads playoffs 1-0)

Signature Moment: The Jets hosted the Bills at Shea Stadium on December 16, 1973. It was the final game for Weeb Eubank as Jets head coach, but the attention of the country was focused on Bills running back O.J. Simpson, who needed 197 yards to become the first 2,000-yard rusher in league history. Jim Braxton ran in a one-yard touchdown in the first for Buffalo, and this was answered by a 48-yard Joe Namath touchdown to Jerome Barkum, but after that the Bills, and Simpson, took over the game. Simpson ran in a 13-yard touchdown in the second quarter and stormed up and down the field, nailing 200 rushing yards and thus breaking the 2,000-yard plateau. The Bills ended with a 34-14 rout as rookie quarterback Joe Ferguson threw the ball just five times for 70 yards.

Signature Moment: Following cancellation of their preseason game with the Patriots scheduled for September 13, 1975 because New England players voted to strike over lack of a CBA between the league and the players association, Jets players voted on September 15 to strike, with the season-opener in Buffalo set for the 21st. Over half the roster, however, (including Joe Namath and John Riggins) continued preparation for the game. The "strike" was settled on the 18th, but the Jets locker room was confused and bitter, and in the game they were crushed by the Bills 42-14. Namath threw two touchdowns (to Rich Caster and Eddie Bell) but was picked off four times. O.J. Simpson rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns as Buffalo racked up 309 total rushing yards. "The Jets are a little bit divided and we're pretty much united," said John Skorupan afterward.^[1]

Signature Moment: The September-to-November 1982 players strike cost the NFL seven weeks of games, and among the casualties was the season series between the Bills and the Jets - after their December 1981 playoff game the two teams did not play one another until October 1983.

Signature Moment: In their only playoff meeting to date, the Bills raced to a 31-27 AFC Wild Card win on December 27, 1981 at Shea Stadium. The Bills held a 24-0 lead before Richard Todd led a furious Jets comeback. Trailing in the game's final seconds, Todd led the Jets to the Bills one-yard line before he was sacked by Bills nose tackle Fred Smerlas. Todd then threw to Derrick Gaffney in the endzone but Bill Simpson of the Bills intercepted the pass, ending the game.

Signature Moment: The 3-9 Jets entered their late-season rematch with the Bills on December 6, 1992 on the heels of defensive end Dennis Byrd's paralyzing collision with teammate Scott Mersereau the week earlier. Doctors saved his life and he would eventually recover full use of his body. Before the game, Jets coach Bruce Coslet informed his team that Byrd was recovering movement, and repeated what Byrd had told him, "Dennis wants us to go on." The Jets played an inspired game, playing toe to toe with the Bills and sealing their first win over Buffalo since 1987 on a Brian Washington interception return touchdown. Following the 24-17 Jets triumph, both teams gathered at midfield and knelt in prayer.^[2]

Signature Moment: On September 8, 2002 the Bills hosted the Jets in the Buffalo debut of former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe. It was Bledsoe's first meeting with the Jets since the Mo Lewis hit the previous year that badly injured Bledsoe's chest and cost him his starting job with the Patriots. Following a Travis Henry touchdown early in the second quarter, Chad Morton ran back the ensuing kick 98 yards for a touchdown. The Jets led 31-24 before Bledsoe fired a 29-yard touchdown strike to Eric Moulds with 26 seconds left in regulation. Morton ran back the opening kick of overtime 96 yards for the game-winning touchdown of a 37-31 Jets win.

Signature Moment: The Jets hosted Buffalo on December 14, 2008 following consecutive losses to Denver and San Francisco. The game lead changed three times as the Bills erased a 14-3 first-half gap and led 27-24 in the final five minutes. The Bills had the ball but quarterback J.P. Losman was chased out of the pocket at his 11-yard line and fumbled; Shaun Ellis of the Jets grabbed the fumble and ran in for the game-winning touchdown of a 31-27 Jets win.

Signature Moment: One of the longest overtime games in recent years occurred on October 18, 2009 as the 3-2 Jets hosted the 1-4 Bills. The Jets were looking to rebound after back-to-back losses to the Saints and the Dolphins, while Buffalo was not expected to put up much fight after showing little life all season; their star free-agent acquisition was Terrell Owens, but TO had become all but irrelevant to the Bills - against the Jets hed had but three receptions for 13 yards. The Jets clawed to a 13-3 halftime lead lead by Thomas Jones, who rushed for 210 yards and a touchdown, but the second half began their downfall - Mark Sanchez was intercepted early in the third, setting up a Bills field goal. Trent Edwards was knocked out of the game and Ryan Fitzpatrick took over and fired a 37-yard score to Lee Evans. The game went to overtime and the two teams exchanged three interceptions - Sanchez was picked off, but Fitzpatrick coughed the ball up himself, setting up a 44-yard Jay Feely field goal attempt; the snap was blown and holder Steve Weatherford heaved it up in desperation and was intercepted. After a Bills punt Sanchez was picked off yet again (he would finish the day with five interceptions, the most for a Jets quarterback since Joe Namath tossed six against the Patriots in 1976) and this set up the game-winning Rian Lindell 47-yard field goal and a 16-13 Bills win.

Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots

First met in 1966
Next scheduled meeting Monday Night Football, October 4, 2010 @ Miami and January 2 @ Foxboro
49-37 Miami leads series (New England leads playoff series 2-1)

Signature moment: During "The Snow Plow Game" in 1982, played in blizzard conditions at the Patriots' home in Foxborough, Massachusetts, a work release prisoner drove a plow onto the field during a timeout late in the game to create a clean area for a field goal kick, leading to the only score in a 3-0 Patriots win. Dolphins coach Don Shula later convinced the NFL Rules Committee to ban such home field advantages.

Signature moment: In the 1985 AFC Championship game, the underdog Patriots beat the Dolphins 31-14, advancing to their first Super Bowl appearance and winning their first game in Miami since 1966. Miami had been heavily favored to beat the Patriots and have a rematch with the Chicago Bears, whose perfect season was ended by the Dolphins.

Signature Moment: In the final game of the 1993 season the Patriots hosted the Dolphins amid widespread speculation that owner James Orthwein would move the team to St. Louis for 1994 (caps identifying the team as the St. Louis Stallions were even printed and one eventually wound up on display in the Patriots museum). The Patriots led 17-10 but the two teams combined for 27 fourth-quarter points and a 27-27 tie into overtime when Drew Bledsoe fired a 36-yard touchdown to Michael Timpson. The 33-27 win knocked the Dolphins out of the playoffs; weeks later Robert Kraft (who controlled the team's lease with Foxboro Stadium that would have prevented them from leaving in any event) purchased the team from Orthwein with help from the NFL, securing the team's future in Foxboro.

Signature Moment: The 8-7 Patriots hosted the 9-6 Dolphins on December 29, 2002 with both teams needing a win to win the AFC East, their only chance at making the playoffs. The Dolphins stormed to a 21-10 halftime lead and a Brock Marion interception of Tom Brady led to a Dolphins field goal that left the score 24-13 with five minutes remaining. But a pass interference penalty against Dolphins defensive back Jamar Fletcher at Miami's 2-yard line set up a Troy Brown touchdown catch and Christian Fauria 2-point conversion. The Patriots forced a Dolphins punt and an Adam Vinatieri field goal left the game tied. In overtime the Patriots drove down field and Vinatieri's 35-yard field goal won the game for the Pats 27-24 and knocked the Dolphins out of the playoffs. However, this Patriots win gave way for the New York Jets to clinch the AFC East later in the day at the Meadowlands. The Jets went on to beat the Green Bay Packers, thus eliminating the Patriots from postseason contention.

Signature Moment: 1998 proved to be an unusually competitive season for the entire division and the Dolphins-Patriots rivalry produced a pair of dramatic games. On October 25 the Dolphins hosted the Patriots in an overtime grinder. Dan Marino was picked off three times but neither team could punch into the endzone. Adam Vinatieri and Olindo Mare combined for six field goals in regulation, and a missed Vinatieri field goal proved decisive as the Dolphins drove downfield in overtime and Mare's 43-yarder ended a 12-9 Dolphins win. The rematch came on Monday Night Football on November 23 at Foxboro Stadium following word that the Patriots would move to a new stadium in Hartford, Connecticut in 2001 (subsequently aborted; the Patriots built Gillette Stadium on the Foxboro grounds instead). Marino threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns, but with the Dolphins clinging to a 23-19 lead in the final three minutes of the fourth, Drew Bledsoe (who finished with 414 passing yards) led the Patriots downfield; he hit the helmet of lineman Todd Rucci and broke the index finger on his right (throwing) hand; a timeout had to be used as backup Scott Zolak warmed up, but Bledsoe stayed in the game and completed 4th-and-10 first downs twice (the second came when coach Pete Carroll tried to call a timeout but no one saw him) before hitting Shawn Jefferson for the game-winning 25-yard score and a 26-23 Patriots win.

Signature Moment: A.J. Feeley and the 2-11 Dolphins handed the eventual Super Bowl XXXIX Champion Patriots only their second (and last) loss of the season on December 20, 2004 in a thrilling 29-28 upset that was nationally televised on Monday Night Football. The Patriots led 28-17 in the fourth. Following a Sammy Morris touchdown in the final five minutes, Tom Brady threw an interception as he fell to the ground that resulted in a 21-yard touchdown from Feeley to Derrius Thompson. Brady then launched a desperation heave that was picked off, securing the Miami win.

Signature Moment: In their quest for a perfect 2007 season the Patriots swept the Dolphins. On October 21 at Dolphin Stadium Tom Brady broke Steve Grogan's 1979 record of five touchdown throws with six, including two to Randy Moss who both times caught the ball despite being tackled by defensive back Cameron Worrell, in a 49-28 rout. On December 23 the Patriots routed the Dolphins by the same 21-point margin at Gillette Stadium as Brady threw scores twice to Moss and once to Jabar Gaffney (who caught the ball away from an interception attempt by Lance Schulters) while Laurence Maroney stormed through the Dolphins line for a 59-yard score in a 28-7 final score.

Signature Moment: 2008 saw the first win for the Dolphins under GM Bill Parcells and coach Tony Sparano, coming at Gillette Stadium on September 21, 2008. A rushing touchdown by Matt Cassel in the first quarter was nullified on an in-the-grasp sack called by the referees, and on the next play Cassel was intercepted. The Dolphins repeatedly ran "Wildcat" direct-snap plays to Ronnie Brown and erupted to five touchdowns and a field goal in the process, winning 38-13. The rout sent most fans home halfway through the fourth quarter, earning criticism from Patriot players Ellis Hobbs and Benjamin Watson. It was the first home loss for the Patriots since re-sodding Gillette Stadium with FieldTurf in November 2006. In the November 23 rematch at Dolphin Stadium a hard-fought back-and-forth affair saw the game lead change six times in the first three quarters before the Patriots took over in the second half, triumphing 48-28. The bitterness of the rivalry spilled into a fight onfield between the Patriots' Matt Light and the Dolphins' Channing Crowder in the fourth quarter; both players were ejected and subsequently fined $15,000 apiece by the league. The Patriots smothered the Dolphins' "Wildcat" direct-snap plays, limiting such plays to just 26 yards, while Miami's Joey Porter was limited to one tackle. New England also put up over 500 yards of offense in consecutive games for the first time in the club's history as Matt Cassel threw for 415 yards and three touchdowns with a rushing touchdown added for good measure, while the Dolphins' Chad Pennington threw for 345 yards and three scores as well. It was the first since 1969 that the road team won both games in the series.

Players who have been involved with both clubs include Wes Welker, Sammy Morris, Irving Fryar, Nick Buoniconti, Bryan Cox, Marlin Briscoe, Brian Kinchen, Keith Byars, Terrell Buckley, Scott Secules, Junior Seau, Larry Izzo, Scott Zolak, Damon Huard, Ray Lucas, Rodrigo Barnes, Jeff Dellenbach, Heath Irwin, Greg Baty, Al Johnson, and Dedric Ward.

New York Jets vs. New England Patriots

First met in 1960
Next scheduled meeting 2010 NFL season TBD
49-47-1 Jets lead series (New England leads playoffs 2-0)

Signature moment: Former Patriots (and New York Giants) coach Bill Parcells left New England due to a dispute with owner Robert Kraft over team direction, and the Jets negotiated the right to hire Parcells. Three years later, former Parcells assistant Bill Belichick left the Jets — one day after agreeing to succeed Parcells as head coach — to coach New England.

Signature Moment: In September 1999, the Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium for the season-opener against the Jets. The Jets led 14-10 in the second quarter when Vinny Testaverde tore his left achilles and was out for the season, an injury that crippled the Jets' chances at playoff contention for the season. The game itself was a back-and-forth affair; the Jets led 16-10 at the half after the Patriots botched a snap that flew out of their endzone for a safety, but after that New England socred 17 points before punter/backup QB Tom Tupa found Fred Baxter in the endzone and Bryan Cox picked off Drew Bledsoe and score. The game ended when Rick Mirer was put in and a pass deflected off Ty Law and was caught by Chris Slade; the Patriots clawed in range for an Adam Vinatieri field goal in the final 30 seconds of a 30-28 Patriots win.

Signature moment: Much was made in 2006 when Eric Mangini, Belichick's former defensive coordinator in New England, left to become head coach of the Jets in January. It was widely reported that Belichick was not happy with the move and that the relationship between the two had soured greatly. Indeed, much scrutiny was focused on the postgame handshakes between the two in their teams' two regular season games — a 24-17 Patriots victory in week two and a shocking 17-14 Jets road victory in week ten. The teams met again in the Wild Card round of the playoffs with the Patriots coming out victorious, 37-16. When the two coaches met at midfield, they embraced, surrounded by a mob of photographers.

Signature moment: Kicking off the 2007 season, the Patriots won 38-14, with Ellis Hobbs setting an NFL record with a 108-yard kick return to start the second half of the game. The Spygate incident was also part of this game, with Eric Mangini reporting to the NFL of the illegal use of a video camera by a Patriots assistant in the first quarter.^[3] The Patriots were fined $250,000, Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots forfeited a first-round 2008 NFL Draft pick.

Signature Moment: Brett Favre's debut season with the Jets included two memorable encounters with the Patriots. The Patriots won 19-10 at The Meadowlands in September, then rallied from a 24-6 gap to force overtime in Gillette Stadium before Favre led a game-winning field goal drive and a 34-31 Jets triumph. 2008 gave Favre a career 3-3 regular season record against the Patriots (1-1 with the Jets).
Signature Moment: The Jets ended New England's eight-game road winning streak with a 16-9 win at The Meadowlands on September 20, 2009. Rex Ryan and his players had boasted for weeks that they would defeat the Patriots and they came out with an attacking defense that overcame two early Jets turnovers and limited New England to three field goals and led the Patriots to 11 penalties, four of them delay of game penalties. Tom Brady completed only 23 of 47 passes and was intercepted once.

New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins

First met in 1966
Next scheduled meeting 2010 NFL season TBD
46-41-1 New York leads series (Miami leads playoffs 1-0)

A unique angle of the rivalry occurred during the tenure of Walt Michaels as Jets head coach. Michaels had been teammates on the 1952 Cleveland Browns with Dolphins coach Don Shula. As Jets coach Michaels developed an unusually intense hatred of Shula, over Shula's role on the NFL's Competition Committee, and also over league-mandated exchanges of game footage between teams; Michaels and his film coordinator Jimmy Pons stated that Dolphin game films had been overexposed to hide player numbers and thus hide player identities during substitutions.^[4]

Signature moment: In their only playoff meeting to date, the Jets and Dolphins met at the Orange Bowl in the 1982 AFC championship game. Playing on a muddy field, the teams battled to a 0-0 tie at halftime before Dolphin linebacker A.J. Duhe took over. Duhe intercepted three passes by New York quarterback Richard Todd in the second half, returning the final pick 35 yards for a touchdown to clinch Miami's 14-0 victory and a berth in Super Bowl XVII. The game proved to be the last for Jets coach Walt Michaels.

Signature Moment: On September 21, 1986 the 1-1 Jets hosted the 1-1 Dolphins in what became the highest-scoring matchup in the rivalry's history. The two teams erupted to a stunning 1,016 yards of offense, almost all of it coming in the air as Dan Marino threw six touchdowns and 448 yards while Ken O'Brien tossed for 479 yards and four scores, all to Wesley Walker. The Dolphins led 7-3 after one quarter, then the Jets outscored the Dolphins 28-14 in the second. The Dolphins then shut down New York's offense in the third quarter and scored 17 points for a 38-31 lead. The Jets tied the game in the fourth on a Dennis Bligen 7-yard rushing touchdown, then Marino found Mark Clayton for a 45-38 lead. After forcing a Jets turnover the Dolphins needed only to run out the clock but fumbled the ball themselves and were forced to punt with one minute left. From his 20 O'Brien launched a 20-yard pass to Mickey Shuler, who upon catching the ball flipped it backwards to Johnny Hector and he ran it 20 more yards. O'Brien then found Walker on the final play of regulation for the tying touchdown. The Jets won the coin toss for overtime, but on the ensuing kick Michael Harper fumbled at his 20; the Dolphins recovered but the play had been blown dead, the referees ruling Harper had been stopped before fumbling. It took O'Brien five plays before he launched a 43-yard game-ending touchdown to Walker for a 51-45 Jets win.

Signature Moment: The 10-1 Jets met the 4-7 Dolphins on Monday Night Football on November 24, 1986 and were buried 45-3 by the Dolphins behind four Dan Marino touchdown throws and three scores by Lorenzo Hampton. The rout detonated a collapse of the Jets season as they lost all of their remaining games, backing into the 1986 playoffs and eventually losing to the Cleveland Browns.

Signature Moment: On November 27, 1994, the Jets battled the Dolphins at The Meadowlands for a share of first place in the AFC East. Miami, who at one point trailed 24-6, came back to make it 24-21. Then, with 22 seconds left in the game, Dan Marino faked a spike and tossed the ball to Mark Ingram, which resulted in a game-winning touchdown for the Dolphins. The "fake spike" propelled Miami to the division title, while the Jets lost all of their remaining games that year.

Signature moment: On October 23, 2000, the Jets hosted the Dolphins at The Meadowlands on Monday Night Football. Miami dominated most of the game, building a 30-7 lead in the fourth quarter and undoubtedly leading many television fans to turn off the game early, but things were just getting started. Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw two quick touchdown passes, followed by a John Hall field goal to bring the Jets within seven, and with 3:55 left to play, Testaverde threw a 24-yard strike to Wayne Chrebet to tie the game. Miami would then score a touchdown that seemingly crushed the Jets' hopes, but with just 42 seconds to play, Testaverde found Jumbo Elliott open on a tackle-eligible play for a three-yard touchdown to tie the game at 37-37. Although Miami got the ball first in the ensuing overtime, the Jets would eventually win on Hall's 40-yard field goal, capping an amazing comeback victory by the Jets and a just reward for the remaining fans that stuck around to the bitter end. In an online poll in 2002, as part of Monday Night Football's 500th game, fans would vote this the greatest Monday Night game of all time.^[5] This comeback became known as "The Monday Night Miracle".

Signature Moment: The Jets hosted the Dolphins on December 28, 2008 to determine the division title and also potential Wild Card playoff spots. The Jets needed a win plus a loss by the Baltimore Ravens against Jacksonville (in a game taking place simultaneously with the Jets-Dolphins matchup) to make the playoffs as a Wild Card; hope for winning the division was eliminated earlier that day when New England defeated Buffalo. The Dolphins needed to win the game to win the division, their only hope of a playoff berth. The Jets led 17-14 in the third quarter but the Dolphins behind ex-Jet Chad Pennington scored ten unanswered points while Brett Favre threw three interceptions, ending in a 24-17 Miami triumph and division championship. The loss knocked the Patriots out of the playoffs but also led to the firing of Eric Mangini by the Jets.

Signature Moment: With new co-ownership from celebrities such as tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams and singers Jennifer Lopez and Gloria Estefan, the Dolphins in 2009 authored their first season sweep of the Jets since 2003. The Jets and Dolphins combined for 35 points in the fourth quarter on October 12 at Land Shark Stadium as second-year quarterback Chad Henne started the game and threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns while a rookie quarterback, Pat White, was inserted late in the game to lead the Dolphins' "Wildcat" direct-snap plays; this led in the final six seconds to a two-yard Ronnie Brown rushing touchdown that finished a 31-27 Dolphins win. In the rematch at The Meadowlands on November 1 scoring in the first half was limited to an exchange of field goals in the second quarter, then in the third the Dolphins defense and special teams erupted; Ted Ginn Jr., demoted to special teams and under fire in the media the previous week because of lack of production, ran back two kick returns for touchdowns; this accounted for all but 98 of Miami's 299 kick-return yards in the game. Chad Henne threw for 112 yards and a touchdown as Miami's "Wildcat" offense was periodically used; Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for 54 rushing yards (largely out of the Wildcat) and it all added up to 30 points for the Dolphins. The Jets clawed back into contention as Mark Sanchez ran in a touchdown and threw two others (one to Braylon Edwards) but failed to convert 2-point tries twice; the Jets thus fell 30-25.

The two teams have shared players, among them Bernie Parmalee, Bryan Cox, Ray Lucas, Keith Byars, Chad Pennington and Jason Taylor. They have also shared coaches/front office personnel, notably Bill Parcells. They have even shared radio broadcasters, as Howard David called play-by-play for the Jets in the late 1990s through 2001 before moving to the Dolphins radio booth alongside Jim Mandich for three seasons (2002-04).

AFC North

The AFC North is significant in that substantial rivalries exist between nearly every team dating back to their previous divisional alignment as the AFC Central. The Browns-Steelers is the most played rivalry in the AFC at 117 matches as of the 2009 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers have six NFL titles, the Cleveland Browns has 4 NFL and 4 AAFC titles, and the Baltimore Ravens have one. The Cincinnati Bengals lost two Super Bowls in the 1980s (both times to the San Francisco 49ers).

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns

First met in 1970; suspended after the 1995 season; restored in the 1999 season.
36-35, Cincinnati leads series (no playoff contests)
Next scheduled meeting TBD

Signature moment: Paul Brown was fired from the Cleveland Browns in 1963 by then-owner Art Modell. After the American Football League Bengals joined the NFL, Brown began an intrastate rivalry with the Browns. The rivalry became known as "The Battle of Ohio"; it has also been nicknamed "The I-71 Rivalry," since both teams' home cities are served by Interstate 71.

Signature Moment: On November 28, 2004, the Bengals hosted the Browns and the two teams' offenses would combine into the 2nd-highest scoring game in NFL history. The Bengals erupted to a 27-13 halftime lead, but the Browns behind QB Kelly Holcomb scored 35 second-half points and led 48-44 in the fourth. The Bengals then scored the game's final two touchdowns (one a 31-yard Deltha O'Neal score off an interception) for a 58-48 win. Holcomb threw for 413 yards and five touchdowns while Bengals QB Carson Palmer threw four scores and the Bengals rushed for 253 yards.

Signature Moment: On September 16, 2007, the Browns hosted the Bengals a week removed from a miserable 34-7 loss to the Steelers. QB Derek Anderson was making his first start of the season and erupted to five touchdowns while Bengals QB Carson Palmer had six Bengals scores. The two quarterbacks combined for 729 yards as Cleveland held on for a 51-45 win in the 8th highest-scoring game in NFL history.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

First met in 1970.

48-31 Pittsburgh leads series (Pittsburgh leads playoff series 1-0)
Next scheduled meeting 2010 NFL season TBD

A relatively recent rivalry, though termed by Sports Illustrated in 2006 to be "The Nastiest Rivalry in the NFL",^[6] and having both teams play each other twice each season (something not every rivalry can claim), it has only become heated in the last half decade.

Signature moment: After a long drought of non-winning seasons, the Bengals reached the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. But their first playoff game was against the division-rival Steelers. In the second play of the January 2006 playoff game, Kimo von Oelhoffen (a former Bengal and now former Steeler) ran into quarterback Carson Palmer, causing a tear in Palmer's ACL and MCL, a hit that the officials called "unavoidable". The Steelers would go on to win the game and advance to Super Bowl XL winning their fifth Super Bowl championship.

Pittsburgh in the 2000 decade dominated Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium. The Steelers' 38-10 triumph on October 19, 2008 was the seventh straight road win for Pittsburgh in the rivalry. The Bengals' last home win over Pittsburgh was on New Year's Eve 2001, 26-23, until they won on September 27, 2009 in a 23-20 win. The Bengals went on to sweep Pittsburgh and the rest of the AFC North.

Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

First met in 1950; suspended after the 1995 season; restored in the 1999 season.

60-56 Pittsburgh leads series (Pittsburgh leads playoff series 2-0)

Signature moment: In the midst of 42-6 Steelers rout of the Browns on October 5, 1975, Steeler defensive tackle Joe Greene was ejected after he repeatedly kicked Browns' offensive lineman Bob McKay in the groin.

Signature moment: In their second meeting of the 1976 season, Steelers' quarterback Terry Bradshaw was sacked by Browns' defensive end Joe (Turkey) Jones. Instead of merely tackling Bradshaw, Jones lifted him up and slammed him head-first into the Cleveland Stadium turf. Bradshaw would miss the next two contests.

Signature moment: In the Browns' first season returning to the league, the team met the archrival Steelers in week 10 of the 1999 NFL season. A last minute field goal kick by Phil Dawson got the Browns their second win of the year with a 16-15 upset victory in Pittsburgh. The victory was especially notable considering the dominating 43-0 victory the Steelers notched in the Browns home opener, their first game back to the NFL after a three-year hiatus. In December 2006, the Browns' official website ranked Dawson's game winning field goal as one of the sixty greatest moments in franchise history.^[7]

Signature moment: This rust belt rivalry moved from the old NFL Eastern Conference to the AFC after the AFL-NFL merger. Prior to the merger, the Browns had made the Steelers their favorite patsy, but Pittsburgh won four Super Bowls in the 1970s while the Browns foundered. The teams met in their first playoff battle in 1994, which the Steelers won at Three Rivers Stadium. The teams met in the playoffs for a second time in 2002 when Pittsburgh overcame a 17-point deficit and scoring 22 points in the 4th quarter to win 36-33.

Signature Moment: On September 29, 2002 a forgotten backup quarterback came off the bench against the Browns and helped turn Pittsburgh's season around. 0-2 after losses to New England and Oakland, the Steelers hosted the Browns and trailed 13-6 in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. Kordell Stewart was benched and Tommy Maddox, out of the NFL until late 2001, took over and led the Steelers to a game-tying touchdown to Plaxico Burress in the final three minutes. In overtime the Steelers won the coin toss but Maddox was picked off on his first throw. The Browns, however, missed the ensuing 45-yard field goal try, and Maddox drove the Steelers downfield again, this time setting up Todd Peterson's 31-yard game-winning kick and a 16-13 Steelers triumph. The win launched the Steelers on a run of ten wins and a tie in their final fourteen games while the Browns fell into a three-game slump before rallying to finish 9-7.

Signature moment: In 2007, after getting crushed by the Steelers 34-7 in their Week 1 contest in Cleveland, the Browns gave Pittsburgh a fight in the Week 10 rematch. Cleveland would build a 21-6 lead near the end of the second quarter, but the Steelers would rally near the end of the game to take a 31-28 lead. Browns QB Derek Anderson (who was named Cleveland's starter in Week 2) would lead a comeback drive, but kicker Phil Dawson's 52-yard field goal attempt fell short of the uprights, preserving Pittsburgh's fourth-straight season sweep.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

First met in 1996

18-10 Pittsburgh leads series (leads playoffs 2-0)
Next scheduled meeting 2010 NFL season TBD

Signature Moment: These two teams met in the 2001 AFC Divisional playoffs. There was a lot of jawing before the game as both teams split their regular season meetings. The Ravens were riding high following a 20-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card round. However, the Steelers defense proved to be too much as they physically dominated the Ravens offense, forcing four turnovers and recording three sacks while holding the Ravens offense to just 150 total yards as the Steelers prevailed 27-10.

Signature Moment: In the 2002 season, Baltimore cornerback James Trapp intercepted a pass and was thrown out of bounds by Steelers wide receiver Antwaan Randle El. This triggered a wild chain of events as skirmishes broke out between both teams as Steelers safety Lee Flowers and wide receiver Hines Ward got into a scuffle with Baltimore cornerback Chris McAlister. Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress jumped into the fight in an effort to protect his fellow teammates but was thrown to the ground where Baltimore cornerback James Trapp stomped on Burress' stomach with both feet and ripped Burress' helmet right off. Consequently, Burress and Trapp got into a fight and both were ejected from the game.

Signature Moment: On November 20, 2005 the Ravens hosted the Steelers, who started Tommy Maddox at quarterback with regular starter Ben Roethlisberger sidelined with an injury. The Ravens took a 13-6 halftime lead but surrendered the game-tying touchdown (by Maddox to Willie Parker) at 9:45 of the fourth. The game went to overtime and Matt Stover won it for the Ravens with a 44-yard field goal at 10:51 of OT.

Signature Moment: The 2006 Ravens stormed to a 13-3 season, which included their very-first season sweep of the Steelers. First, on November 26, they shut out the Steelers 27-0 in M&T Bank Stadium as QB Steve McNair threw one touchdown while Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger threw two picks and was sacked nine times; at 10:14 of the third quarter, Roethlisberger coughed up a fumble returned by Adalius Thomas for a 57-yard Ravens score. Then, on Christmas Eve at Heinz Field, McNair overcame two INTs and threw three touchdowns and RB Jamal Lewis added a 1-yard rushing score, while Roethlisberger threw for one score, was intercepted twice and sacked five times in a 31-7 Ravens rout. The sweep would prove to be critical in eliminating the Steelers from playoff contention.

Signature Moment: Monday Night Football hosted this rivalry on September 29, 2008 at Heinz Field. The Ravens behind rookie quarterback Joe Flacco clawed to a 13-3 halftime lead, but in the final five minutes of the third quarter, Ben Roethlisberger's 38-yard touchdown to Santonio Holmes was followed by a Ravens fumble recovered by LaMarr Woodley for a touchdown. Jeff Reed's short field goal in the fourth put the Steelers up 20-13, but the Ravens stormed back and tied the game on Le'Ron McClain's 2-yard touchdown run. In overtime, the Steelers forced a Ravens punt and drove down for the game-winning 46-yard field goal by Reed and a 23-20 final.

Signature Moment: Down 9-6 with a little over two minutes to play at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, the Steelers on December 14, 2008 were backed up at their own 8-yard line. Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers 92 yards and launched a touchdown strike to receiver Santonio Holmes on 3rd and Goal. The play was reviewed however, as Holmes caught the ball with both feet in the endzone, but the ball was barely inside the plane of the Goal Line. It was ruled a touchdown and ended up being the game winning score as a last-second desperation heave by Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was intercepted in the endzone. Pittsburgh won 13-9, winning the AFC North title and ending a five-game road losing streak to Baltimore.

Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens

First met in 1999
11-7 Baltimore leads series (No playoff contests)
Next scheduled meeting November 16, 2009

A recent rivalry, it began before these teams first met. After Art Modell moved his franchise to Baltimore for the 1996 season and were renamed the Ravens, Cleveland fans began counting the days not only until they could have a team again, but also until they would play the Ravens, and then-owner Art Modell. Consequently, Browns fans feel significant hatred and vitriol towards the Ravens organization in general, and the Modell family in particular (even though Modell is no longer the franchise's majority owner).

Signature Moment: During the 2001 season, the defending Super Bowl Champion Ravens were beaten twice by the Cleveland Browns. Baltimore fans were especially upset after the second loss because Elvis Grbac, who had replaced the Super Bowl winning Trent Dilfer, threw four interceptions. Elvis was even seen crying on the field after throwing the last of them.

Signature Moment: In 2003 Jamal Lewis rushed for 295 yards against the Cleveland Browns on September 14. This set an NFL record for the most rushing yards in a single game (broken in 2007 by Adrian Peterson).

Signature Moment: In 2004 Safety Ed Reed set an NFL record for the longest interception return after returning an interception 106 yards for a touchdown. He later broke his own record with a 108 yard return in 2008 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Signature Moment: In 2007, the Ravens appeared to have defeated the Browns after Phil Dawson's field goal attempt was initially called a miss by the referees. The officials discussed and eventually overturned the call, leading to an overtime period even though the Ravens were already in their locker room. The Browns then kicked a field goal on the opening possession of overtime to win 33-30.

AFC South

Entering 2010 the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans are the only AFC South teams to have played in the Super Bowl. The then-Baltimore Colts lost Super Bowl III and won Super Bowl V and the Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI and lost Super Bowl XLIV. The Titans lost in Super Bowl XXXIV. The Jacksonville Jaguars have reached the AFC Championship Game twice and lost to the New England Patriots and the division-rival Titans. The Houston Texans posted their first winning season in 2009 but have yet to make postseason play.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans

First met in 1995 (Jacksonville @ Houston Oilers)
17-13 Tennessee leads series (leads playoffs 1-0)
Next scheduled meeting 2010 NFL season TBD

Signature moment: In 1999, The Jacksonville Jaguars proved to be one of the elite teams in the AFC, posting a conference-best 14-2 record and winning the AFC Central for the second consecutive year. However, both of their two regular season losses came to the Titans. On September 26 Neil O'Donnell started for the Titans at Jacksonville and managed a pair of touchdowns to Eddie George and Michael Roan while Al Del Greco kicked a pair of field goals. Despite an Aaron Beasley interception-return touchdown the Jaguars blew a 17-7 lead and could not stop the Titans even with a safety on the game's final play when punter Craig Hentrich was chased out of the endzone, ending a 20-19 Titans win. The rematch in Nashville the day after Christmas was controlled by the Titans as Steve McNair threw five touchdowns while George rushed for 102 yards and the Titans romped 41-14.

Signature Moment: On January 23, 2000 the Jaguars got a third crack at Tennessee when they hosted the AFC Championship Game versus the Titans. Coming off a dominating 62-7 victory over Miami in the Divisional Round, the Jaguars clawed to a 14-7 lead in the second quarter. The Titans then erupted - Steve McNair ran in two touchdowns, Mark Brunell was sacked in the endzone for a safety, and Derrick Mason returned the ensuing free kick 80 yards for another touchdown. Tennessee won handily 33-14, sending the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV and spoiling Jacksonville's dream season in the process.

Signature Moment: The Jaguars beat the Titans 15-12 for the first time in Tennessee in 2004. which started a string of Jacksonville victories in the series

Signature Moment: In 2006, the Titans defeated the Jaguars 24-17, even though the Jaguars gained over 300 yards, 23 first downs, and controlled the ball for 44 minutes; the Titans in contrast gained just 98 yards on offense, scoring on a Rob Bironas field goal and three defensive scores off Jacksonville turnovers - interception returns by Chris Hope and Pacman Jones and a fumble return by Cortland Finnegan. The Titans had more yardage on interception returns (153) than on offense, while Finnegan's fumble recovery for a touchdown was run back 92 yards.

Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts

First met in 1970 (as Houston Oilers and Baltimore Colts)
17-12 Indianapolis leads series (Tennessee leads playoffs 1-0)
Next scheduled meeting 2010 NFL season TBD

Signature Moment: In the first playoff meeting between the two clubs and the first meeting in which the former Houston Oilers were now the Tennessee Titans, the Colts hosted the Titans at the RCA Dome for the 1999 AFC Divisional Playoffs. Mike Vanderjagt and Al Del Greco exchanged field goals for a 9-6 Colts halftime lead, then Eddie George's 68-yard score early in the third gave the Titans the lead. From there Del Greco added two more field goals to put the game away, this despite a late 15-yard rushing score by Peyton Manning. The 19-16 win ultimately helped the Titans get to Super Bowl XXXIV.

Signature Moment: The Colts and Titans were locked in a battle for the division title in 2003; they would finish second and third respectively in the AFC in points scored (447 for the Colts and 435 for the Titans, trailing only the 484 scored by the Kansas City Chiefs) and both Steve McNair and Peyton Manning would share league MVP honors as a result. On December 7 the Titans hosted the Colts, both teams coming off bitter losses to AFC East teams (the Titans lost to the New York Jets while the Colts lost to the New England Patriots). The Colts rallied from a 10-3 first-quarter deficit behind three Mike Vanderjagt field goals in the second quarter, then scored in the third quarter off two Edgerrin James rushing touchdowns and another Vanderjagt kick. A Titans rally left the score 29-27, but a two-point conversion try in the final two minutes failed and the Colts won the game, securing the first of five straight AFC South titles.

Signature Moment: After seven straight losses to the Colts, the Titans on December 3, 2006 erased a 14-0 second-quarter deficit with new quarterback Vince Young, who overcame two interceptions to rush for 78 yards and throw touchdowns to Drew Bennett and Brandon Jones. Colts QB Peyton Manning threw a 68-yard score to Marvin Harrison but also tossed two interceptions while K Adam Vinatieri missed a 53-yard field goal try. Titans kicker Rob Bironas kicked the game-winning field goal with seven seconds remaining, which sealed a 20-17 Titans win. It was the first of three losses (all to division foes) for the Colts in their last five regular season games of 2006.

Signature Moment: In the season finale of the 2007 season the Colts hosted the Titans having secured a first round playoff bye. The Colts rested most of their starters (backup quarterback Jim Sorgi played the majority of the game) while the Titans, needing a win to make the playoffs, won the game 16-10, their first road win over the Colts since 2002.

Signature Moment: The Titans reached 7-0 for the first time in the team's history in a hard-fought 31-21 win over the Colts at LP Field on October 27, 2008. Kerry Collins, replacing Vince Young after Week One, threw for 193 yards to nine different receivers while Chris Johnson and LenDale White rushed for 90 yards and three touchdowns. The Titans stopped the Colts on fourth-down attempts twice in the game's second half and in the final five minutes a Peyton Manning throw to Dallas Clark (who had two touchdowns) flew off his hands and was intercepted by Chris Hope, setting up Johnson's second score.

Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans

First met in 2002
11-4 Tennessee leads series (no playoff contests)
Next scheduled meeting 2010 NFL season TBD

The formation of the Houston Texans helped lead to NFL divisional realignment in 2002 and the formation of the AFC South.

The rivalry pits the former Houston Oilers, who left Houston after the 1996 season, against Houston's present-day NFL squad; meetings between the teams are sometimes dubbed "Houston Oilers Bowls."

Signature Moment: On November 10, 2002 the Titans returned to Houston for the first time since December 15, 1996 when the Oilers lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 21-13 in their final game at the Astrodome. The present-day Houston squad limited Titans quarterback Steve McNair to just 109 yards passing with two touchdowns and two INTs. The Titans behind 132 rushing yards by McNair and Eddie George won 17-10 as the Texans managed one touchdown from David Carr to Jarrod Baxter.

Signature Moment: On December 21, 2003 the Texans and Titans put on a hard-fought affair at Reliant Stadium as Houston erased a 10-3 halftime gap. Marlon McCree intercepted a Steve McNair pass at his 5-yard line and scored. Samari Rolle then grabbed a Houston fumble at his 39-yard line and scored for the Titans, but David Carr's 20-yard touchdown to Corey Bradford left the game tied at 17 entering the fourth. With 2:48 left in the fourth the Texans took a 24-20 lead on a Domanick Williams rushing score, but McNair landed a 23-yard touchdown to Drew Bennett for the 27-24 Tennessee win.

Signature Moment: The Texans ended their career losing streak to the Titans on November 28, 2004 at Reliant Stadium. Steve McNair threw three touchdowns in the game's first 20 minutes for a 21-3 Tennessee lead, but the Texans shut out the Titans from then on, scoring 28 unanswered points. David Carr had two touchdowns while Jonathan Wells and Domanick Williams' rushing scores completed the 31-21 Houston win.

Signature Moment: It was a scoring explosion on October 21, 2007 at Reliant Stadium as the Titans and quarterback Vince Young chipped away to a 32-7 lead in the fourth quarter. Kicker Rob Bironas kicked six field goals in the first three quarters. Matt Schaub of the Texans was knocked out of the game and backup Sage Rosenfels overcame three interceptions and erupted with four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, tying an NFL record, and leading the Texans to a 36-35 lead. But Bironas kicked two more field goals, setting a single-game NFL record, for a 38-36 Titans win.

Signature Moment: The Texans overcame 284 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns by Chris Johnson and edged the Titans 34-31 on September 20, 2009 at LP Field. The Titans and Texans tied at 24 at the half as Matt Schaub erupted to 357 passing yards and four touchdowns. Kicker Kris Brown won the game for Houston on a 23-yard field goal with 2:55 left in the fourth and the Houston defense stopped Tennessee's final drive when Kerry Collins fumbled the ball on a scramble. The bitterness of the rivalry spilled into a brief brawl on the sidelines that led to the ejection of Titans defensive tackle Jason Jones.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

First met in 1995
13-4 Indianapolis leads series (no playoff contests)
Next scheduled meeting 2010 NFL season TBD

Signature Moment: Peyton Manning erupted to 440 passing yards and four touchdowns in a 43-14 Colts rout at the RCA Dome on September 25, 2000. Manning's scores were caught by Marvin Harrison (75 yards), Terrence Wilkins (27 yards), Jerome Pathon (16 yards), and Ken Dilger (four yards). Mark Brunell of the Jags had two touchdowns to Jimmy Smith in the second quarter but also threw two picks and was sacked five times; he gave up a safety when he was sacked in the end zone by Chad Bratzke.

Signature Moment: After six straight losses (four since divisional realignment put them in the AFC South in 2002), the Jaguars took down the Colts on November 9, 2003 at Alltel Stadium. Peyton Manning threw for 347 yards and led the Colts to a 20-7 halftime lead, but after that the Jaguars defense limited the Colts to one Mike Vanderjagt field goal while picking off Manning twice. The Jaguars ground game took over as Fred Taylor rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns (one in the fourth) while Byron Leftwich ran in a touchdown and threw another to Jimmy Smith for a 28-23 Jaguars win.

Signature Moment: Both teams were running for the playoffs when they met at the RCA Dome on December 2, 2007. Peyton Manning threw four touchdowns but a 21-7 halftime Colts lead was eroded by the Jaguars as new quarterback David Garrard threw two scores in the second half. A missed Josh Scobee 46-yard field goal kick proved the difference in a 28-25 Colts win as Indy won its fifth straight division title and the Jags made the playoffs as a wildcard.

Signature Moment: On September 21, 2008 the Jaguars made their first trip to the new Lucas Oil Stadium in a game where the final three minutes were the decisive period. A Josh Scobee 21-yard field goal with 2:33 left put the Jaguars up 20–14, but the Colts converted a fourth-down try to keep their ensuing drive alive and Joseph Addai ran in from two yards out with 1:07 left and a 21–20 Colts lead. The Jaguars, however, were saved by a pass interference penalty on the Colts on their drive, and clawed in range for a last-second 51-yard Scobee field goal that was good in a 23–21 Jaguars upset. The loss kept the Colts winless in their new building until three weeks later.

AFC West

Much like the NFC East and AFC East, the entire AFC West can be considered one very large and very bitter rivalry. All four teams are AFL charter members and have been aligned in the same division since the inaugural AFL season. The division also has Super Bowl tradition. Entering 2010 the Broncos are 2-4 in Super Bowls, the Raiders 3-2, the Chiefs 1-1, and the Chargers 0-1.

Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs

First met in 1960
52-43 Kansas City leads series (Denver leads playoffs 1-0)
Next scheduled meeting 2010 NFL season TBD

In their three seasons (1960-62) as the Dallas Texans, the Chiefs won all six meetings with the Broncos, outscoring Denver 160-67.

Signature moment: Former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana finished his career in Kansas City, and led the Chiefs to a memorable Monday Night comeback at Denver's Mile High Stadium on October 17, 1994. The game lead changed on every score; with the Broncos up 28-24 in the fourth, Montana drove the Chiefs down field and found Willie Davis for the decisive 5-yard score of a 31-28 final.

Signature moment: After suffering a 24-22 road defeat at the hands of the Chiefs in the regular season, Denver went on to beat Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium in the playoffs, eventually winning Super Bowl XXXII.

Signature Moment: The 11-1 Chiefs traveled to Invesco Field on December 7, 2003 and were buried 45-27 behind a monster rushing day by Clinton Portis, who ran for 218 yards and five touchdowns. The Chiefs led 21-17 at the half before Portis exploded to 140 yards and three scores in a ten-minute span from 12:18 of the third quarter to 7:02 of the fourth.

Signature Moment: Coach Herm Edwards saw the Chiefs end a 12-game losing streak by downing the Broncos 33-19 at Arrowhead Stadium on September 28, 2008. Entering the game at 3-0, the Broncos' high-scoring offense had averaged 38 points in three wins but was shut down in the first quarter and limited to one Jay Cutler touchdown throw (to Brandon Marshall) and three Matt Prater field goals, with a 28-yard FG miss and two Cutler INTs adding insult to the loss. The Chiefs erupted in the fourth quarter with two touchdowns (a Damon Huard ten-yard strike to Tony Gonzalez and a late 16-yard burst by Larry Johnson) and a field goal to put the game away. The game was marred by a scary hit on a Denver kick return; Broncos receiver Clifford Russell was hit twice in the head and went numb on the right side of his body; he was taken from the stadium on a stretcher but waved to the crowd upon leaving and regained full mobility later.^[8]

Signature Moment: 2009 was the debut year for several former New England Patriots with both clubs. The Broncos debuted former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as head coach along with former players such as Daniel Graham and Jabar Gaffney. The Chiefs meanwhile debuted new GM Scott Pioli, quarterback Matt Cassel, and linebacker Mike Vrabel. The two teams didn't meet until December 6 at Arrowhead Stadium, by which time the Chiefs had managed just three wins in their first 11 games while the Broncos raced to a 6-0 start but had lost four of their previous five games. The Broncos never let the Chiefs into any contention as they rushed for 245 yards and a rushing score by Knowshon Moreno en route to a 44-13 runaway. The win, however, was the last for the Broncos that season, and when they hosted the Chiefs on January 3, 2010 they needed a win and outside help to make the playoffs. The Chiefs, following a miserable season, were in no mood to help; they picked off Kyle Orton three times (Derrick Johnson ran back two picks for touchdowns) and Jamaal Charles exploded to 259 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 44-24 thrashing of the Broncos. The loss left the Broncos out of the playoffs and 0-3 in divisional home games for the season.

Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers

First met in 1960
54-45-1 Denver leads series (no playoff contests)
Next scheduled meeting 2010 NFL season TBD

Signature Moment: In San Diego's Super bowl season of 1994, the road team won both matchups with Denver. At Mile High Stadium on September 4 the Chargers wiped out a 17-6 first-quarter Denver lead with three Stan Humphries touchdown throws and a fourth-quarter Stanley Richard interception of John Elway at the Chargers 1-yard line returned for a San Diego touchdown. Elway and Shannon Sharpe put the Broncos up 34-30 late in the fourth, but the Chargers stormed down field and Natrone Means ran in the game-winning touchdown of a 37-34 Chargers final. The October 23 rematch at Jack Murphy Stadium was far less spectacular as the Broncos picked off Humphries three times and clawed to a 20-15 win.

Signature Moment: On November 9, 2000 the 0-10 Chargers led by Ryan Leaf took on the Broncos in Denver. Leaf threw three touchdowns and Scott Turner ran back a Gus Frerotte interception 75 yards for a Chargers touchdown. Following an 83-yard Jeff Graham touchdown catch at the end of the third quarter the Chargers led 34-17 but the Broncos, despite four Frerotte INTs, fought back as Frerotte threw three scores in the fourth quarter and won 38-37.

Signature Moment: On December 1, 2002 at Qualcomm Stadium the Chargers erased a 10-0 Broncos lead in the first quarter with three LaDanian Tomlinson rushing scores and a 21-10 lead in the second. But Chargers PK Steve Christie missed three field goal tries as the Broncos clawed back and tied the game in the third. An exchange of field goals sent the game into overtime and Christie redeemed his earlier misses with a 27-yard kick and a 30-27 San Diego win.

Signature Moment: At Invesco Field on November 19, 2006 the Broncos raced to a 24-7 lead early in the second quarter. But new Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers overcame two interceptions and threw two scores in the second half; the first Rivers touchdown throw was a 51-yard strike to LaDanian Tomlinson in the third quarter. The Chargers wiped out Denver's lead and won 35-27 as Tomlinson finished with 179 combined yards and three scores.

Signature Moment: Controversy dogged a thrilling 39–38 Broncos win at Invesco Field on September 14, 2008. Two Tony Scheffler touchdown catches from Jay Cutler in the second quarter put Denver up 21-3, but following the second touchdown Darren Sproles ran back the ensuing kick 103 yards for a touchdown. The Broncos led 31-17 at the half, but two Nate Kaeding field goals and two Philip Rivers touchdown throws and a two-point conversion made off a 60-yard Sproles touchdown run off an eight-yard Rivers throw put San Diego up 38-31 in the final five minutes. But the Broncos stormed down field and reached the 1-yard line in the final minute; on third-and goal Cutler dropped back to pass but the ball slipped out of his hands and was grabbed by Tim Dobbins. Referee Ed Hochuli ruled the play was not a fumble because he'd blown the play dead; TV replays, though, indicated the play got off before the whistle, and an equipment failure left referees unable to access TV replays.^[9] The call stood and Cutler fired a four-yard score to Eddie Royal; Mike Shanahan then called for a two-point conversion and it was successfully completed on another Cutler to Royal pass. The loss left Norv Turner still upset over the Cutler fumble call.^[10]

Signature Moment: The Chargers rallied from 4-8 to win the AFC West in 2008, capping the rally by crushing the Broncos on Sunday Night Football 52-21. The loss eliminated the 8-8 Broncos from the playoffs for the third straight season after they lost their last three games of the year, a result that led to the firing of Mike Shanahan.

Signature Moment: In 2009 the surprising 5-0 Broncos lead by new head coach Josh McDaniels visited the 2-2 Chargers on Monday Night Football in week 6. The Broncos overcame a 17-20 deficit going into the second half by holding the Chargers to three additional points while producing two touchdowns and a field goal to win the game 34-23. The match-up was particularly notable when Eddie Royal became the first player in Broncos history to return a kickoff and a punt return for touchdowns in the same game. The win elevated the Broncos to 6-0, but the two teams went in opposite directions after that. Denver lost three straight entering the November 22 rematch at Invesco Field while the Chargers won four straight. The Chargers stampeded over the Broncos with 203 rushing yards and routed Denver 32-3; the PAT on a Mike Tolbert rushing score was blocked, but it was too little too late for the Broncos, who collapsed to 8-8 and out of the playoffs while the Chargers raced to 13-3.

Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders

First met in 1960
58-40-2 Oakland leads series (Playoffs tied 1-1)
Next scheduled meeting 2010 NFL season TBD

Signature moment: The Broncos beat the Raiders in 1977 to win their first AFC Championship.

Signature moment: In the 1993 season finale, the Raiders scored an overtime victory against the Broncos to make the playoffs, setting up another game between the two in Los Angeles the following week. Outspoken Raiders' owner Al Davis commented before the playoff game that the Broncos were "scared to death of us".^[11] Despite the Broncos' protestations to the contrary, the Raiders made their owner's words stand up, winning 42-24.

Signature moment: In 1995, former Raiders coach Mike Shanahan, who was at the time in an ongoing contract dispute with Davis, became Denver's head coach, heightening an already contentious AFC West rivalry. The bitterness of the rivalry and the Shanahan chapter of it was illustrated following the firing by the Raiders of coach Lane Kiffin. Shanahan was asked about Kiffin at a press conference and joked that Kiffin spent 34 more days in the employ of Al Davis than he had; "Al Davis liked Lane more than he liked me," Shanahan quipped. It was also noted that the Raiders had lost in an arbitration hearing over $250,000 owed Shanahan which had yet to be paid as of 2008.^[12] Shanahan dominated the rivalry, losing only seven of his 28 meetings with the Raiders as Broncos head coach; Shanahan's final matchup with the Raiders was a loss on November 23, 2008 at Invesco Field by a 31–10 score.

Signature Moment: The 100th meeting between the two teams came on September 27, 2009 in Oakland and ended in a 23-3 Broncos rout. JaMarcus Russell was held to just 93 passing yards and threw two picks while the Broncos were carried by 215 rushing yards led by Correll Buckhalter's 108 yards and Knowshon Moreno's 90 yards and a score. In the third quarter Richard Seymour of the Raiders was flagged for pulling the hair of Ryan Clady, a Broncos offensive lineman, setting up Moreno's touchdown. The win was the third of six straight to open up Josh McDaniels' first season as head coach, but when the Raiders came to Denver on December 20 the seasonal rematch continued Denver's stunning collapse from 6-0 to out of the playoffs. The Raiders rushed for 245 yards and a Michael Bush touchdown. JaMarcus Russell had been replaced by several quarterbacks for the Raiders, but in the fourth quarter of a 19-13 Broncos lead Russell was under center, and the Raiders marched downfield. In the final 40 seconds Russell rifled a ten-yard touchdown to Chaz Schilens for a 20-19 Raiders win.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders

First met in 1960
51-43-2 Kansas City leads series (Kansas City leads playoffs 2–1)

Signature moment: In 1969, the final season prior to the merger between the AFL and NFL, the Raiders defeated the Chiefs twice during the regular season (27–24 at Kansas City and 10-6 at Oakland). The two teams met again in the last AFL championship game at the Oakland Coliseum, with the Chiefs taking a 17-7 victory. Kansas City would go on to win Super Bowl IV the next week against the Minnesota Vikings.

Signature moment: In the first meeting between the teams during the 1970 season, the Chiefs held a 17-14 lead late in the fourth quarter and appeared ready to run out the clock. Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson rolled around right end and gained enough yardage for a first down, and as he fell to the ground, he was speared from behind by Raiders defensive end Ben Davidson. A fight ensued, and Davidson was shoved out of the way by Chiefs wide receiver Otis Taylor. Offsetting penalties were called, and the play was nullified. Kansas City was forced to punt, and the Raiders took advantage, as George Blanda nailed a 48-yard field goal with two seconds left to secure a 17-17 tie. Due to this play, the NFL changed the rules so that Davidson's personal foul would have been enforced at the end of the play, and Taylor's penalty would have been assessed only after the Chiefs had been awarded a first down. The tie proved to be costly for the Chiefs, as Oakland would clinch the first AFC West championship with a 20-6 victory in Oakland in Week 13.

Signature moment: Former Super Bowl XVIII MVP Marcus Allen joined the Chiefs after falling out of favor with Oakland's owner, Al Davis. In ten career matchups against the Raiders Allen's Chiefs were 9-1, losing only on December 9, 1996 at Oakland 26-7. Allen had three touchdowns against the Raiders in his five seasons with Kansas City.

Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers

First met in 1960
55-40-2 Oakland leads series (leads playoffs 1-0)
Next scheduled meeting 2010 NFL season TBD

Coincidentally, this rivalry involves two teams that at periods of their existence played in Los Angeles. The Chargers began in 1960 as the LA Chargers, while the Raiders played in LA in the 1982-94 period.

Signature moment: The Raiders are many teams' most hated rival, and the Chargers have been in the same division and state for over 40 years. In their only playoff meeting to date, the Raiders went into San Diego to defeat the Chargers 34-27, in the 1980 AFC Championship Game.

Signature moment: In a 1978 game, the Raiders were behind 20-14 with 10 seconds to go and facing fourth down on the Chargers 14. Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler deliberately fumbled forward (he admitted doing so in a postgame interview), and teammates Pete Banaszak and Dave Casper batted the ball forward until Casper fell on the ball in the end zone for the touchdown that tied the game. The Raiders won with the ensuing point-after kick. The play would enter NFL lore as the "Holy Roller", or the "Immaculate Deception" among Chargers fans. The play directly led to changes in NFL rules regarding fumbles on fourth down or within the last two minutes of the game.

Signature Moment: Since divisional realignment in 2002 the Chargers won 10 of 12 matchups covering the 2002-7 period. Oakland's last win entering 2008 was a 34-31 overtime win on September 28, 2003. LaDanian Tomlinson exploded to 187 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, and also threw a 21-yard score to quarterback Drew Brees in the first quarter. But Oakland wiped out a 31-17 Chargers lead in the fourth quarter, then won in overtime on a 46-yard Sebastian Janikowski field goal.

Signature moment: In a Monday Night Football doubleheader on September 11, 2006, the Chargers shut out the Raiders, 27-0, for the first time since 1961.

Signature Moment: Richard Seymour made his Raiders debut on Monday Night Football's doubleheader on September 14, 2009 days after being traded to Oakland by the New England Patriots (coincidentally the Patriots played in the first part of the MNF doubleheader). Seymour recorded six tackles and sacked Philip Rivers twice as the Raiders made a dramatic bid for an upset. Late in the second quarter a JaMarcus Russell touchdown throw to Louis Murphy was disallowed on official replay review, so the Raiders had to settle for a Sebastian Janikowski field goal; it proved decisive as the Chargers stayed toe-to-toe with the Raiders. In the fourth Russell was hammered hard and had to give way to backup Bruce Gradkowski for two plays; he came back in and coach Tom Cable gambled on 4th and 15 from Oakland's 43; Russell launched a pass caught by Murphy and run in for the touchdown and a 20-17 Raiders lead. But Rivers and the Chargers calmly picked their way down field and Darren Sproles punched in a five-yard touchdown with 18 seconds remaining and a 24-20 Chargers win.

References

^ Eskenazi, Gerald (1998), GANG GREEN: An Irreverent Look Behind The Scenes At Thirty-Eight (Well, Thirty-Seven) Seasons Of New York Jets Football Futility (New York: Simon & Schuster), pp. 118-21 ISBN 0-684-84115-0
^ Eskenazi, Gerald (1998). Gang Green: An Irreverent Look Behind The Scenes At Thirty-Eight (Well, Thirty-Seven) Seasons Of New York Jets Football Futility. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 258–266. ISBN 0684841150.
^ "Dropping the Hammer". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 13 September 2007. ^{[dead link]}
^ Eskenazi, Gerald (1998). Gang Green: An Irreverent Look Behind The Scenes At Thirty-Eight (Well, Thirty-Seven) Seasons Of New York Jets Football Futility. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 178–9. ISBN 0684841150.
^ Diegnan, Mike (4 December 2002). "MNF's Greatest Games: Miami-New York Jets 2000". ABC SportsOnline. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
^ Hobson, Geoff (26 September 2006). "Cover boys (again)". bengals.com. Retrieved 25 October 2006. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
^ King, Steve (31 December 2006). "Moment 1: Dawson's strike". clevelandbrowns.com. Retrieved 22 March 2007. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
^ Russell Returns With Team After Scary Numbness
^ Game recap from FOX Sports
^ Game recap from Yahoo Sports
^ Crouse, Karen (14 October 2006). "The Raiders Are a Nation That Is Divided and Downtrodden". New York Times. Retrieved 14 October 2006.
^ Shanahan Leaves Verbal Sparring To Al Davis (From Denver Post)

[1] Eskenazi, Gerald (1998), GANG GREEN: An Irreverent Look Behind The Scenes At Thirty-Eight (Well, Thirty-Seven) Seasons Of New York Jets Football Futility (New York: Simon & Schuster), pp. 118-21 ISBN 0-684-84115-0

[2] Eskenazi, Gerald (1998). Gang Green: An Irreverent Look Behind The Scenes At Thirty-Eight (Well, Thirty-Seven) Seasons Of New York Jets Football Futility. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 258–266. ISBN 0684841150.

[3] "Dropping the Hammer". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 13 September 2007. ^{[dead link]}

[4] Eskenazi, Gerald (1998). Gang Green: An Irreverent Look Behind The Scenes At Thirty-Eight (Well, Thirty-Seven) Seasons Of New York Jets Football Futility. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 178–9. ISBN 0684841150.

[MNF-5] Diegnan, Mike (4 December 2002). "MNF's Greatest Games: Miami-New York Jets 2000". ABC SportsOnline. Retrieved 21 August 2007.

[6] Hobson, Geoff (26 September 2006). "Cover boys (again)". bengals.com. Retrieved 25 October 2006. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)

[7] King, Steve (31 December 2006). "Moment 1: Dawson's strike". clevelandbrowns.com. Retrieved 22 March 2007. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)

[8] Russell Returns With Team After Scary Numbness

[9] Game recap from FOX Sports

[10] Game recap from Yahoo Sports

[11] Crouse, Karen (14 October 2006). "The Raiders Are a Nation That Is Divided and Downtrodden". New York Times. Retrieved 14 October 2006.

[12] Shanahan Leaves Verbal Sparring To Al Davis (From Denver Post)

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 ===Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders===
-{{Main|Broncos-Raiders rivalry}}
 :*First met in 1960
 :*58-40-2 Oakland leads series (Playoffs tied 1-1)