Top 10 current NFL rivalries

NFL rivalries are a beautiful thing. The games in the National Football League are already tough and physical to begin with, but when there is legitimate angst in the stands and on the field, it only ratchets up the intensity.

In the history of the NFL, there have been plenty of incredible rivalries. For the longest time, the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys were the gold standard of rivalries, with the two teams meeting up for a pair of NFC Championship games in the 1970s and 80s.

Then there was the Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers, who began a rivalry in the 70s when John Brodie and Roger Staubach were slinging the pigskin. Things really got going between the two during the 1981 NFC title game and the entirety of the 1990s, when Steve Young and Troy Aikman were at the peak of their powers.

When the rosters realigned in 2002, things did change somewhat, although most of the classic rivalries were kept in tact. The league was wise enough to not break up any of the classics, giving fans a sense of nostalgia going forward.

These days, there are plenty of great rivalries to still watch on a year-to-year basis. Recently, we had the Seattle Seahawks and 49ers, although the disastrous roster shuffling by the bay has taken the bloom off of that rose.

Here now are the top 10 NFL rivalries of the present day…

Next: 10. Cowboys vs. Giants