30 greatest NFL rivalries of all-time

21. Houston Texans – Tennessee Titans

The AFC South rivalry between the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans does not have the longevity of an all-time classic. The teams have met just 26 times since the Texans joined the league as an expansion team in 2002.

But what the rivalry lacks in decades of rich history, it makes up for with a heated relationship between the franchises, fans, and players that can be described as icy at best.

The seeds for the rivalry were planted long before the idea of the Texans as an expansion team had even been considered as an idea. In 1997, the Houston Oilers picked up and left the Bayou City for Nashville, Tenn. after owner Bud Adams did not receive his wish of the city funding a brand-new, multi-purpose stadium. In a clash of egos between local politicians and the team’s oil tycoon owner, any chance of a resolution was far from a reality by the final years of the 1990s.

By 2002, the Oilers had changed their name to the Titans, and the NFL had returned to Houston. As a result, a natural rivalry was born.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of the rivalry came from a 2010 matchup, during which the mild-mannered Andre Johnson was pushed to the limit by notorious dirty player and Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan. Finnegan took a cheap shot at Johnson off a snap, to which the Texans star receiver responded by ripping off his opponents helmet and landing a few haymakers.

The Titans lead the series 15-11-0 all-time. After an 0-4 start to the rivalry for Houston, however, the series has been an even 11-11-0.

Next: 20. New York Giants - New England Patriots