Fansided

Top 10 personal feuds in NFL history

By Patrick Morgan

Jan 9, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Wallace Gilberry (95) talks with referee John Parry (132) during the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Wallace Gilberry (95) talks with referee John Parry (132) during the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /
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10. Buddy Ryan vs. Mike Ditka

UNITED STATES – JANUARY 26: Football: Super Bowl XX, Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan victorious, getting carried off field by team after winning game vs New England Patriots, New Orleans, LA 1/26/1986 (Photo by Tony Tomsic/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (SetNumber: X32638 TK4 R7 F28)
UNITED STATES – JANUARY 26: Football: Super Bowl XX, Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan victorious, getting carried off field by team after winning game vs New England Patriots, New Orleans, LA 1/26/1986 (Photo by Tony Tomsic/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (SetNumber: X32638 TK4 R7 F28) /

The 1985 Chicago Bears are one of the greatest teams in NFL history. Under head coach Mike Ditka, the team went 15-1 en route to a Super Bowl championship. Remarkably, Chicago put up 91 points in three playoff games while only allowing 10 on defense (all in the Super Bowl).

The only tangible flaw on what was otherwise a near-perfect season was the dysfunctional relationship between Ditka and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan. Bears practices all season were heated affairs, since Ditka oversaw the offense and Ryan the defense, and the two coaches often let their egos flow over onto the field. What was meant to be two sides of the same team working against one another to get better overall often spiraled into personal coaching contests.

Ryan would later go on to serve as the Houston Oilers’ defensive coordinator, a position he held when he punched Oilers offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride in the face during an in-game argument. It should come as no great surprise, then, that Buddy Ryan is the father of Rex and Rob Ryan, two of the more boisterous coaches around today.

Next: 9. Jay Cutler vs. Philip Rivers

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