Fansided

Ranking the 25 biggest NFL rivalries of all time

By Mike Phillips

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 26: Jackson Carman #79 of the Cincinnati Bengals in action against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 26, 2021 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 26: Jackson Carman #79 of the Cincinnati Bengals in action against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 26, 2021 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
17 of 25
Next
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 08: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks to pass during a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on November 08, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

9. Top NFL Rivalries – Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys

  • All-Time History: Cowboys lead 17-16
  • First Meeting: Sept. 10, 1960 (Steelers 35, Cowboys 28)
  • Last Meeting: Nov. 8, 2020 (Steelers 24, Cowboys 19)
  • Postseason History: Steelers lead 2-1

The lone interconference rivalry on this list, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys have established themselves as two of the NFL’s most iconic franchises. The rivalry was at its peak in the 1970s, when Pittsburgh and Dallas met in two Super Bowls and combined to collect six Lombardi Trophies over the span of that decade.

The fact that Pittsburgh moved to the AFC after the merger denied fans the chance to see more routine matchups with Dallas, but the meetings we’ve gotten have been epic. The first Super Bowl matchup came in Super Bowl X, with the Steelers escaping with a 21-17 victory after Glen Edwards intercepted a pass from Roger Staubach in the end zone to seal the win.

The victory marked the second straight Super Bowl win for the Steelers, but Dallas did get back on the board by securing a victory in Super Bowl XII. The rivals met again in Super Bowl XIII the following year with the Steelers emerging triumphant again, winning 35-31 in a contest that would feature 25 future Hall of Famers and one that many experts consider to be the greatest game ever played.

Things heated up again in the 1990s with both teams becoming contenders and meeting for a third time in the Super Bowl in Arizona, with the Cowboys winning 27-17 to finally deny the Steelers a championship. Realignment in 2002 has further reduced the matchups between the Cowboys and Steelers to once every four years, with each team scoring two wins along the way as each game has been decided by seven points or less.

Home/NFL