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) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 14: Tight end Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs avoids a tackle by defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson #77 of the Las Vegas Raiders during their game at Allegiant Stadium on November 14, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Chiefs defeated the Raiders 41-14. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 14: Tight end Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs avoids a tackle by defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson #77 of the Las Vegas Raiders during their game at Allegiant Stadium on November 14, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Chiefs defeated the Raiders 41-14. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

8. Top NFL Rivalries – Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders

  • All-Time History: Chiefs lead 69-54-2
  • First Meeting: Sept. 16, 1960 (Texans 34, Raiders 16)
  • Last Meeting: Nov. 14, 2021 (Chiefs 41, Raiders 14)
  • Postseason History: Chiefs lead 2-1

The old AFL rivalries that form the backbone of the AFC West are some of the sport’s fiercest grudge matches. The nastiest of them all is the longstanding rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders with its roots going back to the very first season of the AFL, when the then-Dallas Texans met up with the Oakland Raiders in the AFL’s Western Division.

Some of the bad blood between the franchises tied back to an inherent dislike between the team’s owners, Lamar Hunt and Al Davis, that stemmed from Hunt’s role in the merger talks between the AFL and NFL. Davis, the AFL’s commissioner at the time, was left out of the loop and was furious that he was asked to fight a war with the NFL while Hunt and the other owners went behind his back to cut a deal.

The Chiefs and Raiders have always engaged in some physical battles on the field as well, with former Raiders’ defensive Ben Davidson describing those contests as heavyweight fights. Some big-name players have also been on both sides of the rivalry, with the most notable example being Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen, who signed with the Chiefs in 1993 after a noted feud with Davis went public.

Apart from a dominant Chiefs’ run in the 1990s, this series has been very close, even when the Raiders were struggling to field competitive teams. The Raiders gave Kansas City all they could handle in two meetings last season and it will be interesting to see how the rivalry changes with the franchise’s move to Las Vegas.

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