The Five Best NFL Rivalries Over The Next Five Years By Ryan Knee March 29, 2014 8:05 pm 
Over the history of the NFL fans have been treated to several intense rivalries. The storied rivalries of the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are the first that come to mind for most. These are all phenomenal rivalries that will stand the test of time. In recent years another legendary rivalry has emerged front and center in the league with the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. Over the next five seasons some of the best rivalries will not be the ones we are used to seeing. As a new generation of quarterbacks hit their prime, the perennial playoff teams age and enter their inevitable rebuild mode, the following rivalries will be the most significant in the NFL.
Eagles vs. Redskins 1 of 5 One of the NFL’s flagship rivalries for generations has come from the ultra competitive NFC East. For years the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins have been arguably the best rivalry in the game. The Cowboys and Redskins will always be one of the best, but going forward it may not be even the most relevant in the division. The New York Giants have won two Super Bowls since the 2007 season but seem to be in a gradual downturn with their key players and head coach aging. They are destined for a rebuild before they will be serious contenders again. Same goes with the Dallas Cowboys who have been the definition of mediocre since their last Super Bowl win two decades ago. Owner/GM Jerry Jones has Dallas in terrible salary cap shape and by the time it has a chance to be rectified, their core players will be out of their prime. This leaves the Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles raising the stakes on their existing rivalry. Both teams have one of the premiere young quarterbacks in football with Nick Foles and Robert Griffin. If Griffin is fully healed from his ACL injury he suffered in his rookie year and can return to pre-injury form, the Redskins should contend for the division every year. Nick Foles leads Chip Kelly’s high octane offense as one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league. Even without DeSean Jackson, Foles has several weapons such as LeSean McCoy, Daren Sproles, Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper at his disposal. Both teams have young QB’s, newer coaches/leadership and explosive playmakers. It is shaping up to be that the Eagles and Redskins will be the class of the NFC East for the foreseeable future.
Browns vs. Bengals2 of 5The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off their third consecutive playoff appearance, something that previously hasn’t been done in franchise history. There are some questions if quarterback Andy Dalton can take the team to the next level and get the Bengals out of the first round of the playoffs and to the Super Bowl. Despite the criticism of Dalton, he has been at the helm in the most consistent stretch in Bengal’s history. If Dalton can carry over his regular season success into the playoffs he will put any doubt of him being the franchise quarterback to rest. Cincinnati has young and elite playmakers on both sides of the ball, a top end defense and a desirable salary cap situation. The Bengals are set up to be among the best that the AFC has to offer for the long haul.The Cleveland Browns are one of the most cursed franchises in all of sports. Since returning to the NFL in 1999 they have only made the playoffs once (2002) and can confidently be penciled in with a 5-11 record year in and year out. For the Browns 2013 was business as usual record-wise but if you look closer, this is a pretty good football team who is a quarterback away from being a playoff team. They have a talented defense, one of the best offensive lines in the league, playmakers on offense with Josh Gordon, Jordan Cameron and the newly acquired Ben Tate. They also among the leaders in salary cap space to lure top end free agents. If they can get a quarterback who can at minimum take care of the football by minimizing turnovers and can make plays when called upon, this team can be dangerous for a long time.With Pittsburgh and Baltimore rapidly aging, the time may be now for Cleveland and Cincinnati to become what we have grown accustomed to with the Steelers and Ravens. Both teams play a physical style with hard hitting defenses that will be spending the next several years battling it out with the dynamic receivers AJ Green and Josh Gordon. This battle in Ohio will finally start to mean something sooner rather than later.
Seahawks vs. 49ers3 of 5These are the two best teams in football. Their rivalry has turned into the best in the game and it isn’t going away anytime soon. These teams are incredibly talented, have great roster depth and draft as well as anyone. Both teams are young, physical, boast the two best defenses in the league and genuinely do not like each other. They spend the regular seasons beating up on each other, talking trash and come playoff time in 2013 they played a last second thriller for the right to go to the Super Bowl. Pete Carroll/Jim Harbaugh, Russell Wilson/Colin Kaepernick and Richard Sherman/Michael Crabtree; even if you are not a fan of either team what is there not to like about this rivalry?
Panthers vs. Buccaneers 4 of 5The Carolina Panthers took a step forward in 2013 and won the NFC South with smothering defense and with the playmaking ability of Cam Newton. They have lost some key contributors this offseason but their young core remains mostly intact. 2014 could be a letdown year for the Panthers but they appear to need just some minor retooling for a long run of sustained success. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers underperformed in 2013 despite having a decent amount of talent. They are being picked by many as a sleeper team in 2014 now that Lovie Smith has taken over as head coach. The Bucs were aggressive in free agency after both the 2012 and 2013 seasons and now have the leadership to put it all together and reach their potential on the field. Quarterback Mike Glennon had a solid rookie season and because he was a third round draft pick, he has a very low salary cap number to allow the Buccaneers sign players in free agency and keep their core players. This is the model that worked so well for the 2013 Seattle Seahawks. If Glennon does not work out, the Bucs signed Josh McCown to provide a veteran presence and challenge for the starting spot.With Drew Brees on the tail end of his career, the New Orleans Saints window will be closing within the next few seasons and the Atlanta Falcons also face some issues with aging players. Since its inception in 2002, the NFC South has been the most unpredictable division in football. The division has never seen a back-to-back winner but over the next five seasons, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Bucs and Panthers volleyed the crown back and forth. 
Jaguars vs. Colts 5 of 5The Indianapolis Colts have one of the best young franchise quarterbacks in the game with Andrew Luck. As long as Luck is healthy, he will good enough to ensure that the Colts will always be in contention, much like his predecessor Peyton Manning did during his time in Indy. The Colts have one of the best front offices in the league and a favorable salary cap situation. The AFC South and possibly the entire AFC will run through Indy for the next 5-10 years. Over the first half of the 2013 season the Jacksonville Jaguars appeared to be in contention for the worst team of all-time. During the second half of the season the Jags quietly played well and it was starting to become evident that a foundation and culture had been set for a potential powerhouse. Coach Gus Bradley has his young team buying into his program and the “Always Compete” mantra from when he was the Seahawks defensive coordinator under Pete Carroll. Bradley has brought in 2013 preseason castoffs from the Seahawks roster, as well as salary cap casualties Red Bryant and Chris Clemons this offseason. Bryant and Clemons will provide not only productive play on the field, but veteran leaders who won a Super Bowl with the “Always Compete” mentality. Jacksonville has ample cap space going forward and some playmakers on offense. Their receiving group has a chance to be elite Cecil Shorts, Mike Brown, Ace Sanders and Justin Blackmon have the chance to be very formidable. Bradley was a huge part of the Seahawks quick rebuild and already has pieces in place to do the same in Jacksonville. Give the Jags a quarterback and in a year or two and they will be battling with the Colts for division supremacy. http://www.footballnation.com/content/the-five-best-nfl-rivalries-over-the-next-five-years/29025/
