Who are the Biggest Rivals for the Tennessee Titans?
By Carlos Beard
Dec 2, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; The Tennessee Titans offensive squad huddles before a play against the Houston Texans during the first half at LP Field. The Texans beat the Titans 24-10. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-US Presswire
ri·val – 1. One who attempts to equal or surpass another, or who pursues the same object as another; a competitor.
In the NFL each, franchise has several rivals. They’re all competing with one another in pursuit of the same object—the Lombardi Trophy. All rivals are not created equal, however. Each team’s biggest rivals are a product of hard fought battles where the winner is decided by a few points and the loser is left with a bad taste in their mouth.
Let’s take a look at a few of the better rivalries that the Tennessee Titans are involved in:
Baltimore Ravens:
What do you get when you mix two aggressive defenses, playoff knockouts for each team and two great players that loved to clash? A rivalry of course!
If you have followed the Titans or Ravens, you probably remember the great battles between Eddie George and former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. One moment that I specifically remember was when George took Lewis off of his feet with a massive stiff-arm then proceeded to get in Lewis’ face (probably just asking Lewis if he wanted to grab a beer after the game). That moment is a prime example of how heated play between these two teams would get.
When you combine this player rivalry with the Ravens knocking the Titans out of the playoffs and the Ravens signing some of the Titans’ fan favorites, it’s no wonder a lot of Tennessee fans dislike Baltimore.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Titans play Pittsburgh so often that I periodically check to make sure they’re not in the AFC South. The 2013 season will be the sixth consecutive season that each team has faced each other in the regular season. Over the last 10 years, the Titans and Steelers have been evenly matched with Tennessee going 4-4 against them, with a couple of those games going to overtime. With both teams being so evenly matched and most of their games being close, it’s no wonder the Titans and Steelers have formed a rivalry.
Indianapolis Colts:
Since I’m a Titans fan, it’s logical to assume that I cannot stand the Indianapolis Colts—you would be correct in that assessment. I don’t want to sound bitter here but I dislike everything about the Colts. As AFC South rivals, both teams play each other two times per season. These divisional matchups are important because of their implications on end-of-season tiebreakers.
This matchup has been pretty uneven with the Colts winning a majority of the games. That never stops the Titans from playing them tough. I always look forward to watching both of these games. With the Titans catching up to the Colts talent wise, these are must watch games.
Be sure to vote on who you believe the Titans biggest rival is! Follow me on twitter @CarlosBeard!