Are New York Jets Still New England Patriots’ Biggest Rival?

Boston vs. New York has always been a huge rivalry in any sport. The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees rivalry has been one of the biggest in sports for a very long time. That said, the rivalry relies on both teams being good for it to be relevant.

The same can be said for the New England Patriots and New York Jets. Over the years, the Jets have been kind of irrelevant except for a small run a few years back when they had an outstanding defense and Rex Ryan was guaranteeing Super Bowl wins every year.

Those years were when the rivalry was at its best, and both teams really did not like each other. But going into the Week 2 matchup against the Jets, is the rivalry still as good for the players and the fans?

Over the years, the Patriots have seen many teams become “rivals”. There was always the whole Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts rivalry, but that was mainly always Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning. Even with that huge storyline surrounding those games, people did not seem to dislike the Colts like Patriots fans disliked the Jets.

The rivalry with the Jets may not be as big as it was, but these games bring a different feeling every year because it is New York vs. Boston and regardless if the Jets are good, there is something about beating that team that makes people happy.

When the rivalry was at its best, the two teams were challenging for the division title and actually saw each other in the playoffs, and there is nothing better than New York vs. Boston in any playoff scenario.

Not only do Patriots fans dislike the team, but they seem to get sick of Jets fans very quickly. This is well understood considering Jets fans always feel they are a team that deserves respect, yet they have not won anything since Joe Namath was behind center.

Now I am not here to take shots at the Jets or their fans, because I feel that people that talk big about their teams that have not won anything recently need to stop living in the past. It’s all about the present, and what is happening today is that the 1-0 New York Jets are coming into Foxboro to face the 1-0 Patriots.

Though the Jets are projected to be not so good this year, there is still that energy that everyone feels when the Pats and Jets square off. The Jets know what is being said about them, and what better way to send a message and keep the rivalry fresh than coming into Foxboro and beating the Patriots?

But don’t think Bill Belichick and the Patriots aren’t aware of this. They need to bring their “A” game and quiet any questions around them. Former Patriots players like Troy Brown have said that they “hate” the Jets, and Bill Belichick feels that way too.

So regardless the record of both teams or how good they may be, when these two teams meet, people get excited. The New York vs. Boston rivalry will always be a topic of discussion, because these two teams and cities have always butted heads and they always will.

Jared Smith is a Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @shmity91, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.