An AFC rivalry grew up right before our eyes this past season when the Jaguars defeated the Steelers twice -- including a trouncing in the divisional round of the playoffs -- and had plenty to say afterwards. It turns out though, in between the trash talk and animosity, there's some mutual respect between each team's best skill-position players.

On Tuesday, Steelers receiver Antonio Brown revealed that his favorite cornerback to go up against is Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

"Yeah, he's my favorite, man, because you know he takes it serious," Brown said on NFL Network during an interview that also included Ramsey. "He's got a chip on his shoulder. He don't want to lose a route. He's got guys on the sideline talking to him while he's running in the middle of the play. Going against a guy like that makes it fun because you know that's going to be the measuring stick of where your level is at, because you know that guy is at a high level."

"It's the same with me, to be honest," Ramsey said.

Earlier, Brown also called Ramsey an "ultimate competitor," adding that "he's aggressive, he takes everything as a challenge, he's trying to win every route, he's trying to get in your head, he's going to block you aggressive. If you're lazy around the play, he's going to make you feel it."

According to NFL Network, in Brown's career against Ramsey, he's caught nine of 13 passes for 155 yards, which means he's averaging 17.22 yards per catch against him. However, Brown's yet to catch a touchdown against Ramsey while Ramsey has snagged two interceptions on passes thrown Brown's way. 

In Week 5 last season, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger got burned for five interceptions in their regular-season meeting, which resulted in a blowout that helped the Jaguars establish themselves as legitimate contenders in the AFC. Roethlisberger fared better in the Steelers' playoff loss, but his output wasn't enough because the Jaguars exploded for 45 points.

The good news is that the rivalry should continue into 2018 considering the two teams are scheduled to meet again on Nov. 18 and there's a decent chance that both teams will wind up in the postseason, which could set up another playoff clash. The more Brown vs. Ramsey, the better.

In Pete Prisco's annual top 100 list, he ranked Brown fifth. Right behind Brown at No. 6 was Ramsey. However, on the NFL's top 100 list, which is voted on by players, Brown finished second (behind only Tom Brady) while Ramsey dropped all the way to 17th. By the sound of it, Brown would probably disagree with Ramsey's placement on that list.