The Eagles and New York Giants will meet for the 188th time tonight, and an NFC East rivalry that dates back to 1933 will proceed for another season. The Eagles lead the series 93-87-2. In the postseason, they're 3-2.
Rarely have these franchises been Super Bowl contenders at the same time but that hasn't stopped the rivalry from producing some extremely memorable games that have included some very dramatic endings, most notably some thrillers that have taken placein East Rutherford, N.J.
You might even say these games were "miraculous."Three games in particular stand out for their last-second table turn, each favoring the Birds.
With the Eagles again set to play the Giants in North Jersey tonight, it's an ideal time to reflect on those most memorable games, and to ask yourself: "Do you believe in miracles?"
Miracle at the Meadowlands I
On Nov. 19, 1978, without about 83 seconds to play in the game, the Giants led the Eagles, 17-12, at Giants Stadium, a football venue built amid the swamps of northeast New Jersey as part of a larger sports and entertainment complex known as "The Meadowlands."
All that was left for the Giants was running out the final seconds as they'd not only win but also pull even at 6-6 and drop their division rivals to 6-6 as well.
Quarterback kneel-downs weren't part of the game at that point, so Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik opened the drive by taking the snap and just falling down to drain some clock.On the next snap, the Giants executed a run up the gut by fullback Larry Czonka that went for 11 yards. The Eagles were out of timeouts.
At that point, the Giants had essentially secured the win.
"And there is nothing the Eagles can do," Eagles play-by-play voice Merrill Reese on the broadcast, his signature voice reflecting compelte resignation.
With just 31 seconds left, the Giants curiously decided to run another play. The ball was supposed to be a handoff from Pisarcik to Czonka, but what appeared to be miscommunication resulted in Pisarcik loosing his grip while trying to hand the ball to Czonka.
The loose ball took a now-famous bounce into the hands of Eagles cornerback Herm Edwards, who ran the fumble back 26 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
Take a trip down memory lane, courtesy of NFL historian Kevin Gallagher:
"I don't believe it! I DON'T believe it!" Reese bellowed as Edwards spiked the ball in celebration.
Believe it, Merrill. Because that wouldn't be the last miraculous ending to an Eagles-Giants game at Giants Stadium.
Miracle at the Meadowlands II
Almost 25 years later, on Oct. 19, 2003, the Eagles were staring down another loss as they'd struggled all game against a Giants defense that tormented Donovan McNabb, limiting the Pro Bowl quarterback to just 64 total passing yards and interception while sacking him three times.
The Eagles, who had won the NFC East for two straight years and had appeared in consecutive NFC Championship games, were 94 seconds away from a 2-4 start to their season as they trailed 10-7. The Giants defense just needed one more stop to get to 3-3.
But the Giants defense wouldn't even get a chance to take the field.
From the 15-yard line, then-rookie punt returner Brian Westbrook fielded a directional punt on one hop before slipped off one tackle and bouncing up the left sideline. Westbrook made two more Giants miss before outracing the rest of Big Blue's punt coverage unit to the end zone for the 14-10 lead that quieted the stadium.
Take a look, courtesy of Brenden Deeg:
The Giants never advanced get past their own 38-yard line on their final possession, and an Eagles team that was out-gained 339-134 somehow managed to escape with a win that kickstarted a nine-game win streak and propelled the Birds to another NFC East title.
Westbrook's signature punt return TD not only served as the "Miracle at the Meadowlands" sequel but also as a harbinger for the running back's career. By 2006, he would emerge as one of the game's premier running backs, and many of his highlights came at the Giants' expense.
Westbrook also wouldn't be the last Eagles offensive weapon to haunt flip the script on the Giants...
Miracle at the (New) Meadowlands III
About seven years would pass before the Eagles once again snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, but this time in a somewhat different venue.
The Giants in 2010 had unveiled their brand-new home, MetLife Stadium, built at the very same location of their old stadium, still surrounded by the North Jersey swampland.
New digs, same old Eagles-Giants rivalry.
This time, on Dec. 19, 2010, the Giants had built such an enormous lead there wasn't a single soul in the building who believed they could blow it.
They went up 31-10 on Eli Manning's fourth touchdown pass of the game, with 8:17 to play in the fourth quarter. The Eagles had turned the ball over three times – a Michael Vick interception, and fumbles by wide receivers Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson.
The Eagles were cooked ... but that wouldn't make for a very good storyline, would it?
On the Eagles' next possession, Vick hit tight end Brent Celek down the right seam for a 65-yard touchdown on a two-play drive that took just 26 seconds off the clock. Riley Cooper then recovered an onside kick as the Giants couldn't even get possession back.
Vick then ripped off a 35-yard run inside the New York 10-yard line before scoring on a 4-yard touchdown run that brought the Eagles within one possession at 31-24.
The Giants drained more than two minutes off the clock on their next possession before punting back to the Eagles with 3:01 to play, but two more Vick runs, for 33 and 25 yards, got the Eagles into the New York red zone and set up Vick's 13-yard touchdown pass to Maclin to tie the game.
The Eagles had just rattled off 21 unanswered points in less than six minutes, silencing the Meadowlands crowd. A third-down sack of Manning on the Giants' next possession brought out punter Matt Dodge, with just 14 seconds left to play. Eagles coach Andy Reid countered with Jackson as his punt returner for the first time in the game.
It looked like a total disaster for Jackson, who bobbled and muffed the return. But then ... well, see for yourself.
Sixty-five yards later, with the help of an incredible block by Jason Avant, the electrifying Eagles wideout had waltzed his way into the end zone and a new miracle had been born.
Why Dodge decided to punt in Jackson's direction remains a mystery – especially to red-faced Giants coach Tom Coughlin – but Jackson's return completed the Miracle Trilogy.
Will their be a fourth installment tonight?
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