5 BOROUGH SPORTS

In the last five years, this has been the biggest rivalry in football. Yes, you can argue that Ravens/Steelers or Jets/Patriots rivalries have been significant, but I’ve never seen two franchises hate each other as much as the Eagles and Giants in my lifetime.

The Eagles and Giants rivalry dates all the way back to 1933, but the hatred between these teams didn’t start until the 1940’s when Philadelphia started to have a winning franchise. The Eagles would win back-to-back NFL championships in 1948 & 1949, while adding another in 1960. In 1960, in a regular season matchup, Eagles linebacker Chuck Bednarik famously blindsided Giants’ star running back Frank Gifford, causing Gifford to retire (for the time being). In 1978, the Giants were leading the Eagles 17-12 with just 20 seconds remaining. But instead of taking a knee, the G-Men decided to run one more running play. Quarterback Joe Pisarcik fumbled the hand-off to running back Larry Czonka, allowing Eagles cornerback Herman Edwards to pick up the ball and run into the end zone for a game-winning touchdown. For Eagles fans, this game is known as the “Miracle at the Meadowlands,” while for Giants fans it’s know simply as “The Fumble.”

Given how close New York and Philadelphia are to each other and how passionate the fans are for these historic teams, this rivalry deserves to be on this list. Here are some of the top games in the last twenty years between the Eagles and G-Men:

October 31, 1999 – Strahan Wins it in OT

On a cold Halloween night at the Vet, the Giants marched into Philly with a 4-3 record. The Eagles were struggling at the time with rookie Donovan McNabb starting at quarterback and led by first-year head coach Andy Reid. This game would turn out to be a classic. With the Giants down 17-3 heading into the fourth quarter, the Giants would score twice to tie the game. In overtime, Giants defensive lineman Christian Peter tipped McNabb’s pass which landed in the hand of the Michael Strahan. The all-pro defensive end picked off the pass and returned it for a touchdown sealing the comeback victory.

January 7, 2001 – Sehorn’s Pick-Six Leads Giants to NFC Championship

In the 2000 season, the NFC East rivals met in the  NFC Divisional Playoffs. The heavily favored Giants began the game with a 97 yard kick-off return by Ron Dixon, and they didn’t look back. In one of the most memorable plays in Giants playoff history, G-Men cornerback Jason Sehorn made an acrobatic interception and returned it for a touchdown. The Giants would go on to win the game 20-10 and march onto the NFC Championship.

January 7, 2007 – Eagles Knock off Giants with Akers’ Game-Winning Field Goal

Exactly six years after the Giants defeated the Eagles in the playoffs, Philadelphia would get redemption. In the 2006 Wild Card match-up, the Giants headed to the Linc as the heavy underdogs. The Giants looked promising at the beginning of the 2006 season with a 6-2 record. But after finished the second half the season at an abysmal 2-6, the G-Men found themselves crawling into the playoffs. Meanwhie, the Eagles were hottest team in the NFL in November and December. With McNabb out for the season, backup quarterback Jeff Garcia led Philadelphia to five straight victories to close out the season and clinch the NFC East. The Giants would give the Eagles a good fight in the playoffs, but the Eagles would go on to prevail with a game-winning field goal by David Akers as time expired.

December 19, 2010 – Miracle at the Meadowlands 2

Nothing new to write here – just read the article on 5BS from when it happened.

September 25, 2011 – Giants shock Dream Team

After a phenomenal offseason by the Eagles given the signings of Cullen Jenkins, Nnamdi Asomugha, and Vince Young, Philadelphia was self-proclaimed the “Dream Team.” The Giants, on the other hand, looked like a team in turmoil. Having lost their starting cornerback Terrell Thomas and linebacker Jonathan Goff to season-ending injuries, and having lost starting tight end David Boss and wide receiver Steve Smith to free agency, the Giants looked a team destined for the NFC East cellar. But in week 3, the GMen went into the Linc and stunned the Eagles with a 29-16 victory. The Giants would go on to win the Super Bowl while the Eagles failed to make the playoffs.