In the modern world, Eagles–Giants rivalry has become a topic of great relevance and interest to a wide spectrum of people. Both in the professional and personal spheres, Eagles–Giants rivalry has proven to be a determining factor in the continuous evolution of society. Throughout history, Eagles–Giants rivalry has been the subject of debate, research and reflection, generating multiple perspectives and approaches that have enriched the understanding and appreciation of this phenomenon. In this article, we will explore the various facets of Eagles–Giants rivalry, analyzing its impact in different contexts and offering a comprehensive vision that invites reflection and dialogue.
The Eagles–Giants rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. The rivalry began in 1933 with the founding of the Eagles, and slowly strengthened when both teams came to relative prominence in the 1940s and 1950s. The two teams have played in the same division in the NFL every year since 1933, making it the second-oldest rivalry in the NFC East division, behind only New York's rivalry with the Washington Commanders. The ferocity of the rivalry can also be attributed to the geographic New York-Philadelphia rivalry, which is mirrored in Major League Baseball's Mets–Phillies rivalry and the National Hockey League's Flyers–Rangers rivalry. It is ranked by NFL Network as the number one rivalry of all-time and Sports Illustrated ranks it amongst the top ten NFL rivalries of all-time at number four, and according to ESPN, it is one of the fiercest and most well-known rivalries in the football community.
The overall series is currently led by the Eagles, 94–89–2. The Eagles and Giants have met in the playoffs five times, with the Eagles leading 3–2.
In a November 20, 1960, game, the Eagles' Chuck Bednarik cleanly blindsided Giants running back Frank Gifford in a play known as The Hit, widely considered the hardest, or one of the hardest, tackles in the history of the National Football League that sent Gifford to the ground unconscious. He was removed from the field by stretcher, transported to a hospital by ambulance, and diagnosed with a severe concussion. The play forced Gifford out of the game for 18 months before he was ultimately able to return with the Giants.
On November 19, 1978, at Giants Stadium, the Giants were leading the Eagles 17–12 with 20 seconds remaining. Offensive coordinator Bob Gibson called for a running play when all that was needed was for the Giants to take a knee having previously got ran over while kneeling the very prior play. The handoff between quarterback Joe Pisarcik and Larry Csonka was fumbled and Eagles cornerback Herman Edwards grabbed the loose ball and returned it for the winning score. This play is commonly referred to as The Miracle at the Meadowlands by Eagles fans and just "The Fumble" by Giants fans.
In 1981, both the Giants and the defending NFC champion Eagles qualified for playoff berths. The Eagles hosted the Giants on December 27 in a wild card game. The Giants, led by quarterback Scott Brunner and head coach Ray Perkins, took a 20–0 lead in the first quarter. The Eagles rallied but never led and the Giants held on to win 27–21. The game ended with Scott Brunner kneeling down on the ball, which was revenge for the Joe Pisarcik game some three years earlier. The Giants would go on to lose 38–24 to the San Francisco 49ers, the eventual Super Bowl XVI champions.
The 1988 NFL season saw both teams competing for the NFC East title. On November 20, 1988, the Giants hosted the Eagles with both teams in the running for control over their division. The Eagles, led by head coach Buddy Ryan and quarterback Randall Cunningham, fought a tough match to bring the game into overtime with the score tied at 17–17. In overtime, Eagles defensive lineman Clyde Simmons carried the ball 15 yards after a blocked Eagles field goal attempt for the game-winning touchdown, completing a season sweep of the Giants. This was dubbed the "Forgotten Miracle at the Meadowlands." Both teams finished with 10–6 records, but the Eagles won the NFC East due to their head-to-head victories, while the Giants lost the wild card tiebreaker to the Los Angeles Rams and missed the playoffs. The Eagles would lose to the Chicago Bears in a game famously known as the Fog Bowl.
On January 7, 2001, the Giants defeated the Eagles 20–10 in a divisional playoff game with the help of Ron Dixon's 97-yard kickoff return and Jason Sehorn's acrobatic 32-yard interception return. This win helped propel the Giants to Super Bowl XXXV, which they lost to the Baltimore Ravens, 34–7.
On January 7, 2007, the Eagles defeated the Giants 23–20 in a wild card playoff game on a David Akers field goal as time expired. The Eagles had relinquished a ten-point lead in the fourth quarter, with the Giants tying the game on a touchdown by Plaxico Burress with just over five minutes remaining. Jeff Garcia and Brian Westbrook led the game-winning drive deep into Giants territory, allowing the Eagles to drain the clock to three seconds before Akers lined up his 38-yard kick to win the game.
The two teams split their 2008 meetings. The Giants rallied to edge the Eagles in Philadelphia 36–31, then the Eagles stymied New York's offense en route to a 20–14 win at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. They met again at Giants Stadium on January 11, 2009, in the 2008 NFC Divisional Playoffs. In what would ultimately be the final playoff game at the venue, the #6 seeded Eagles defeated the top-seeded Giants 23–11, leaving the series tied 2–2 in the all-time playoff series.
On December 19, 2010, the Giants led the Eagles 31–10 with 7:28 left in the first game between the teams at New Meadowlands Stadium where first place in the NFC East was on the line. But the Eagles rallied to tie the score and then won the game on DeSean Jackson's 65 yard punt return for a touchdown with no time left on the clock for a 38–31 victory. The Elias Sports Bureau noted that this is the first walk-off punt return in NFL history. The Giants missed the playoffs, despite finishing tied for first with the Eagles at 10–6, and the Eagles lost their last two games.
Other notable moments
On December 18, 1994, the Giants beat the Eagles at Veterans Stadium, giving them their fifth consecutive win after starting 3–7, while giving the Eagles their sixth consecutive loss of the season after a 7–2 start. This led to the firing of Philadelphia's then-head coach Rich Kotite after the season's conclusion.
On October 31, 1999, at Veterans Stadium in overtime, Eagles' quarterback (and future head coach) Doug Pederson had his pass blocked up in the air and was intercepted by Michael Strahan and returned for a 44-yard touchdown to win the game for the Giants 23–17.
In Week 6 of the 2001 season, the Eagles broke a nine-game losing streak against the Giants. James Thrash caught the winning touchdown from Donovan McNabb in the fourth quarter.
In week 2 of the 2006 season, the Giants met the Eagles in Philadelphia and were down 24-7 by the end of the 3rd quarter. In the 4th quarter of regulation the Giants responded with two more touchdowns and a field goal to tie the game 24-24 and go into overtime. In overtime the Giants defeated the Eagles when quarterback Eli Manning threw a 31-yard pass to Plaxico Burress.
On September 30, 2007, the Giants sacked Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb 12 times (tying an NFL record) en route to a 16–3 win. New York's defense held the Eagles scoreless in the first half, while in the second quarter, New York got on the board first with quarterback Eli Manning completing a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Plaxico Burress. In the third quarter, the Giants increased their lead with kicker Lawrence Tynes getting a 29-yard field goal, along with linebacker Kawika Mitchell returning a fumble 17-yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, the Eagles would get their only points of the game with kicker David Akers making a 53-yard field goal. Later that year, in the 2007 playoffs, New York would go on to defeat the 18-0 unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
On October 12, 2014, the Eagles authored their first shutout win in the series since 1996, winning 27–0. Quarterback Nick Foles threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns while he and three Eagles running backs rushed for 203 yards, led by LeSean McCoy's 149 yards. The Giants failed on a fourth and goal attempt in the third quarter following a Foles interception; even worse, wide receiver Victor Cruz suffered a season-ending injury on the play. (This led to an off-field episode in the rivalry, as the cover of the next morning's New York Daily News showed a cheering Eagles employee and the fallen Cruz under the headline "PHILTHY!", implying that the man was celebrating the injury rather than the result of the play. However, this photo was later debunked as being taken out of context.) Eli Manning was held to 151 yards and backup Ryan Nassib connected for 60 yards.
On September 24, 2017, in Philadelphia, kicker Jake Elliott kicked a 61-yard field goal to beat the New York Giants with no time on the clock for the final play of the game, resulting in a 27–24 victory. Previously regarded as nothing more than a replacement kicker for injured Caleb Sturgis, the kick earned Elliott NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors, cementing him as a strong kicking option for the 2017 Eagles. Elliott's kick set an Eagles' franchise record for the longest field goal, tied for the 7th-longest field goal in NFL history, and was the longest since November 2015. Elliott helped the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory later that season in Super Bowl LII.
On December 9, 2019, an ankle injury previously suffered by Giants quarterback Daniel Jones would result in Eli Manning returning to the starting lineup against the Eagles. During the game, Manning threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns to rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton, but the game ended in a 23–17 overtime loss for the Giants. Manning retired at the end of the season. As the game against the Eagles was televised on Monday Night Football, it marked Manning's final primetime appearance.
On January 3, 2021, with the Giants having won earlier in the day, they needed the Eagles, who were eliminated from playoff contention, to defeat the Washington Football Team in order to for the Giants to clinch the NFC East division. The Eagles lost to Washington; Washington rallied from down 14–10 to win 20–14 thus giving them the NFC East title and eliminating the Giants from the playoffs. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson was criticized for benching struggling rookie Jalen Hurts and was questioned in some media circles on how hard his team played. The loss advanced the Eagles three spots in the 2021 NFL Draft to sixth.
On March 26, 2021, after it was alleged that the Eagles tanked in their week 17 game to moved up three spots in the draft, the Eagles traded with the Dolphins to move down to the 12th overall pick. While the Eagles gained a 2022 first-round pick from the trade, this made many Giants fans angry since trading back seemingly removed any good reason for the Eagles to have tanked in week 17 in spite of any leverage gained from the higher draft position contributing to the trade being completed. Leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft, the Giants were sitting at 11th overall. As the draft went on, it was suspected that the Giants would draft wide receiver and 2020 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. However, the Eagles traded in-division with Dallas to move up to the 10th overall pick and drafted Smith, which reportedly made the Giants front office "livid.” The Eagles' trade-up resulted in the Giants trading down to the 20th pick with the Chicago Bears, and they would select Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
Season-by-season results
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants Season-by-Season Results
Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers merge for the 1943 season to become the "Steagles," as both teams lost many players to military service during World War II. Giants win 11 straight home meetings (1933–1943).
Philadelphia's Chuck Bednarik's hard hit on New York's Frank Gifford causes a key fumble in the Eagles' win in New York, allowing the Eagles to take the division. This hit went on to be known as "The Hit" and caused Gifford to miss most of two seasons. Eagles win 1960 NFL Championship.
NFL expansion results in a split of each conference into two divisions. The Eagles are placed in the Capitol Division, while the Giants and New Orleans Saints alternate between the Capitol and Century Divisions each year. This results in only a single meeting between the Giants and Eagles in 1967 and 1969.
Giants 62 points is the most scored by any team in the rivalry. They are also the most points scored in Giants history and the most points allowed in Eagles history.
NFC Divisional playoffs. Giants win 9 straight meetings (1997–2000). Ron Dixon's 97-yard return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff set the tone for the Giants as they lead wire-to-wire.
Eagles clinch the NFC East for the first time since 1988 at home over the Giants in Week 16 after the Giants' desperation lateral attempt from Tiki Barber to Ron Dixon came up short inside the Eagles' 10-yard line as time expired.
First season series split since 1990. Giants' home win clinched wild card berth while preventing the Eagles from clinching home-field advantage on their own.
Eagles open Lincoln Financial Field. Eagles away win is best remembered for Brian Westbrook's 84-yard punt return with 1:30 remaining and the Eagles having no timeouts down 10–7 turns the Eagles' season around after starting 2–3 and begins a 9-game winning streak.
NFC Wild Card playoffs. David Akers kicks game-winning field goal as time expired after the Giants' rallied from a 20–10 deficit to pull even with about 5 minutes remaining falls just short.
Giants and Jets open MetLife Stadium (then known as New Meadowlands Stadium). Eagles' DeSean Jackson has a game-winning 65–yard punt return touchdown in the closing seconds in East Rutherford, dubbed the "Miracle at the New Meadowlands". Capping off the Eagles scoring the final 28 points in the last 8 minutes of regulation after trailing 31–10 to in essence gain a stranglehold for the NFC East with a one-game lead plus a tiebreaker with two games remaining.
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott kicks a 61 yard field goal in Philadelphia, an Eagles franchise record, which reminiscent to the dramatic win in 2003, ignites the Eagles in beginning a 9-game winning streak. Eagles win Super Bowl LII.
Eagles take the lead in the overall series with the Giants for the first time. Eagles clinch the NFC East with win in East Rutherford in Week 17. Eli Manning's final season.
The 2006 film Invincible follows Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg) and his rise to playing for the Eagles. He crushes on a coworker, who, being from New York, is a Giants fan, and in his breakout game, the Eagles play the Giants when he recovers a muffed punt for a touchdown.[citation needed]
After winning the NFC championship on January 29, 2023, the Empire State Building lit up to celebrate the Eagles making the Super Bowl. This sparked outrage from many people in New York, including mayor Eric Adams.
^"All-Time Team vs. Team Results". 2020 Official National Football League Record & Fact Book. NFL Enterprises, LLC. August 17, 2020. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
^Brookover, Bob (September 17, 2006). "The Birds' Biggest Rival—In a division of fierce foes, the Giants have battled the Eagles as tough as anyone". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. D1.
^Fendrich, Howard (January 2, 2011). "Giants beat Redskins 17-14, but miss playoffs". Associated Press. The Giants (10-6) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the first NFC teams since 1991 to miss out on the postseason despite double-digit victory totals.
^McLane, Jeff (January 3, 2011). "Pack Coming Back—Eagles fall to Cowboys, start preparing for rematch with Green Bay". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E1.