Thursday night’s battle between the Giants and Eagles is another chapter in a fierce rivalry.
There has been a long and storied history between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, a rivalry that is both physical and powerful.
Between them both, they have accounted for five Lombardi Trophies and both play in the NFC East. Since the inception of the rivalry in 1933, the Eagles lead the series 88–86–2 while the two teams have met in the playoffs four times, each team winning twice.
Coming into Thursday night, both teams are a far cry from what they have been known for historically. Both franchises are recognized for their physicality and their Hall of Famer players that made their matchups must-see-TV. Not this year.
The Eagles are 1-4-1 and have sustained an infirmary list of injuries. The Giants are 1-5, while currently in a rebuilding mode. Both are behind the division-leading Dallas Cowboys, who are 2-4. Yikes.
But when these two get together, more often than not, their matchups tend to introduce us to notable players and produce some historic moments and that would determine the outcome of a season for both sides.
The Giants and Eagles rivalry produces historic plays, games and players.
Giants fans will always remember Lawrence Taylor having a field day any time he went up against Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski and Big Blue will always have the night where Osi Umenyiora abused Eagles offensive tackle Winston Justice for six sacks while quarterback Donovan McNabb was sacked a total of 12 times.
In a 2001 playoff game, the Giants defeated the Eagles thanks to Ron Dixon’s kickoff return and Jason Sehorn’s immaculate interception. Big Blue made it to the big dance where they fell to the Baltimore Ravens 34-7.
The Giants also have the distinct honor of forcing Rich Kotite out of Philadelphia in 1994 where the Eagles at the time were 7-2 before spiraling out of control. The Eagles are probably thankful for that moment.
Philadelphia fans, on the other hand, have a joyous laugh every time they see a Miracle at the Meadowlands. Three times have the Eagles produced memorable comebacks against the Giants, all of which on the road. 1978 produced a fumble return from Herman Edwards, 2003 created a punt return from then-rookie Brian Westbrook and, most recently, 2010 saw Desean Jackson’s last-second return erase a 31-14 deficit.
In addition, after the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2008, the Eagles knocked them out of the playoffs with a 23-11 victory, tying the playoff series at two apiece.
Recently in 2017, Jake Elliot’s 61-yard field goal in Week 3 would be the game that started Philadelphia’s run to the Super Bowl. Elliot’s final field goal of the year sealed a 41-33 victory in Super Bowl LII.
While the Giants have been on the short end of the miracles, they do have more championships than the Eagles with four Lombardi Trophies, including one that derailed a perfect season. The Eagles can also gloat over the fact that they defeated the Patriots as well for their first and so far their only championship in the Super Bowl era.
This year, both teams are on the out looking in. Neither team in a clearly underperforming division looks to be a major threat within their conference, yet they may be able to scrape out of their division. Carson Wentz has been plagued by a lack of talent while Daniel Jones is taking several hits in his first year under a new coach.
Regardless, it’s best to throw out the records and just watch the game because it’s personal to both sides. When it gets personal, it gets exciting, so why would you not tune in?