The NFC East is constructed on storied rivalries and Saturday night time’s NFC divisional spherical playoff conflict between two groups separated by lower than 100 miles down the Jersey Turnpike gives loads of ill-will and historical past to attract from.
This would be the 179th assembly between the franchises — just one lower than the entire the Giants have performed in opposition to Washington — together with 4 playoff video games.
The rivalry brings up extra heartache for Giants followers and former gamers (Joe Pisarcik is understood to dread it when his telephone begins buzzing round this time).
The ache runs deep from Chuck Bednarik’s 1960 blindsided hit that knocked Frank Gifford out of the sport for 18 months to the Miracle on the Meadowlands involving Pisarcik to Randall Cunningham’s escape from Carl Banks to DeSean Jackson’s punt return to Doug Pederson sitting Jalen Hurts for Nate Sudfeld within the second half of the season finale, the latter three contributing on to the Giants lacking the playoffs.
And that’s simply the common season.
No one can overlook the final time they met within the playoffs when Philly spoiled the Giants’ probabilities at repeating as Super Bowl champs following the 2008 season.
DEC. 27, 1981
GIANTS 27, EAGLES 21
The season: The 1981 season marked the primary indicators of the Giants franchise turning issues round from its darkest period (mid-Sixties to the late-’70s).
With Mara household infighting over the soccer operations not serving to the trigger for years, the NFL stepped in to assist one among its founding franchises. When the Maras couldn’t resolve on a GM to succeed Andy Robustelli following the 1978 season, the league advised George Young, who had labored within the entrance workplaces of the Colts and Dolphins, as a compromise.
Ray Perkins was employed in 1979 as coach. The 1981 crew’s employees featured Bill Parcells as defensive coordinator and Bill Belichick as particular groups and linebackers coach.
By 1981, the Giants had been aggressive, middling via a lot of the season with a younger aspiring quarterback in Phil Simms and the rookie season of No. 2 general draft choose Lawrence Taylor added to a protection anchored by future Hall of Famer Harry Carson. Simms ultimately acquired harm and backup Scott Brunner helped them win 4 of their final 5 video games, together with beating the Cowboys in extra time within the season finale to eke into the playoffs at 9-7.
Dick Vermeil’s Eagles had been coming off their first journey to the Super Bowl within the earlier season and returned the core of that group, together with Ron Jaworski, Harold Carmichael, Wilbert Montgomery and a staunch protection.
The recreation: Playing in Philadelphia, the Giants didn’t appear like a franchise that had missed the earlier 18 postseasons.
Big Blue jumped out to a 20-0 lead within the first quarter on Brunner landing passes to Leon Bright and John Mistler and Mark Haynes’ fumble restoration ultimately zone on a kickoff when Wally Henry muffed his second kick of the quarter.
After Jaworski related with Carmichael on a 15-yard TD within the second quarter, Brunner answered again with 22-yard rating to Tom Mullady for a 27-7 halftime lead they usually then leaned on operating again Rob Carpenter (161 dashing yards) within the second half whereas the Eagles used two Montgomery landing runs to make it fascinating as Big Blue held on for a 27-21 win.
The aftermath: The Giants superior to play on the No. 1 seeded San Francisco 49ers. It was the start of the Bill Walsh-Joe Montana dynasty and Montana threw for 304 yards and two scores as San Francisco constructed a 24-7 lead within the second quarter and by no means noticed its lead drop under seven factors for a 38-24 win on its approach to profitable Super Bowl XVI.
It would take the Giants three years to return to the playoffs. Perkins left after the 1982 season to succeed his mentor Paul “Bear” Bryant at Alabama. Parcells took over and survived a 3-12-1 1983 season earlier than the franchise actually turned the nook a 12 months later.
For the Eagles, this marked the tip of the profitable run of 4 straight playoff appearances beneath Vermeil, who would retire citing burnout after the strike-shortened 1982 season.
JAN. 7, 2001
GIANTS 20, EAGLES 10
The season: Coach Jim Fassel’s seat was heat after going 15-17 over the earlier two seasons, however the outlook for 2000 was promising.
The Giants had discovered their quarterback in Kerry Collins they usually had established a Thunder (rookie Ron Dayne) and Lightning (Tiki Barber) dashing assault. Michael Strahan, Keith Hamilton, Jessie Armstead and Jason Sehorn led a robust protection.
The Giants opened the season with a 7-2 report, however consecutive house losses to the Rams and Lions made Giants followers — and pundits — a bit stressed.
That’s when Fassel famously stated, “I’m raising the stakes right now. This team is going to the playoffs.” The Giants didn’t lose once more till the Super Bowl, profitable the ultimate 5 regular-season video games to win the division and earn the No. 1 seed and home-field benefit within the playoffs.
The Giants swept the season collection with the Eagles, 33-18 at Philly and 24-7 at Giants Stadium. To this level, Fassel held a 4-0 report in opposition to Eagles coach Andy Reid.
At 11-5 Philadelphia was making its first of 5 straight playoff appearances beneath Reid with quarterback Donovan McNabb rising as a star and a protection led by Hugh Douglas, Brian Dawkins, Jeremiah Trotter and Troy Vincent.
The Eagles beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 21-3, within the wild-card around the week earlier than, led by McNabb’s three touchdowns — two passing, one dashing.
The recreation: Fassel’s early dominance of Reid apart, when Giants returner Ron Dixon took the opening kickoff and burst via an enormous gap untouched for a 97-yard landing, the sport was primarily over in a defensive battle the Giants dominated.
Strahan sacked McNabb twice, the second time forcing a fumble, and added one other deal with for loss. The recreation noticed its true separation when Sehorn made an unimaginable athletic play, intercepting McNabb whereas juggling the ball within the air in a somersault and racing down the sideline for a 32-yard landing and a 17-0 lead with 1:40 left within the first half.
McNabb would throw a 10-yard landing to Torrance Small within the remaining two minutes of the sport, however that was inconsequential because the Giants reserved a date within the NFC Championship Game.
The aftermath: The Giants rolled over the Minnesota Vikings, 41-0, within the NFC Championship Game the next week earlier than their magical run hit a wall within the traditionally nice Baltimore Ravens protection within the Super XXXV. The Giants’ solely rating in a 34-7 rout got here on a Dixon kickoff return to open the second half. Collins threw 4 interceptions and was sacked 4 occasions.
The Eagles’ first journey to the playoffs in 4 years wouldn’t be the final for Reid and McNabb. Philadelphia gained the NFC East and reached the NFC Championship Games in every of the following 4 seasons, going to the Super Bowl following the 2004 season. In all, Reid’s groups would make the playoffs in 9 of 11 seasons.
JAN. 7, 2007
EAGLES 23, GIANTS 20
The season: In Year 3 of the Tom Coughlin-Eli Manning period, the Giants had been coming off an NFC East title in 2005 solely to lose their opening playoff recreation in shutout trend to the Carolina Panthers.
They appeared to be on their approach to constructing on that success in 2006, beginning the season 6-2.
Some key accidents mixed with Barber asserting that he can be retiring at season’s finish to pursue a media profession made issues unsettling. A recreation that exemplified the tough season got here in opposition to the Tennessee Titans, when because the Giants had been blowing a 21-point lead, first-round draft choose Mathias Kiwanuka appeared to sack Titans QB Vince Young, solely to let go earlier than any whistle blew, permitting Young to run for a primary down and proceed the comeback for a Tennessee win.
In the regular-season finale at Washington, Barber put the Giants on his again, dashing for 234 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-28 win as Big Blue squeaked into the playoffs with an 8-8 report.
McNabb performed exceptionally effectively to start out the season simply to get the Eagles to 5-4, however suffered a season-ending harm in a loss at Tennessee. After they misplaced the following recreation at Indianapolis, Philly shifted its focus to the operating of Brian Westbrook and the sport administration of Jeff Garcia because the crew ended the season on a five-game profitable streak — together with a 36-22 win on the Giants — to say the division.
Like this 12 months, the division put three groups within the playoffs — Eagles, Cowboys, Giants.
The recreation: As far because the playoff historical past between these groups goes, this recreation was probably the most aggressive, a see-saw affair that was gained on the sport’s remaining play.
The Giants took the opening kickoff and marched down the sector, scoring on a 17-yard move from Manning to Plaxico Burress. The Eagles didn’t reply till Westbook broke free for a 49-yard landing early within the second quarter. After the groups traded discipline targets, Garcia discovered Donte’ Stallworth for a 28-yard landing with 1:07 left within the half for a 17-10 lead.
After an trade of discipline targets once more from Philly’s David Akers and the Giants’ Jay Feely, the Giants went on a 15-play, 80-yard drive, chewing up a lot of the fourth quarter earlier than Manning related with Burress once more for an 11-yard rating with 5:08 left. Barber contributed 51 complete yards on what can be the ultimate drive of his profession. He would end with 178 complete yards for the sport (137 dashing; 41 receiving).
Philadelphia then rode their workhorse Westbrook to get into field-goal place as Akers nailed the 38-yarder as time expired for the 23-20 win.
The aftermath: The Giants’ midseason collapse made Coughlin’s seat heat up within the offseason. Coughlin adjusted his militaristic model getting into the 2007 season and Barber’s departure appeared to ease some tensions within the locker room because the Giants went 10-6 to earn a wild-card berth and ending the common season with 38-35 loss to the undefeated New England Patriots. Buoyed by that recreation, the Giants set out on their best playoff run ever, beating the Bucs, the top-seeded Cowboys after which the Packers in a traditionally frigid environment at Lambeau Field within the NFC Championship Game to set a rematch with the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, which the Giants gained, 17-14, in one of many greatest upsets within the huge recreation’s historical past and earn Big Blue a 3rd Lombardi Trophy.
The Eagles misplaced the following week, 27-24, at New Orleans within the divisional spherical and would miss the playoffs with an 8-8 report in 2007. The Eagles then reeled off three extra playoff appearances, together with an upset over the Giants following the 2008 season.
JAN. 11, 2009
EAGLES 23, GIANTS 11
The season: After their epic Super Bowl season in 2007 and Strahan’s retirement, the Giants hit the bottom operating in 2008, trying like the very best crew within the league, beginning 10-1 with Manning trying sharp and a floor recreation bolstered by Brandon Jacobs (1,089 yards), Derrick Ward (1,025 yards) and Ahmad Bradshaw.
However, an off-field incident would alter that promising season. On the night time of Friday, Nov. 28, Burress, whereas out at a membership in New York City, unintentionally shot himself within the leg with an unregistered gun. Although the wound was not life-threatening, the Giants’ prime receiving risk can be suspended for the remainder of the season and he ultimately would serve 20 months in jail and by no means play for the Giants once more.
Although the Giants gained that week’s recreation at Washington to enhance to 11-1, they misplaced three of their remaining 4 video games to complete 12-4 and nonetheless managed to win the NFC East and safe home-field benefit. One of the losses in that stretch got here in opposition to the Eagles, 20-14, which might be an omen of issues to come back in January.
Philly started the season 5-5-1, however gained 4 of its final 5 — together with the win at Giants Stadium, the place the protection actually shone, holding Big Blue (which averaged 157 yards dashing per recreation) to simply 88 yards on the bottom.
In the wild-card spherical, the Eagles gained at Minnesota, 26-14, with a McNabb 71-yard landing to Westbrook halfway via the fourth quarter making the distinction.
The recreation: Much just like the late regular-season assembly, the Eagles prevailed in a defensive wrestle the place the Giants managed simply three discipline targets on three journeys to the purple zone.
Big Blue appeared to get off to a lightning begin when Bradshaw returned the opening kickoff to the Eagles 35. That resulted in a John Carney 22-yard discipline purpose and a 3-0 Giants lead.
On their subsequent possession, Manning was picked off by Asante Samuel on the Giants’ 27 and Samuel returned it to the 2-yard line the place McNabb snuck it in three performs later for a 7-3 lead.
The Giants would rating a security when McNabb, beneath stress from Justin Tuck, was referred to as for intentional grounding ultimately zone.
The lead would change palms 4 occasions because the groups exchanged discipline targets, however when Philly’s David Akers hit a 35-yarder with 7:45 left within the third quarter, the Eagles led, 13-11, and by no means misplaced it.
A McNabb 1-yard move to Brent Celek gave Philly respiration room and Akers tacked on one other discipline purpose late. In between these scores, the Giants couldn’t convert on two fourth-and-shorts close to midfield to place salt on the Giants’ wounded season.
The aftermath: The Eagles performed on the Arizona Cardinals within the NFC Championship Game the next week and took a one-point lead within the fourth quarter on a 62-yard move from McNabb to Jackson, however Kurt Warner’s 8-yard landing to Tim Hightower with 2:53 left ended the Eagles’ probabilities at reaching their second Super Bowl in 5 years.
The Giants felt the consequences of this loss and missed the playoffs the following two seasons, going 8-8 in 2009.
In 2010, the Giants appeared to get again on observe solely to see Philly suck the life out of their playoff desires.
Holding a 9-4 report getting into a key matchup with the Eagles of their final recreation on the previous Giants Stadium. Leading 31-10 halfway via the fourth quarter, Big Blue collapsed beneath the onslaught of a comeback spurred by Michael Vick, who resurrected his profession in Philly that season after McNabb was injured early. Vick engineered three scoring drives to tie the sport at 31 with 1:16 remaining.
When the Giants went three-and-out on the following drive, they needed to punt from their very own 29 with 14 seconds left. Matt Dodge was instructed to not kick the ball close to Philly’s harmful returner in Jackson, however Dodge hit a line drive that Jackson dropped, however picked up at his personal 35, he escaped a deal with and located a seam and burst down the fitting sideline after which ran alongside the purpose line for just a few seconds to verify the clock ran out earlier than scoring the profitable landing. The second Miracle on the Meadowlands primarily knocked the Giants out of the playoffs as each groups completed atop the NFC East with 10-6 information, however Philadelphia gained the division by advantage of a 2-0 head-to-head report.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com