Top 10 moments in the history of the Eagles-Giants rivalry

The latest chapter of the Giants and Eagles’ rivalry is set to be written on Christmas Day.

The Birds are desperate for a win after suffering three consecutive losses, and while the Giants have struggled this year, rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito has reinvigorated the team and the fanbase.

But ahead of that game, let’s take a look back at some iconic moments in the history of the rivalry. Some of the greatest moments in Eagles franchise history came against the Giants — including multiple miracles. Here’s our list:

Okay, this wasn’t actually a Giants-Eagles game, but it’s the pettiness that really makes a rivalry special. But in 2021, the Giants needed the Eagles to beat Washington in order to win the NFC East and clinch a playoff berth. The Eagles, well out of the playoff race by that point, were down 17-14 in the second half against the Commanders when Doug Pederson benched then-rookie Jalen Hurts for Nate Sudfeld, who hadn’t played an NFL game since 2018. Hurts hadn’t played particularly well in the game but had scored both Eagles touchdowns with his legs.

Giants players were livid with the move, taking to Twitter enraged that Pederson was, in their minds, throwing the game away to keep them out of the playoffs. The Eagles lost 20-14, knocking the Giants out of the playoffs, and Sudfeld put up just 32 passing yards.

In his Philadelphia debut, Terrell Owens put on a show against the Giants, catching three touchdowns for 68 yards in the Eagles’ season-opening 31-17 win in 2004. The game was also Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s debut. Manning, who would compete in many wars with the Birds to come, entered during the fourth quarter and got absolutely wrecked by Jerome McDougle. He would later call the hit the “biggest hit I’ve taken in my life.”

Down 21-14 with just under three minutes to play, Donovan McNabb got the Birds down the field and scored a touchdown in under a minute to tie the game. Then, with just seven seconds left, David Akers kicked what ended up being the game-winning field goal, clinching the NFC East for the Birds.

But the Giants almost pulled off a miracle of their own. Giants quarterback Kerry Collins found Tiki Barber, who threw a lateral pass to Ron Dixon, who got all the way to the Eagles’ four-yard line before he was tackled short of the end zone.

The Giants were the top seed in the playoffs, and the Eagles were a six seed coming off a wild-card win in Minnesota. The Birds upset the defending Super Bowl champions on the road in a 23-11 victory.

Jake Elliott was in his second game as a pro. The Eagles signed him just 12 days prior. Elliott had just nailed a46-yarder with under a minute remaining to tie the game. The Birds forced a quick three-and-out, and Pederson sent Elliott out to try a 61-yarder for the win. Elliott just got it over the crossbar, set the Eagles’ miracle 2017 season in motion, and set the bar as the reliable kicker he’d become.

The Birds’ first playoff win over the Giants. Jeff Garcia, in for the injured Donovan McNabb, continued his crazy season-ending 5-1 run, but David Akers was the hero. Akers hit three field goals, including a walk-off 38-yarder for the game-winner.

In 2003, the Birds had 1:34 left on the clock to score and get the win over the Giants, down 10-7. But they didn’t end up needing all of that time. Brian Westbrook cemented his status as an Eagles’ legend with an 84-yard punt return touchdown, giving the Eagles a 14-10 lead and the eventual win.

The Eagles overcame a 31-10 deficit in 8 minutes to even get to this point. Michael Vick was masterful in the fourth quarter, and tied the game with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin. The Birds’ defense forced a Giants punt with 12 seconds to go, and DeSean Jackson, one of the NFL’s best punt returners, was back to receive. He bobbled it initially, but that worked out in his favor, confusing the Giants’ special teams as he ran the punt into the end zone for a 65-yard walk-off touchdown.

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In 1960, Chuck Bednarik delivered what many describe as the most vicious hit of all time in the NFL on Giants running back Frank Gifford, forcing a fumble which the Eagles returned for a touchdown to win the game. The hit was clean at the time, but landed Gifford in the hospital for 10 days and kept him out of football for 18 months.

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The Giants were up 17-12. They had the ball with under 30 seconds to play. The Eagles had no timeouts. Seems like an easy win for New York, right? But in one of the most miraculous plays in Eagles’ history up to that point, Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik fumbled the handoff, and Herman Edwards took it to the house for an Eagles touchdown.

The Eagles host the New York Giants on Monday. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and Jeff McLane as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.