Miracle at the Meadowlands

Lore & Background

After quarterback Joe Pisarcik botched an attempt to hand off the football to fullback Larry Csonka, Edwards picked up the dropped ball and ran 26 yards for the winning touchdown. It is considered miraculous because the Giants were ahead 17–12 and could easily have run out the final seconds since they had the ball and the Eagles had no timeouts left. The term 'Miracle at the Meadowlands' is primarily used by Eagles fans and sportscasters. Giants fans refer to the play simply as 'The Fumble', though that name is generally used outside of New York City for a play in the 1987 AFC Championship Game between the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.

For the Eagles, the victory snatched from the jaws of certain defeat served as a morale boost, leading that season to a playoff berth and, two seasons later, the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance. To Giants fans, it was the nadir of a long era of poor results, but the aftermath of this would lead to major changes that proved beneficial for the franchise in the long run. For the sport in general, the main legacy of the game was its contribution to the adoption and acceptance of the quarterback kneel as the standard method for winning teams in possession of the ball to end games under the appropriate set of circumstances.

Reader's Guide

The Miracle at the Meadowlands occurred at the end of a game between the New York Giants and the visiting Philadelphia Eagles, which was the first meeting between the divisional rivals in the 1978 season. The Eagles were in third place in the NFC East, behind the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins; the Giants were in fourth. The teams went into the game in similar situations, but heading in different directions. Both had playoff hopes, especially since this was the first 16-game NFL season, but likely would have to settle for a wild card berth due to the solid lead the powerful Cowboys had in the division. Given the similarity of their records it was likely the outcome would have playoff implications, since the first tie-breaker for a wild card spot is the head-to-head record.

Did You Know?

• The Giants had not played in the postseason since 1963 and had managed only two winning seasons since then.
• The Giants' move to New Jersey in 1976 had alienated some longtime fans, even if it made more seats available.
• The week before the game, Giants players, particularly on offense, had complained to reporters about the team's assistant coaches.
• Offensive coordinator Bob Gibson was the most frequent target of complaints, with Joe Pisarcik openly challenging Gibson over the previous two seasons.