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I enjoyed this read a great deal. Much of this, most of you know but I thought it was a good piece to post for some who may not know a little of the history behind the NFC East. Please enjoy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Significant_rivalries_in_the_NFL
NFC East
This entire division can be considered one giant rivalry in itself, since every team shares a rivalry with every other team, and also because this division holds 10 of the 41 Super Bowls played as of 2007. The rivalries are so entrenched that when the NFL realigned the divisions into the four-team format, the teams remained in the same division (despite the fact that Dallas is much further west of the St. Louis Rams, who play in the NFC West). This also makes for a very financially lucrative division, with more guaranteed "big market match-ups" for the NFL and it's media partners.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders
Main article: Cowboys-Commanders rivalry
First met in 1960
55-37-2 Dallas leads series (Washington leads playoffs 2-0)
Perhaps no NFL rivalry has had more national spotlight than the Cowboys/Commanders rivalry. Whether it was Landry vs. Allen or Landry vs. Gibbs, or Staubach vs. Theismann, or Dorsett vs. Riggins, the two annual Cowboys vs. Commanders games are a big deal no matter what the records are. The teams have won a combined total of 8 Super Bowls and have played each other twice in the NFC Championship Game. Many consider the rivalry to be one of the biggest in all sports. Dallas leads the all-time series 55-35-2, though Washington has the advantage in NFC Championship Game battles two games to none.
Signature Moment: The rivalry began even before the Dallas Cowboys existed when then Commanders owner George Preston Marshall opposed the proposal for an expansion team in Texas. A behind-the-scenes battle would then ensue, and finally culminate when the would-be Dallas owners bought the rights to Washington's fight song, "Hail to the Commanders" and threatened to not allow Marshall to play it at his team's games. Marshall then backed down, the Cowboys were born, and the rivalry began in 1960.
Signature moment: November 10, 1962 was the date of the infamous Cowboy Chicken Club game, as four banners reading "CHICKENS" were unfurled over the 50 yard line and end zone facades of D.C. Stadium, during "Hail To The Commanders." Two acrobats then ran onto the field releasing a chicken and throwing colored eggs into the crowd, during the National Anthem. The chicken prank dated back to the season before as the Chicken Club planned to release 75 white chickens and one black chicken during the halftime show of a game on December 17, 1961. The black chicken and colored eggs symbolized then Commanders owner George Preston Marshall's stance against signing African-American players to play for the Commanders. After apprehending one of the acrobats (the other escaped), the game began and the Cowboys marched to a 38-10 victory.
Signature moment: In their first ever playoff meeting, the Commanders would crush the Cowboys 26-3 in the 1972 NFC Championship Game, halting the Cowboys bid to reach three consecutive Super Bowls.
Signature moment: In the first Monday Night Football meeting between the clubs on October 8, 1973, future Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Ken Houston preserved Washington's 14-7 victory at RFK Stadium by tackling Dallas running back Walt Garrison on the Commander 1-yard line as time expired. The best Dallas could have hoped for was a 14-14 tie, since overtime for regular season games was not adopted until 1974, and the two-point conversion option was not added to the rules until 1994.
Signature moment: On Thanksgiving 1974, backup Dallas QB Clint Longley, subbing for an injured Roger Staubach, threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson to cap an amazing comeback and defeat the Commanders 24-23. Longley never saw significant playing time after that.
Signature moment: Washington led by 13 points late in the final game of the 1979 season, but Dallas QB Roger Staubach led two scoring drives as time was running out to win the game 35-34. Staubach threw an 8-yard pass to Tony Hill for the last touchdown. The win knocked the Commanders out of the playoffs for the 1979 season.
Signature moment: Perhaps the most remembered contest of this rivalry was the NFC Championship game at RFK Stadium in 1982, where the rivalry was personified with the entire stadium chanting "We Want Dallas!" throughout the game. The game was highlighted by Commanders guard Darryl Grant high-stepping into the end zone to add insult to the Commanders 31-17 victory.
Signature moment: In the first game of the 1983 season, Washington led 23-3 at halftime. The Cowboys came roaring back and dominated the second half, taking a 31-23 lead before winning 31-30 to defeat the defending Super Bowl champions.
Signature moment: Dallas had a 1-15 record in 1989, the worst in the NFL. Their sole victory was a midseason game versus the Commanders.
Signature moment: The Commanders were 11-0 and on their way to winning the Super Bowl when they faced the Cowboys in October 1991. The young Cowboys played with reckless abandon. They recovered an onside kick, went for it on fourth down, and connected on a Hail Mary touchdown pass. Dallas won 24-21. Dallas would go in to win three of the next five Super Bowls.
Signature moment: The Commanders finished 6-10 in 1995, but swept the season series with the Cowboys. The Cowboys went on to win the Super Bowl that season.
Signature moment: Washington led 35-14 going into the 4th quarter in the 1999 season opener. Dallas, led by "the Triplets", Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith, mounted a comeback to tie the game. Dallas won in overtime on a 76-yard touchdown pass from Aikman to Raghib "Rocket" Ismail.
Signature moment: On Sep. 19, 2005, down 13-0 in the waning 4 minutes of the Monday Night Game, Commanders QB Mark Brunell threw two long touchdown passes to Santana Moss, ending the game with the Commanders on top with a 14-13 win. The triumph over Dallas was capitalized later in the season when Washington, with its home crowd chanting "We Want Dallas" in a way reminiscent of their 1982 NFC Championship meeting, defeated the Cowboys 35-7 and giving the Commanders their first sweep over the Cowboys since 1995.
Signature moment: On November 5, 2006 at FedEx Field the Commanders won the game through a most unusual series of events. With the game tied 19-19, Commanders kicker Nick Novak missed a 49 yard field goal attempt, turning the ball back to Dallas on downs. The ensuing plays, in turn, set up for Dallas' Mike Vanderjagt, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, to try for a 35-yard field goal with 6 seconds remaining. The kick was blocked by Commanders’ safety Troy Vincent and picked up by the Commanders' Sean Taylor. Taylor returned the kick to the Cowboys' 44-yard line with no time left on the clock. However, the Cowboys' Kyle Kosier committed a 15-yard facemask penalty on Taylor during the return, which caused the game to be extended by one untimed down. On the final play, from 47 yards out, Nick Novak made the game winning field goal to seal the victory for the Commanders.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles
First met in 1960
53-42 Dallas leads series (Dallas leads playoffs 2-1)
This rivalry, although not as intense as the Cowboys-Commanders rivalry, is still considered one of the greatest in the NFL as both teams, along with their die hard fans, usually pose a great challenge to each other whenever they meet.
Signature moment: When the Cowboys visited Veterans Stadium for a Monday Night Football contest on September 23, 1974, Dallas was coming off of its eighth consecutive playoff appearance in 1973, while the Eagles had suffered through its seventh consecutive losing season. But thanks to a 97-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Joe Lavender and a 45-yard field goal by Tom Dempsey as time expired, Philadelphia pulled off a 13-10 shocker. The 1974 season marked the only time between 1966 and 1983 in which the Cowboys did not make the playoffs, and the Eagles finished 7-7 in 1974, the only non-losing season for the franchise between 1967 and 1977.
Signature moment: One of the first signs of the end of the Cowboys' dominance of the NFC in the late 1970s came in the 1980 NFC Championship, when the Eagles, led by quarterback Ron Jaworski toppled Dallas in a frigid Veterans Stadium, 20-7.
Signature moment: The Eagles had another strong season in 1981 and faced Dallas in a December showdown for the division title. The Cowboys won the showdown 21-10 to force the Eagles to settle for a wild card playoff berth.
Signature moment: During the 1987 NFL players strike, the Cowboys replacement team (augmented by some veteran players, including two Hall of Famers) defeated the Eagles replacement squad 41-22. The Eagles had the fewest veterans cross the line; the Cowboys the most. Philadelphia's blue-collar, pro-union fan base took notice. After the game, Eagles coach Buddy Ryan fumed about the Cowboys playing veterans against his team made up of only replacement players and running up the score. In reality, the Cowboys did not score any points in the fourth quarter and the Cowboys veteran offensive players saw little action. For example, Dallas running back Tony Dorsett carried the ball four times and Dallas quarterback Danny White threw three passes, none for scores. When the teams met again two weeks later with all regular players on both sides, the Eagles controlled the game and had a 30-20 lead with seconds to play. With the Cowboys thinking the Eagles were running out the clock, Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham faked a kneel-down and threw a pass to the goal line. The play caught the Cowboys by surprise and the defensive back committed pass interference in the end zone. The Eagles scored a rub-it-in touchdown on the next play to make the final score 37-20. The Eagles went on to dominate the Cowboys for the rest of the decade.
Signature moment: The Cowboys' traditional home Thanksgiving game in 1989 saw several skirmishes between players of both teams, with Cowboys kicker Luis Zendejas eventually being knocked out of the game with a concussion. In the wake of the Cowboys' 27-0 defeat, the only shutout Dallas has ever suffered on Thanksgiving, Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson accused Eagles coach Buddy Ryan of placing bounties on Zendejas and Cowboys QB Troy Aikman. The game became known as the Bounty Bowl. Two weeks later, chaos again broke out in Veterans Stadium as snowballs were pelted at the Dallas bench, with Coach Jimmy Johnson needing a police escort on the way out. This is known as Bounty Bowl II. One of the participants in the snowball throwing was future Philadelphia mayor and Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, an avowed Eagles fanatic.
Signature moment: Philadelphia defeated Dallas in 9 out of the last 10 meetings when the teams faced off in a late season game at Veterans Stadium in 1991. The young Cowboys were on the verge of being the "Team of the 1990s" and took a big step by winning the game 25-13 behind backup QB Steve Beuerlein, who started the game in place of an injured Troy Aikman. The Cowboys finished 11-5 and went to the playoffs as a wild card team while the Eagles missed the postseason despite a solid 10-6 record.
Signature moment: Michael Irvin was injured in an October 1999 game at Veterans Stadium that left him briefly paralyzed; he lay prone on the Vet's hard Astroturf field and had to be taken off on a stretcher. All the while a minority of Philly fans cheered at the fall of the rival Irvin, who would be forced to retire due to the injury; While obviously no cheering fan knew the severity of the injury, the cheering was condemned by Rich Eisen on ESPN.
Signature moment: On December 19, 2004, Terrell Owens, still an Eagle, was brought down by a horse-collar tackle by Cowboys safety Roy Williams which resulted in a severely sprained ankle and a fractured fibula. This almost ended his season but Owens came back for Super Bowl XXXIX in which he had 9 catches for 122 yards. The following season, horse collar tackles were outlawed by the NFL.
Signature moment: Cowboys safety Roy Williams returned an interception for the winning touchdown in a Monday Night Football game in 2005. Donovan McNabb, the star Eagles quarterback was injured on the play and missed the rest of the season. The Eagles went 2-5 the rest of the season with their backup quarterback.
Signature moment: After being released by the Eagles, Terrell Owens was signed by the Cowboys for a 3 year, $25 million deal on March 18, 2006. The Eagles and Cowboys squared off at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 5 of the regular season. The minute Owens stepped on the field, he was hailed with boos and jeers from the crowd. He only had 3 catches for 45 yards and the Eagles claimed the victory 38-24. The game was won on a Lito Sheppard Interception touchdown return for 102 yards. The two teams rematched on Christmas Day in Week 16 at Texas Stadium with both backup quarterbacks, Jeff Garcia and Tony Romo, starting for each team. The Eagles once again defeated the Cowboys 23-7 and clinched a playoff spot. Owens had 2 catches for 23 yards and the only Dallas touchdown.
New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders
First met in 1937
In the league's early years, this northeast corridor battle had the biggest stars on the league going up against each other — Sammy Baugh of the Commanders, Y.A. Tittle and Frank Gifford for the Giants, and Sam Huff who played for both teams. The modern version of the rivalry saw Bill Parcells' Giants and Joe Gibbs' Commanders battle to see who would go to the Super Bowl from the NFC, in the 1980s and early 1990s. The Giants and Commanders each won two Super Bowls between the 1986 and 1991 seasons.
Signature moment: On a Monday Night Football game in 1985, Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor sacked Commanders quarterback Joe Theismann, breaking Theismann's leg on the play. The gruesome injury was caught on live television and replayed multiple times, and Theismann was forced into early retirement. Taylor, who frantically motioned to both sidelines for medical help for Theismann following the play, is still shaken by the incident to this day, and refuses to watch replays of the catastrophe.
Signature moment: In 1986, the teams met for the NFC championship game after the Giants swept the Commanders during the regular season. When New York won the coin toss, the Giants opted to take advantage of a swirling wind at Giants Stadium that was gusting in excess of 50 miles per hour rather than have its offense battle the wind in the opening period. Washington was forced to punt into the gale, and the Giants scored a touchdown on their first drive. New York scored all of its points in the first half of a 17-0 victory, catapulting Big Blue to Super Bowl XXI and an eventual world championship.
New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys
First met in 1960
53-35-2 Dallas leads series (No playoff contests)
Signature moment: North vs. South. The bright lights of New York and the wide open spaces of Texas. The games between these two teams have served as a metaphor for both America and pro football.
Signature moment: The Cowboys defeated the Giants 20-13 on October 11, 1971, the first Monday Night Football meeting between the teams and the last NFL game at the Cotton Bowl.
Signature moment: On December 19, 1981, the Giants defeated the Cowboys 13-10 in overtime on a frigid Saturday afternoon in Giants Stadium to help Big Blue reach the playoffs for the first time since 1963. Joe Danelo kicked the winning field goal in overtime after missing a game-winning attempt earlier in sudden death.
Signature moment: In the final game of the 1993 season, with both teams at 11-4 and competing for playoff position, Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith suffered a separated right shoulder in the first half, but continued to play in obvious pain, amassing 168 rushing yards, including 41 on the game-winning drive, as Dallas won 16-13 in overtime. Smith also locked up the NFL rushing title with his tough, gritty performance. After the game, sportscaster John Madden paid a visit to Smith in the locker room to congratulate him, the only time Madden (as an announcer) would pay such a visit to a player, later writing "[It] was one of the toughest efforts I've ever seen by any football player in any game."[1] The win earned the Cowboys a bye in the playoffs, giving Smith time to heal, and he would go on to lead the Cowboys to victory over the Bills as the MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII.
Signature moment: In 2003, the teams met at Giants Stadium on Monday Night Football. The game marked former Giants coach Bill Parcells' first visit to Giants Stadium as head coach of the Cowboys. The Cowboys led 29-14 after three quarters, but they squandered the lead over the last 15 minutes, and found themselves down 32-29 with just 11 seconds to play. The Giants simply needed to kick off and play a "prevent" defense for 1 or 2 plays, but the kickoff went out of bounds, putting the Cowboys at their own 40 with no time elapsed, and Quincy Carter completed a deep pass to Antonio Bryant, who went out of bounds at the New York 34 to stop the clock with 4 seconds left. Billy Cundiff then converted a 52-yard field goal as time expired to send the game to overtime, and kicked a 25 yarder with 5:56 left in OT to win it for the Cowboys. Cundiff tied an NFL record with 7 field goals in the game, out of 8 total attempts.
New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Main article: Eagles-Giants rivalry
First met in 1933
The Giants/Eagles rivalry is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating all the way back to 1933. It is also considered along with the Commanders/Cowboys rivalry to be the chief rivalry within the division.
Signature moment: In a 1960 game, the Eagles' Chuck Bednarik cleanly blindsided Giants running back Frank Gifford, sending Gifford into an 18-month retirement due to a severe concussion.
Signature moment: These two teams have had one of the longest rivalries in the NFL, due to their geographical proximity, although it has only lately picked up due to both teams struggles in the past. On November 19, 1978 at Giants Stadium, the Giants were leading the Eagles 17-12 with 20 seconds remaining. Offenseive coordinator Bob Gibson called for a running play when all that was needed was for the Giants to take a knee. 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.
Signature moment: On January 7, 2001 in a divisional playoff game, the Giants defeated the Eagles 20-10 thanks to Ron Dixon's 97-yard kickoff return and Jason Sehorn's acrobatic 32-yard interception return. This win would help propel the Giants to Super Bowl XXXV which they ultimately lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-7.
Signature moment: In the two teams' first meeting of the 2006 season, Philadelphia held a 17-point lead going into the fourth quarter. However, the Giants rallied to tie the game, and go into overtime. In overtime, Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw a game winning touchdown pass to WR Plaxico Burress, and the Giants won 30-24. In the second meeting, the Eagles would get some payback in a 36-22 victory, which was capped with DE Trent Cole intercepting a pass from Manning (who was getting hit and he ended up throwing the ball up in the air) and returning it for a touchdown. They would meet for a third time in the 2006-2007 playoffs, where the Eagles won on a late field goal, 23-20.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Significant_rivalries_in_the_NFL
NFC East
This entire division can be considered one giant rivalry in itself, since every team shares a rivalry with every other team, and also because this division holds 10 of the 41 Super Bowls played as of 2007. The rivalries are so entrenched that when the NFL realigned the divisions into the four-team format, the teams remained in the same division (despite the fact that Dallas is much further west of the St. Louis Rams, who play in the NFC West). This also makes for a very financially lucrative division, with more guaranteed "big market match-ups" for the NFL and it's media partners.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders
Main article: Cowboys-Commanders rivalry
First met in 1960
55-37-2 Dallas leads series (Washington leads playoffs 2-0)
Perhaps no NFL rivalry has had more national spotlight than the Cowboys/Commanders rivalry. Whether it was Landry vs. Allen or Landry vs. Gibbs, or Staubach vs. Theismann, or Dorsett vs. Riggins, the two annual Cowboys vs. Commanders games are a big deal no matter what the records are. The teams have won a combined total of 8 Super Bowls and have played each other twice in the NFC Championship Game. Many consider the rivalry to be one of the biggest in all sports. Dallas leads the all-time series 55-35-2, though Washington has the advantage in NFC Championship Game battles two games to none.
Signature Moment: The rivalry began even before the Dallas Cowboys existed when then Commanders owner George Preston Marshall opposed the proposal for an expansion team in Texas. A behind-the-scenes battle would then ensue, and finally culminate when the would-be Dallas owners bought the rights to Washington's fight song, "Hail to the Commanders" and threatened to not allow Marshall to play it at his team's games. Marshall then backed down, the Cowboys were born, and the rivalry began in 1960.
Signature moment: November 10, 1962 was the date of the infamous Cowboy Chicken Club game, as four banners reading "CHICKENS" were unfurled over the 50 yard line and end zone facades of D.C. Stadium, during "Hail To The Commanders." Two acrobats then ran onto the field releasing a chicken and throwing colored eggs into the crowd, during the National Anthem. The chicken prank dated back to the season before as the Chicken Club planned to release 75 white chickens and one black chicken during the halftime show of a game on December 17, 1961. The black chicken and colored eggs symbolized then Commanders owner George Preston Marshall's stance against signing African-American players to play for the Commanders. After apprehending one of the acrobats (the other escaped), the game began and the Cowboys marched to a 38-10 victory.
Signature moment: In their first ever playoff meeting, the Commanders would crush the Cowboys 26-3 in the 1972 NFC Championship Game, halting the Cowboys bid to reach three consecutive Super Bowls.
Signature moment: In the first Monday Night Football meeting between the clubs on October 8, 1973, future Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Ken Houston preserved Washington's 14-7 victory at RFK Stadium by tackling Dallas running back Walt Garrison on the Commander 1-yard line as time expired. The best Dallas could have hoped for was a 14-14 tie, since overtime for regular season games was not adopted until 1974, and the two-point conversion option was not added to the rules until 1994.
Signature moment: On Thanksgiving 1974, backup Dallas QB Clint Longley, subbing for an injured Roger Staubach, threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson to cap an amazing comeback and defeat the Commanders 24-23. Longley never saw significant playing time after that.
Signature moment: Washington led by 13 points late in the final game of the 1979 season, but Dallas QB Roger Staubach led two scoring drives as time was running out to win the game 35-34. Staubach threw an 8-yard pass to Tony Hill for the last touchdown. The win knocked the Commanders out of the playoffs for the 1979 season.
Signature moment: Perhaps the most remembered contest of this rivalry was the NFC Championship game at RFK Stadium in 1982, where the rivalry was personified with the entire stadium chanting "We Want Dallas!" throughout the game. The game was highlighted by Commanders guard Darryl Grant high-stepping into the end zone to add insult to the Commanders 31-17 victory.
Signature moment: In the first game of the 1983 season, Washington led 23-3 at halftime. The Cowboys came roaring back and dominated the second half, taking a 31-23 lead before winning 31-30 to defeat the defending Super Bowl champions.
Signature moment: Dallas had a 1-15 record in 1989, the worst in the NFL. Their sole victory was a midseason game versus the Commanders.
Signature moment: The Commanders were 11-0 and on their way to winning the Super Bowl when they faced the Cowboys in October 1991. The young Cowboys played with reckless abandon. They recovered an onside kick, went for it on fourth down, and connected on a Hail Mary touchdown pass. Dallas won 24-21. Dallas would go in to win three of the next five Super Bowls.
Signature moment: The Commanders finished 6-10 in 1995, but swept the season series with the Cowboys. The Cowboys went on to win the Super Bowl that season.
Signature moment: Washington led 35-14 going into the 4th quarter in the 1999 season opener. Dallas, led by "the Triplets", Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith, mounted a comeback to tie the game. Dallas won in overtime on a 76-yard touchdown pass from Aikman to Raghib "Rocket" Ismail.
Signature moment: On Sep. 19, 2005, down 13-0 in the waning 4 minutes of the Monday Night Game, Commanders QB Mark Brunell threw two long touchdown passes to Santana Moss, ending the game with the Commanders on top with a 14-13 win. The triumph over Dallas was capitalized later in the season when Washington, with its home crowd chanting "We Want Dallas" in a way reminiscent of their 1982 NFC Championship meeting, defeated the Cowboys 35-7 and giving the Commanders their first sweep over the Cowboys since 1995.
Signature moment: On November 5, 2006 at FedEx Field the Commanders won the game through a most unusual series of events. With the game tied 19-19, Commanders kicker Nick Novak missed a 49 yard field goal attempt, turning the ball back to Dallas on downs. The ensuing plays, in turn, set up for Dallas' Mike Vanderjagt, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, to try for a 35-yard field goal with 6 seconds remaining. The kick was blocked by Commanders’ safety Troy Vincent and picked up by the Commanders' Sean Taylor. Taylor returned the kick to the Cowboys' 44-yard line with no time left on the clock. However, the Cowboys' Kyle Kosier committed a 15-yard facemask penalty on Taylor during the return, which caused the game to be extended by one untimed down. On the final play, from 47 yards out, Nick Novak made the game winning field goal to seal the victory for the Commanders.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles
First met in 1960
53-42 Dallas leads series (Dallas leads playoffs 2-1)
This rivalry, although not as intense as the Cowboys-Commanders rivalry, is still considered one of the greatest in the NFL as both teams, along with their die hard fans, usually pose a great challenge to each other whenever they meet.
Signature moment: When the Cowboys visited Veterans Stadium for a Monday Night Football contest on September 23, 1974, Dallas was coming off of its eighth consecutive playoff appearance in 1973, while the Eagles had suffered through its seventh consecutive losing season. But thanks to a 97-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Joe Lavender and a 45-yard field goal by Tom Dempsey as time expired, Philadelphia pulled off a 13-10 shocker. The 1974 season marked the only time between 1966 and 1983 in which the Cowboys did not make the playoffs, and the Eagles finished 7-7 in 1974, the only non-losing season for the franchise between 1967 and 1977.
Signature moment: One of the first signs of the end of the Cowboys' dominance of the NFC in the late 1970s came in the 1980 NFC Championship, when the Eagles, led by quarterback Ron Jaworski toppled Dallas in a frigid Veterans Stadium, 20-7.
Signature moment: The Eagles had another strong season in 1981 and faced Dallas in a December showdown for the division title. The Cowboys won the showdown 21-10 to force the Eagles to settle for a wild card playoff berth.
Signature moment: During the 1987 NFL players strike, the Cowboys replacement team (augmented by some veteran players, including two Hall of Famers) defeated the Eagles replacement squad 41-22. The Eagles had the fewest veterans cross the line; the Cowboys the most. Philadelphia's blue-collar, pro-union fan base took notice. After the game, Eagles coach Buddy Ryan fumed about the Cowboys playing veterans against his team made up of only replacement players and running up the score. In reality, the Cowboys did not score any points in the fourth quarter and the Cowboys veteran offensive players saw little action. For example, Dallas running back Tony Dorsett carried the ball four times and Dallas quarterback Danny White threw three passes, none for scores. When the teams met again two weeks later with all regular players on both sides, the Eagles controlled the game and had a 30-20 lead with seconds to play. With the Cowboys thinking the Eagles were running out the clock, Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham faked a kneel-down and threw a pass to the goal line. The play caught the Cowboys by surprise and the defensive back committed pass interference in the end zone. The Eagles scored a rub-it-in touchdown on the next play to make the final score 37-20. The Eagles went on to dominate the Cowboys for the rest of the decade.
Signature moment: The Cowboys' traditional home Thanksgiving game in 1989 saw several skirmishes between players of both teams, with Cowboys kicker Luis Zendejas eventually being knocked out of the game with a concussion. In the wake of the Cowboys' 27-0 defeat, the only shutout Dallas has ever suffered on Thanksgiving, Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson accused Eagles coach Buddy Ryan of placing bounties on Zendejas and Cowboys QB Troy Aikman. The game became known as the Bounty Bowl. Two weeks later, chaos again broke out in Veterans Stadium as snowballs were pelted at the Dallas bench, with Coach Jimmy Johnson needing a police escort on the way out. This is known as Bounty Bowl II. One of the participants in the snowball throwing was future Philadelphia mayor and Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, an avowed Eagles fanatic.
Signature moment: Philadelphia defeated Dallas in 9 out of the last 10 meetings when the teams faced off in a late season game at Veterans Stadium in 1991. The young Cowboys were on the verge of being the "Team of the 1990s" and took a big step by winning the game 25-13 behind backup QB Steve Beuerlein, who started the game in place of an injured Troy Aikman. The Cowboys finished 11-5 and went to the playoffs as a wild card team while the Eagles missed the postseason despite a solid 10-6 record.
Signature moment: Michael Irvin was injured in an October 1999 game at Veterans Stadium that left him briefly paralyzed; he lay prone on the Vet's hard Astroturf field and had to be taken off on a stretcher. All the while a minority of Philly fans cheered at the fall of the rival Irvin, who would be forced to retire due to the injury; While obviously no cheering fan knew the severity of the injury, the cheering was condemned by Rich Eisen on ESPN.
Signature moment: On December 19, 2004, Terrell Owens, still an Eagle, was brought down by a horse-collar tackle by Cowboys safety Roy Williams which resulted in a severely sprained ankle and a fractured fibula. This almost ended his season but Owens came back for Super Bowl XXXIX in which he had 9 catches for 122 yards. The following season, horse collar tackles were outlawed by the NFL.
Signature moment: Cowboys safety Roy Williams returned an interception for the winning touchdown in a Monday Night Football game in 2005. Donovan McNabb, the star Eagles quarterback was injured on the play and missed the rest of the season. The Eagles went 2-5 the rest of the season with their backup quarterback.
Signature moment: After being released by the Eagles, Terrell Owens was signed by the Cowboys for a 3 year, $25 million deal on March 18, 2006. The Eagles and Cowboys squared off at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 5 of the regular season. The minute Owens stepped on the field, he was hailed with boos and jeers from the crowd. He only had 3 catches for 45 yards and the Eagles claimed the victory 38-24. The game was won on a Lito Sheppard Interception touchdown return for 102 yards. The two teams rematched on Christmas Day in Week 16 at Texas Stadium with both backup quarterbacks, Jeff Garcia and Tony Romo, starting for each team. The Eagles once again defeated the Cowboys 23-7 and clinched a playoff spot. Owens had 2 catches for 23 yards and the only Dallas touchdown.
New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders
First met in 1937
In the league's early years, this northeast corridor battle had the biggest stars on the league going up against each other — Sammy Baugh of the Commanders, Y.A. Tittle and Frank Gifford for the Giants, and Sam Huff who played for both teams. The modern version of the rivalry saw Bill Parcells' Giants and Joe Gibbs' Commanders battle to see who would go to the Super Bowl from the NFC, in the 1980s and early 1990s. The Giants and Commanders each won two Super Bowls between the 1986 and 1991 seasons.
Signature moment: On a Monday Night Football game in 1985, Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor sacked Commanders quarterback Joe Theismann, breaking Theismann's leg on the play. The gruesome injury was caught on live television and replayed multiple times, and Theismann was forced into early retirement. Taylor, who frantically motioned to both sidelines for medical help for Theismann following the play, is still shaken by the incident to this day, and refuses to watch replays of the catastrophe.
Signature moment: In 1986, the teams met for the NFC championship game after the Giants swept the Commanders during the regular season. When New York won the coin toss, the Giants opted to take advantage of a swirling wind at Giants Stadium that was gusting in excess of 50 miles per hour rather than have its offense battle the wind in the opening period. Washington was forced to punt into the gale, and the Giants scored a touchdown on their first drive. New York scored all of its points in the first half of a 17-0 victory, catapulting Big Blue to Super Bowl XXI and an eventual world championship.
New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys
First met in 1960
53-35-2 Dallas leads series (No playoff contests)
Signature moment: North vs. South. The bright lights of New York and the wide open spaces of Texas. The games between these two teams have served as a metaphor for both America and pro football.
Signature moment: The Cowboys defeated the Giants 20-13 on October 11, 1971, the first Monday Night Football meeting between the teams and the last NFL game at the Cotton Bowl.
Signature moment: On December 19, 1981, the Giants defeated the Cowboys 13-10 in overtime on a frigid Saturday afternoon in Giants Stadium to help Big Blue reach the playoffs for the first time since 1963. Joe Danelo kicked the winning field goal in overtime after missing a game-winning attempt earlier in sudden death.
Signature moment: In the final game of the 1993 season, with both teams at 11-4 and competing for playoff position, Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith suffered a separated right shoulder in the first half, but continued to play in obvious pain, amassing 168 rushing yards, including 41 on the game-winning drive, as Dallas won 16-13 in overtime. Smith also locked up the NFL rushing title with his tough, gritty performance. After the game, sportscaster John Madden paid a visit to Smith in the locker room to congratulate him, the only time Madden (as an announcer) would pay such a visit to a player, later writing "[It] was one of the toughest efforts I've ever seen by any football player in any game."[1] The win earned the Cowboys a bye in the playoffs, giving Smith time to heal, and he would go on to lead the Cowboys to victory over the Bills as the MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII.
Signature moment: In 2003, the teams met at Giants Stadium on Monday Night Football. The game marked former Giants coach Bill Parcells' first visit to Giants Stadium as head coach of the Cowboys. The Cowboys led 29-14 after three quarters, but they squandered the lead over the last 15 minutes, and found themselves down 32-29 with just 11 seconds to play. The Giants simply needed to kick off and play a "prevent" defense for 1 or 2 plays, but the kickoff went out of bounds, putting the Cowboys at their own 40 with no time elapsed, and Quincy Carter completed a deep pass to Antonio Bryant, who went out of bounds at the New York 34 to stop the clock with 4 seconds left. Billy Cundiff then converted a 52-yard field goal as time expired to send the game to overtime, and kicked a 25 yarder with 5:56 left in OT to win it for the Cowboys. Cundiff tied an NFL record with 7 field goals in the game, out of 8 total attempts.
New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Main article: Eagles-Giants rivalry
First met in 1933
The Giants/Eagles rivalry is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating all the way back to 1933. It is also considered along with the Commanders/Cowboys rivalry to be the chief rivalry within the division.
Signature moment: In a 1960 game, the Eagles' Chuck Bednarik cleanly blindsided Giants running back Frank Gifford, sending Gifford into an 18-month retirement due to a severe concussion.
Signature moment: These two teams have had one of the longest rivalries in the NFL, due to their geographical proximity, although it has only lately picked up due to both teams struggles in the past. On November 19, 1978 at Giants Stadium, the Giants were leading the Eagles 17-12 with 20 seconds remaining. Offenseive coordinator Bob Gibson called for a running play when all that was needed was for the Giants to take a knee. 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.
Signature moment: On January 7, 2001 in a divisional playoff game, the Giants defeated the Eagles 20-10 thanks to Ron Dixon's 97-yard kickoff return and Jason Sehorn's acrobatic 32-yard interception return. This win would help propel the Giants to Super Bowl XXXV which they ultimately lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-7.
Signature moment: In the two teams' first meeting of the 2006 season, Philadelphia held a 17-point lead going into the fourth quarter. However, the Giants rallied to tie the game, and go into overtime. In overtime, Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw a game winning touchdown pass to WR Plaxico Burress, and the Giants won 30-24. In the second meeting, the Eagles would get some payback in a 36-22 victory, which was capped with DE Trent Cole intercepting a pass from Manning (who was getting hit and he ended up throwing the ball up in the air) and returning it for a touchdown. They would meet for a third time in the 2006-2007 playoffs, where the Eagles won on a late field goal, 23-20.
