Playoff games in general are typically can’t-miss affairs between two talented teams. Playoff games between divisional rivals, however, are games that often go down in history as all-time epic matchups.
The Eagles and Giants, who will face off this Saturday night in the NFC divisional round, certainly qualify as heated rivals. Members of the NFC East, the two teams have faced off four previous times in the postseason. Both teams have two playoff wins against their divisional foe, which makes Saturday’s game in Philadelphia the postseason rubber match.
Before the two teams kick things off Saturday, we decided to rank each of the previous four playoff games between the two teams. These games provide both pleasant and painful memories for members of both fan bases.
Note: The year designates the season in which the game was played, not the date of the game.
4. 2000 divisional: Giants 20, Eagles 10
A decided favorite, the Giants handled their business en route to the franchise’s first Super Bowl berth since the Bill Parcells era. Ron Dixon, who later ran back a kickoff for a score in the Super Bowl, returned the opening kickoff 97 yards to pay dirt:
While both teams played championship-level defense, it was the Giants’ combo of Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne that allowed their offense to control the clock while keeping the ball out of Donovan McNabb’s hands for large chunks of time. The duo combined to 88 yards on 33 carries as New York controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes.
The Giants defense also came up with a touchdown when Jason Sehorn’s 32-yard pick-six made it a 16-0 game just before halftime. Philadelphia tried but never found its rhythm against a Giants defense that was one of the league’s best that season.
3. 2006 wild card: Eagles 23, Giants 20
This game capped off what was a surprising season for Philadelphia and a disappointing one for New York. A year after missing the playoffs, the Eagles lost McNabb to a season-ending injury amid a 5-5 start. Philadelphia rallied behind 36-year-old Jeff Garcia, however, as the Eagles made the playoffs after going 5-1 down the stretch. Their reward was a playoff showdown against an underperforming Giants team that finished the year with an 8-8 record after a 6-2 start.
The division rivals engaged in a spirited, highly entertaining game that came down to the final play. After the Giants tied the score, Garcia…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CBSSports.com Headlines…