CBS Sports: NFL 1978 Week 12- Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants: Miracle At The Meadowlands

Source:CBS Sports– the Eagles and Giants already had a great rivalry, but this might be the most signature play in it.

Source:The New Democrat

“The title speaks for itself. This is without question the biggest choke job in the history of the NFL. Fortunately for the Giants their fortunes took a turn for the better following this game.”

From Derek Ruff

There are games that can send mediocre teams to the playoffs and end seasons for teams that may think they are good and are in the playoff race. And 1978 Miracle at The Meadowlands is that game, because both teams were still in the NFC Playoff race at this point, but basically had to win this game. The Giants at 5-6, had to win out and probably get help from other teams to get the fifth and last playoff spot in the NFC.

The Eagles-Giants rivalry is one of the oldest and best in the NFL, top 3-5 and has had a lot of staple games. But when you lose or win a game where the team that is leading late in the game, only has to run out the clock with victory formation and they blow that and fumble the ball instead, that becomes the staple game of this great rivalry.

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NFL Network: Buddy Ryan’s Gang Green Defense

Source:NFL Network– Eagles TE Keith Jackson talking about Buddy Ryan’s Gang Green defense.

“Buddy Ryan and the greatest defense of all-time”

From NFL Network

If I had to take one defense of all-time as far as dominating an entire season including the postseason and Super Bowl, I would take the 85 Chicago Bears with their 46 defense. That Bears team doesn’t win the Super Bowl without Mike Ditka. A big reason why Buddy Ryan didn’t win a Super Bowl or even a playoff game in Philadelphia or Phoenix, because he wasn’t as good of a head coach as Iron Mike.

Buddy could get his teams to the playoffs and even win a division, but he was a defensive oriented head coach, who didn’t have much respect for offenses, even his own. Mike Ditka was a complete head coach, who was offensive minded, but understood both sides of the ball very well. And knew he also had a to have a good defense to win championships.

But I believe Buddy Ryan’s Eagles were better on defense during a longer stretch. From 1988-91 and 91 was the Eagles first season without Buddy, the Eagles might of had the best defenses ever. Buddy might of of had more talent on defense in Philadelphia, then in Chicago. And he certainly had better teams on offense, even though he never had that one running back he could count on to lead their running game.

One of the reasons why Buddy wasn’t successful in turning the Eagles into a Super Bowl contender was that he never really even had a good running game. (Outside of QB Randall Cunningham) A good passing game with good receivers like Fred Barnett, Calvin Williams, Keith Jackson, Keith Byers out of the backfield. When Randall Cunningham was on, he was about as good as any QB in the game.

Imagine how good those Eagle teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s would have been had Mike Ditka been their head coach and not Buddy Ryan. Ditka would’ve given the Eagles a running game and known how to work with Randall. And then you have either Jeff Fisher or even Buddy running the defense. The Eagles probably would’ve probably already have their first Super Bowl championship already. (Sorry, Eagle fans)

Buddy I believe had better defenses in Philadelphia if you look at their secondary and then you have Reggie White on one side on the d-line, and Jerome Brown in the middle, who were both almost un-blockable. And then Clyde Simmons on the other side of Reggie. And the Eagles had more talent on offense, but Buddy wasn’t a good enough head coach as far as both sides of the ball to take the Eagles to the promise land.

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NFL Network: Mike Ditka A Football Life

Source:NFL Network– A Football Life Mike Ditka.

“A Football Life – Mike Ditka HD”

From 80s Football Cards

“A Football Life is a documentary series developed by NFL Films and aired on NFL Network that documents the lives of select National Football League players, coaches, owners, and teams. Friends, teammates, family members and other players and coaches associated with the subjects are interviewed.”

Source:NFL Network– A Football Life Mike Ditka.

From Online Documentaries

To understand Mike Ditka you have to understand his upbringing growing up in a tough Western Pennsylvania town. From a blue-collar Polish-American family with a very tough and demanding father who really loved him. Who ends up going to college at Pittsburgh University another real tough iron blue-collar city and then gets drafted by the Chicago Bears. Similar town as Pittsburgh culturally, but with about ten times as many people.

So, Iron Mike for the most part has always been around where he came from and what he’s most comfortable with as a man. And then he ends up playing one of the toughest positions in the game tight end where you have to be tough and physical to be successful.

The Mike Ditka that people got to see as a football player is the Mike Ditka that a lot more people saw as head coach of the Chicago Bears. This get in your face tough ass didn’t take crap from anyone who simply wanted the best from his players.

Mike Ditka was the ultimate tough love head coach father figure that coached the Chicago Bears for eleven seasons (1982-92) and if you look at his record he was very successful one of the most winningest head coaches in the NFL in the 1980s.

You do your job and you give your best effort, Ditka is your best friend. But if you screw up and make mental mistakes or are lazy, Ditka is the last person you want to be around. Because he’ll tell you how bad you were, how dumb you were and how bad of a mistake you’ve made.And if you don’t do better in the future, you better look for another job.

Which was the message of Mike Ditka and you might not like his tactics, but that’s what Ditka was about. And I think something he learned from Tom Landry in Dallas, that if you want the best out of your players, you have to want it, you have to expect it and you better demand it. And your players must be aware of it as well.

Mike Ditka was a blue-collar Polish-American head coach coaching in a blue-collar city with a large Polish-American community.

Iron Mike fit Chicago as well as any head coach has ever fit any major pro sports city. And why he called his football team the 85 Bears the Grabowski’s, because his team were so blue-collar and represented that city so well. And it worked very well in the 1980s until it burned out in the early 1990s when the Bears let him go.

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NFL Films: Jim McCusker: ‘1960 Philadelphia Eagle Champions’

Source:NFL Films– Tommy McDonald: WR for the 1960 NFL Champion Philadelphia Eagles.

“On Feb. 3, 2008, the community showed highlights from the 1960 Philadelphia Eagles v. Green Bay Packers N.F.L. Championship game at Jim McCusker’s Pub. Here he comments on the Eagles win. Jim was the starting left tackle for the Eagles and earned a championship ring. Jim is a native/resident of Jamestown N.Y. Jim is a member of the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame.”

From NFL Films 

“The team that wins the Western Conference title will have to face the Philadelphia Eagles, and that will not be the easy assignment it may at first appear to be. While few winning teams in professional football have looked more inept than the Eagles when running the ball, few have been able to offset their weaknesses so well. The reasons are two: the Eagles have an impressive coterie of pass receivers and they have Norman Van Brocklin, one of the two or three best quarterbacks in all football.”

Source:Sports Illustrated– Philadelphia Eagles QB Norm Van Brocklin.

From Sports Illustrated

1960 was an interesting NFL season for several reasons. You had a different NFL champion for the first time since 1958, because the Philadelphia Eagles won the championship in 1960 dethroning the Baltimore Colts who won the championship in 58 and 59. The great Giants-Eagles rivalry went to a new level as Eagles LB Chuck Bednarik closed line which was legal back then, but he closed line New York Giants star RB/WR Frank Gifford. Knocked him out cold which cost Gifford an entire season. The Chicago Cardinals moved to St. Louis and I’m sure people in Chicago helped the Cardinals pack. Because they were an awful team and Chicago is Bears country anyway.

But perhaps the most interesting part of the 1960 NFL season were the Eagles. A blue-collar team with a great quarterback in Norm Van Brocklin and a great head coach in Buck Shaw. And the team they played in the NFL Championship the Green Bay Packers who hadn’t been an NFL contender since the early 1950s. And 1960 was Packers head coach Vince Lombardi’s first shot at the championship. And last playoff game he would ever lose. Interesting matchup because the Eagles were a pure passing team without much of a running game. And the Packers were a power running team that could also throw the ball when they needed to. But didn’t throw the ball very often.

The Eagles in 1960 were sort of like the Miami Dolphins of the mid and late 1980s. With a much better defense, but they moved the ball through the air primarily and would run when the defense was completely focused on taking away the pass. Similar to the New England Patriots of the last ten years or so. Where the Packers were a run, run, run team that would beat you up on the ground and up the middle. And could get to outside with their power sweep. And hit big passes in running situations and when you were expecting the run. Which made for a great championship matchup especially since both team were also good on defense.

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Washington Redskins: Slingin Sonny Jurgensen

Source:Hogs Haven– Hall of Fame QB Sonny Jurgensen, against their heated rival the New York Giants, at Yankee Stadium.

Source:The Daily Press  

“Though he started his career with the Eagles, no player is more identified with the Redskins after six decades as a player and announcer than the ‘Old Redhead.’

Now in his sixth decade with the team as either a player or announcer, it seems strange to remember that Sonny Jurgensen, the quintessential Redskin, spent what by NFL standards would have been a fairly lengthy career in a different uniform.

To hear new Eagles Coach Joe Kuharich tell it in 1964, in fact, his quarterback was starting to decline at at 29. Thus Jurgensen was shipped to the Redskins in a deal for 24-year-old Norm Snead after seven turbulent years in Philadelphia.

Legend has it Philly bartenders donned black armbands the day Sonny was traded, but Eagle fans were far from crushed. Having watched the uber-intense Norm Van Brocklin lead the team to an NFL title in 1960, the transition to Jurgensen’s freewheeling style both on and off the field was difficult for many to stomach, even though he was setting team passing records that still stand.”

From Hogs Haven

“Decades before RGiii was even born, Sonny Jurgensen riddled enemy defenses for the Redskins with picture-perfect bullets. Host David Spada catches up with the Hall of Famer for a look back at his amazing career on Sports & Torts.

Brought to you by:Injury in Illinois.”

Source:David Spada– Redskins Hall of Fame QB Sonny Jurgensen. (1964-74)

From David Spada

Sonny Jurgensen isn’t one of the top 10-20 NFL quarterbacks because he’s one of the best winner ever. His career record doesn’t indicate that he’s one of the best winners ever. We’re not talking about Fran Tarkenton or Dan Marino, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubauch, Johnny Unitas, as far as the amount of games that he won. He also played for a lot of mediocre and bad teams where a good year for the Redskins in the 1960s was 6-8, 7-7, 8-6, so I’m not putting Sonny down.

I’m not making excuses for Sonny, because he did play a long time without leading a team to a championship. (Eighteen seasons from 1957-74) But for the most part, he played for a lot of mediocre teams. These are records that generally doesn’t get teams to the playoffs. So even as Sonny was playing for mediocre teams, he was a great QB on those teams, the best player on these teams. Doing every he can for teams that weren’t very good, had good players, great even, but not very good all around teams. Teams that struggled to win every week.

The way I describe Sonny Jurgensen, was a championship caliber QB who played on a lot of mediocre and even bad teams. I still believe that had Sonny played in Super Bowl 7 against the undefeated Miami Dolphins the Redskins would’ve given the Dolphins only loss that year. Because the Redskins did have a great team on both sides of the ball and I believe a better all around team than the Dolphins. That at least had more talent. But of course Sonny was hurt with a busted ankle, so that didn’t happen.

The reason why the Redskins didn’t championships in the 1960s and 70s wasn’t because of Sonny Jurgensen. They weren’t very good in the mid and late 1960s because of the players they had around Sonny. No running game, a weak offensive line and a defense that probably gave up more points than Sonny and those great receivers put up every week, to where they were one of the highest scoring teams in the NFL every year, despite not having much of a running game.

I believe Dan Marino is the best QB of all time as far as just throwing the football. And had he had the running game and defense that Joe Montana had in San Francisco with the 49ers, Marino leads the Dolphins to four Super Bowl championships or more in the 1980s and 90s. We’ll never know that of course, but that’s how great Dan The Man was. But no one handled the ball better than Sonny, as far as play action and knowing exactly when to throw the ball. And what to put on the ball, then Sonny.

I don’t believe a QB ever had better eye-hand coördination than Sonny. The ability to pick spots on the field as far when to throw the ball, how much to on the ball and where to throw the football. He was sort of like the Larry Bird of the NFL when it came to ball handling. And had great eye-hand coördination which is why he was such a great QB. Even though he never led a team to winning a championship.

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CBS Sports: NFL 1978- Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants: Miracle At The Meadowlands

Source:Sports Illustrated– perhaps the most memorable game in the great Eagles-Giants rivalry in the NFC East.

Source:The Daily Press

“Forty years ago this week, as the Giants tried to kill off a game against the division-rival Eagles in the waning moments, Joe Pisarcik flubbed a handoff to Larry Csonka, and Herman Edwards scooped the ball up for a stunning Philly win. It’s one of the most notorious bloopers in NFL history—and also one of its most transformative plays, changing the fates of both franchises for the better and ultimately turning the Giants into a Super Bowl powerhouse.”

From Sports Illustrated

“1978 NFL Philadelphia at NY Giants 11-19-1978”

Source:Virgil Moody– a look at the 1978 Philadelphia Eagles.

From Virgil Moody

“Check out where the Miracle at the Meadowlands lands on NFL Top 10 worst plays.”

Source:NFL Films– Eagles DB Herman Edwards running away with the Giants season

From NFL Films

“Miracle at the Meadowlands (New York Giants – Philadelphia Eagles 1978)”

Source:Amerikai Football– Eagles DB Herman Edwards, running in the fumble recovery for the Eagles winning TD.

From Amerikai Football

One of the interesting things about this game is that both the Eagles and Giants were still in the NFC Playoff race at this point. This was week 12 in the NF, but Giants only won one more game in 1978 finishing 6-10. The Eagles made the NFC Playoffs in 1978 for the first time since 1960, but they were a 9-7 wildcard team that won some games that they shouldn’t of, like this one being an obvious example of that. And perhaps lost some games they shouldn’t have. And without this victory, the Eagles miss the playoffs again in 1978.

The obvious facts here are the Giants shouldn’t have ran the ball at all. They already had a kneel down play with QB Joe Pisarcik falling down on the ball on first down and then for some reason they ran the ball for an eleven yard gain on second down. But Pisarcik falls down on the ball two more times and the ball game is over, because the Eagles didn’t have any timeouts left. This is a game that makes or breaks a team’s season, especially if they are a borderline playoff team or even a borderline winning team. Like the Eagles and Giants were in 1978.

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