The Miracle at the Meadowlands was a fumble recovery by cornerback Herman Edwards that he returned for a touchdown at the end of a November 19, 1978, National Football League (NFL) game against the New York Giants in Giants Stadium. It is considered miraculous because the Giants were ahead and could easily have run out the final seconds….when they had the ball and the Eagles had no timeouts left…..as everyone watching expected NY Giants QB Joe Pisarcik to take one more snap and kneel with the ball…. thus running out the clock and preserving a 17–12 Giants upset…..but instead, he botched an attempt to hand off the football to fullback Larry Csonka….as Edwards picked up the dropped ball and ran 26 yards for the winning score.
The term is primarily used by Eagles fans and sportscasters. Giants fans refer to the play simply as “The Fumble“….although that name is generally used outside of New York 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….which led them that season to a playoff berth….and two seasons later to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance. To Giants fans, it was the nadir of a long era of mediocrity….but the aftermath would lead to major changes that proved beneficial for the franchise in the long run.
