Looking back at Eagles-Giants: How deep does the rivalry go?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants fans are counting down to kickoff.
With the teams facing off Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, this bitter Eagles-Giants rivalry is about to write the next chapter.
The Giants are the only team standing between the Birds and the NFC Championship game. All week the city's been getting in the Eagles playoff spirit, with special deals at local restaurants and bars, and lots of fans doing what Philly does best: talking trash about our sports rivals.
But how did this football tale of two cities start, and why does the rivalry go so deep? Giants beat reporter Paul Dottino said a lot of it has to do with location.
"It goes back almost as long as you can possibly remember," Dottino said. "In many circles, it's known as the Turnpike Tussle."
It's a convenient competition: the Linc and MetLife Stadium are less than 100 miles away from each other.
Because it's an easy drive, fans will "go to each other's stadiums to watch their favorite teams play the enemy," Dottino added.
Another factor: the teams are in the same division, the NFC East.
"If you're fighting for that division title and even fighting for a playoff spot, you will always have this rivalry in your scope," Dottino said.
For some Philly fans, the Giants aren't top of mind.
"I think that they hate us more than we hate them. They're not really a threat to us," a fan said.
"They ain't got nothing on Philadelphia," a fan said.
The Eagles were arguably the best team in the NFL this year, finishing 14-3, which was good enough to secure the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Giants went 9-7-1 during the regular season and snuck into the playoffs as the sixth seed out of seven in the NFC.
The Birds won both regular season matchups, but that won't matter come Saturday night when the Giants will try to get the last laugh at the Linc.
After upsetting the Vikings in the Wild Card round -- they will get a third shot at the Eagles.
Eagles and Giants through history
These two teams first played each other in 1933.
Since then, they've played nearly 200 times. The Eagles lead the overall series with a record of 92-88-2.
There are a couple of big moments that played a role in the rivalry too, including one from 1978 that football fans above a certain age will never forget.
"It's called the Miracle at the Meadowlands," Dottino said. "It's one of the most famous plays in NFL history, when Joe Pisarcik to Larry Csonka, as they were trying to run out the clock, the Giants fumble it, and Herman Edwards of the Eagles picks it up and runs it in for the touchdown."
DeSean Jackson's stunning punt return that helped the Eagles clinch the NFC East. The Birds were trailing 31-10 with less than eight minutes remaining in the game before that.
These teams have split their four postseason matchups, but the Giants have four Super Bowl titles to the Eagles' one.
The teams used to play against each other in the preseason for charity.
But in the 1970s they had to stop because things were getting too rowdy among the fans.
