Giants-Eagles rivalry and the NFL punt that lives in infamy

Just last weekend, the New York Giants allowed 33 fourth-quarter points against the Denver Broncos to lose a game in which it seemed impossible for them to do anything other than win. How wild was it? In the 1,602 previous instances of an NFL team leading by 18 or more points with six minutes left, all 1,602 teams that were ahead finished with a victory. The Giants, who had a 26-8 lead late, somehow didn’t.

It was stunning, astounding, confounding. It seemed unprecedented. Sadly, Giants fans knew it wasn’t.

«This ranks up there with the ’02 [playoff] loss to San Francisco,» Bob Papa, the Giants’ longtime radio announcer, said afterward. «And of course,» he added, «with 2010.»

Of course — 2010.

Now, as the Giants attempt to recover from the Broncos disaster and prepare to face the rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox), it seems fitting (albeit a little cruel) to commemorate the 15-year anniversary of what many who live for the Giants or work for the Giants or love the Giants consider to be the absolute biggest gut punch in franchise history.

Dec. 19, 2010. A game that meant, and still means, so much to so many. This is the oral history of a moment known to some as «The Miracle at the New Meadowlands.» And to others, more simply, as «The Punt.»

Part 1: The buildup

The 2010 Giants had high expectations for their first season in the new Meadowlands Stadium: In addition to quarterback Eli Manning, the team had stars such as Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck anchoring the defense, as well as Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks on offense. Tom Coughlin was in his seventh season as the coach.

After losing two of their first three games, the Giants reeled off eight wins in their next 10. With a victory in Week 15 against Michael Vick and the Eagles, the Giants would be in a commanding position to claim the NFC East and set up a playoff run.

On a cold day in New Jersey, they couldn’t have looked any better, either. For most of the afternoon, the stadium felt like a party as the Giants dominated the Eagles.

DeSean Jackson, Eagles wide receiver/kick returner: I could remember that like it was yesterday, man. It was a game where we were struggling in the first half. (Laughs.) Nothing could seem to go our way. I think it was, you know, 3-24 when we went into halftime.

Tom Coughlin, Giants coach: They were excited at halftime. Everybody was talking about just finishing the game — [as if it were] nothing-nothing, 30 minutes to go.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers guard/Lower Merion High School (Pa.) basketball legend (in 2019 to NFL Films): We’d just finished a game [against the Toronto Raptors]. I had a team that was pretty much full of Cowboys fans, and they liked to enjoy the Eagles’ misery. And that was looking like one of them. We’re on the bus and we’re trying to watch it.

Michael Vick, Eagles quarterback: We got down … whatever number of points we were down. I lost track.

Andy Reid, Eagles coach: We weren’t very good that first half. But nobody was down. They were frustrated, but they weren’t down.

Jason Avant, Eagles receiver/punt return team (in 2023 podcast): I couldn’t get to the punt block, but I saw him drop the ball. And as soon as he dropped the ball, Omar Gaither knocks down three dudes with one block. So, DeSean hits that hole and I see one dude left, and it’s me and the snapper.

Jackson: [Long-snapper Zak DeOssie] was, like, the last line of defense, and then Jason Avant just came and de-cleated the guy.

Zak DeOssie, Giants long-snapper: I thought I had a great angle, thought I was going to stop him, but I don’t have eyes in the back of my head. I got there and got blindsided, got me in the side of the helmet pretty good. I couldn’t move after that.

Avant: I tried to go in with good technique, but I was so excited I went in high and knocked both of us out. Worst technique ever, but it was the game-winning block. I’ll take it.

«An Open Letter to Matt Dodge (From Matt Dodge)» in which he called out some of the more printable comments he received, including one from a user who said he was organizing a «lynching mob» and another who said Dodge better «go into witness protection» immediately. Dodge the journalist also offered to sell Dodge the punter his Twitter handle for «a fair price.»

Matt Dodge, punter: I read the piece — it was good. You learn how common a name Matt Dodge is, apparently.

Matt Dodge, journalist: On a serious note, I do realize there’s, like, a real person on the other end of this. And my heart goes out to the man. I cannot imagine having such a career-imploding moment on such a public stage like that.

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Dodge the punter wasn’t cut immediately; he kicked in the final two games as the Giants missed the playoffs, then was waived during training camp ahead of the 2011 season. Dodge remembers then-GM Jerry Reese telling him, «We’re probably going to be playing [against] you for years to come» in the process of releasing him, and while Dodge did go on to have numerous tryouts with other teams, none signed him. Dodge’s rookie season was his only one in the NFL.

Dodge: It’s like you dated a supermodel, like, the hottest chick ever for a summer, and then she broke up with you. And then everyone you talk to is like, «Man, what was she like? She’s beautiful.» And she’s only getting hotter and hotter, but now she’s not with you anymore, but that’s still what you’re known for.

Jackson: It was the end of his football career, man. It’s just unfortunate that one play could, you know, determine your career.

Papa: I guess that whole thing probably scarred him, and it probably made teams nervous. This guy was told to kick the ball out of bounds, and instead he shanks it down the middle. Like, «Can we ever really trust this guy?»

Dodge: I know to the outside looking in, that’s how I’m remembered. That’s not going away. And as I’ve gotten older, you know, I used to curse it, I’d be pissed. But I’ve made peace with it.

Dodge moved back home to eastern North Carolina and has worked for years as a financial planner — most recently, in an odd twist, for a company named Market Street Wealth Management, which is based outside Philadelphia. Jackson played 12 more years in the NFL, retiring in 2022. He is now the coach of Delaware State, an FCS program filled with players from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania — many of whom remember watching him pull off a certain play on television.

Jackson: They always talk about it. They ask, «Coach, why did you run along the goal line?» One of my players actually did it this past week when he scored a touchdown. He was like, «Coach, I studied!»

Dodge: We actually have an office up West Chester, Pa., which is Philly territory. It’s just Eagles everywhere. And you know, I kind of found myself rooting for the Eagles a little bit. I’m meeting with clients that are all Eagles fans, and they’re usually more likely to invest when they’re happy.

Jackson: There’s nowhere I go where people don’t say, «Oh, the punt return against the New York Giants!» I get the most feedback from that punt return.

Shapiro: Six months ago or so, I saw DeSean at the NFC Championship Game and we were chatting about the Miracle at the Meadowlands. It goes down in Eagles lore. Anytime you’re beating the Cowboys or the Giants, there’s something special about it.

Dodge: A punter that they remember? It’s not usually for a good thing. But it taught me something: That was, essentially, a really bad day at work. It just happened to have 80,000 people watching, untold millions watching on TV, not to mention the clip getting millions and millions of views. So, if I can make it through that and I didn’t spontaneously combust or get shot and killed, I mean, I’m probably going to be fine, right? Yeah, I’m probably going to be fine.

Some interviews have been lightly edited for clarity. Titles and descriptors are based on a person’s position at the time of the game in 2010.