If you’re a Giants fan, the Linc usually feels like a house of horrors. Honestly, for the better part of a decade, playing the Philadelphia Eagles has been less of a rivalry and more of a recurring nightmare for Big Blue. You know the drill. Disappointing drops. Boston Scott somehow turning into Barry Sanders for exactly two games a year. Heartbreak in the final seconds. But if you are wondering when was the last time the giants beat the eagles, you don't actually have to look back into the black-and-white archives or the Eli Manning glory days.
It happened on January 7, 2024.
MetLife Stadium was freezing. The vibes were, frankly, weird. The Giants were already eliminated from playoff contention, stumbling through a season defined by Tommy DeVito memes and a revolving door at offensive line. The Eagles, meanwhile, were supposed to be the "dream team" of the NFC, yet they arrived in East Rutherford smelling like a team in total freefall. What followed wasn't just a victory; it was a 27-10 demolition that felt like an exorcism.
Breaking the Philly Hex at MetLife
The narrative heading into that Week 18 matchup was almost entirely about Philadelphia’s collapse. They had lost four of their last five. But for New York, the focus was simpler: pride. Before that afternoon, the Giants hadn't tasted victory against Philadelphia since late 2021. Even worse, the Eagles had embarrassed them in the divisional round of the playoffs just a year prior.
The game itself was a bloodbath in the first half. Saquon Barkley, in what would ironically be his final game in a Giants uniform before heading to—of all places—Philadelphia, punched in two touchdowns. Tyrod Taylor was under center, looking remarkably poised while the Eagles' defense looked like they had forgotten how to tackle. By halftime, it was 24-0.
I remember watching the sideline shots of Nick Sirianni. He looked bewildered. Jalen Hurts went down with a nasty-looking finger injury on his throwing hand. A.J. Brown went out with a knee issue. It was a disaster for Philly, but for New York, it was catharsis. They weren't just winning; they were bully-balling a team that had bullied them for years.
Why That Win Still Matters Today
People often dismiss Week 18 wins for non-playoff teams. They call them "meaningless." They say it hurts draft position. But in the locker room? That stuff matters. Brian Daboll needed to show that his squad hadn't quit.
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When was the last time the giants beat the eagles before that? You have to go back to November 28, 2021. That was a hideous 13-7 slog where Jalen Hurts threw three interceptions. It wasn't a "good" game of football by any stretch of the imagination. That's why the 2024 win was different. It was dominant. It was the first time in ages the Giants didn't look like the Eagles' little brother.
The Saquon Barkley Factor and the Rivalry’s New Edge
You can't talk about the Giants-Eagles dynamic without mentioning the elephant in the room: Saquon Barkley. In that January 2024 win, he was the engine. He ran with a violence that suggested he knew something the rest of us didn't yet. When he signed with Philadelphia just a few months later, that Week 18 victory took on a bitter aftertaste for many fans in North Jersey.
It changed the math. Suddenly, the last time the Giants beat the Eagles became a benchmark for the "Pre-Saquon Defection" era.
The rivalry has always been nasty. It’s fueled by proximity and a genuine distaste between the fanbases. But the 27-10 win in 2024 shifted the psychological weight. It proved that the Eagles' roster, as talented as it was, had massive cracks. It exposed a defense that had become porous and a coaching staff that seemed to be losing the thread. For the Giants, it was a rare moment of "what if" regarding their own potential.
Digging Into the Numbers
Let's look at the sheer statistical anomaly of that day.
- Total Yards: Giants 415, Eagles 299.
- Time of Possession: New York held the ball for over 34 minutes.
- Third Down Efficiency: The Giants converted 50% of their tries, a rarity during that season.
Tyrod Taylor threw for 297 yards. For context, the Giants' passing game had been essentially dormant for months leading up to that. Seeing Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton actually find space in the secondary felt like a revelation. It was the kind of performance that makes a front office think, "Maybe we’re closer than we look," even if the overall record suggested otherwise.
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The Long Road of Struggles
To understand why that 2024 win was such a big deal, you have to realize how one-sided this has been. Since 2010, the Eagles have basically owned the Meadowlands. There was the "Miracle at the New Meadowlands" with DeSean Jackson. There were the Jake Elliott 61-yard field goals. There were the years where the Giants just didn't show up.
Before the 2021 win, you had to go back to 2016 to find a Giants victory. That’s a massive gap. We are talking about half a decade of near-constant losing. When a rivalry gets that lopsided, it stops being a rivalry and starts being a scheduled loss.
That’s why the January 7th game was so jarring. The Eagles weren't just resting starters. They started Jalen Hurts. They started their main guys because they were still playing for seeding and a potential division title. And the Giants broke them anyway. They knocked Hurts out of the game physically and mentally.
What This Means for Future Matchups
The 2024 victory set a new blueprint, but it also raised the stakes. When these teams meet now, there is a different level of tension. The Giants have shown they can get to Hurts. They’ve shown that the "Tush Push" isn't an unbeatable cheat code if you win the battle at the line of scrimmage early.
However, the departure of key veterans on both sides has blurred the lines. The Giants are leaning into a youth movement with Malik Nabers, while the Eagles have tried to reload their defense with Vic Fangio’s scheme.
If you're looking for patterns, the Giants win when they do three things:
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- Stop the run early: Making Philly one-dimensional is the only way to survive.
- Vertical threats: The Giants' 2024 win saw big plays of 20+ yards that stretched the field.
- Pressure without blitzing: Sexy Dexy (Dexter Lawrence) has to be a monster in the middle.
Tracking the Recent History
If you're keeping score at home or settling a bet at a bar, here is the recent timeline of this specific matchup. It's been a wild ride, mostly favoring the birds in green, but the tide flickers every now and then.
- January 7, 2024: Giants win 27-10 (The most recent W).
- December 25, 2023: Eagles win 33-25 (The Christmas Day letdown).
- January 21, 2023: Eagles win 38-7 (The Divisional Round blowout).
- January 8, 2023: Eagles win 22-16 (Giants rested starters for playoffs).
- December 11, 2022: Eagles win 48-22 (Total dominance by Philly).
- November 28, 2021: Giants win 13-7 (The ugly defensive struggle).
The gap between wins for New York is often three or four games long. That’s the mountain they are trying to climb.
Expert Take: The Psychological Barrier
NFL analysts like Brian Baldinger have often pointed out that the Eagles seem to play with a different level of confidence against New York. It’s almost like they expect the Giants to make a mistake. In the 2024 win, the Giants flipped that. They played like the aggressors.
For the Giants to make the "last time they beat the Eagles" a more frequent conversation, they have to solve the mobile quarterback problem. Whether it was Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNabb, or Jalen Hurts, mobile QBs have historically shredded Big Blue. The January 2024 game was an outlier because the Giants' defensive line finally stayed in their lanes and didn't let Hurts escape the pocket to create off-script.
Actionable Steps for the Next Game
If you're heading to the stadium or just watching from your couch, keep an eye on the defensive front. The game is won in the trenches, but it’s settled in the heads of the players.
- Watch the first quarter score: The Giants historically struggle if they fall behind early against Philly. In the 2024 win, they jumped out to a 24-0 lead. That’s the secret sauce.
- Monitor the turnover margin: In the last two Giants wins (2024 and 2021), they won the turnover battle decisively.
- Check the injury report for the offensive line: The Giants' ability to protect the QB has been the deciding factor in almost every loss in this series for the last decade.
The 27-10 victory might have been the end of an era in some ways, but it remains the definitive answer to when the Giants last stood tall in this rivalry. It proved that on any given Sunday—even in a lost season—the blue jerseys can still overwhelm the green.