The Miracle at the Meadowlands (1978)
Philadelphia Eagles fans dubbed their November 1978 victory over the New York Giants the “Miracle at the Meadowlands,” but it didn’t really come about as a result of any achievement on the part of the Eagles themselves. In fact, Philly wouldn’t have won at all if the Giants had simply taken a knee to run out the clock in the game’s final seconds. Instead, Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik attempted a handoff to running back Larry Csonka, leading to an astonishing fumble that the Eagles’ Herman Edwards returned for a touchdown. The play was so influential that teams throughout the league adopted a new kneeling formation to prevent similar disasters from happening in the future.