Eagles fans are notorious for traveling well, so to speak, invading other teams' stadiums in a sea of green and white.
Sunday was no different as the fans might have helped win the game for the Eagles, who fought off a late challenge from the Giants to prevail, 34-29, in MetLife Stadium.
SIGN UP to watch every NFL game and RedZone this season on DAZN.
The Giants had a chance to take the lead in the final minute. New York had the ball in a 4th and goal situation from the six-yard line, with 48 seconds remaining. Normally in a situation like that, the home fans are quiet so the offense can call the play and listen for audibles and the snap count, however, Eagles fans made so much noise that right tackle Bobby Hart went early and the Giants were whistled for a false start.
Bumped back to the 11-yard line, quarterback Eli Manning threw an incomplete pass on the next play and the game was over.
Manning blamed the Eagles fans for causing the penalty.
"There's not a whole lot of great 4th and goal from the 10 plays," Manning told reporters. "You have more options from the five. We had a different play called, where you get four guys in the end zone, five guys with the back, possibly. From the 10, it's just hard to get everyone in the end zone with routes. It's unfortunate. We had the false start. It's a tough situation. I don't blame Bobby.
"At home, it was just loud. The center, Brett Jones, couldn't hear me call the cadence. You don't think that would happen at home, but I guess when you only win two games you got a lot of Eagles fans and we couldn't hear the cadence. That's why we jumped offsides."
Eagles coach Doug Pederson agreed the fans were a factor.
“It was awesome,” Pederson said (via CBS Philly). “It was awesome. That last drive it got — normally in opposing stadiums it gets kinda quiet — it wasn’t quiet. Our fans came out in droves again. It was loud at that end of the stadium, obviously. I can’t say enough things about our fans.”
The Eagles (12-2) clinched a first-round playoff bye with the victory.