History of the New York Giants
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The following is a detailed history of the New York Giants professional American football team, a member of the National Football League (NFL).
[edit] Birth and Success: 1925-1957
The Giants were founded in 1925 by original owner Tim Mara with an investment of $500 and became one of the first teams of the NFL. Mara owned the team until his death in 1959; when it was passed on to his son Wellington.
Although the Giants were successful on the field in their first season, going 8-4 in 1925, their financial status was a different story. Overhadowed by baseball, boxing, and college football, professional football was not a popular sport in 1925. The Giants were in dire financial straints until the 11th game of the season when Red Grange and the Bears came to town attracting over 70,000 fans. This pushed the Giants into financial solvency and perhaps altered the history of the franchise. [1]
They followed that up by going 8-4-1 in 1926. The 1927 season was a very successful one for the New York Giants, who finished 11-1-1. Their defense posted 10 shutouts in 13 games and was the best in the league. New coach Earl Potteiger led the team into a game against the Chicago Bears late in the season with first place on the line. The Giants won 13-7 in what Steve Owen called, "the toughest, roughest football game I ever played." [2] From then on it was an easy trip to the championship as they had a 2 game lead over the Bears by virtue of their head to head tiebreaker (note: the championship was determined by record in that era; it wasn't until 1933 that the NFL had a championship game).
Unfortunately the Giants followed this up by losing their last 4 games in 1928 to finish 4-7-2. Following the disappointing season Earl Potteiger was out and Roy Andrews in as the new coach.
Before the 1929 season owner Tim Mara purchased the entire squad of the Detroit Wolverines, including star Benny Friedman, a team which had finished in third place the year before. The rosters of the two teams were combined under the Giants name and this led to immediate improvement as the Giants record soared to 13-1-1 in 1929. Unfortunately their only loss was a 20-6 November game to the Green Bay Packers who by virtue of this win, and their 12-0-1 record, would go on to win the NFL title.
In 1934, the team defeated the previously unbeaten Chicago Bears 30-13 at the Polo Grounds on an icy field with temperatures peaking at 25 degrees. Before the game, team treasurer John Mara talked with coach Steve Owen and captain Ray Flaherty about the frozen field conditions at the Polo Grounds. Flaherty suggested the Giants wear sneakers on the frozen field, as he had played in a game under similar circumstances at Gonzaga and the sneakers proved to be effective. Mara dispatched equipment manager Abe Cohen to get as many sneakers as he could get. Due to traffic and the inability to find any athletic goods stores open on Sunday, Cohen was unable to return before the game started and the Giants, wearing conventional footwear, would trail 10 to 3 at the end of the first half.
As the first half progressed Cohen realized he was coming up completely empty. Realizing time was short, Cohen went to Manhattan College - where he had a key to the equipment and locker rooms - and returned to the Polo Grounds at halftime with nine pairs of basketball sneakers, saying that "nine pairs was all I could get." Players donned the sneakers and the Giants, after allowing the Bears another field goal late in the third period, would respond with 27 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to win their first NFL Championship. The game would come to be known as "The Sneakers Game", and the 27 points the Giants scored in the 4th quarter set a single-quarter championship game scoring record that would stand for decades. After the game John Mara expressed his sincere gratitude by stating simply "God bless Abe Cohen."
The Giants were very successful from the latter half of the 1930's until World War II. They were so successful that according to one publication, "From 1936 to 1941 the New York Giants annually fielded a collection of NFL all-stars." [3]
The Giants would add their third NFL championship in 1938 with a 23-17 win over the Green Bay Packers in front of over 48,000 fans at the Polo Grounds. The game was a tight affair with the Giants having ridden two blocked Green Bay punts to an early lead, but the Packers would come back to take the lead 17-16. However, in the 4th quarter Ed Danowski would throw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Hank Soar and the defense would hold on to give the Giants their third NFL championship.
The Giants made the championship game again the next year losing to the Packers in a rematch 31-16. The Giants also advanced to the championship game in 1941, in which they lost to the Bears 37-9. Both games were close early before their respective opponents went on an offensive surge to break the game open late.
The Giants won their fourth NFL Championship in 1956. The year marked their first year playing their home games at Yankee Stadium, and the Giants won the Eastern Division with an 8-3-1 record. In the NFL Championship Game on an icy field against the Chicago Bears, the Giants wore sneakers as they had 22 years previous. They dominated the Bears winning the championship by a score of 47-7. The 1956 Giants featured a number of future Hall of Fame players, including Frank Gifford, Sam Huff and Roosevelt Brown. Equally notable, the team featured as its coordinators future Hall of Fame head coaches Tom Landry (defense) and Vince Lombardi (offense). Combined, both coaches would win 7 NFL championships. In addition, those Giants featured Frank Gifford, Kyle Rote, Thomas Conlin, and Pat Summerall, who would go on to highly successful second careers as football announcers.
[edit] The Greatest Game Ever Played: 1958
The Giants had another successful year in 1958. They tied for the Eastern Division regular season title with a 9-3 record and beat the Cleveland Browns, 10-0.
Thus did the Giants secure a berth in the NFL Championship Game against the Baltimore Colts on December 28, 1958, at Yankee Stadium. This game, which would become known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played", is considered by many to be a watershed event in the history of the NFL and for many marked the beginning of the rise of the NFL into the dominant sport in the American market. Among other things it was the first game to be shown to a national broadcast audience (on NBC) and was the most watched football game to date.
The game itself was a highly competitive, back-and-forth affair that saw the momentum shift back and forth throughout. The Giants got off to a quick 3-0 lead; however the Colts would score two touchdowns to take a 14-3 halftime lead. Late in the third quarter, the Colts appeared ready to put the game out of reach by driving down to the Giants' three yard line. However, the Giants stopped the Colts, tackling fullback Alan Ameche on 4th down.
This stop would be a turning point of the game, as the Giants, which appeared to be all but defeated, suddenly charged back with a 95-yard drive. The key play of the drive being Charlie Conerly's pass to Kyle Rote, who after a 62-yard gain fumbled at the Colts' 25, where Alex Webster picked up the ball and ran it to the one. The drive culminated with a one-yard touchdown run by Mel Triplett, to make the score 14-10. Then, in short order, the Giants drove again, with quarterback Charley Conerly throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to Frank Gifford to take the lead, 17-14. In less than a quarter, the entire momentum had changed, from all Colts to all Giants, and the crowd responded.
With slightly more than two minutes left, after having been stopped on third down when it appeared the Giants may have gotten a first down, the Giants punted the ball back to the Colts, pinning them on their own 14 yard line. At this point the Colts appeared to be as defeated and demoralized as the Giants had been. Yet as the Giants had, they put together one last, desperate drive. The star of this drive was receiver Raymond Berry, who caught 3 passes for 62 yards, the last one for 22 yards to the Giant 13 yard line. With seven seconds left in regulation, Steve Myhra kicked a 20-yard field goal to tie the score 17-17, sending the game to overtime for the first time in NFL history.
Though the Giants won the toss and received the opening kickoff, the Giants could do nothing and punted it back to the Colts. From their own 20, the Colts marched back up the field in short order, with a key play being Alan Ameche's 23 yard run which brought the Colts to the Giants 20. Though the game was delayed temporarily when a fan tripped a television wire, causing NBC to temporarily lose transmission, the Colts momentum was not deterred. Alan Ameche finally scored from the one yard line to give the championship to the Colts, 23-17.
[edit] 1960's Success: 1960-1963
The Giants enjoyed a run of success in the early 1960's. Led by quarterback YA Tittle and head coach Allie Sherman, the Giants won three consecutive Eastern Division titles from 1961-1963. In 1961 they were beaten by the Packers, 37-0. In 1962, they went into the championship game with a league best 12-2 record, and a nine-game winning streak; but lost to the Packers again, 16-7.
They finished with an 11-3 record in 1963, to face the Chicago Bears for the NFL championship. On an icy field the Giants defense dominated, but the Bears newly invented zone defense intercepted YA Tittle 5 times (including one returned for a score) and injured Tittle in the first half (though Tittle would finish the game). The Giants hung tough but lost 14-10 to the Bears, their 3rd straight NFL Championship Game defeat.
[edit] The Wilderness Years: 1964-1975
After the 1963 season, the team fell apart quickly, finishing 2-10-2 in 1964, thus beginning an 18-season playoff drought. The team would rebound with a 7-7 record in 1965 before compiling a league-worst 1-12-1 record and allowing over 500 points on defense in 1966. Interest in the team was waning rapidly, especially with the rapid rise of the New York Jets, with their wide-open style of play and their charismatic quarterback Joe Namath.
Looking to improve their on-field product, and also to find a player with talent and star power to better compete with the Jets for New York fans' affections, the Giants acquired Fran Tarkenton from the Minnesota Vikings before the 1967 season and quickly showed improvement. They finished 7-7 in both the 1967 and 1968 seasons, and 6-8 in the 1969 season. Notably, in 1968, one of Tarkenton's favorite targets, wide receiver Homer Jones made the Pro Bowl. Through the 2005 season, no other Giants receiver has been selected for the Pro Bowl - a drought of 37 seasons.
In 1970, Tarkenton's fourth with the Giants, the Giants showed marked improvement, fielding their most competitive team since the 1963 NFL finalist. After an 0-3 start the Giants would win 9 out of their next 10, and with a 9-4 record would go into their season finale against the Los Angeles Rams with a chance to win the NFC East Division. Though the Giants took an early 3-0 lead the Rams would score the next 31 points, dashing the Giants hopes and leaving them out of the playoffs. Tarkenton would enjoy his best season as a Giant in 1970 and make the Pro Bowl. Additionally, running back Ron Johnson also made the Pro Bowl and ran for 1,027 yards, becoming the first Giant ever to gain 1,000 yards rushing in a season. Meanwhile, the Jets, much as the Giants had in 1964, fell apart suddenly, dropping to a 4-10 record after several consecutive seasons of success. Once again, the Giants appeared to take the lead for New York fans' affections.
The Giants were unable to really build on their 1970 success. After the 1970 season the Giants dropped to 4-10, resulting in Tarkenton being traded back to the Vikings. The Giants would rally somewhat the following season to finish 8-6 behind veteran journeyman quarterback Norm Snead, who would lead the league in passing and enjoy his best season. After the 1972 season though, the Giants would suffer one of the worst prolonged stretches in their proud history.
[edit] Leaving New York: 1973-1978
Desiring their own home stadium, in the early 1970s the Giants reached an agreement with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to play their home games at a brand-new, state-of-the-art, dedicated football stadium. The stadium, which would be known as Giants Stadium, was to be built at a brand new sports complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
As the complex was being built, and their current home at Yankee Stadium was being renovated, they would be for three years without a home. Their final full season at Yankee Stadium was 1972. After playing their first two games there in 1973, the Giants would play the rest of their home games in 1973, as well as all of their home games in 1974, at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut, primarily out of a desire to have their own home field, as opposed to having to share Shea Stadium with the Jets. However, between access problems, neighborhood issues, the fact that the Yale Bowl was not ideally suited for pro football, the age of the stadium (it was built in 1914) and the lack of modern amenities, the Giants reconsidered their decision and ultimately agreed to share Shea Stadium for the 1975 season with the Jets. The Giants left Yale Bowl after losing all seven home games played at Yale in the 1974 season and compiling a home record of 1-11 over that two year stretch. Nine years later it would be the Jets who would move from Shea Stadium to share Giants Stadium with the Giants.
One of the bright spots in this era was the play of tight end Bob Tucker who, from 1970 through part of the 1977 seasons was one of the top tight ends in the NFL. Tucker amassed 327 receptions, 4322 yards and 22 touchdowns during his years as a Giant.
1977 also featured the unusual choice of three rookies quarterbacks on the roster. The lack of veteran experience at that position created the urgency to find a long term signal caller, resulting in the drafting of future Giants legend Phil Simms in 1979.
Despite their new home and heightened fan interest, the Giants still played subpar in 1976 and 1977. In 1978, the Giants started the year 5-6 and played the Eagles at home with a chance to solidify their playoff prospects. However, the season would implode on November 19, 1978, in one of the most notorious finishes in NFL history. Playing the Philadelphia Eagles with less than 30 seconds left, a 17-12 lead, and the ball, all the Giants had to do was kneel the ball to end the game, as the Eagles had no time outs.
However, instead of sitting on the ball, offensive coordinator Bob Gibson ordered Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik to hand the ball off to fullback Larry Csonka. Csonka was unprepared to receive the handoff, and the ball bounced off his hip and bounced free. Eagles safety Herman Edwards picked up the loose ball and ran, untouched, for a score, thus giving the Eagles a miraculous 19-17 victory. Interestingly, this play is referred to as "The Miracle in the Meadowlands" among Eagles fans, and "The Fumble" among Giants fans.
In the aftermath of the defeat, Gibson was fired, and the Giants lost three out of their last four games to finish out of the playoffs for the 15th straight season, leading them to let coach John McVay go as well. However, following the 1978 season came the steps that would, in time, lead the Giants back to the pinnacle of the NFL.
[edit] The Building of a Champion: 1979-1985
The Giants made the decision to hire a General Manager following the 1978 season. However, the search grew contentious and severely fractured the relationship between owners Wellington and Tim Mara. Finally, Wellington Mara asked NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to step in with a recommendation. Rozelle recommended George Young, who worked in personnel for the Miami Dolphins and had been an assistant coach for the Baltimore Colts. Young was hired; however the rift between the Maras lasted for several years (in fact, at one point a partition was put between the two in the owner's box.)
One of Young's first actions was to hire Ray Perkins as head coach. In his first draft, Young drafted quarterback Phil Simms from Morehead State University to the surprise of many. The Giants would however continue to struggle, finishing 6-10 and 4-12 in 1979 and 1980.
With the second overall draft pick in the 1981 draft, the Giants selected Lawrence Taylor, linebacker out of the University of North Carolina. The impact that Taylor had on the Giants' defense was immediate. He was named 1981's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press, becoming the only rookie to ever win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award (as of 2006 he remains the only rookie to ever win the award). His athleticism and speed made him the prototype linebacker of the day and raised the Giants linebacker corps—which already included future Hall of Famer Harry Carson and Brad Van Pelt—into one of the NFL's best.
The Giants started the 1981 season 5-3; but would lose their next three games to fall to 5-6. Giants fans would become even more on-edge when Phil Simms was injured, to be replaced by Scott Brunner. However, with Brunner leading the team, the Giants beat the defending conference champion Philadelphia Eagles 20-10 before losing to the San Francisco 49ers 17-10. The Giants would then defeat the Los Angeles Rams 10-7 and the St. Louis Cardinals 20-10 setting up a season finale against the Dallas Cowboys, in which a win along with a New York Jets victory over the Green Bay Packers would clinch a playoff berth for the Giants. Wearing their white jerseys at home (so as to force the Cowboys to wear their "unlucky" blue jerseys) the Giants won the game 13-10 in overtime on a Joe Danelo field goal. Meanwhile, the Jets defeated the Packers, thus clinching the Giants' first playoff berth since 1963.
The Giants defeated the Eagles on the road 27-21 in the Wild Card round for their first playoff win since 1956, but then lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers by the score of 38-24.
The Giants were unable to build on their success in 1982, due largely to the 1982 NFL Players Strike that reduced the schedule to 9 games. The Giants lost their first two games before the strike and their first game upon returning. They then won their next three games, against the Detroit Lions, Houston Oilers and Washington Redskins to even their record at 3-3. Unfortunately, they would lose their next two games to effectively knock themselves out of the playoffs, despite getting a win against the Eagles in the season finale. Despite this disappointment Lawrence Taylor remained a bright spot, again winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. Ray Perkins left the Giants after the 1982 season to replace Bear Bryant as head coach of the University of Alabama. George Young's choice to replace Perkins would be Bill Parcells, the Giants' defensive coordinator.
Parcells first year proved to be difficult. Remembering Scott Brunner's role in helping the Giants to the playoffs in 1981, Parcells' first major decision was to select Brunner over Phil Simms as quarterback. At first it appeared that Parcells' decision was justified, especially after a 27-3 victory over the Green Bay Packers gave the Giants a 2-2 record after 4 games. However, the Giants would proceed to lose all but one of their final 12 games. Many considered the lowlight of the season the Giants' 20-20 tie with St. Louis on Monday Night Football, considered by many to be the worst game played in the history of MNF.
Parcells ignored fans' protests and stuck with Brunner for most of the year, although Jeff Rutledge would see considerable late-season action. Finally, in a game against the Eagles, he brought Simms back to thunderous fan applause, only to see him suffer a season-ending hand injury. One of the few bright spots for the Giants that year was rookie placekicker Ali Haji-Sheikh, who set an NFL record with 35 field goals in 42 attempts on the year.
Despite their record, Young ignored calls to fire Parcells by retaining him for the 1984 season.
Phil Simms won the starting job back for the 1984 season and Brunner was released. The Giants enjoyed a resurgence in the 1984 season, highlighted by a midseason stretch where they won 5 of 6 against opponents such as the defending conference champion Washington Redskins, the Dallas Cowboys and their new co-tenants at Giants Stadium, the Jets. With 2 games left the Giants had a 9-5 record and a chance to win their first divisional title in 21 years. Yet despite the fact that they lost their final two games to finish 9-7, the Giants still made the playoffs as a Wild Card. In the first round, they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 16-13 in Anaheim before losing, 21-10, to the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers.
Although Parcells preferred a run-first "smashmouth" offense, Simms threw for 4,044 yards, making him the first Giant to ever reach the 4,000 yard passing milestone in a season. Rob Carpenter and Joe Morris split running back duties, combining for over 1300 yards and 11 touchdowns. Four receivers had over 30 catches on the year, including tight end Zeke Mowatt and receiver Bobby Johnson tying for the team lead with 48 catches each.
The Giants started out the 1985 season 3-1. They then lost to the Cowboys 30-29 in one of the first Sunday night national TV games, and to the Cincinnati Bengals 35-30 to drop to .500. They rallied to win their next 4 in a row, and alternated wins and losses the rest of the season to finish 10-6 and in a three-way tie for 1st. Though the Giants lost the division to the Cowboys on a tiebreaker, the Giants still made the playoffs as a Wild Card. For the third straight time the Giants won their first round Wild Card playoff game, this time playing at home (the first Giants home playoff game since 1962), 17-3 over the defending champion 49ers. In the divisional playoffs they were dominated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears, who won 21-0. (In a memorable aside, NBC Sports commentator Pete Axthelm predicted not only that the Bears would win that game, but that they would shut the Giants out. When the prediction came true, Axthelm drew a big zero with a crayon on a piece of paper and held it up to the camera, to raucous laughter.)
Many of the players that would play key roles on the Giants Super Bowl teams emerged in 1985. Joe Morris, known as "Little Joe" for his stature, emerged as the feature back role on the Giants, running for 1,338 yards, scoring 21 touchdowns and making the Pro Bowl. Rookie receiver Lionel Manuel led the Giants with 49 catches, and tight end Mark Bavaro had 37 catches his first season. Simms again threw every pass for the Giants that season, passing for over 3,800 yards, and Lawrence Taylor would get 13 sacks on the season.
[edit] Back on Top: 1986-1990
[edit] 1986: Super Bowl Champs
The Giants entered the 1986 season as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. They would have their first test in the first Monday Night game against the defending East champion Dallas Cowboys, a team that had become their main nemesis. The Giants played well at Texas Stadium, but lost the opener, 31-28. The Giants, however, would win their next 5 in a row and 14 of their last 15, their only other loss coming against the Seattle Seahawks 17-12 in Week 7. In fact, the 1986 Giants won nine games by seven points or less.
The turning points of the season was a three game stretch in November. Trailing the Minnesota Vikings 20-19 late in the fourth quarter in the Metrodome, Phil Simms completed a desperation fourth and 17 pass to Bobby Johnson for a first down. The completion led to Raul Allegre's fifth field goal and an important Giants victory. The following week, veteran end George Martin intercepted Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway and returned it 78 yards for one of the biggest plays of the season and his career. Then in the last two minutes of the game, Simms hit fan-favorite Phil McConkey for a 46 yard pass. This led to another game-winning kick from Allegre as the Giants defeated Denver 19-16. In a Monday night encounter at San Francisco the next game, the Giants overcame a 17-0 halftime deficit to Joe Montana's 49ers on route to a 21-17 victory. In the win, Simms threw for nearly 400 yards, Mark Bavaro carried Ronnie Lott and five other San Francisco defenders on his back for a game changing first down, and wide receiver Stacy Robinson made an acrobatic catch at the goalline.
However, the defense set the tone for these Giants, allowing only 236 points all year, 2nd in the NFL. Lawrence Taylor was the standard bearer, and set a single-season team record with 20.5 sacks. (That record is now held by Michael Strahan, who established the record while playing for the Giants during the 2001 season. Strahan's record is also the all-time NFL single season record). Taylor was so dominant that in addition to winning his third NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award he was named NFL MVP by the Associated Press, becoming only the fourth defensive player to win the award.
On offense, Joe Morris enjoyed another excellent season in 1986, rushing for 1516 yards, scoring 14 touchdowns and making his 2nd straight Pro Bowl. Also making the Pro Bowl was Bavaro who emerged as one of the NFL's best Tight Ends, catching 66 passes for 1001 yards, which made him the Giants' leading receiver. Jim Burt, Leonard Marshall, Brad Benson and Carson also made the Pro Bowl, giving the Giants 7 representatives. For Taylor and Carson the Pro Bowl selection marked their sixth straight selections. This helped solidify the point that the Hall of Fame duo was the best in NFL, and one of the best in NFL history.
Having won their first divisional title in 23 years, the Giants hosted the 49ers in the Divisional Playoffs and won easily, 49-3. The Giants then shut out the Redskins 17-0 in the NFC Championship Game at Giants Stadium. At the end of the game, mindful of how loyal and supportive their fans had been through some very lean years, the Giants flashed a message on the stadium message board thanking "the best fans in the world". Finally, in Super Bowl XXI, after falling behind 10-9 at halftime, the Giants defeated the Denver Broncos 39-20. Quarterback Phil Simms was named MVP after completing 22 of 25 (88%) of his passes - a Super Bowl record.
It was these 1986 Giants that popularized the football tradition of dousing the head coach with a cooler of Gatorade near the end of a victorious game. This originally started in 1985 when Jim Burt, incensed by what he thought was mistreatment he received during practice, exacted playful revenge on Bill Parcells by dumping a cooler of Gatorade on him. Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson later picked up on the ploy and would often sneak up on Coach Parcells near the end of games to dump the remaining Gatorade over his head. The dousing was a big hit with fans, and the Gatorade dumping would continue on throughout the season after each win, with Taylor, Carson, and several other players (Burt had since ceased doing it) concocting increasingly elaborate, sneaky and playful rouses, so as to at least attempt to keep the inevitable dousing a surprise.
Bill Parcells was well-regarded for his building the Giants into a defensive champion. His trademarks were his no-nonsense coaching style, his band of highly capable, loyal and confident assistant coaches, and a style with the press that sometimes came across as abrasive but straightforward. His offenses were considered "smashmouth", unspectacular but brutally effective, revolving around a power running game and a ball-control passing attack featuring the tight end as a primary receiver. Where Parcells' teams really differentiated themselves were their defenses. Parcells' defensive teams were attacking, high-risk and high-reward.
[edit] 1987
The 1987 season would be a lost season for the Giants. The Giants lost their first two games of the season before the 1987 NFL Players Strike. Unlike the players strike five years previous, NFL owners made a decision to go forward with replacement players. Unlike other teams like the Washington Redskins and Houston Oilers, who made specific and elaborate plans to deal with the replacement games, the Giants made no plans. The result was that the Giants lost all three replacement games, putting their record at 0-5 before the strike was over and the replacement players came back. Though the Giants would go a respectable 6-4 over their final 10 games, they would finish out of the playoffs at 6-9. Bright spots for the season included tight end Mark Bavaro, who led the team in catches with 55, and three of the Giants linebackers making the Pro Bowl - Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks and Harry Carson. This would be the last Pro Bowl for Carson as he ended his Hall of Fame career after the 1987 season.
[edit] 1988
The Giants 1988 season got off to a rough start with an offseason scandal involving Lawrence Taylor. Taylor had abused cocaine violating the NFL's substance abuse policy and was suspended for the first four games of the season. Taylor's over the edge lifestyle was becoming an increasing concern for fans and team officials. This was especially true given the eventual career paths of talented players like Hollywood Henderson and Dexter Manley whose drug problems derailed their careers. However after his return Taylor played like his usual dominant self, recording 15 sacks in 12 games. The intense worry and scrutiny would prove to be for naught as for the rest of his career Taylor would avoid suspension and pass his drug tests.
Predictably the Giants started the season struggling. Lawrence Taylor's absence, combined with a difficult early schedule had them alternating wins and losses through their first six games. However with Taylor back and playing well, they were able to take full advantage of their remaining easier games (due to their last-place schedule from the year before) winning their next four games against the Cowboys, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Detroit Lions twice. After two straight losses, the Giants would win their next three games to set up a win-or-go-home game against the New York Jets in the season finale in what would be a "road" game. Though the Jets were playing for little other than pride and a winning season, they defeated their co-tenants at Giants Stadium 27-21 when quarterback Ken O'Brien found Al Toon in the corner of the endzone in the final minute. When the 49ers lost to the Rams the following night, the Giants were out of the postseason despite a 10-6 record and the Eagles were NFC East Champions. Season highlights included Joe Morris, in what would be his last year with the Giants rushing for 1,083 yards, and the emergence of wide receiver Lionel Manuel, who led the Giants with 65 catches and 1029 yards receiving.
[edit] 1989
In the first half of the 1989 season, the Giants would be considered, along with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos as bona fide Super Bowl contenders. Hungry to get back to the playoffs, the Giants started the season 8-1 and did not allow more than 24 points in any game. After suffering through a 1-3 stretch, including a 31-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Anaheim, the Giants rallied to win their final three games to secure the second best record in the NFC. Though many people eagerly anticipated an NFC Championship showdown between the Giants and the 49ers, the Giants would lose their divisional playoff game in overtime to the Rams by a score of 19-13. The lowlight of the game was watching wide receiver Flipper Anderson catch the game winning touchdown and race through the Meadowlands to the huge disappointment of those in attendance.
The 1989 season saw 11-year veteran Ottis Anderson, a Plan B Free Agent, emerge as the Giants new featured running back. His style of power running was an ideal fit for Parcells' offensive strategy and he ran for 1,023 yards and caught 28 passes. Dave Meggett also emerged as a threat on third downs and special teams, catching 34 passes for 531 yards and making the Pro Bowl.
[edit] 1990: Champions Again
For the Giants, the 1990 season would go down as one of the most satisfying and emotional seasons in the team's long history. With the Parcells tried-and-true formula of a smashmouth offense and ferocious defense, the Giants won their first 10 games of the season, setting a record for the best start in the team's history. In their first 10 wins, the Giants did not allow more than 20 points in any game, and allowed 7 points or less in 5 of the wins. The San Francisco 49ers also got off to a strong start, matching the Giants with their 10-0 start. As their Week 13 Monday Night Football matchup approached, it became increasingly possible that it could have been the first matchup of 11-0 teams in NFL history. However, the Giants would lose their next game, 31-13 to the Philadelphia Eagles, while the 49ers also lost their next game. The game was still eagerly anticipated, but the Giants were defeated 7-3.
The Giants would rally and win the following week against the Minnesota Vikings before facing the Buffalo Bills in their regular season home finale. Despite holding the Bills' powerful offense to 17 points, the Giants would lose 17-13, for their third loss in four games. Even worse for the Giants, Phil Simms went down with an injury that would sideline him for the rest of the year. His replacement would be Jeff Hostetler, who prior to the 1990 season had only thrown 68 passes in his NFL career. For fans who had high hopes of going to the Super Bowl, it appeared that it was now out of reach.
To secure a first round bye, the Giants needed to beat two of the NFL's worst teams, the Phoenix Cardinals and New England Patriots on the road. The Cardinals game was close throughout before the Giants finally won, 24-21. Their game against the Patriots was a de facto home game, as many Giants made the trip up to Foxborough to sell the stadium out. The Patriots played the Giants surprisingly tough, and were within 13-10 late; but a missed Patriot field goal late would prove the difference as the Giants held on for the 13-10 win, securing the playoff bye as the NFC's second seed.
[edit] Run up to the Super Bowl
The Giants would easily handle the Chicago Bears, 31-3 in the divisional playoff round, thus setting up a rematch with the 49ers in San Francisco for the NFC Championship and a Super Bowl berth. The game was eagerly anticipated and lived up to the pregame hype. As they had in Week 12, the Giants defense held San Francisco's offense in check, San Francisco being limited to one touchdown and two field goals. The 49ers defense also held the Giants' offense in check, limiting the Giants to four Matt Bahr field goals. In the game's waning moments however, Lawrence Taylor caused a Roger Craig fumble, and the Giants had their offense drive down the field in order to get into field goal range for Matt Bahr. On the game's last play, Bahr would hit a 42-yard field goal to give the Giants the NFC title, 15-13 over the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, thus avenging their Week 13 loss. Bahr would set an NFC Championship Game record with his fifth field goal of the day.
The win set up another rematch for the Giants in the Super Bowl against another team that had defeated them during the year, the Buffalo Bills. Through the 1990 season, the Bills' emergence as a championship caliber team had been one of the big storylines of the NFL season. The Bills had a cutting edge, no-huddle offense, led by head coach Marv Levy off the field, and led by quarterback Jim Kelly, running back Thurman Thomas, wide receiver Andre Reed and an offensive line led by Kent Hull, on the field. They had steamrolled through their 1990 season, culminating with a dominating 51-3 victory over the Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC Championship game. Even though most people conceded the Giants clearly had the better defense, the conventional wisdom leading up to the Super Bowl was that the Bills offense would have an easier time against the Giants' defense than the Giants offense would have against the Bills' defense. The Giants offense was considered to be a weak link, as its starting quarterback was out for the season, and their offense was having problems moving the ball and scoring.
[edit] Super Bowl XXV
Super Bowl XXV would take place amidst a background of war and patriotism at Tampa Stadium, in Tampa, Florida. The Persian Gulf War had begun less than two weeks previous and the nation rallied around the Super Bowl as a symbol of America. Adding to the patriotism was Whitney Houston's rendition of the National Anthem, which today is still known as one of the greatest renditions in this country's history. The game would also live up to the stirring Anthem, as it would go down as one of the best Super Bowls in history. The Giants got off to a quick 3-0 lead. However, the Bills would score the next 12 points, on a field goal, a touchdown by backup running back Don Smith, and a safety after Jeff Hostetler was sacked in the end zone by Bruce Smith giving the Bills a 12-3 lead. The Giants, however, would run a drive that took nearly 8 minutes, culminating in a 14 yard touchdown pass from Hostetler to Stephen Baker that brought the Giants to within 12-10 at halftime.
The Giants would receive the second half kickoff and would run one of the most memorable drives in Super Bowl and NFL history. The opening drive ran for over 9 minutes (a Super Bowl record) and culminated in a 1 yard touchdown run by Ottis Anderson, giving the Giants a 17-12 lead. The signature play of the drive came when, on a third down play, Giants receiver Mark Ingram appeared about to be tackled well short of a first down. However, Ingram twisted and contorted and lurched forward just enough to get the Giants the first down, and keep the drive alive. By this time, the Giants strategy to handle the Bills offense had become clear: keep them off the field. Indeed, the Giants two touchdown drives consumed over 17 minutes.
The Bills would strike back quickly. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Thurman Thomas would run for a 31-yard touchdown that would put the Bills back in front, 19-17. A few possessions later, the Giants would drive down to the Bills 4 yard line, but were unable to score and had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Matt Bahr which allowed the Giants to regain the lead, 20-19.
Both teams exchanged possessions before the Bills began one final push for the win, driving down to the Giants 30 yard line to set up what would be a game-winning 47 yard field goal by Scott Norwood. Just before the kick, ABC showed a graphic that, on grass that season, Norwood had only made 3-of-7 field goals from at least 40 yards. A few moments later, in what would become the game's signature moment, Norwood's attempt missed wide right, and the Giants would win their second Super Bowl, 20-19.
The win was considered to be the finest achievement of Parcells's career, as he was able to win this championship with a backup quarterback running a simple offense, but with a top-notch defense that was able to shut down the NFL's two best offenses, the Bills and 49ers. It was the confirmation of the old axiom, "Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships." The team disclipline Parcells installed was exemplified by the Giants setting the record for fewest turnovers in a season with 14 (this is still the NFL record as of October, 2006).
[edit] End of Era
1990 season and Super Bowl win would mark the end of an era for the Giants. Shortly after the win, defensive coordinator Bill Belichick left to become head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Parcells, meanwhile, had grown increasingly restless as coach of the Giants and yearned for complete control of the team. Knowing that he would not get that opportunity with George Young as GM, Parcells decided in the spring of 1991 to leave the Giants for a career in broadcasting.
Finally, there was an ownership change in what had been one of the most stable front offices in professional sports. In February 1991, after years of feuding with Wellington Mara, Tim Mara sold his 50% interest in the team to Bob Tisch for a reported $500 million. It marked the first time since their inception in 1925 that the Giants had not been wholly owned and controlled by the Mara family.
With new ownership and the departure of the man whom many considered the best coach the Giants ever had, it was a new day in Giants history.
[edit] After Parcells - The Handley & Reeves era: 1991-1996
Following the departure of Parcells and Belichick - whom many people saw as the likely successor to Parcells - the surprise replacement of Parcells was running backs coach Ray Handley.
[edit] 1991-1993
As with Parcells eight years previous, one of Handley's first major decisions as head coach involved replacing Phil Simms as starting quarterback. Jeff Hostetler, who had led the Giants to a win in the Super Bowl, was named Opening Day starting quarterback. Though the Giants would win their opening game in an NFC Championship Game rematch against the San Francisco 49ers 16-14, they would lose three out of their next four games to drop to 2-3. Though they would rally and finish the season 8-8, and Simms would reclaim his starting job later in the year, the excitement that had surrounded the Giants the previous year was gone. One of the few promising young players on the team to emerge in 1991 was second-year running back Rodney Hampton, who led the Giants in rushing with 1,059 yards, while also catching 43 passes.
Through the 1991 season it was clear that the team's core players on defense had aged quickly, and the new players brought in were not up to the standards the Giants under Parcells had come to expect. As the Giants' defense slipped from the level of the NFL elite to a more average unit, the team deteriorated considerably. This deterioration continued in 1992, when the Giants lost six out of their last seven games to finish the year 6-10. The defense continued its free fall, finishing 26th in the league in points allowed after leading the league in that category in 1990. Handley, who had become highly unpopular with both players and fans, seemed completely overwhelmed and was fired after the end of the regular season.
Handley's replacement would be Dan Reeves, the highly successful former head coach of the Denver Broncos who was largely responsible for John Elway's development and who led the Broncos to three Super Bowls in four years, one against the Giants. After his dismissal from the Broncos, Reeves took the unusual step of lobbying heavily for the job, figuring that his approach and strengths as a coach were exactly the tonic the Giants needed to become successful again. Especially after being publicly rebuffed by a number of candidates, George Young was pleased that someone with Reeves's credentials clearly wanted the job, and so Reeves was hired as Giants head coach.
The impact Reeves had was immediate. As Bill Parcells had done in 1984, Reeves had quickly named Phil Simms as his starting quarterback, which stabilized the offense. They won their first three games, and five of their first six. The defense was back to its Parcells-era dominance and would allow more than 20 points only once all season.
With two games to go, the Giants were 11-3 and appeared poised for an Eastern Division crown and a first round bye. However, they were upset by Phoenix, 17-6, in the next to last week of the season, setting up a winner-take-all game against the Dallas Cowboys in the season finale. Though the Giants played a spirited game, it was Emmitt Smith's sensational performance with a separated shoulder that led the Cowboys to a hard-fought, 16-13 overtime win, giving the Cowboys a sweep of the season series. Despite the loss, the Giants made the playoffs as a Wild Card and won their first round matchup 17-10 over the Minnesota Vikings. However the Giants were no match for the San Francisco 49ers, losing 44-3 in their worst game of the season.
As he had done in 1984 when Bill Parcells restored him to the starting quarterback's job, Phil Simms responded in a big way in 1993. Playing in all 16 games, he completed nearly 62% of his passes, threw for over 3,000 yards, 15 touchdowns and only 9 interceptions and made the Pro Bowl. Rodney Hampton made his second straight Pro Bowl, and offensive linemen Jumbo Elliot and Bart Oates made it as well.
[edit] 1994
The Giants would take a step backwards in 1994 in an unusual year. Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms, the two biggest figures of the late 1980's early 1990's Giants teams retired. In the wake of Simms' retirement following the 1993 season, Reeves named Dave Brown, who had been a No. 1 supplemental draft choice in 1991, as the Giants' new starting quarterback. Though Brown would lead the Giants to wins in their first three games of the season, the Giants would lose their next 7 in a row to drop to 3-7. The losing streak prompted grumbling about Reeves' people skills, and it was suggested he was wearing down the players. The losing also raised questions about his job security and future with the team.
However, the Giants would recover and win their last six games of the season. During this stretch they would not allow more than 20 points in any one game and finished the season with a winning record of 9-7. Though they missed the playoffs, the Giants' season-ending winning streak gave the team hope for the 1995 season. The teams stars included Rodney Hampton, who had his 4th straight 1,000 yard rushing season; linebackers Jessie Armstead and Michael Brooks, and second-year defensive lineman Michael Strahan.
[edit] 1995
In 1995 the Giants regressed again and finished the season with a 5-11 record, their worst since Bill Parcells' first season in 1983. Much of the blame for the Giants' poor performance was placed on quarterback Brown. Brown did not inspire fans' or teammates confidence, did not have a dynamic personality, and also put up lackluster numbers. Many people believed that the Giants were sticking with Brown as long as they were simply because they had so much invested in him. Though the Giants defense still played very well, and Michael Strahan and Jessie Armstead were emerging as elite defensive players, the Giants inspired tepid interest league-wide and sent no players to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year.
[edit] 1996
The Giants suffered through yet another poor season in 1996, finishing 6-10. Though Brown again started every game for the Giants he turned in one of the worst seasons of any starting quarterback that year, throwing for only 12 touchdowns against 20 interceptions. The Giants offense was one of the worst in the NFL and, unlike in previous years, the defense was unable to keep the offense afloat. After having only one playoff appearance in 4 seasons, Reeves began to lose the Giants' players. Fans turned against him and he was dismissed after the 1996 season.
[edit] The Jim Fassel Era
[edit] 1997
The man Giants' brass chose to replace Reeves with was Jim Fassel, who had been offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals. Fassel's hiring was one of the last major decisions that George Young would make as Giants General Manager, and, as Dan Reeves's hiring had four years previous, indicated that the Giants were placing an added emphasis on building the offense.
One of Fassel's first decisions was to name young Danny Kanell as starting quarterback. After an opening day win against Philadelphia the Giants would lose their next three, including close losses to the Baltimore Ravens and St. Louis Rams. The Giants would go on to win their next 5 in a row, finishing the season at 10-5-1 and hosting a first-round game against the Minnesota Vikings. Despite outplaying the Vikings for most of the game, the Giants collapsed in the 4th quarter, and the Vikings kicked a late field goal to edge the Giants, 23-22.
An end of an era came when George Young left the Giants shortly after the 1997 season to take a job in the NFL front office. His replacement would be Ernie Accorsi, a well-respected, veteran General Manager who enjoyed successful stints building the Baltimore Colts and Cleveland Browns.
[edit] 1998
In 1998 the Giants were unable to build on their success from 1997, finishing the year at 8-8. The Giants strength was their defense, which featured two Pro Bowlers in Armstead and Strahan. However, the offense continued to be a disappointment, especially considering Fassel was brought in as an offensive-minded coach. Dave Brown had finally been jettisoned and replaced by Kanell and Kent Graham, in his second tour of duty with the Giants. However, neither quarterback was especially effective.
[edit] 1999
Prior to the 1999 season the Giants signed Kerry Collins as quarterback. Collins had been the first-ever draft choice of the Carolina Panthers and in his second season led the Panthers to the NFC Championship game. However, problems with alcohol, conflicts with his teammates and questions about his character led to his release from the Panthers. Mike Ditka, coach of the New Orleans Saints signed him shortly after his release; however the experiment did not work out and shortly thereafter Collins was released again. Although many people, including Sports Illustrated football beat writer Peter King seriously questioned the wisdom of Accorsi and the Giants giving Collins a $20 million contract, especially when there was little interest for Collins's services league-wide, Accorsi was confident that Collins was a player the Giants could build a championship contender around for years to come.
1999 saw many strong individual performances by the Giants, especially on offense. Tiki Barber emerged as a premiere pass-catching running back, catching 66 passes on the year. Amani Toomer had a breakout season, accumulating over 1100 yards passing and 6 touchdowns. Ike Hilliard also was just shy of 1000 yards receiving on the year. Tight end Pete Mitchell also proved a steady target, with 58 catches on the year. The defense was as strong as ever, ranked 11th in the league and sending Armstead and Strahan, one again, to the Pro Bowl. Though the Giants would stand at 7-6 and poised for a playoff berth, they would lose their final three games of the year, missing the playoffs once again.
[edit] 2000: Super Bowl Season
The year 2000 was considered a make-or-break year for Fassel. Like his predecessor, Dan Reeves, Fassel had enjoyed great success in his first year, but disappointment in the following two years. The conventional wisdom was that Fassel needed to have a strong year and a playoff appearance to retain his job.
The Giants' big draft acquisition was running back Ron Dayne, Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Wisconsin. However, this selection was controversial, with others believing that Shaun Alexander would make the better NFL running back. The plan for Dayne was that the power running style he had at Wisconsin would dovetail nicely with Barber's speed and pass-catching ability. The two would be called the Giants "Thunder and Lightning" backfield and was a key to the season.
Kerry Collins entered the season as the unquestioned starting quarterback and the Giants got off to an excellent start. Although Dayne enjoyed a solid rookie year, the breakout star was Tiki Barber, who not only would be one of the Giants' leading pass catchers but also was proving to be the Giants' most reliable running back in many years.
After two back-to-back losses at home against St. Louis and Detroit, the Giants fell to 7-4 and their playoff prospects were in question. In what would be his defining moment as Giants head coach, at a press conference following the Giants' loss to Detroit, Fassel guaranteed that "This team will be in the playoffs." The Giants responded, winning the next week's game against Arizona and the rest of their regular season games to finish the season 12-4 and earn a bye as the NFC's top seed.
The Giants won their first playoff game against the revitalized Philadelphia Eagles, 20-10. In the NFC Championship they would face the Minnesota Vikings, who were in their second NFC Championship in 3 seasons. Many people thought that the Vikings and their high powered offense, led by Daunte Culpepper and receiver Randy Moss would defeat the Giants and go to the Super Bowl. Yet the Giants would dominate from the very beginning, quickly jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the game's first moments and ultimately winning, 41-0, in one of the most dominating performances in championship game history. The win marked the second time the Giants had won a Conference Championship in their home stadium by shutout. It was after this game that Giants co-owner Wellington Mara delivered his famous "worst team ever" speech:
"This team was referred to as the worst team ever to win the home-field advantage in the National Football League. And today, on our field of painted mud, we proved we're the worst team ever to win the NFC championship. In two weeks, we're going to try to become the worst team ever to win the Super Bowl." [4]
The Giants would go on to play the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV. As the Buffalo Bills had been in 1990, this Giants team was considered to be the team with the more complete, capable, well-rounded offense, and a solid and underrated, (if not dominant) defense featuring a pair of perennial Pro Bowlers in Jessie Armstead and Michael Strahan. By contrast, the Ravens offense featured a caretaker quarterback who did not make a lot of mistakes (Trent Dilfer), a power running game featuring Jamal Lewis and a ball-control passing game using a tight end (Shannon Sharpe) as a primary target.
Though the Giants would keep the game close in the first half, ending the first half down only 10-0, the Ravens would thoroughly dominate the second half. The Ravens defense (and specifically MVP Ray Lewis) would bedevil Kerry Collins all game long, resulting in Collins turning in one of the worst playoff performances in history, only completing 15 of 39 passes for 112 yards and 4 interceptions.
The Ravens went on to win the game 34-7 in one of the most lopsided Super Bowls ever. The only Giants score came on a Ron Dixon kickoff return for a touchdown. On the very next kickoff, the Ravens would counter as Jermaine Lewis would also return a kickoff for a score. Not only was this the only time this had happened in Super Bowl history; it was one of the few times this had happened in NFL history.
[edit] 2001
The Giants were unable to build on their Super Bowl success in 2001, finishing the season 7-9 and out of the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. Kerry Collins continued to have success as the Giants' starting quarterback, throwing for over 3,700 yards and 19 TD's and providing the most stable presence at quarterback since Phil Simms. Tiki Barber continued to be the Giants leading rusher while tying Amani Toomer for the team lead with 72 catches. Ron Dayne also enjoyed another decent season as the Giants' change-of-pace back from Barber.
[edit] 2002-2003
2002 saw the arrival of tight end Jeremy Shockey from the University of Miami who provided Kerry Collins with yet another target. Collins would enjoy one of his best seasons as a pro in 2002, throwing for over 4,000 yards. Tiki Barber had his best season to date, rushing for 1386 yards and also catching 69 passes for 597 yards. The Giants started the season at only 6-6 but won their last 4 games to finish the year 10-6 and secure a first-round playoff game against the NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers.
It would in this game that the Giants would suffer one of the most monumental playoff collapses in NFL history. The Giants had thoroughly dominated the 49ers throughout the game, and with 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter held what appeared to be an insurmountable 38-14 lead. Yet the 49ers would rally, scoring a field goal and three touchdowns - two on Jeff Garcia touchdown passes, one on a Garcia 14-yard touchdown run, and two two-point conversions made by Terrell Owens - which ultimately gave the 49ers a 39-38 lead with a minute to go.
In a desperate rally to keep their season alive, Collins quickly drove the Giants all the way down to the 49ers 23 yard line with six seconds to play, setting up what would be a Matt Bryant 41-yard game winning field goal. However, Bryant would never get an opportunity to make the kick. 40-year-old long snapper Trey Junkin - who had just been signed for this playoff game - snapped the ball low and punter Matt Allen could not spot the ball properly for the attempt. With no other options, Allen threw it downfield to offensive lineman Rich Seubert. The Giants were penalized for an illegal man downfield (Seubert), and the game was over. However, after the game, the NFL recognized that San Francisco should have been penalized on that play as well for pass interference. This would have created offsetting penalties and given New York a chance to kick again.
In addition to the 49ers comeback, this game was marked by an angry Jeremy Shockey inadvertently throwing a cup of water out of frustration that hit a small boy in the stands.
The loss was Fassel's second devastating playoff loss in three postseason appearances, and one from which he would not recover from as Giants coach. The Giants would start out the 2003 season 4-4, but would lose their final 8 games, including 7 consecutive games in the season's second half in which the Giants failed to score more than 13 points, to finish with an abysmal 4-12 season. Fassel finally appeared to be at the end of the line with the Giants. With two games remaining in the season, he requested a meeting with team management, and asked, if he was to be fired, that they do so now rather than wait until the end of the season. Management complied with his request, and formally fired Fassel on (or around) Dec. 17, 2003, however in an unusual turn of events, agreed to allow him coach the team for the remainder of the season so long as Fassel assured them that the team would not "quit" on him.
[edit] Eli's Coming: 2004-Present
After a brief search, Ernie Accorsi hired Tom Coughlin, a former Bill Parcells assistant, to be the Giants new Head Coach. Coughlin, who had been considered for the Giants' head coaching job previously, had been the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and enjoyed tremendous success almost right off the bat. After a "typical" 4-12 expansion season, the Jaguars would go on to play in 2 AFC title games, including one after a 14-2 season and the AFC's top seed. Coughlin's teams had explosive and exciting offenses, and he was widely credited with helping to make Mark Brunell, Fred Taylor, Tony Boselli and Jimmy Smith into Pro Bowl-caliber players. Though Coughlin was considered a hard-nosed disciplinarian who often rubbed players the wrong way and occasionally got himself in trouble with the players' union, he had been a successful coach wherever he went, built the Jaguars quickly and maintained them as one of the NFL's best teams for nearly half a decade.
The Giants decided that their primary need was a franchise quarterback. Ernie Accorsi - who had coveted John Elway when he was Colts general manager in 1983 - saw a player with a similar attitude, talent and intangibles in Eli Manning, brother of Peyton and son of Archie, highly successful NFL quarterbacks all. Though Accorsi wanted Manning badly, and Manning wanted to play in New York, Accorsi was unable to reach a deal to trade up to get him with the San Diego Chargers, who subsequently used the first pick on Manning.
Manning - who had indicated before the draft that he did not want to play for the Chargers - was frustrated and clearly appeared unhappy to have been selected by the Chargers. The Giants attempted to move on and work out a deal with Cleveland when Chargers general manager AJ Smith called Accorsi to make a deal. Part of the deal was that the Giants would draft quarterback Phillip Rivers out of North Carolina State University with the #4 pick overall and trade that pick, plus other picks (including the Giants #1 pick the following year), to the Chargers for Manning's rights and additional considerations. When the trade was announced, many Giants fans in attendance at the draft cheered.
When Kerry Collins made it known that he didn't want to stay with the Giants until they eventually demoted him for Manning, the Giants released Collins, and later signed Kurt Warner, who had led the St. Louis Rams to two Super Bowls, winning one of them. However, Warner had been affected by injuries, specifically a broken hand, that severely reduced his effectiveness. These injuries eventually led to his release by the Rams. The hope was for Warner to help keep the Giants competitive for a season or two as Manning was groomed to ultimately take over the starting job.
After a difficult start against the Eagles in 2004, the Giants, behind Warner, went on to win 5 of their next 6 games to go 5-2. The Giants would then lose two close games, to the Bears and Cardinals, to drop to 5-4. It was at this point that Coughlin made an announcement that Eli Manning would become the starter for the rest of the season. This came as a surprise to many, but it was felt that Manning and the Giants, would be better served at that time with Manning becoming the starter. It was also felt that given the weakness of the NFC, that the Giants, with some luck, might make the playoffs even with Manning at quarterback.
Manning would struggle in his first 4 starts, with the Giants not scoring more than 14 points. However he would do much better in narrow losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, teams who were playing extremely well when the Giants played them. The Giants would win their final game of the year against rival Dallas, to finish the season 6-10. Top performers on the Giants included Tiki Barber who established a personal career high in rushing yardage with 1518 yards; he also had 52 catches and a total of 15 touchdowns - 13 rushing, two receiving.
[edit] 2005-NFC East Champions Again
In the 2005 off-season the Giants would acquire wide receiver Plaxico Burress as a free agent. Burress played for the Steelers for five seasons, and in 2004 emerged as rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's favorite target. Also, during the 2005 Draft, the Giants used their first pick on Lousiana St. Cornerback Corey Webster. They then used their next pick on Notre Dame Defensive End Justin Tuck. The rest of their picks included Southern Illinois Running Back Brandon Jacobs and Florida St. Defensive End Eric Moore.
The Giants won their first two games of the season, against the Arizona Cardinals (42-19) and a second game at the Meadowlands against the New Orleans Saints. The game was originally slated to be a home game for the Saints but had to be moved since the city of New Orleans was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, and the Superdome was untenable after being used as an emergency shelter for locals displaced by the hurricane. Despite the Saints wearing their home colors and the Saints colors and logo being painted in one of the end zones, the game was a de facto home game for the Giants who won easily, 27-10. The Giants lost to the Chargers the following week, 45-23. That game was marked by Chargers fans booing and jeering Eli Manning for refusing to play for the Chargers and demanding a trade. Manning and the Giants would rebound the following week, however, and beat the St. Louis Rams by a score of 44-24. Eli Manning threw four touchdown passes, two of them to Plaxico Burress.
Through eight games, Burress, in a bid to become the first Giant wideout to make the Pro Bowl in 37 years, had 45 catches and five scores. Jeremy Shockey, who had not been as effective as he was in his rookie season, also was beginning to re-emerge with 32 catches and over 500 yards receiving after eight weeks.
Coming off of their Week 5 Bye, they lost a close road game to their long-time division rival, the Dallas Cowboys 16-13 in Overtime. The Giants would get redemption at home and managed to rally a late fourth quarter comeback against the eventual AFC West champion Denver Broncos 24-23.
On September 29, 2005, the New York Giants, New York Jets and the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority announced an agreement where both teams would work together to build a new stadium adjacent to the current Giants Stadium and also commit to remaining at the Meadowlands for the next 99 years. The stadium is projected to be an open-air facility that will hold 80,000 fans, will be managed jointly by the Giants and Jets, and is projected to be ready for the 2009 season. It is the first two-team joint stadium agreement in NFL history.
On October 25, 2005, beloved Giants patriarch Wellington Mara died after a brief illness. He was 89 years old. Mara had been involved with the Giants since he was 9 years old, when he was a ball boy for the Giants. Except a tour of duty in the military during World War II, Mara spent his entire adult life with the Giants. The New York Giants honored W. Mara by shutting out fellow NFC East Rival Washington Redskins 36-0 on October 30, 2005.
Afterwards, the Giants went on the road and defeated the San Francisco 49ers 24-6, but when they got home, lost to the Minnesota Vikings 24-21, even though the Vikings didn't score on offense.
Just twenty days after Mara's death, on November 15, 2005, the other Giants Executive Officer and well-known businessman Preston Robert Tisch died at the age of 79. He was diagnosed in 2004 with inoperable brain cancer. Tisch was a philanthropist all his life and donated considerable sums of money to charitable causes. After his diagnosis, he donated money to institutions aimed towards the research of drugs and treatments to control brain tumors. He was also Chairman and Director of the Loews Corporation, among may other businesses. The New York Giants honored Tisch by defeating fellow NFC East Rival Philadelphia Eagles 27-17 on November 20, 2005.
When the Giants flew to the Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks both sides played hard and fierce. With the score tied at 21, kicker Jay Feely had three chances to give the Giants a win. However, he missed a 40-yarder on the final play of regulation, a 54-yarder in OT, and went wide right on a 45-yard try. Eventually, the Giants lost 24-21 as Seahawks kicker Josh Brown booted a 36-yarder for his team's win. Next up was a rematch with the Cowboys at Giants Stadium. During their 17-10 victory, the Giants defense made opposing QB Drew Bledsoe go 15 of 39 for 146 yards with only one touchdown pass and two interceptions. Also, the Giants recorded four sacks and two fumbles. The Giants then traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and defeated the defending NFC champion Eagles 26-23.
On December 17th, 2005, in their 27-17 home victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, Tiki Barber broke the team's single game rushing yard record with 220 yards, which broke the previous record of 218 yards, which had been set by Gene Roberts on November 12, 1950.
Despite losing the rematch to the Redskins 35-20 on Saturday, December 24, 2005, the Giants were able to clinch at least a wild card berth without playing a single down when the Minnesota Vikings fell to the Baltimore Ravens 30-23 just one day later. The Giants then wrapped up the NFC East title for the first time since 2000 with a 30-21 win against the Oakland Raiders. The team's appearance in the 2005 postseason was their 27th, tied with the Dallas Cowboys and the St. Louis Rams for the most ever by an NFL team. They hosted the NFC Wild Card game at Giants Stadium on January 8, 2006 against the Carolina Panthers. However, the "Big Blue" ended up black and blue as costly turnovers and poor tackling got the Giants shut-out 23-0.
The 2005 Giants have five pro bowlers, including running back Tiki Barber and Jeremy Shockey on offense. Veteran Defensive End Michael Strahan and young standout Defensive End Osi Umenyiora represent the defense. Special teamer David Tyree was also named to the Pro Bowl.
In addition, Osi Umenyiora and Tiki Barber were named AP First Team All Pros for the 2005 season.
[edit] 2006
- Further information: 2006 New York Giants season
[edit] References
- ^ www.sportsecyclopedia.com[1] retrieved September 12, 2006
- ^ Neft, David S., Cohen, Richard M., and Korch, Rick. The Complete History of Professional Football from 1892 to the Present. 1994 pg. 69
- ^ Neft, David S., Cohen, Richard M., and Korch, Rick. The Complete History of Professional Football from 1892 to the Present. 1994 pg. 113
- ^ www.usatoday.com [2] retrieved September 12, 2006
