Was this the best-ever Giants team? It’s hard to argue otherwise. Here’s why.
(Read Part 1 of my story here.)
The Giants went into Week 11 at 8-2 on the season. The Giants traveled to Minnesota and trailed the Vikings 20–19 with just 1:12 left on the clock. But in what might have been his best game of the season, quarterback Phil Simms connected with receiver Bobby Johnson on a fourth-and- 7 for a first down. Moments later, kicker Raul Allegra kicked the winning field goal to give the Giants a 22–20 victory.
Week 12 would be a true test against the 9-2 Denver Broncos, but the Giants prevailed 19–16 in a hard-fought defensive battle at Giants Stadium. The big highlights of the game were a 78-yard interception for a touchdown by 34-year-old defensive end George Martin and a 46-yard TD strike from Phil Simms to Phil McConkey.
The schedule didn’t get any easier for the Giants as they were going up against the 1984 Super Bowl Champion SF 49ers eight days later on Monday Night Football at Candlestick Park. It didn’t look good for the G-Men as the 49ers took a 17–0 halftime lead. But things changed quickly. Tight end Mark Bavaro inspired his teammates with a routine catch over the middle, and it took seven defenders to bring him down finally, some of whom he carried for almost 20 yards. The play awoke the sleeping Giants as they came back to win 21–17. Phil Simms threw for nearly 400 yards, and receiver Stacy Robinson made an extraordinary catch at the goal line to set up the winning touchdown.
A Week 14 matchup against the Washington Redskins at RFK Stadium would decide first place in the NFC Eastern Division. The two teams came into the game with identical 11–2 records.
With game-time temps reaching a chilly 14-degree wind chill factor at the Meadowlands in Week 15, the Giants made short work of the Cardinals, 27–7. Perhaps the weather had something to do with the Giants gaining only 62 yards through the air, but it didn’t matter as their ground game churned out 252 yards, 179 coming from Joe Morris. The Giants D dominated the Cardinals, too, registering nine sacks on the day.
With home-field advantage throughout the playoffs now on the line, the Giants pounded the Packers 55–24 in Week 16. The game’s highlight was a blocked punt, which was returned for a TD by former Packer Tony Flynn.
The win gave the Giants home-field advantage and a two-week rest to prepare for their old nemesis, the SF 49ers. The 49ers were hungry for revenge after losing to the Giants in their last two matchups. It looked like they might get that revenge when, on their first series, receiver Jerry Rice was off and running for what looked like a sure touchdown. But Rice inexplicably dropped the ball, and the Giants recovered.
From that point on, it was a rout as the Big Blue defense held SF to just 184 total yards. The key play for the Giants came in the second quarter when nose tackle Jim Burt hit Joe Montana, and Lawrence Taylor intercepted the errant pass and ran 34 yards for a touchdown. That hit also knocked Joe Montana out of the game. On the other side of the ball, the Giants offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage as Joe Morris ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
With winds reaching 33 miles an hour at the Meadowlands, the Giants prepared to play the Washington Redskins for the third time this season, with the winner going to Super Bowl XXI. New York started quickly, taking a 17–0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Then the Giants’ defense dominated the second half shutting out the Skins to preserve the 17–0 victory. One of the keys to the game was the play of Giants offensive tackle Brad Benson who neutralized the Redskins top pass rusher Dexter Manley, who had 18.5 sacks during the 16-game regular season.
Now, it was on to the Super Bowl, and on January 25, 1987, the Giants took on the Denver Broncos at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The two teams had met just two months earlier, with the Giants winning on a late-game field goal. Giants QB Phil Simms and Broncos QB John Elway were both hot in the first half, and Denver took a 10–9 lead into the locker room at halftime, but the Giants’ offense exploded in the third quarter, scoring 17 unanswered points.
The Giants went on to claim an easy 39–20 win. The game’s hero was the often criticized Phil Simms, who threw three touchdowns and completed 88% of his passes en route to winning the Super Bowl MVP award.
The Super Bowl victory was an exclamation point to the team’s most successful season in their long, storied history. Head Coach Bill Parcells won the Coach of the Year award. Eight Giants players were chosen to represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl–tight end Mark Bavaro, offensive lineman Brad Benson, nose tackle Jim Burt, middle linebacker Harry Carson, punter Sean Landeta, running back Joe Morris, defensive end Leonard Marshall, and outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor. Taylor became only the second defensive player in NFL history to win the NFL MVP award.
The team’s success continued as the team went on to win three more Vince Lombardi trophies in 1990, 2007, and 2011.
