Talk:Pixie-bob and History of the New York Giants (1979–1993): Difference between pages

Revision as of 19:15, 8 September 2006

Revision as of 05:35, 18 March 2007

Line 1:

[[Image:Giants helmet 1980-1999.gif|thumb|200px|New York Giants helmet 1980-1999.]]

{{Template:WikiProject Cats}}

The following is a detailed '''History of the [[New York Giants]] (1979-1993)''', which covers their history from 1979 to 1993. The Giants are an [[American football]] team which plays in the [[NFL|NFL's]] [[National Football Conference]]. From 1964 to 1978, the Giants registered only two winning seasons and were unable to advance to the playoffs. However, in 1979 they started rebuilding and built a team which would be highly competitive in the coming years. From 1981 to 1990, the team qualified for the postseason seven times in ten seasons. During that period, they won [[Super Bowl XXI]] ([[1987]]) and [[Super Bowl XXV]] ([[1991]]). The team's success during the 1980s was aided by head coach [[Bill Parcells]], quarterback [[Phil Simms]], and [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] linebackers [[Lawrence Taylor]] and [[Harry Carson]]. Following the 1990 season Parcells resigned as coach and Simms and Taylor played out the last years of their career with steadily declining production. The Giants experienced a resurgent season in 1993 however, and Simms and Taylor ended their last season with the team as members of a winning club.

{{Giants history}}

==The Building of a Champion: 1979-1985==

The Giants struggled through out much of the 1990's as Parcells left the team and players such as Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor retired. They [[Super Bowl XXXV|returned to the Super Bowl]] in 2001 losing to the [[Baltimore Ravens]], and as of 2007 have made the playoffs in two consecutive seasons.

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.<ref name="dbf">[http://www.databasefootball.com/teams/teampage.htm?tm=nyg&lg=nfl New York Giants (1925 - )], databasefootball.com, accessed January 23, 3007 </ref>

With the second overall draft pick in the 1981 draft, the Giants selected [[Lawrence Taylor]], linebacker out of the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|University of North Carolina]]. The impact that Taylor had on the Giants' defense was immediate. He was named 1981's [[NFL Rookie of the Year Award|NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year]] and [[NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award|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&mdash;which already included future [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Famer]] [[Harry Carson]] and [[Brad Van Pelt]]&mdash;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 [[Arizona Cardinals|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]], [[Tennessee Titans|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|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.

[[Image:Giants-stadium.jpg|thumb|280px| [[Giants Stadium]] has been home to the Giants since 1976.]]

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 the Giants were competitive in many of their losses and 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,<ref name="dbf"> </ref> 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 (American football)|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,<ref name="dbf"> </ref> 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.

Many of the players that would play key roles on the Giants Super Bowl teams emerged in 1985. [[Joe Morris (American football)|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.

==Success: 1986-1990==

===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 to finish the season with an impressive 14-2 record.<ref name="dbf"> </ref> In fact, the 1986 Giants won nine games by seven points or less.

[[Image:1986Giants.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Team photo of the 1986 Super Bowl Champion Giants team.<!-- FAIR USE of 1986Giants.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:1986Giants.jpg for rationale --> ]]

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 [[Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome|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 and wide receiver [[Stacy Robinson]] made an acrobatic catch at the goalline. Another memorable moment of the season also occurred during that [[Monday Night Football]] game. Here is a description of the play taken from a Monday Night Football broadcast in 2005: "On Dec. 1 1986, New York Giants tight end Mark Bavaro cements his reputation as one of the toughest men in the NFL. With the Giants trailing, Bavaro catches an innocent pass from Phil Simms over the middle. It takes nearly seven 49ers defenders to finally drag him down, some of which are carried for almost 20 yards, including future Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott. Bavaro’s inspiring play jump starts the Giants, who win the game and eventually the Super Bowl."<ref>[http://media.espn.com/MediaZone/PressKits/NFL2005/MNF_list.htm MNF 36: THE LIST MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SPECIAL (Original Air Date: Aug. 25, 2005)], ESPN.com, accessed January 3, 2007</ref>

[[Image:L.T..jpg|thumb|100px|right|Lawrence Taylor was named [[NFL Defensive Player of the Year]] and league [[NFL MVP|MVP]] in 1986.]]

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 set the NFL single season record while with the Giants in 2001). Taylor was so dominant that in addition to winning an unprecedented third [[NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award]] he was named [[NFL Most Valuable Player Award|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 (football player)|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".

The Giants would go on to play the [[Denver Broncos]] in [[Super Bowl XXI]] in front of 101,063 fans at the Rose Bowl.<ref name="NYG.comchamp2">[http://www.giants.com/history/ChampionshipGames1950present.asp Championship Games 1950-present], giants.com, accessed January 12, 2007</ref> After falling behind 10-9 at halftime, the Giants defeated the Broncos 39-20. Quarterback [[Phil Simms]] was named MVP after completing 22 of 25 (88%) of his passes - a Super Bowl record.<ref name="NYG.comchamp2"/>

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 (football player)|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.

===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.<ref name="dbf"> </ref> 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]].

===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 15.5 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. 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,<ref name="dbf"> </ref> 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.

===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 at 12-4. Heading into the final week of the regular season against the Los Angeles Raiders, division rival Philadelphia lost a crucial game in New Orleans, thus opening up a chance at the NFC East Title. In a dominating performance, the Giants knocked off the Raiders and clinched the division with a 34-17 victory. The game was hilighted by kick returner Dave Meggett's first career punt return for a touchdown.<ref name="dbf"> </ref> 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.

===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,<ref name="NYG1990">[http://databasefootball.com/teams/teamyear.htm?tm=NYG&lg=nfl&yr=1990 1990 New York Giants], accessed [[March 17]], [[2007]]. </ref> and allowed 7 points or less in 5 of the wins.<ref name="NYG1990"/> 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.<ref name="NYG1990"/> The game was still eagerly anticipated. the Giants would hold the 49ers vaunted offense to only 7 points. However, they would be held to only three points, thus suffering their second straight loss 7-3.<ref name="NYG1990"/>

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,<ref name="NYG1990"/> 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 [[Arizona Cardinals|Phoenix Cardinals]] and [[New England Patriots]] on the road. The Cardinals game was close throughout before the Giants finally won, 24-21.<ref name="NYG1990"/> Their game against the Patriots was a de facto home game, as many Giants fans made the trip up to [[Foxborough, Massachusetts|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,<ref name="NYG1990"/> securing a 13-3 record,<ref name="NYG1990"/> and the playoff bye as the NFC's second seed.

====Run up to the Super Bowl====

The Giants would easily handle the Chicago Bears, 31-3 in the divisional playoff round,<ref name="NYG1990"/> 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 Erik Howard caused a [[Roger Craig]] fumble,<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8914214/wid/6448213/page/2/ Pats not talking about drive for third straight], msnbc.com, accessed January 31, 2007 </ref> and [[Lawrence Taylor]] recovered it, and the Giants had their offense drive down the field in order to get into field goal range for Bahr. On the game's last play, Bahr hit a 42-yard field goal to give the Giants the NFC title, 15-13 over the two-time defending Super Bowl champions,<ref name="NYG1990"/> 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 [[Oakland Raiders|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.

====Super Bowl XXV====

{{main|Super Bowl XXV}}

[[Super Bowl XXV]] would take place amidst a background of war and patriotism in front of 73,813 fans at [[Tampa Stadium]], in [[Tampa]], [[Florida]].<ref name="NYG.comchamp2"> </ref> 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 [[Star Spangled Banner|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.

[[Image:Walls si cover.jpg|thumb|180px| [[Everson Walls]] celebrates the Giants Super Bowl XXV victory.]]

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 Giants would set a Super Bowl record for time of possession in the process with a mark of 40:33,<ref name="NYG.comchamp2"> </ref> and Ottis Anderson would be named MVP of the game after rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown.<ref name="NYG.comchamp2"> </ref>

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 January, 2007).

===End of Era===

The 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 [[Preston Robert Tisch|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.

==After Parcells - The Handley era==

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]]. Handley, however, was a somewhat reluctant coach, certainly not as passionate and revered as Parcells had been.

===1991-1992===

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,<ref name="dbf"> </ref> 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.<ref name="dbf"> </ref> 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.

===1993===

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 Elliott (football player)|Jumbo Elliot]] and [[Bart Oates]] made it as well. In addition Reeves was named Coach of the Year by the Associated Press.<ref name="NYG.com">[http://www.giants.com/history/TeamHistory.html History of the New York Giants], giants.com, accessed January 12, 2007</ref>

==References==

<references />

[[Category:New York Giants]]

[[Category:Sports history of the United States by team|New York Giants]]