1990 New York Giants season

NFL team season (won Super Bowl) August 2023 March 2026 New York Giants 1990 13–3 1st NFC East Bill Parcells Ron Erhardt Bill Belichick George Young Wellington MaraTimothy J. Mara Giants Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. Bears) 31–3Won NFC Championship(at 49ers) 15–13 Won Super Bowl XXV(vs. Bills) 20–19 7 C Bart Oates G William Roberts DT Erik Howard LB Lawrence Taylor LB Pepper Johnson P Sean Landeta ST Reyna Thompson Giants seasons The 1990 New York Giants season was the franchise's 66th season in the National Football League (NFL). The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference (NFC), won their sixth championship and second Super Bowl. Led by linebacker Lawrence Taylor and quarterbacks Phil Simms and Jeff Hostetler, the Giants posted a 13–3 record before defeating the Chicago Bears and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers in the NFC playoffs. In Super Bowl XXV, they defeated the Buffalo Bills 20–19 in Tampa Stadium. The story of the season is the subject of a recent book, When the Cheering Stops, by defensive end Leonard Marshall and CBSsports.com co-writer William Bendetson. After making the playoffs in 1989, the Giants entered the 1990 season as a Super Bowl favorite, though most believed they stood little chance of stopping the 49ers. The Giants began the season with a 27–20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, then won their next nine games before losing a rematch to Philadelphia 31–13 in Week 12. The Giants also lost close games to the 49ers on the road and to the Bills at home in the regular season before defeating both teams in playoff rematches. In the Week 15 game against Buffalo, starting quarterback Phil Simms was injured and ultimately lost for the season with a broken foot. He was replaced by Hostetler, who did not lose a game. The Giants' defense led the NFL in fewest points allowed (211), and the team set an NFL record by committing only 14 turnovers in the regular season.Later broken by the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins in 2008 with 13, and then again by the 2010 New England Patriots and the 2011 San Francisco 49ers, with only 10. After the season, seven Giants were selected to the Pro Bowl. In 2007, ESPN.com ranked the 1990 Giants' defense as the sixth-greatest in NFL history,The List: Best NFL defense of all-time, 2007 noting that the team "allowed only 13.2 points a game against a very tough schedule – they played against seven playoff teams during the regular season. Led by Hall of Fame outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor and First Team All-Pro inside linebacker Pepper Johnson, New York's defense also came through in the playoffs, holding the Bears to just three points in the divisional playoff game. The Giants then held a resilient 49ers offense to just two field goals and one touchdown and set up the game-winning score by both forcing and recovering a late Roger Craig fumble involving NT Erik Howard and OLB Lawrence Taylor to win the NFC Championship Game 15–13. In Super Bowl XXV, the Giant defense held its own against the Bills' no-huddle offense while the Giants' offense executed long methodical drives that gave the Giants a time of possession advantage of 2 to 1, and New York won 20–19." Off-season NFL draft The Giants had 11 selections in the 12-round 1990 NFL draft and took running back Rodney Hampton in the first round with the #24 overall selection.Draft History: New York Giants https://web.archive.org/web/20070531233150/http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/teams/NYG 2007-05-31 , NFL.com/history, accessed May 17, 2007. They took defensive end Mike Fox from West Virginia University in the second round (#51 overall) and linebacker Greg Mark (#79 overall) of the University of Miami in the third round. Kicker Matt Stover was selected in the 12th round but spent the season on injured reserve. 1990 NFL draft 1990 New York Giants 1 27 Rodney Hampton Running back Georgia yes yes 2 51 Mike Fox Defensive End West Virginia yes 3 79 Greg Mark Linebacker Miami (FL) no 4 107 David Whitmore Safety Stephen F. Austin yes 5 135 Craig Kupp Quarterback Pacific Lutheran no 7 191 Aaron Emanuel Running back USC no 8 218 Barry Voorhees Tackle Cal State Northridge no 12 329 Matt Stover Kicker Louisiana Tech no yes yes no Undrafted free agents + 1990 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeBobby Abrams LinebackerMichiganRichard Apolskis GuardArkansasGary BarlowGuardPacificFrank BaurQuarterbackLafayetteGreg Boysaw CB-SIllinoisRoy BrownGuardVirginiaWin BryantNTNicholls StateEd CunninghamTackleTexasMark DennisLinebackerCentral MichiganWitliam DoyenTackleWest Virginia TechTroy KylesWide receiverHowardBruce LangWide receiverFairmont StateMichael LindseyLinebackerSouthernAndy LockTackleMissouriPhilip Ng Wide receiverLafayetteMichael RiddickWide receiverDelaware StateChad RobinsonLinebackerBYUTerrance SandersDefensive EndGramblingClarence SeayWide receiverUTEPChad Thorson LinebackerWheatonKenneth VinesCenterCentral State (OH) Roster 1990 New York Giants 47 6 2  6 Matt Cavanaugh 15 Jeff Hostetler 24 Ottis Anderson 44 Maurice Carthon FB 27 Rodney Hampton y KR 30 Dave Meggett KR/PR 22 Lee Rouson FB 34 Lewis Tillman 85 Stephen Baker 82 Mark Ingram 84 Troy Kyles 81 Stacy Robinson 89 Mark Bavaro 87 Howard Cross 80 Bob Mrosko 76 Jumbo Elliott T 61 Bob Kratch G 60 Eric Moore T-G 65 Bart Oates C 64 Tom Rehder G-T 72 Doug Riesenberg T 66 William Roberts G 59 Brian Williams G-C 77 Eric Dorsey DE 93 Mike Fox American football y DE 74 Erik Howard NT 70 Leonard Marshall DE 73 John Washington DE 51 Bobby Abrams y OLB 58 Carl Banks OLB 98 Johnie Cooks OLB 99 Steve DeOssie ILB/LS 52 Pepper Johnson ILB 57 Larry McGrew OLB 55 Gary Reasons ILB 56 Lawrence Taylor OLB 46 Roger Brown CB 25 Mark Collins CB 26 Dave Duerson SS 29 Myron Guyton FS 47 Greg Jackson SS 21 Reyna Thompson CB 28 Everson Walls CB 43 David Whitmore FS 23 Perry Williams CB  9 Matt Bahr K  5 Sean Landeta P  2 Raúl Allegre K 79 Clint James no y DE IR 11 Phil Simms QB IR  3 Matt Stover y K IR 83 Odessa Turner WR IR 36 Adrian White American football S IR 92 Tim Downing y no DE 54 Tracy Gravely y LB Pro-Set 3–4 Yes No No Phil Simms Jeff Hostetler Ottis Anderson Maurice Carthon Stephen Baker Mark Ingram Mark Bavaro Howard Cross Eric Moore Jumbo Elliott William Roberts Bart Oates Bob Kratch Eric Moore Doug Risenberg Lawrence Taylor Pepper Johnson Steve DeOssie Carl Banks Johnie Cooks Myron Guyton Greg Jackson Mark Collins Everson Walls John Washington Leonard Marshall Erik Howard Eric Dorsey Matt Bahr Sean Landeta Dave Meggett Dave Meggett 85 85 No Coaching staff New York Giants 1990 coaching staff Front office Co-owner – Wellington Mara Co-owner – Timothy J. Mara general manager – George Young Head coaches Head coach – Bill Parcells Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Ron Erhardt Running backs – Ray Handley Wide receivers – Tom Coughlin Tight ends – Mike Pope Offensive line – Fred Hoaglin Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator/secondary – Bill Belichick Defensive line – Romeo Crennel Linebackers – Al Groh Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Mike Sweatman Assistant special teams – Charlie Weis Source:Archer, Todd. "Two of a kind: Parcells, Coughlin see eye to eye", Dallas Morning News, October 8, 2004. Super Coaching Staff: https://www.giants.com/news/super-coaching-staff Schedule Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 August 13, 1990 at Buffalo Bills W 20–6 1–0 Rich Stadium Recap 2 August 18, 1990 at Houston Oilers W 13–10 2–0 Houston Astrodome Recap 3 August 25, 1990 New York Jets W 17–7 3–0 Giants Stadium Recap 4 September 1, 1990 Cleveland Browns W 28–10 4–0 Giants Stadium Recap Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 9 Philadelphia Eagles W 27–20 1–0 Giants Stadium Recap 2 September 16 at Dallas Cowboys W 28–7 2–0 Texas Stadium Recap 3 September 23 Miami Dolphins W 20–3 3–0 Giants Stadium Recap 4 September 30 Dallas CowboysW 31–17 4–0 Giants Stadium Recap 5 Bye 6 October 14 at Washington Redskins W 24–20 5–0 RFK Stadium Recap 7 October 21 Phoenix Cardinals W 20–19 6–0 Giants Stadium Recap 8 October 28 Washington Redskins W 21–10 7–0 Giants Stadium Recap 9 November 5, 1990 at Indianapolis Colts W 24–7 8–0 Hoosier Dome Recap 10 November 11 at Los Angeles Rams W 31–7 9–0 Anaheim Stadium Recap 11 November 18 Detroit Lions W 20–0 10–0 Giants Stadium Recap 12 November 25 at Philadelphia Eagles L 13–31 10–1 Veterans Stadium Recap 13 December 3, 1990 at San Francisco 49ers L 3–7 10–2 Candlestick Park Recap 14 December 9 Minnesota Vikings W 23–15 11–2 Giants Stadium Recap 15 December 15, 1990 Buffalo Bills L 13–17 11–3 Giants Stadium Recap 16 December 23 at Phoenix Cardinals W 24–21 12–3 Sun Devil Stadium Recap 17 December 30 at New England Patriots W 13–10 13–3 Foxboro Stadium Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles 1990 Philadelphia Eagles season Eagles 3 7 0 10 Giants 6 0 14 7 Sunday, September 9 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 8:15 p.m. EST 76,202 64 F C 1 or, relative humidity 61%, wind 6 mph km/h knots Gordon McCarter Skip Caray and Pat Haden TNT Source: yes 1 NYG Raúl Allegre 38-yard field goal NYG 3–0 1 NYG Raúl Allegre 46-yard field goal NYG 6–0 1 PHI Roger Ruzek 37-yard field goal NYG 6–3 2 PHI Anthony Toney 18-yard pass from Keith Byars (Roger Ruzek kick) PHI 10–6 3 NYG Rodney Hampton 12-yard pass from Phil Simms (Raúl Allegre kick) NYG 13–10 3 NYG Dave Meggett 68-yard punt return (Raúl Allegre kick) NYG 20–10 4 NYG Mark Ingram 41-yard pass from Phil Simms (Raúl Allegre kick) NYG 27–10 4 PHI Randall Cunningham 1-yard run (Roger Ruzek kick) NYG 27–17 4 PHI Roger Ruzek 29-yard field goal NYG 27–20 yes The Giants started the season with a 27–20 home win over the Philadelphia Eagles ending a four game losing streak to the Eagles. Despite sitting out training camp and the preseason in a contract dispute, linebacker Lawrence Taylor recorded three sacks and a forced fumble.Litsky, Frank. FOOTBALL; (sic) Marshall Struggles to Regain Job, The New York Times, September 15, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. The Giants' defense forced three turnovers and held the Eagles to 83 rushing yards.Box Score Eagles Vs Giants 9/9/1990, databasefootball.com, accessed May 23, 2007. The Giants' offense scored three touchdowns in a 13-minute span in the third and early fourth quarters, but head coach Bill Parcells felt the offensive performance was lackluster overall: "Our runners didn't run the way we wanted them to. They were a little impatient. There were five or six vivid examples of cutting back too soon. You just have to give the play a chance and let it go where it's supposed to." Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys 1990 Dallas Cowboys season Giants 0 14 7 7 Cowboys 0 7 0 0 Sunday, September 16 Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas 1:00 p.m. EST 61,090 84 F C 1 or, relative humidity 58%, wind 5 mph km/h knots Jerry Seeman Dick Stockton and Merlin Olsen CBS Source: yes 2 NYG Phil Simms 4-yard run (Raúl Allegre kick) NYG 7–0 2 NYG Ottis Anderson 1-yard run (Raúl Allegre kick) NYG 14–0 2 DAL Alexander Wright 90-yard kickoff return (Ken Willis kick) NYG 14–7 3 NYG Mark Bavaro 4-yard pass from Phil Simms (Raúl Allegre kick) NYG 21–7 3 NYG Lawrence Taylor 11-yard interception return (Raúl Allegre kick) NYG 28–7 yes With temperatures reaching 122° on the artificial turf at Texas Stadium, the Giants played the Dallas Cowboys on September 16.Litsky, Frank. Key Backup Players Keep Giants Fresh, The New York Times, September 18, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. The Giants dominated from the outset and used backup players heavily throughout the game. Lawrence Taylor batted a Troy Aikman pass high into the air, which he caught and returned for a touchdown. The Giants' defense held the Cowboys to 20 rushing yards and 156 yards of total offense, while the Giants' offense gained 369 yards. The Cowboys totaled only nine first downs, averaged 1.8 yards per rush and were dominated in time of possession, 41:40 to 18:20.Box Score Giants Vs Cowboys 9/16/1990, databasefootball.com, accessed May 24, 2007. Despite the 28–7 victory, Giants center Bart Oates still felt the offense could improve its play: "[w]e missed a lot of assignments. We rushed the ball O.K., but not like we did against Buffalo in preseason. Phil was pressured some. There were plenty of things we didn't do." Week 3: vs. Miami Dolphins 1990 Miami Dolphins season Dolphins 0 0 3 0 Giants 3 7 0 10 Sunday, September 23 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 1:00 p.m. EST 76,483 63 F C 1 or, relative humidity 66%, wind 17 mph km/h knots Jerry Markbreit Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh NBC Source: yes 1 NYG Raúl Allegre 22-yard field goal NYG 3–0 2 NYG Ottis Anderson 1-yard run (Raúl Allegre kick) NYG 10–0 3 MIA Pete Stoyanovich 51-yard field goal NYG 10–3 4 NYG Ottis Anderson 2-yard run (Raúl Allegre kick) NYG 17–3 4 NYG Raúl Allegre 45-yard field goal NYG 20–3 yes On September 23 at Giants Stadium, before 76,483 fans, the Giants met the Miami Dolphins for the first time since the Dolphins' undefeated 1972 season.New York Giants v Miami Dolphins Miami held the ball for only 19:42, and totaled only 158 yards of offense. The Giants' offense set the tone by holding the ball for 10:25 on the opening drive, leading to a field goal by Raúl Allegre. Holding Dan Marino to 119 total yards, and 3.6 yards per passing attempt, the Giants prevailed by a score of 20–3.Litsky, Frank. Giants Smother Dolphins, The New York Times, September 24, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008.Box Score Dolphins Vs Giants 9/23/1990, databasefootball.com, accessed May 23, 2007. Parcells was criticized by the local media for playing Taylor in the final moments, despite the lopsided score, after he had injured his hamstring.Anderson, Dave. Sports of the Times; Why Was L. T. Playing?, The New York Times, September 24, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys Cowboys 0 3 7 7 Giants 7 10 0 14 Sunday, September 30 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 1:00 p.m. EST 75,923 69 F C 1 or, relative humidity 80%, wind 13 mph km/h knots Dale Hamer Pat Summerall and John Madden CBS Source: yes 1 NYG Mark Ingram 12-yard pass from Phil Simms (Matt Bahr kick) NYG 7–0 2 DAL Ken Willis 22-yard field goal NYG 7–3 2 NYG Matt Bahr 34-yard field goal NYG 10–3 2 NYG Bob Mrosko 7-yard pass from Phil Simms (Matt Bahr kick) NYG 17–3 3 DAL Emmitt Smith 4-yard run (Ken Willis kick) NYG 17–10 4 NYG Rodney Hampton 27-yard pass from Phil Simms (Matt Bahr kick) NYG 24–10 4 NYG Jeff Hostetler 12-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) NYG 31–10 4 DAL Jay Novacek 7-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Ken Willis kick) NYG 31–17 yes The Giants faced the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4 before 75,923 fans at Giants Stadium.Litsky, Frank. Giants Dispatch Cowboys To Go 4–0, The New York Times, October 1, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. The Giants' defense held the Cowboys to 51 rushing yards on 20 attempts, and the Giants controlled the ball for 35:38.Box Score Cowboys Vs Giants 9/30/1990, databasefootball.com, accessed May 24, 2007. Giants quarterback Phil Simms threw three touchdowns, and backup Jeff Hostetler ran for a 12-yard score late in the fourth quarter. Although the Giants' league-leading defense gave up 284 yards, 84 came on the Cowboys' final possession when the Giants played a prevent defense. Simms threw touchdown passes to Mark Ingram and Rodney Hampton, and the Giants built a 31–10 early in the fourth quarter before pulling their starters and allowing a Dallas touchdown. Week 6: at Washington Redskins 1990 Washington Redskins season Giants 0 7 14 3 Redskins 3 0 10 7 Sunday, October 14 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 4:15 p.m. EST 54,737 74 F C 1 or, relative humidity 68%, wind 11 mph km/h knots Tom Dooley Pat Summerall and John Madden CBS Source: yes 1 WSH Chip Lohmiller 42-yard field goal WSH 3–0 2 NYG Stephen Baker 80-yard pass from Phil Simms (Matt Bahr kick) NYG 7–3 3 WSH Chip Lohmiller 35-yard field goal NYG 7–6 3 NYG Ottis Anderson 5-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) NYG 14–6 3 WSH Ricky Sanders 31-yard pass from Earnest Byner (Chip Lohmiller kick) NYG 14–13 3 NYG Mark Bavaro 2-yard pass from Phil Simms (Matt Bahr kick) NYG 21–13 4 WSH Gerald Riggs 1-yard run (Chip Lohmiller kick) NYG 21–20 4 NYG Matt Bahr 19-yard field goal NYG 24–20 yes The Giants used their bye week to allow injured players such as linebacker Carl Banks, running back Rodney Hampton, special teamer Reyna Thompson, defensive lineman Erik Howard and offensive tackle Jumbo Elliott to recover from injuries.Litsky, Frank. Giants Welcome a Needed Rest, The New York Times, October 2, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. They played the Washington Redskins on the road the following week.Eskenazi, Gerald. Redskin Turnovers Make the Difference, The New York Times, October 15, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. The Giants forced four turnovers and won despite losing the time of possession battle, 35:28 to 24:32. Defensive coordinator Bill Belichick singled out free safety Greg Jackson, who had two interceptions, after the 24–20 win: "Jackson must have had 10 interceptions in practice, and if ever the cliche held true about a player playing the way he practices, it was so this week." Week 7: vs. Phoenix Cardinals 1990 Phoenix Cardinals season Cardinals 3 7 6 3 Giants 7 3 0 10 Sunday, October 21 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 4:00 p.m. EST 57 F C 1 or, relative humidity 62%, wind 10 mph km/h knots Gene Barth Dick Stockton and Merlin Olsen CBS Source: yes 1 NYG Ottis Anderson 4-yard rush (Matt Bahr kick) NYG 7–0 1 PHO Al Del Greco 39-yard field goal NYG 7–3 2 NYG Matt Bahr 34-yard field goal NYG 10–3 2 PHO Luis Sharpe 1-yard pass from Timm Rosenbach (Al Del Greco kick) PHO 10–10 3 PHO Al Del Greco 18-yard field goal PHO 13–10 3 PHO Al Del Greco 34-yard field goal PHO 16–10 4 PHO Al Del Greco 45-yard field goal PHO 19–10 4 NYG Stephen Baker 38-yard pass from Jeff Hostetler (Matt Bahr kick) PHO 19–17 4 NYG Matt Bahr 40-yard field goal NYG 20–19 yes In Week 7, the Giants faced the Phoenix Cardinals in front of 76,518 fans at Giants Stadium.Litsky, Frank. Giants Find a Way to Win, 20–19, The New York Times, October 22, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. They rushed for 151 yards on 31 carries, and committed only four penalties for 24 yards.Box Score Cardinals Vs Giants 10/21/1990, databasefootball.com, accessed May 23, 2007. Their defense held the Cardinals to 96 passing yards and 221 yards of total offense. With 5:38 left in the game, the Cardinals–13-point underdogs—extended their lead to 19–10, and had knocked Simms out of the game. However, the Giants came back with a 38-yard touchdown from Jeff Hostetler to Stephen Baker, and Hostetler then led a late drive culminating in a game-winning 40-yard field goal by Matt Bahr to win 20–19. The Giants' tone was subdued in their locker room after the win. "It wasn't pretty", said Taylor. "But you don't ask how to win, you just win." Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins Redskins 0 3 7 0 Giants 0 14 0 7 Sunday, October 21 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 4:00 p.m. EST 51 F C 1 or, relative humidity 53%, wind 12 mph km/h knots Gordon McCarter At home in front of 75,321 fans, the Giants played the Washington Redskins in Week 8.Litsky, Frank. The Beating Goes On as 7–0 Giants Thwart Redskins, The New York Times, October 29, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. Each team totaled 16 first downs, four punts and five penalties, and the difference in time of possession was less than one minute.Box Score Redskins Vs Giants 10/28/1990, databasefootball.com, accessed May 24, 2007. However, the Giants committed no turnovers while coercing three from the Redskins. Giants cornerback Everson Walls intercepted two passes—including one that he returned for his first career touchdown—and free safety Greg Jackson intercepted another. Walls' interception set up a Giants touchdown and a 14–0 lead in the second quarter. Jackson then intercepted a pass in the end zone in the third quarter to preserve a 14–10 lead, and Walls returned his second interception 28 yards for a touchdown that made the score 21–10 and put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. Week 9: At Indianapolis Colts Giants 3 14 0 7 Colts 0 0 7 0 at Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana The Giants improved to 8–0 with a 24–7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in front of 56,688 in the Hoosier Dome.Litsky, Frank. PRO FOOTBALL; Colts No Obstacle at All as Giants Reach 8–0, The New York Times, November 6, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. The Giants' defense held the Colts to 11 first downs, 181 total yards and 55 rushing yards.Box Score Giants Vs Colts 11/5/1990, databasefootball.com, accessed May 23, 2007. Simms completed 17 of 21 passes for 172 yards, with no touchdowns and was picked once, which ended his streak of 150 passes without an interception. Defensive end Leonard Marshall sacked Colts quarterback Jeff George twice, Dave Duerson returned a fumble for a touchdown and the Giants' defense held George to 160 yards passing on 37 pass attempts. The Giants controlled the game from the start, ending the first half leading 17–0, and besting the Colts 206 to 45 in total yards, 13 to 1 in first downs and 20:57 to 9:03 in time of possession. Week 10: At Los Angeles Rams Giants 3 7 7 14 Rams 0 0 7 0 at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California The Giants traveled to face the Los Angeles Rams on November 11, winning 31–7 in front of 64,632 fans at Anaheim Stadium and led by Simms' efficient passing.Litsky, Frank. Giants Brush Rams Aside, The New York Times, November 12, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. The Rams had beaten the Giants three times in the past two years, including one win in the 1989 playoffs. Although the Giants were able to sack Rams quarterback Jim Everett just twice, they limited him to 17-of-36 passing for 186 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.Stevenson, Samantha. Giants' Pressure Foils Everett, The New York Times, November 12, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. "It's hard to sack him", Belichick said. "But we kept the pressure on. We had the same coverage we used the last eight years. Nothing radically different." Week 11: vs. Detroit Lions Lions 0 0 0 0 Giants 7 13 0 0 Sunday, October 21 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 4:00 p.m. EST The Giants defeated the Detroit Lions 20–0 in Week 11 to improve to 10–0, and set a franchise record for wins to start a season.Litsky, Frank. Giants Stay Perfect, The New York Times, November 19, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. Simms threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to receiver Mark Ingram in the second quarter to run the score to 17–0. After the Giants kicked a field goal to make the score 20–0, the teams played a scoreless second half.Eskenazi, Gerald. Simms Finds Time For Pass of the Day, The New York Times, November 19, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. The shutout was the Giants' first of the season, and coach Parcells commented, "[t]he defense played very well. The offense played well when I let them. We played conservatively in the second half. We played pretty much error-free. We didn't do anything stupid." Week 12 at Philadelphia Eagles New York Giants 1990 2; text-align: center collapsed New York Giants (10–0) at Philadelphia Eagles (6–4) Sunday, November 25 1:00 pm. EST Giants 7 6 0 0 Eagles 7 7 3 14 Veterans Stadium • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Cloudy • 52 °F 1 or • Wind 13 mph km/h knots Red Cashion CBS Dick Stockton and Merlin Olsen Pro-Football-Reference.com, The Football Database Giants Phil Simms17/40, 234 Yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Dave Meggett2 Rush, 61 Yds Stephen Baker3 Rec, 65 Yds Eagles Randall Cunningham17/31, 229 Yds, 2 TD Heath Sherman21 Rush, 71 Yds Keith Byars8 Rec, 128 Yds The Giants were dealt their first loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles on November 25 by a score of 31–13, dropping their record to 10–1. The Eagles broke open a close game by scoring two touchdowns in 22 seconds in the fourth quarter.Litsky, Frank. Eagles Slam Giants' Express, The New York Times, November 26, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. The game was marked by several scuffles, and after the game some of the Giants players complained of the tactics used by the Eagles.Anderson, Dave. Sports of The Times; Giants Lose Their Poise, Too, The New York Times, November 26, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. The Eagles amassed 179 rushing yards and 405 total yards, and punted the ball just twice.Box Score Giants Vs Eagles 11/26/1990, databasefootball.com, accessed May 23, 2007. Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham rushed for 66 yards while completing 17 of 31 passes for 229 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Taylor, who recorded three sacks and seven tackles in the Giants' season-opening victory over the Eagles, was held to one tackle in the loss. NYG PHI collapsed 1 5:22 Giants RecTD Ingram Simms 15 good Bahr run/pass good/failed/incomplete 7 0 1 3:39 Eagles RecTD Barnett Cunningham 49 good Ruzek run/pass good/failed/incomplete 7 7 2 6:21 Eagles RushTD Cunningham 1 good Ruzek run/pass good/failed/incomplete 7 14 2 1:00 Giants RecTD Bavaro Simms 4 no good Bahr run/pass good/failed/incomplete 13 14 3 9:09 Eagles FG 39 Ruzek 13 17 4 13:12 Eagles RecTD Williams Cunningham 6 good Ruzek run/pass good/failed/incomplete 13 24 4 12:50 Eagles IntTD Evans 22 good Ruzek run/pass good/failed/incomplete 13 31 13 31 Week 13: At San Francisco 49ers Giants 0 3 0 0 49ers 0 7 0 0 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California The San Francisco 49ers matched the Giants with their own 10–0 start in the 1990 season. Although both teams lost in week 12 to stand at 10–1, their Week 13 matchup on Monday Night Football was still highly anticipated. The game took place in front of 66,092 fans at Candlestick Park.Litsky, Frank PRO FOOTBALL; Showdown Becomes Shutdown as 49ers Win, The New York Times, December 4, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. After the Giants opened the scoring in the second quarter with a Matt Bahr field goal, the 49ers answered with the game's only touchdown on a 23-yard pass from Joe Montana to John Taylor. Neither team would score again for the remainder of the contest, though the Giants came very close to reclaiming the lead when they drove to the 49ers' 9-yard line with four minutes left in regulation. However, the 49ers stopped the Giants on four consecutive pass attempts and held on to defeat New York 7–3. Following the game's conclusion, 49ers safety Ronnie Lott and Simms had a heated verbal exchange.Smith, Timothy W. Pro Football; Players Try to Minimize Lott's and Simms's Brief Encounter, The New York Times, October 29, 1993, accessed October 29, 2007. Despite the loss, the Giants defense performed well, limiting the 49ers to 152 passing yards, 88 rushing yards,Box Score Giants Vs 49ers 12/3/1990, databasefootball.com, accessed May 29, 2007. and holding All-Pro wide receiver Jerry Rice to a single 13-yard reception. 49ers defensive end Charles Haley recorded five tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in the victory.Martinez, Mike. PRO FOOTBALL; Haley's Recovery Disables The Giants, The New York Times, December 4, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings Vikings 5 7 3 0 Giants 3 7 0 13 Sunday, October 21 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 4:00 p.m. EST 43 F C 1 or, relative humidity 55%, wind 14 mph km/h knots Jim Tunney Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts CBS The Giants hosted the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14.1990 New York Giants, databasefootball.com, accessed May 23, 2007. Led by Taylor, who recorded 12 tackles and two sacks,Anderson, Dave. Cancel L.T.'s Rocking Chair, The New York Times, December 10, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. the Giants' defense held the Vikings to 132 passing yards.Box Score Vikings Vs Giants 12/9/1990, databasefootball.com, accessed May 23, 2007. Taylor also forced a fumble by Vikings quarterback Rich Gannon and pressured Gannon into an interception by Gary Reasons at the Minnesota 17-yard line, which positioned Matt Bahr for the game-clinching 18-yard field goal. In addition, Taylor gave several inspirational speeches to his teammates. "He told us: 'I'm going to start playing the way we're supposed to play. If anybody wants to come along, fine,' " inside linebacker Steve DeOssie said. "He changed our attitude." The Giants won 23–15 to improve to 11–2. Prior to this game, Parcells had been hospitalized for kidney stones. Week 15: vs. Buffalo Bills Bills 7 7 0 3 Giants 7 3 3 0 Sunday, October 21 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 4:00 p.m. EST 37 F C 1 or, relative humidity 60%, wind 10 mph km/h knots, wind chill 30 F C 1 or In what would turn out to be a preview of Super Bowl XXV, the Giants lost at home to the Buffalo Bills 17–13 in Week 15. The game was played in inclement weather, which caused 10,295 no-shows at Giants Stadium. They led the Bills in total yards (313 to 264), rushing yards (157 to 65), first downs (20 to 13) and time of possession (37:59 to 22:01), but lost nonetheless.Litsky Frank 1990-12-19 Giants Waive Manuel, Citing a Bad Attitude https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/19/sports/giants-waive-manuel-citing-a-bad-attitude.html 2025-03-08 The New York Times Simms broke his foot during the game, causing him to miss the remainder of the season, and was replaced by Jeff Hostetler, who had engineered the Giants' Week 7 fourth-quarter comeback against Phoenix. The Bills built a 14–10-second quarter lead behind 74- and 78-yard touchdown drives. The teams alternated field goals to make the score 17–13. However, the Giants could not score in the fourth quarter despite mounting drives to the Bills' 18 and 23 yard lines. This was Lionel Manuel's last game as a Giant, as he was waived afterwards.Giants Waive Manuel, Citing a Bad Attitude – NYTimes.com Week 16: At Phoenix Cardinals Giants 3 7 7 7 Cardinals 0 7 7 7 at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona The Giants played the Phoenix Cardinals in Tempe, Arizona in Week 16. Their defense allowed 452 yards,Box Score Giants Vs Cardinals 12/23/1990, databasefootball.com, accessed May 23, 2007. and Cardinals quarterback Timm Rosenbach threw for three touchdowns and set a new career high with 381 yards passing.Litsky, Frank. PRO FOOTBALL; Hostetler Is Solid; Defense Has Holes, The New York Times, December 25, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. The Giants noticed in the week leading up to the game that teams had success running with their fullback against the Cardinals, and in the game, Giants fullback Maurice Carthon set a career high with 67 rushing yards on 12 carries. They also installed several plays to take advantage of quarterback Jeff Hostetler's scrambling ability. Hostetler threw for 191 yards and ran for 31 in his first start of the season.Martinez, Michael. Hostetler Pleased After Fine Day's Work, The New York Times, December 24, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. The Giants held on to win 24–21 when two of the Cardinals' fourth-quarter drives ended with interceptions and their final drive was ended by a Taylor sack. The win clinched the NFC's #2 seed (over the Chicago Bears) and a first-round bye for the playoffs. Week 17: At New England Patriots Giants 10 3 0 0 Patriots 0 10 0 0 at Foxboro Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts The Giants travelled to Massachusetts to face the 1–14 New England Patriots at Foxboro Stadium in Week 17. The game was a de facto home game – the Patriots' penultimate home game drew barely 20,000 fans, so tens of thousands of Giants fans made the trip up to Foxborough to sell the stadium out.Anderson, Dave. Sports of The Times; Scrambles and a Super Dream, The New York Times, December 31, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. While the anemic Patriots had been long eliminated from playoff contention, the game had no playoff implications for the Giants either since they could not surpass the 49ers for the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs. The Giants rushed for a season-high 213 yards, led by Hostetler's 82 yards on 10 carries. The Patriots' Jason Staurovsky missed a potential game-tying 42-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, and Hostetler then ran a 30-yard bootleg on a key third-down play to allow the Giants to run out the clock and secure the victory, 13–10.Litsky, Frank. Sluggish Giants Hold Off Patriots, The New York Times, December 31, 1990, accessed March 25, 2008. Standings Playoffs The Giants finished the regular season having committed an NFL record-low 14 turnovers, and their defense led the league in fewest points allowed (211).Neft, Cohen, and Korch. pg. 914 *1990 NFL Standings, Stats and Awards, databasefootball.com, accessed May 23, 2007. Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap Wild CardBye Divisional January 13, 1991 Chicago Bears (3) W 31–3 1–0 Giants Stadium Recap NFC Championship January 20, 1991 at San Francisco 49ers (1) W 15–13 2–0 Candlestick Park Recap Super Bowl XXV January 27, 1991 Buffalo Bills (A1) W 20–193–0 Tampa Stadium Recap NFC Divisional Playoff: Vs Chicago Bears Bears 0 3 0 0 Giants 10 7 7 7 Sunday, January 13 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey Dick Hantak Pat Summerall and John Madden CBS The Giants defeated the Chicago Bears 31–3 at home in the NFC Divisional playoff game on January 13, 1991. Ottis Anderson rushed for 80 yards on 21 carries, and the Giants rushed for 194 yards overall, dominating time of possession; with more than 38 minutes on offense.Box Score Bears Vs Giants 1/13/1991, databasefootball.com, accessed May 23, 2007. Parcells, at the suggestion of Belichick, used a four-man defensive line most of the game—as opposed to the Giants' traditional 3-4 defense—confusing the unprepared Bears, who had trouble with their blocking assignments.Pervin. pg. 92 The Giants were 4-for-4 on fourth-down plays and converted 6 of 14 third downs.Mitchell, Fred. It's 4th and long gone for Bears, Chicago Tribune, January 13, 1991, accessed May 24, 2007. The Giants' defense stopped the Bears on the goal line on a fourth-down attempt in the second quarter and held Bears quarterback Mike Tomczak to 17-of-36 passing for 205 yards and two interceptions. Bears running back Neal Anderson was kept to a season-low 19 yards on 12 carries. Hostetler threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third. NFC Championship Game: At San Francisco 49ers Giants 3 3 3 6 49ers 3 3 7 0 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California The Giants advanced to face the two-time defending champion San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game on January 20, 1991, in front of 65,750 fans at Candlestick Park.Neft, Cohen, and Korch. 934 The winner of the game would go directly to Tampa to play the Super Bowl the following week. Parcells used this as a motivating factor. Before the game, Parcells said that the team could pack for only 2 days or the entire week. He then threw down a big suitcase and told his players "I guess you know which one I'm packing for." The game was a rematch of the 7–3 49ers win one month earlier. The teams alternated field goals in the first and second quarter to make the score 6–6 at halftime. Less than five minutes into the third quarter, 49ers quarterback Joe Montana threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to receiver John Taylor to give San Francisco a 13–6 lead. A Giants field goal made the score 13–9 at the end of the third quarter. With 9:42 remaining in the game, Leonard Marshall sacked and injured Montana, who left the game. The Giants got the ball back, but were stopped on a key third down and one. On fourth down, Parcells called a fake punt, and fortunately for the Giants the 49ers only had 10 men on the field, which resulted in a long run by Gary Reasons to set up another Giants field goal, making the score 13–12. The 49ers then attempted to run out the clock, but Giants nose tackle Erik Howard made a key play, fighting through a double-team to knock the ball out of running back Roger Craig's possession by getting his helmet on the football. Lawrence Taylor fought through a block at the line of scrimmage applied by tight end Brent Jones and a subsequent block by fullback Tom Rathman to position himself at Craig's location along the line of scrimmage to catch Howard's forced fumble in mid-air, which gave the ball to the Giants at their own 43-yard line. Hostetler completed passes to Bavaro and Baker,Pervin. pg. 92–3 advancing the Giants to within Matt Bahr's field-goal range. Bahr's fifth made kick of the day, a 42-yarder with no time left on the clock, gave the Giants a 15–13 victory.Schwartz. pg. 174 With the win, not only did the Giants advance to their second Super Bowl, they became and still remain the only team in NFL history to defeat a two-time repeat Super Bowl champion in the playoffs on the road. Super Bowl XXV Bills 3 9 0 7 Giants 3 7 7 3 at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida Super Bowl XXV Super Bowl XXV took place amidst a background of war and patriotism in front of 73,813 fans at Tampa Stadium, in Tampa, Florida.Championship Games 1950–present https://web.archive.org/web/20070317040918/http://www.giants.com/history/ChampionshipGames1950present.asp 2007-03-17 , giants.com, accessed May 20, 2007. The 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 patriotic feeling was Whitney Houston's stirring rendition of the national anthem, perhaps the greatest in Super Bowl history.Harris, Elliot. Noteworthy, Chicago Sun-Times, September 2, 2003, accessed May 27, 2007. The game itself was among the most competitive Super Bowls ever played.By definition, as the result of the game was a one point difference, it was the most competitive Super Bowl in history. The Giants got off to a quick 3–0 lead.Neft, Cohen, and Korch. pg. 935 However, the Bills scored 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. Down 12–3, the Giants ran a drive that took nearly eight minutes and culminated in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Hostetler to Stephen Baker, making the score 12–10 at halftime.Super Bowl XXV https://web.archive.org/web/20070603080539/http://www.superbowl.com/history/recaps/game/sbxxv June 3, 2007 , NFL.com/history, accessed May 23, 2007. The Giants received the second-half kickoff and mounted a drive during which they converted on five third-down plays over the course of more than nine minutes (a Super Bowl record) and scored on a one-yard touchdown run by Ottis Anderson, giving the Giants a 17–12 lead. The signature play of the drive came on a third-down play, when Giants receiver Mark Ingram appeared about to be tackled well short of a first down. However, Ingram evaded several tacklers, dragging one defender in the process, to gain just enough yards for a first down. The Giants' strategy to handle the Bills' potent offense had become clear: keep them off the field. The Giants' two touchdown drives consumed over 17 minutes. The Bills struck back quickly. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Thurman Thomas ran for a 31-yard touchdown that put the Bills back in front, 19–17. A few possessions later, the Giants drove down to the Bills' 4-yard line but had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Matt Bahr that gave the Giants a 20–19 lead. Both teams exchanged possessions before the Bills began one final drive. The Bills drove down to the Giants' 30-yard line to set up a game-winning 47-yard field goal attempt by Scott Norwood. Just before the kick, ABC showed a graphic indicating that, on grass that season, Norwood had only made three of seven field goals from at least 40 yards, and that the 47-yarder would be Norwood's longest ever on grass. A few moments later, in what became the game's signature moment, Norwood's attempt missed wide right, and the Giants won their second Super Bowl in five years, 20–19. The Giants set a Super Bowl record for time of possession with a mark of 40:33, and Ottis Anderson was named MVP of the game after rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown. Season Facts This year was the second of four times that the Giants faced a team in the regular season that they later played in the Super Bowl. The Giants are 2–2 in the regular season and 4–0 in the Super Bowl against these teams. The Giants wore their home blue uniforms for their first seven games; five of those games were played at home and the remaining two were at the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, who traditionally wore their white uniforms at home. In all, the Giants wore their blue jerseys 12 times (winning 11 of those games) and their white jerseys seven times (winning five of those games). The Giants played the Miami Dolphins for the first time since their first meeting in 1972. The Giants set an NFL record for the fewest turnovers in a 16-game season, with 14. The Giants had a 13-game regular-season winning streak: three wins in 1989 and 10 wins in 1990. The Giants' 10–0 start was the best in team history, and their 13–3 record was their second-best in a 16-game season. The Giants' victory over the Bears in the NFC Divisional game was their first over the Bears in the playoffs since 1956. Awards and honors Ottis Anderson, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Reyna Thompson, 1990 All-Madden Team Reyna Thompson, 1990 NFC Pro Bowl selection Eric Howard, 1990 All-Madden Team Matt Bahr, 1990 All-Madden Team Lawrence Taylor, 1990 NFC Pro Bowl selection Lawrence Taylor, 1990 Second Team All-Pro Sean Landeta, 1990 NFC Pro Bowl selection Sean Landeta, 1990 First Team All-Pro David Meggett, 1990 NFC Pro Bowl selection Pepper Johnson, 1990 NFC Pro Bowl selection Pepper Johnson, 1990 First Team All-Pro Bart Oates, 1990 NFC Pro Bowl selection See also History of the New York Giants (1979–93) List of New York Giants seasons References 30em Sources 50em Neft, David S., Cohen, Richard M., and Korch, Rick. The Complete History of Professional Football from 1892 to the Present. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1994 0-312-11435-4 Pervin, Lawrence A. Football's New York Giants: A History. McFarland 2009 0-7864-4268-9 Schwartz, John. Tales from the New York Giants Sideline, Sports Publishing LLC, 2004 1-58261-758-9 Sprechman, Jordan and Shannon, Bill. This Day in New York Sports, Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC. 1998 1-57167-254-0 External links 1990 New York Giants at Pro-Football-Reference.com 1990 New York Giants at jt-sw.com Category:NFC East championship seasons Category:New York Giants seasons Category:National Football Conference championship seasons Category:Super Bowl champion seasons New York Giants New York Giants season Category:20th century in East Rutherford, New Jersey Category:Meadowlands Sports Complex