1986 New York Giants season

NFL team 62nd season (won Super Bowl) May 2019 March 2026 New York Giants 1986 14–2 1st NFC East Bill Parcells Ron Erhardt Bill Belichick George Young Wellington Mara Giants Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. 49ers) 49–3Won NFC Championship(vs. Redskins) 17–0 Won Super Bowl XXI(vs. Broncos) 39–20 8 TE Mark Bavaro T Brad Benson NTJim Burt LB Harry Carson P Sean Landeta DE Leonard Marshall RB Joe Morris LB Lawrence Taylor Giants seasons The 1986 season was the New York Giants' 62nd in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth under head coach Bill Parcells. The New York Giants, who play in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL), won their fifth championship—and first Super Bowl—in franchise history during the season. Led by consensus league Most Valuable Player (MVP) linebacker Lawrence Taylor and Super Bowl MVP quarterback Phil Simms, the Giants posted a 14–2 record during the regular season, tied for the best record in the league with the defending Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears.as of 2012 The Giants improved on their 10–6 record from 1985, won their first division championship since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, and won Super Bowl XXI against the Denver Broncos. In the playoffs, the Giants, who were the top seed in the conference ahead of the Bears, defeated the San Francisco 49ers for the second consecutive year in the playoffs by a score of 49–3. The Giants then disposed of the Washington Redskins, in the NFC Championship Game 17–0. In Super Bowl XXI, behind Simms' 88% pass completion percentage and their strong defense, the Giants overcame a 10–9 halftime deficit and scored thirty second-half points while allowing only ten more and defeated the Broncos 39–20. After making the playoffs in 1984 and 1985, the Giants entered the 1986 season as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. They began the season with a 31–28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, before winning five consecutive games. After losing 17–12 to the Seattle Seahawks in week seven, the Giants won their final nine regular season games. Following the regular season, coach Bill Parcells won the NFL Coach of the Year Award, and eight Giants were named to the Pro Bowl. The Giants' defense, nicknamed the Big Blue Wrecking Crew, finished second in the league in points and yards allowed.1986 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics, footballreference.com. accessed October 7, 2010. The 1986 Giants had been ranked as one of the greatest NFL teams of all time by fans,Readers: Greatest NFL team, espn.com. accessed October 7, 2010. and members of the media.1986 New York Giants https://web.archive.org/web/20100920183655/http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/promotions/nfl/superleague/?teamId=1986 September 20, 2010 , espn.com. accessed October 7, 2010.https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=super/rankings/1-20 The Ultimate Super Rankings Kevin Jackson Thomas Neumann David Schoenfield ESPN January 20, 2007 October 7, 2010 The Giants also ranked #12 on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.NFL Top 100 Teams https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nfl-top-100-teams.htm Pro Football Reference100 Greatest Teams: Numbers 100-1 SUPERCUT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qzU600OwVc NFL.com November 23, 2019 It was this Giants team that popularized the practice of the "Gatorade shower", which entailed the players dousing members of the coaching staff with Gatorade near the end of a victorious game. Off-season After two consecutive playoff seasons, the Giants entered the 1986 season as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl.McClain, John. Looking ahead/The Bears appear to be an easy pick to repeat, but the Orange is ready to apply a Giant Crush, Houston Chronicle, September 4, 1986. accessed March 28, 2007. Draft 1986 NFL draft The Giants had five selections in the first two rounds of the 1986 NFL draft, as opposed to the normal two, and 14 selections in the 12-round draft overall.Draft History: New York Giants https://web.archive.org/web/20070531233150/http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/teams/NYG May 31, 2007 , NFL.com/history, accessed May 17, 2007. Of the draft Giants' general manager George Young said, "This is not a blue-chip draft, but a strong blue-collar draft. A lot of people think there's better quantity than quality."Litsky, Frank. Jets and Giants Study Picks; Trades Could Change Options in Early Rounds, The New York Times, April 27, 1986, accessed June 3, 2011. With their first selection they chose defensive end Eric Dorsey #19 overall from the University of Notre Dame. With their four-second-round selections they chose Mark Collins, cornerback out of Cal State-Fullerton, Erik Howard, nose tackle out of Washington State University, Pepper Johnson, linebacker out of Ohio State University, and Greg Lasker, defensive back out of the University of Arkansas. 1986 New York Giants 1 19 Eric Dorsey DE Notre Dame yes 2 44 Mark Collins DB Cal State-Fullerton yes 2 46 Erik Howard DT Washington State yes yes 2 51 Pepper Johnson LB Ohio State yes yes 2 53 Greg Lasker DB Arkansas yes 3 73 John Washington DE Oklahoma State yes 5 130 Vince Warren WR San Diego State yes 6 139 Ron Brown WR Colorado 6 157 Solomon Miller WR Utah State 7 184 Jon Francis RB Boise State 8 214 Steve Cisowski OT Santa Clara 9 241 Jim Luebbers DE Iowa State 10 268 Jerry Kimmel LB Syracuse 11 295 Len Lynch OG Maryland The Football Database. Retrieved 2014-Jul-06. Personnel Staff 1986 New York Giants President – Wellington Mara General manager – George Young Director of pro personnel – Tim Rooney Head coach – Bill Parcells Offensive coordinator – Ron Erhardt Offensive backfield – Ray Handley Receivers – Pat Hodgson Tight ends – Mike Pope Offensive line – Fred Hoaglin Defensive coordinator – Bill Belichick Defensive line – Lamar Leachman Defensive backfield – Len Fontes Defensive assistant – Mike Sweatman Special teams – Romeo Crennel Assistant special teams – Mike Sweatman Strength and Conditioning – Johnny Parker Roster 1986 New York Giants 17 Jeff Rutledge 11 Phil Simms 24 Ottis Anderson 44 Maurice Carthon 30 Tony Galbreath 20 Joe Morris American football 22 Lee Rouson 88 Bobby Johnson wide receiver 80 Phil McConkey 87 Solomon Miller y 81 Stacy Robinson 89 Mark Bavaro 84 Zeke Mowatt 67 Billy Ard G 60 Brad Benson T 61 Chris Godfrey G 68 Damian Johnson American football G 59 Brian Johnston center C 63 Karl Nelson T 65 Bart Oates C 66 William Roberts American football T 64 Jim Burt American football NT 77 Eric Dorsey y DE 74 Erik Howard y NT 70 Leonard Marshall DE 75 George Martin American football DE 78 Jerome Sally NT 73 John Washington American football y DE 58 Carl Banks OLB 53 Harry Carson ILB 54 Andy Headen OLB 57 Byron Hunt OLB 52 Pepper Johnson y ILB 51 Robbie Jones American football OLB 55 Gary Reasons ILB 56 Lawrence Taylor OLB 25 Mark Collins American football y CB 28 Tom Flynn American football FS 48 Kenny Hill defensive back SS 46 Greg Lasker y SS 34 Elvis Patterson CB 27 Herb Welch FS 23 Perry Williams cornerback CB  2 Raúl Allegre K  5 Sean Landeta P 33 George Adams American football RB IR 39 Tyrone Davis no CB IR 15 Jeff Hostetler QB IR 69 David Jordan American football G IR 43 Terry Kinard S IR 86 Lionel Manuel WR IR 76 Curtis McGriff DE IR https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyg/1986_roster.htm 1986 New York Giants starters and roster Pro-Football-Reference.com November 12, 2014 Depth chart Pro-Set 3-4 Yes No No Phil Simms Jeff Rutledge Jeff Hostetler Joe Morris Lee Rouson Ottis Anderson Maurice Carthon Tony Galbreath Carl Banks Andy Headen Bobby Johnson Solomon Miller Vince Warren 4 games Lionel Manuel Stacy Robinson Phil McConkey Mark Bavaro Zeke Mowatt Brad Benson William Roberts Billy Ard Bart Oates Brian Johnston Chris Godfrey Damian Johnson Karl Nelson Lawrence Taylor Byron Hunt Harry Carson Pepper Johnson Gary Reasons Robbie Jones Carl Banks Andy Headen Terry Kinard Herb Welch Tom Flynn Kenny Hill Greg Lasker Mark Collins Elvis Patterson Perry Williams Leonard Marshall John Washington Jim Burt Erik Howard Jerome Sally George Martin Eric Dorsey Raúl Allegre Sean Landeta Phil McConkey Phil McConkey Bart Oates Jeff Rutledge 85 85 No Preseason Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 August 9, 1986 at Atlanta Falcons L 24–31 0–1 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 25,445 Recap 2 August 16, 1986 at Green Bay Packers W 22–14 1–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 41,774 Recap 3 August 23, 1986 New York Jets W 20–16 2–1 Giants Stadium 73,882 Recap 4 August 30, 1986 Pittsburgh Steelers W 17–3 3–1 Giants Stadium 45,441 Recap Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 September 8, 1986 at Dallas Cowboys L 28–31 0–1 Texas Stadium 59,804Recap 2 September 14 San Diego Chargers W 20–7 1–1 Giants Stadium 74,921 Recap 3 September 21 at Los Angeles Raiders W 14–9 2–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 71,164Recap 4 September 28 New Orleans Saints W 20–17 3–1 Giants Stadium 72,769Recap 5 October 5 at St. Louis Cardinals W 13–6 4–1 Busch Memorial Stadium 40,562 Recap 6 October 12 Philadelphia Eagles W 35–3 5–1 Giants Stadium 74,221 Recap 7 October 19 at Seattle Seahawks L 12–17 5–2 Kingdome 62,282 Recap 8 October 27, 1986 Washington Redskins W 27–20 6–2 Giants Stadium 75,923 Recap 9 November 2 Dallas Cowboys W 17–14 7–2 Giants Stadium 74,871 Recap 10 November 9 at Philadelphia Eagles W 17–14 8–2 Veterans Stadium 60,601 Recap 11 November 16 at Minnesota Vikings W 22–20 9–2 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 63,003 Recap 12 November 23 Denver Broncos W 19–16 10–2 Giants Stadium 75,116 Recap 13 December 1, 1986 at San Francisco 49ers W 21–17 11–2 Candlestick Park 59,777 Recap 14 December 7 at Washington Redskins W 24–14 12–2 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 55,642Recap 15 December 14 St. Louis Cardinals W 27–7 13–2 Giants Stadium 75,261 Recap 16 December 20, 1986 Green Bay Packers W 55–24 14–2 Giants Stadium71,351Recap Game summaries Week 1: at Dallas Cowboys 1986 Dallas Cowboys season The Giants had their first test in the opening week Monday Night Football game against the defending Eastern Division champion Dallas Cowboys. Playing in front of 59,804 fans at Texas Stadium,Frank Litsky Litsky Frank https://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F50711FF3B5B0C7A8CDDA00894DE484D81 Cowboys Defeat Giants on Walker's Touchdown The New York Times September 9, 1986 May 17, 2007 the Giants lost the opener, 31–28.1986 New York Giants, databasefootball.com. accessed March 16, 2007. The teams played fairly evenly statistically; the Giants totalled 416 yards to the Cowboys' 392.Box Score Giants Vs Cowboys 9/8/1986, databasefootball.com, accessed May 20, 2007. Highlights of the game included Cowboys running back Herschel Walker, in his first NFL game, rushing 10 times for 64 yards and the game-winning touchdown, and fellow running back Tony Dorsett scoring on a 36-yard screen pass on the game's opening drive. The Giants struggled at the start of the game; they failed to get a first down on their first three drives, but their offense came alive and scored 28 points in the final three quarters. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys September 8, 1986 9:00 p.m. EDT Giants (0–1) 0 14 7 7 Cowboys (1–0) 0 17 0 14 Texas Stadium 59,804 71 F, relative humidity 71%, wind 11 mph on Pat Haggerty ABC Al Michaels (play-by-play), Frank Gifford (color commentator) Box Score Giants Cowboys collapsed 2 9:30 Cowboys RecTD Dorsett White 36 good Septien 0 7 2 6:21 Cowboys RushTD Walker 1 good Septien 0 14 2 1:49 Giants RecTD Johnson Simms 13 good Thomas 7 14 2 0:25 Giants RecTD Robinson Simms 3 good Thomas 14 14 2 0:00 Cowboys FG 35 Septien 14 17 3 2:15 Giants RushTD Morris 2 good Thomas 21 17 4 6:55 Cowboys RecTD Chandler White 1 good Septien 21 24 4 5:24 Giants RecTD Johnson Simms 44 good Thomas 28 24 4 1:16 Cowboys RushTD Walker 10 good Septien 28 31 28 31 Week 2: vs. San Diego Chargers 1986 San Diego Chargers season In week two, the Giants defeated the San Diego Chargers 20–7 in front of 74,921 fans at Giants Stadium.Litsky, Frank. Giants' Defense Stifles Chargers, The New York Times, September 15, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. The Giants led the Chargers 10–7 after three-quarters before scoring 10 in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. Joe Morris rushed 30 times for 83 yards and defensive backs Terry Kinard and Kenny Hill intercepted two passes each. Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts threw five-second half interceptions. "We took away their outside running game and their short passes", Giants' defensive coordinator Bill Belichick said. "When Fouts tried to go deep, that's when we got interceptions." The Giants dominated the Chargers in time of possession; 39 minutes 44 seconds to the Chargers' 20 minutes 16 seconds. The Giants defense forced eight turnovers overall, and held the Chargers to 41 rushing yards on 13 carries.Box Score Chargers Vs Giants 9/14/1986, databasefootball.com, accessed May 20, 2007. After the game Fouts complimented the Giants defense, "There was no comparing the Giants' defense with the Dolphins' defense (the Chargers scored 50 points and totalled 500 yards against the Dolphins in week one). We never got anything established against the Giants. Momma said there would be days like this, and she was right." New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: San Diego Chargers at New York Giants September 14, 1986 1:00 p.m. EDT Chargers (1–1) 0 7 0 0 Giants (1–1) 3 7 0 10 Giants Stadium 74,921 65 F, relative humidity 52%, wind 17 mph on Fred Wyant NBC Don Criqui (play-by-play), Bob Trumpy (color commentator) Box Score Chargers Giants collapsed 1 6:10 Giants FG 21 Cooper 0 3 2 13:16 Giants RushTD Morris 1 good Cooper 0 10 2 3:24 Chargers RecTD Anderson Fouts 29 good Benirschke 7 10 4 7:14 Giants RecTD Manuel Simms 12 good Cooper 7 17 4 3:12 Giants FG 20 Cooper 7 20 7 20 Week 3: at Los Angeles Raiders 1986 Los Angeles Raiders season The Giants played the Los Angeles Raiders in Los Angeles in week three.Litsky, Frank. Giants Stop Raiders, The New York Times, September 22, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. Joe Morris rushed for 110 yards on 18 carries—the first time in 19 games someone had rushed for 100 yards against the Raiders—and the Giants' defense held the Raiders to three field goals. Raiders running back Marcus Allen was held to 40 yards on 15 carries, ending his then-NFL record 11 game 100 yard rushing streak, and the Giants defeated the Raiders 14–9. The Raiders gained a total of 58 rushing yards, and committed nine penalties.Box Score Giants Vs Raiders, databasefootball.com, accessed May 20, 2007. Raiders' quarterback Jim Plunkett completed 21 of 41 passes for 281 yards, and Phil Simms threw touchdown passes of 18 and 11 yards to wide receiver Lionel Manuel. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: New York Giants at Los Angeles Raiders September 21, 1986 4:00 p.m. EDT Giants (2–1) 0 0 7 7 Raiders (0–3) 6 0 0 3 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 71,164 63 F, relative humidity 76%, wind 11 mph on Red Cashion CBS Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator), Irv Cross (sideline reporter) Box Score Giants Raiders collapsed 1 7:15 Raiders FG 22 Bahr 0 3 1 3:17 Raiders FG 25 Bahr 0 6 3 7:25 Giants RecTD Manuel Simms 18 good Cooper 7 6 4 12:22 Giants RecTD Manuel Simms 11 good Cooper 14 6 4 5:44 Raiders FG 33 Bahr 14 9 14 9 Week 4: vs. New Orleans Saints 1986 New Orleans Saints season The Giants rallied to beat the New Orleans Saints 20–17 in front of 72,769 fans at Giants Stadium in week four.Litsky, Frank. Giants' Rally to Beat Saints, 20–17, The New York Times, September 29, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. They came back from a 17–0 second-quarter deficit, by scoring 20 points in the final three-quarters. Rueben Mayes of the Saints returned the second-half kickoff 99 yards for an apparent touchdown only to have the play called back because of an illegal block by linebacker Sam Mills. The decisive points came on Phil Simms's 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zeke Mowatt midway through the fourth quarter. The Giants dominated the Saints in time of possession, holding the ball for 38 minutes and 47 seconds to the Saints 21 minutes and 13 seconds.Box Score Giants Vs Saints 9/28/1986, databasefootball.com, accessed May 17, 2007. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: New Orleans Saints at New York Giants September 28, 1986 1:00 p.m. EDT Saints (1–3) 14 3 0 0 Giants (3–1) 0 10 3 7 Giants Stadium 72,769 62 F, relative humidity 67%, wind 9 mph on Bob Frederic CBS Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator) Box Score Saints Giants collapsed 1 12:00 Saints RecTD Martin Wilson 63 good Andersen 7 0 1 3:37 Saints RushTD Hilliard 1 good Andersen 14 0 2 12:47 Saints FG 27 Andersen 17 0 2 7:10 Giants FG 29 Allegre 17 3 2 1:20 Giants RecTD Bavaro Simms 19 good Allegre 17 10 3 7:19 Giants FG 28 Allegre 17 13 4 8:03 Giants RecTD Mowatt Simms 4 good Allegre 17 20 17 20 Week 5: at St. Louis Cardinals 1986 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season The Giants faced the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis in their fifth game of the season.Janofsky, Michael. Giants Triumph; Jets Win on Pass in Final Minute; Cardinals Lose, 13–6, The New York Times, October 6, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. The Giants offense struggled, with Morris leading the team with a meager 53 rushing yards and quarterback Phil Simms completing only 8 of 20 passes for 104 yards. Mark Bavaro caught two passes and Bobby Johnson caught two as well, for 55 yards—the only passes caught by a Giants' wide receiver. The game was a defensive struggle that featured 17 punts, four field goals (two by each team), and one touchdown. The Giants won 13–6, and the decisive score was a 1-yard touchdown run by Joe Morris early in the third quarter. The Giants defense held the Cardinals to 2.4 yards per rush attempt and 3.8 yards per pass attempt in the victory.Box Score Giants Vs Cardinals 10/5/1986, databasefootball.com, accessed May 17, 2007. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 5: New York Giants at St. Louis Cardinals October 5, 1986 1:00 p.m. EDT Giants (4–1) 0 6 7 0 Cardinals (0–5) 3 0 3 0 Busch Stadium 40,562 60 F, relative humidity 70%, wind 11 mph on Chuck Heberling CBS Gary Bender (play-by-play), Hank Stram (color commentator) Box Score Giants Cardinals collapsed 1 8:37 Cardinals FG 31 Lee 0 3 2 8:53 Giants FG 44 Allegre 3 3 2 0:39 Giants FG 31 Allegre 6 3 3 9:40 Giants RushTD Morris 1 good Allegre 13 3 3 3:14 Cardinals FG 47 Lee 13 6 13 6 Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles 1986 Philadelphia Eagles season In week six, the Giants hosted the Eagles at the Meadowlands.Janofsky, Michael. Giants rout Eagles, The New York Times, October 13, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. Linebacker Harry Carson scored his first career touchdown by catching a pass on a fake field goal in the third quarter, and the Giants defense sacked Eagles' quarterbacks Ron Jaworski and Randall Cunningham three times each. The Giants won 35–3; their largest margin of victory since they defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 32–0, in 1981. The Giants defense held the Eagles to 58 total yards,Box Score Eagles Vs Giants 10/12/1986, databasefootball.com, accessed May 20, 2007. and Lawrence Taylor had four sacks and seven tackles. The sack total was Taylor's highest single game total since the 1984 season. The Giants dominated in time of possession; they held the ball for 39 minutes and 33 seconds to the Eagles 20 minutes and 27 seconds. Simms completed 20 of 29 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another touchdown. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 6: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants October 12, 1986 4:00 p.m. EDT Eagles (2–4) 0 3 0 0 Giants (5–1) 0 14 14 7 Giants Stadium 74,221 55 F, relative humidity 78%, wind 12 mph on Jerry Markbreit CBS Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator) Box Score Eagles Giants collapsed 2 13:28 Giants RushTD Morris 30 good Allegre 0 7 2 5:18 Eagles FG 29 McFadden 3 7 2 0:59 Giants RushTD Simms 4 good Allegre 3 14 3 7:15 Giants RecTD Miller Simms 10 good Allegre 3 21 3 0:40 Giants RecTD Carson Rutledge 13 good Allegre 3 28 4 10:43 Giants RecTD Rouson Simms 37 good Allegre 3 35 3 35 Week 7: at Seattle Seahawks 1986 Seattle Seahawks season The Giants allowed six sacks in their week seven 17–12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.Seahawks win in Trenches, The New York Times, October 20, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. Seahawks defensive end Jacob Green outplayed offensive tackle Karl Nelson and recorded a career-high four sacks. Phil Simms threw four interceptions but coach Bill Parcells denied he was struggling, "[y]ou'd like not to take a sack in the scoring zone, but sometimes it's hard to know when to throw it away. Two of Phil's interceptions were rebounds that had nothing to do with the quarterback. On the interception on fourth and 14 at the end, he was trying to make a play. I think I would have thrown there, too. The other interception was his mistake. I don't think he's in a slump."Litsky, Frank. Giants are seeking to Mend Offense, The New York Times, October 21, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks October 19, 1986 4:00 p.m. EDT Giants (5–2) 0 9 0 3 Seahawks (5–2) 7 0 3 7 Kingdome 62,282 indoors (dome) Gene Barth CBS Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator) Box Score Giants Seahawks collapsed 1 7:51 Seahawks RecTD Hudson Krieg 16 good Johnson 0 7 2 11:50 Giants RecTD Miller Simms 32 no good Allegre 6 7 2 0:41 Giants FG 23 Allegre 9 7 3 7:03 Seahawks FG 25 Johnson 9 10 4 10:00 Seahawks RushTD Warner 1 good Johnson 9 17 4 4:42 Giants FG 31 Allegre 12 17 12 17 Week 8: vs. Washington Redskins 1986 Washington Redskins season The Giants improved to 6-2 and moved into a tie with Washington for the division lead after defeating them on the same night the New York Mets won the 1986 World Series at Shea Stadium. Fans attending the football game brought portable televisions and spent much of the time reacting to the baseball game, leading to a Redskins false start in one instance.Listky Frank https://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F50716F63C590C7B8EDDA90994DE484D81 Giants defeat Redskins and Tie for Lead The New York Times October 28, 1986 May 17, 2007 Frank Litsky With the teams tied 20–20, Joe Morris scored the game-winning touchdown on a 13-yard run with 98 seconds remaining. The Giants offense featured a two tight end formation throughout much of the game which allowed them to run the ball more effectively.Janofsky Michael https://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F5071FF73C590C7B8EDDA90994DE484D812 Tight-End Setup Helps Giants Win The New York Times October 28, 1986 May 17, 2007 The Giants used Mark Bavaro and Zeke Mowatt throughout much of the game, sometimes even lining them up on the same side. Morris finished the game with 181 yards. Redskins quarterback Jay Schroeder threw for 420 yards in the loss.Litsky Frank https://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F5071EF639540C7A8CDDAB0994DE484D81 Giants Were Winners in Battle of Wits The New York Times December 9, 1986 May 17, 2007 New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: Washington Redskins at New York Giants October 27, 1986 9:00 p.m. EST Redskins (6–2) 0 3 14 3 Giants (6–2) 3 10 7 7 Giants Stadium 75,923 52 F, relative humidity 97%, wind 14 mph on Jerry Seeman ABC Al Michaels (play-by-play), Frank Gifford (color commentator) Box Score Redskins Giants collapsed 1 10:00 Giants FG 37 Allegre 0 3 2 12:28 Giants RushTD Morris 11 good Allegre 0 10 2 3:21 Redskins FG 23 Zendejas 3 10 2 0:00 Giants FG 44 Allegre 3 13 3 9:04 Giants RecTD Johnson Simms 25 good Allegre 3 20 3 6:57 Redskins RushTD Rogers 1 good Zendejas 10 20 3 4:12 Redskins RecTD Clark Schroeder 42 good Zendejas 17 20 4 4:06 Redskins FG 29 Zendejas 20 20 4 1:38 Giants RushTD Morris 13 good Allegre 20 27 20 27 Week 9: vs. Dallas Cowboys 1986 Dallas Cowboys season The Giants played the Cowboys at Giants Stadium in week nine.Litsky, Frank. The Beat Gets Stronger for Jets (8–1) and Giants (7–2), The New York Times, November 3, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. Defensive end George Martin recorded a late sack, termed by head coach Bill Parcells as the biggest play of the game, to help the Giants to a 17–14 victory. The Giants held running backs Tony Dorsett to 45 yards in 10 carries and Herschel Walker to 34 yards in 10 carries. The Cowboys outgained the Giants 408 to 245 in total yardage, and had 25 first downs compared with the Giants' 14.Box Score Cowboys Vs Giants 11/2/1986, databasefootball.com, accessed May 17, 2007. Phil Simms struggled and completed only 6 of 18 passes for 67 yards, but Joe Morris rushed 29 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns as the Giants improved to 7–2. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 9: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants November 2, 1986 1:00 p.m. EST Cowboys (6–3) 0 7 0 7 Giants (7–2) 3 7 0 7 Giants Stadium 74,871 59 F, relative humidity 83%, wind 14 mph on Dick Hantak CBS Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator) Box Score Cowboys Giants collapsed 1 2:29 Giants FG 25 Allegre 0 3 2 11:00 Cowboys RecTD Renfro Pelluer 11 good Septien 7 3 2 6:24 Giants RushTD Morris 8 good Allegre 7 10 4 12:24 Giants RushTD Morris 6 good Allegre 7 17 4 7:29 Cowboys RushTD Dorsett 23 good Septien 14 17 14 17 Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles 1986 Philadelphia Eagles season In week 10, the Giants then travelled to Philadelphia to play the Eagles.Litsky, Frank Jets Stay in Air; Giants Grounded; Robinson Gets Better, November 11, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. In a physical game marked by several scuffles,Litsky, Frank. Giants Put a Clamp on Eagles, The New York Times, November 10, 1986, accessed May 18, 2007. the Giants passing game struggled as several receivers played with injuries, and quarterback Phil Simms completed only one pass to a wide receiver; a 17-yarder to Solomon Miller. Coach Bill Parcells placed the blame for the passing game's performance on dropped passes by the receivers. "You can't throw the ball much better than Phil did yesterday", commented Parcells. "But he didn't have the numbers to show for it." The Eagles rushed for 153 yards and outgained the Giants 265 to 237 in total yards.Box Score Giants Vs Eagles 11/9/1986, databasefootball.com, accessed May 20, 2007. The Giants won 17–14 nonetheless despite Simms completing only 14 of 36 passes overall. The Giants rode their running attack as Joe Morris passed the 100 yard mark for the fourth consecutive game; Morris totalled 116, 181, 181 and 111 yards in that period. Lawrence Taylor recorded three sacks of the Giants defense seven sacks in the victory. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 10: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles November 9, 1986 4:00 p.m. EST Giants (8–2) 0 10 7 0 Eagles (3–7) 0 0 0 14 Veterans Stadium 60,601 64 F, relative humidity 93%, wind 12 mph on Fred Wyant CBS Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator) Box Score Giants Eagles collapsed 2 10:20 Giants RushTD Morris 18 good Allegre 7 0 2 0:01 Giants FG 25 Allegre 10 0 3 10:04 Giants RushTD Morris 3 good Allegre 17 0 4 8:49 Eagles RecTD Quick Cunningham 75 good McFadden 17 7 4 0:45 Eagles RushTD Cunningham 4 good McFadden 17 14 17 14 Week 11: at Minnesota Vikings 1986 Minnesota Vikings season Trailing the Minnesota Vikings 20–19 with 72 seconds left in the fourth quarter at the Metrodome in week 11, Phil Simms completed a desperate 22-yard pass on fourth and 17 to Bobby Johnson for a first down.Pooley. pg. 29 The completion led to Raúl Allegre's fifth field goal and an important Giants victory 22–20. In the Giants' three previous games, Simms had completed only six passes to wide receivers. In the Giants' victory he completed eight to wide receivers, four to tight end Mark Bavaro and 13 to his running backs—four to Ottis Anderson in the final two drives, three to Maurice Carthon, three to Joe Morris and three to Tony Galbreath.Anderson, Dave. Sports Of The Times; Phil Simms's Biggest Pass, The New York Times, November 17, 1986. accessed March 20, 2007. Simms commented years later, "[i]t's my favorite game in my career, because it's everything I always wanted to be as a player. I wanted to be tough, making big throws, immune to pressure, not worried about outcomes. It was truly like standing on the tee box in golf and there's trees on each side and water and you just go 'Man, I'm gonna rip it down the middle.' And no other thought crosses your mind."Schwartz. pg. 161 The game has frequently been credited as a signature game of their season, and the Giants players celebrated the victory in the tunnel leading to their locker room and in the locker room itself in a raucous manner that was highly atypical for the team. "They high-fived themselves silly", recalled Peter King. "They were screaming and hooting and raising hell—happier than they had been all year." New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings November 16, 1986 1:00 p.m. EST Giants (9–2) 3 6 3 10 Vikings (6–5) 3 3 7 7 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 62,003 indoors (dome) Pat Haggerty CBS Tim Ryan (play-by-play), Terry Bradshaw (color commentator) Box Score Giants Vikings collapsed 1 7:48 Giants FG 41 Allegre 3 0 1 1:19 Vikings FG 39 Nelson 3 3 2 12:46 Giants FG 37 Allegre 6 3 2 6:53 Vikings FG 44 Nelson 6 6 2 2:23 Giants FG 24 Allegre 9 6 3 8:34 Vikings RecTD Rice Kramer 8 good Nelson 9 13 3 1:08 Giants FG 37 Allegre 12 13 4 9:30 Giants RecTD Johnson Simms 25 good Allegre 19 13 4 6:53 Vikings RecTD Carter Wilson 33 good Nelson 19 20 4 0:12 Giants FG 33 Allegre 22 20 22 20 Week 12: vs. Denver Broncos 1986 Denver Broncos season In week 12, in what would turn out to be a preview of Super Bowl XXI, veteran defensive end George Martin (at 34 the oldest player on the team) intercepted a pass from Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway and returned it 78 yards for a touchdown before being tackled from behind in the end zone by a celebrating Lawrence Taylor.Litsky, Frank. Giants At 10–2; Redskins Stay Even; Allegre Kick At :006 Tops Broncos, The New York Times, November 24, 1986. accessed March 20, 2007. Then in the final 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 front of 75,116 fans at Giants Stadium. With the victory the Giants completed their second five-game winning streak of the season, several of them in close contests; the margin of victory in those five games was 7, 3, 3, 2, and 3 points. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapsed Week 12: Denver Broncos at New York Giants November 23, 1986 1:00 p.m. EST Broncos (9–3) 3 3 3 7 Giants (10–2) 0 10 3 6 Giants Stadium 75,116 43 F, relative humidity 70%, wind 10 mph on Tom Dooley NBC Dick Enberg (play-by-play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator) Box Score Broncos Giants collapsed 1 6:46 Broncos FG 40 Karlis 3 0 2 14:57 Giants FG 31 Allegre 3 3 2 2:38 Broncos FG 32 Karlis 6 3 2 0:43 Giants IntTD Martin 75 good Allegre 6 10 3 9:46 Giants FG 45 Allegre 6 13 3 1:53 Broncos FG 42 Karlis 9 13 4 10:07 Giants FG 46 Allegre 9 16 4 1:55 Broncos RushTD Winder 4 good Karlis 16 16 4 0:06 Giants FG 34 Allegre 16 19 16 19 Week 13: at San Francisco 49ers 1986 San Francisco 49ers season In a Monday night encounter at San Francisco in week 13, the Giants overcame a 17–0 halftime deficit to Joe Montana's 49ers en route to a 21–17 victory.Litsky, Frank. One Quarter buys playoff ticket for Giants, The New York Times, December 2, 1986. accessed March 26, 2007. In the win, Simms threw for nearly 400 yards and wide receiver Stacy Robinson made an acrobatic catch at the goalline to set up the winning touchdown. Another important play 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."MNF 36: The List Monday Night Football Special (Original Air Date: Aug. 25, 2005)July 2024 medicmedic, ESPN.com. accessed January 3, 2007. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers December 1, 1986 9:00 p.m. EST Giants (11–2) 0 0 21 0 49ers (7–5–1) 3 14 0 0 Candlestick Park 59,777 51 F, relative humidity 69%, wind 8 mph on Ben Dreith ABC Al Michaels (play-by-play), Frank Gifford (color commentator) Box Score Giants 49ers collapsed 1 0:25 49ers FG 30 Wersching 0 3 2 9:26 49ers RecTD Rice Montana 11 good Wersching 0 10 2 0:45 49ers RushTD Rice 1 good Wersching 0 17 3 12:19 Giants RecTD Morris Simms 17 good Allegre 7 17 3 7:37 Giants RecTD Robinson Simms 34 good Allegre 14 17 3 3:41 Giants RushTD Anderson 1 good Allegre 21 17 21 17 Week 14: at Washington Redskins 1986 Washington Redskins season The Giants defeated the Redskins 24–14 in week 14 to move into sole possession of first place in the NFC East.Janofsky, Michael. Alone at the Top: Giants Knock Out Redskins, 24–14; All Goes Wrong for Washington, The New York Times, December 8, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. The Redskins held Joe Morris, who had rushed for 181 yards in the Giants week eight victory, to 62 yards on 22 carries. However, Lawrence Taylor recorded three sacks and harassed Redskins' quarterback Jay Schroeder all game, as the Giants recorded four sacks and the Redskins only recorded one. Phil Simms threw touchdown passes to Mark Bavaro, Bobby Johnson, and Phil McConkey in the victory.Anderson, Dave. Sports of the Times; Another Day in Surgery, The New York Times, December 8, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. Schroeder threw six interceptions in the game, matching Sammy Baugh's franchise record, and the Redskins had 7 turnovers overall.Box Score Giants Vs Redskins 12/7/1986, databasefootball.com, accessed May 17, 2007. After the game, Parcells gave the Redskins credit for their performance and told the reporters that he had a feeling that the two would meet again sometime in the playoffs. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: New York Giants at Washington Redskins December 7, 1986 1:00 p.m. EST Giants (12–2) 0 14 10 0 Redskins (11–3) 0 7 0 7 RFK Stadium 55,642 38 F, relative humidity 69%, wind 8 mph on Red Cashion CBS Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator), Irv Cross (sideline reporter) Box Score Giants Redskins collapsed 2 8:35 Giants RecTD Bavaro Simms 9 good Allegre 7 0 2 1:55 Redskins RushTD Bryant 4 good Zendejas 7 7 2 0:23 Giants RecTD Johnson Simms 7 good Allegre 14 7 3 4:33 Giants FG 21 Allegre 17 7 3 3:11 Giants RecTD McConkey Simms 16 good Allegre 24 7 4Raúl 3:24 Redskins RecTD Bryant Schroeder 22 good Zendejas 24 14 24 14 Week 15: vs. St. Louis Cardinals 1986 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season The Giants defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 27–7 in their fifteenth game of the season in front of 75,261 fans at Giants Stadium.Litsky, Frank. Giants Keep Rolling Around, The New York Times, December 15, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. Joe Morris ran for 179 yards and three touchdowns, but had three fumbles. Phil Simms struggled, but the offense was effective nonetheless; of the Giants 313 total yards, 252 came on the ground, while only 62 came from the passing game.Box Score Cardinal Vs Giants 12/14/1986, databasefootball.com, accessed May 20, 2007. The Giants defense controlled the Cardinals throughout the game, particularly in the first half; the Cardinals' first four possessions ended in third-down sacks and fourth-down punts. The Giants committed only two penalties for a total of ten yards, and their defense set a franchise record with nine sacks, despite sending Lawrence Taylor into pass coverage for most of the game. With the victory the Giants clinched their first NFC East division crown. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 15: St. Louis Cardinals at New York Giants December 14, 1986 1:00 p.m. EST Cardinals (3–11–1) 0 0 0 7 Giants (13–2) 7 10 3 7 Giants Stadium 75,261 26 F, relative humidity 46%, wind 14 mph on, wind chill 14 F Bob McElwee CBS Jack Buck (play-by-play), Joe Theismann (color commentator) Box Score Cardinals Giants collapsed 1 4:39 Giants RushTD Morris 2 good Allegre 0 7 2 3:29 Giants RushTD Morris 3 good Allegre 0 14 2 0:11 Giants FG 26 Allegre 0 17 3 3:30 Giants FG 23 Allegre 0 20 4 6:37 Cardinals RecTD Green Mitchell 15 good Schubert 7 20 4 1:57 Giants RushTD Morris 1 good Allegre 7 27 7 27 Week 16: vs. Green Bay Packers 1986 Green Bay Packers season The Giants headed into their final regular season game against the Green Bay Packers as 11½-point favorites and needed a victory to secure homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.Litsky, Frank. Giants Seek Edge for Playoffs, The New York Times, December 20, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. Sparked by a blocked punt returned for a TD by Tom Flynn, who had recently been picked up from the Packers, the Giants defeated the Packers 55–24 in front of 71,351 fans at Giants Stadium to finish the regular season with a franchise record 14 victories.Litsky, Frank. Giants Stay Home for Playoffs, The New York Times, December 21, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. The win was the Giants' ninth consecutive, matching the team record set in 1962. The Giants also set a franchise record for points in the first quarter of a game with 21. Although the Packers cut the score to 24–17 at halftime, the Giants scored 31-second half points to put the game out of reach. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 16: Green Bay Packers at New York Giants December 20, 1986 12:30 p.m. EST Packers (4–12) 0 17 7 0 Giants (14–2) 21 3 14 17 Giants Stadium 71,351 39 F, relative humidity 63%, wind 13 mph on Fred Silva CBS Dick Stockton (play-by-play), Dan Dierdorf (color commentator), John Dockery (sideline reporter) Box Score Packers Giants collapse 1 8:25 Giants RecTD Bavaro Simms 24 good Allegre 0 7 1 7:23 Giants Other Flynn returned blocked punt 36 yards for a touchdown, Allegre kick good 0 14 1 0:38 Giants RushTD Morris 3 good Allegre 0 21 2 8:08 Giants FG 46 Allegre 0 24 2 4:11 Packers RecTD Ivery Wright 13 good Del Greco 7 24 2 2:52 Packers IntTD Stills 58 good Del Greco 14 24 2 0:42 Packers FG 46 Del Greco 17 24 3 8:20 Giants RecTD Bavaro Simms 4 good Allegre 17 31 3 6:38 Packers RecTD Davis Wright 15 good Del Greco 24 31 3 1:42 Giants RecTD Mowatt Simms 22 good Allegre 24 38 4 14:48 Giants RushTD Rouson 10 good Allegre 24 45 4 7:09 Giants RushTD Rouson 21 good Allegre 24 52 4 2:07 Giants FG 26 Allegre 24 55 24 55 Standings Playoffs Schedule Playoff Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Attendance Gamerecap NFC Wild Card First-round bye NFC Divisional January 4, 1987 San Francisco 49ers (3) W 49–3 1–0 Giants Stadium 76,034 N/A NFC Championship January 11, 1987 Washington Redskins (4) W 17– 0 2–0 Giants Stadium 76,633 N/A Super Bowl XXI January 25, 1987 Denver Broncos (A2) W 39–20 3–0 Rose Bowl 101,063 N/A NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. San Francisco 49ers 1986 San Francisco 49ers season The Giants defeated the San Francisco 49ers 49–3 in their opening playoff game.Litsky, Frank. Giants Roll Over 49ers and on to N.F.C. Final, The New York Times, January 5, 1987. accessed March 25, 2008. Favored by only three points, the Giants caught a break when 49ers WR Jerry Rice fumbled an apparent touchdown catch-and-carry off his knee early in the game, then dominated the Niners the rest of the way. Their defense held the 49ers to 29 yards rushing, 184 yards in total offense, and 2 of 14 on third-down conversions. The Giants did not commit a turnover and totalled 216 rushing yards. Jim Burt knocked 49ers quarterback Joe Montana out of the game in the second quarter, hitting him as he threw a pass which Lawrence Taylor intercepted and returned the pick 34 yards for a touchdown. The Giants defense also held the 49ers to only nine first downs, and 15 of 37 passing for zero touchdowns and three interceptions.Box Score 49ers Vs Giants 1/4/1987, databasefootball.com, accessed May 20, 2007. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse 1986 NFC Divisional Playoff: San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants January 4, 1987 12:30 p.m. EST 49ers (10–6–1) 3 0 0 0 Giants (15–2) 7 21 21 0 Giants Stadium 76,034 31 F C, relative humidity 67%, wind 15 mph on, wind chill 20 F C Jerry Markbreit CBS Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator), Irv Cross Box Score 49ers Giants collapsed 1 7:29 Giants RecTD Bavaro Simms 24 good Allegre 0 7 1 1:20 49ers FG 26 Wersching 3 7 2 7:39 Giants RushTD Morris 45 good Allegre 3 14 2 0:50 Giants RecTD Johnson Simms 15 good Allegre 3 21 2 0:28 Giants IntTD Taylor 34 good Allegre 3 28 3 8:56 Giants RecTD McConkey Simms 28 good Allegre 3 35 3 1:58 Giants RecTD Mowatt Simms 29 good Allegre 3 42 3 0:16 Giants RushTD Morris 2 good Allegre 3 49 3 49 NFC Championship: vs. Washington Redskins 1986 Washington Redskins season With wind gusts reaching 33 mph, coach Bill Parcells chose to take the wind when his team won the opening coin toss of the Giants' NFC Championship Game against the Washington Redskins.Neft, Cohn, and Korch. pg. 844 With the wind at their backs the Giants scored 10 first quarter points while the Redskins managed only two first downs. The Redskins were forced to punt three times in the quarter, and the wind limited those punts to 23, 27, and 24 yards.Pervin. pg 84 The Redskins launched a drive behind Jay Schroeder's 48-yard completion to wide receiver Art Monk in the second quarter. However, after the Redskins botched the field goal snap on a 51-yard field goal attempt, the Giants drove for a touchdown with the wind in their face to make the score 17–0 at halftime. The Giants defense dominated the second half, and both teams went scoreless to make the final score 17–0. Schroeder completed only 20 of 50 passes for a meager 3.8 yards per attempt. Keys to the victory were tackle Brad Benson's neutralizing of Redskins pass rusher Dexter Manley, who had 18.5 sacks on the season, and the team's defense. After the game, John Madden remarked: "Last year, I thought the Bears had the best defense I had ever seen. But in the last two weeks, I feel these Giants have as good a defense as has ever played in this league."Pooley. pg. 28 New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse 1986 NFC Championship Game: Washington Redskins at New York Giants January 11, 1987 4:00 p.m. EST Redskins (14–5) 0 0 0 0 Giants (16–2) 10 7 0 0 Giants Stadium 76,633 39 F, relative humidity 80%, wind 22 mph on, wind chill 29 F Pat Haggerty CBS Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator), Irv Cross (sideline reporter) Box Score Redskins Giants collapsed 1 11:38 Giants FG 47 Allegre 0 3 1 5:32 Giants RecTD Manuel Simms 11 good Allegre 0 10 2 6:56 Giants RushTD Morris 1 good Allegre 0 17 0 17 Super Bowl XXI: vs. Denver Broncos Super Bowl XXI 1986 Denver Broncos season The Giants played the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI in front of 101,063 fans at the Rose Bowl.Championship Games 1950–present https://web.archive.org/web/20070317040918/http://www.giants.com/history/ChampionshipGames1950present.asp March 17, 2007 , giants.com, accessed May 20, 2007. After the Broncos' Rich Karlis kicked a 48-yard field goal on the game's opening drive, the Giants took the lead with a 78-yard touchdown scoring drive, led by quarterback Phil Simms's 6-for-6 passing. The Broncos scored on a 4-yard quarterback draw by John Elway to make the score 10–7 at the end of the first quarter. Although the two teams' quarterbacks combined to complete all 13 passes attempted in the second quarter,Zimmerman, Paul. Killer Giants, Sports Illustrated, February 2, 1987, available online via sportsillustrated.cnn.com, accessed May 22, 2007. the only score came when Giants' defensive end George Martin sacked Elway in the endzone for a safety to make the score 10–9. A turning point of the game came on the first possession of the second half. The Giants received the second half kickoff, and led a short drive that stalled at their own 47-yard line.Neft, Cohen, and Korch. pg. 845 On fourth and 1, the Giants lined up in a punt formation before shifting to a traditional set. Second string quarterback Jeff Rutledge then looked over to Parcells for a signal as to whether he should try to draw the defense offside or run a play. After a nod of approval from Parcells, he ran a quarterback sneak for a first down.Pervin. pg. 85 The Giants scored on the drive, and built a 39–13 lead before a late touchdown by the Broncos made the final score 39–20. Simms threw touchdown passes to Mark Bavaro and Phil McConkey to give him three on the game, and Joe Morris and Ottis Anderson each rushed for one touchdown. The Giants' defense limited the Broncos to only two net yards and 10 offensive plays in the third quarter. The 30-second half points set a Super Bowl-record for points in a half, and Simms was named MVP after completing 22 of 25 (88%) of his passes—a Super Bowl record which still stands.Super Bowl XXI New York 39, Denver 20 https://web.archive.org/web/20070502165109/http://www.superbowl.com/history/recaps/game/sbxxi May 2, 2007 , NFL.com/history, accessed May 17, 2007. New York Giants 1986 2; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocolapse Super Bowl XXI: Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants January 25, 1987 6:13 p.m. EST Broncos (13–6) 10 0 0 10 Giants (17–2) 7 2 17 13 Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California 101,063 76 F C, sunny, relative humidity 68%, wind 5 mph on Jerry Markbreit CBS Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator), Irv Cross (sideline reporter) Box Score Broncos Giants collapsed 1 10:51 Broncos 8 45 4:09 FG 48 Karlis 3 0 1 5:27 Giants 9 78 5:24 RecTD Mowatt Simms 6 good Allegre 3 7 1 2:06 Broncos 6 58 3:21 RushTD Elway 4 good Karlis 10 7 2 2:46 Giants 3 -15 0:45 SafetyTackle Elway Martin 10 9 3 10:08 Giants 8 63 4:52 RecTD Bavaro Simms 13 good Allegre 10 16 3 3:54 Giants 9 32 5:07 FG 21 Allegre 10 19 3 0:24 Giants 5 68 2:14 RushTD Morris 1 good Allegre 10 26 4 10:56 Giants 6 52 3:50 RecTD McConkey Simms 6 good Allegre 10 33 4 6:01 Broncos 13 73 4:55 FG 28 Karlis 13 33 4 3:18 Giants 5 46 1:43 RushTD Anderson 2 no good Allegre 13 39 4 2:06 Broncos 5 69 1:12 RecTD Johnson Elway 47 good Karlis 20 39 20 39 Postseason honors Following the season eight Giants—tight end Mark Bavaro, offensive lineman Brad Benson, nose tackle Jim Burt, linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson, punter Sean Landeta, running back Morris, and defensive end Leonard Marshall—were selected to the Pro Bowl.Litsky, Frank. 8 Giants and 2 Jets are Named to Play in the Pro Bowl, The New York Times, December 8, 1986, accessed May 17, 2007. Taylor, who recorded a league-leading 20.5 sacks, became one of just two defensive players to win the NFL Most Valuable Player award and the only defensive player to win the award unanimously.Charles, Nick. Taylor made: 'L.T.' has a date with Canton, destiny, sportsillustrated.cnn.com, August 12, 1999, accessed May 18, 2007. Note: Taylor is still the only defensive player to win the award unanimously, as he is the last defensive player to win it.Lawrence Taylor, infoplease.com, accessed May 18, 2007. * Sprechman and Shannon. pg. 13 Taylor also won his record third Defensive Player of the Year Award and coach Bill Parcells won his first NFL Coach of the Year Award. Stats Passing Passing Player G GS QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate Rushing Rushing Player G GS Att Yds TD Lng Y/A Y/G A/G Receiving Receiving Player G GS Rec Yds Y/R TD Lng R/G Y/G Kicking Kicking Player G GS 0–19 20–29 30–39 40–49 50+ FGM FGA FG% XPM XPA XP% Punting Punting Player G GS Pnt Yds Lng Blck Y/P Kick Return Kick Return Player G GS Rt Yds TD Lng Y/RT Punt Return Punt Return Player G GS Ret Yds TD Lng Y/R Defense & Fumbles Defensive Interceptions Player G GS Int Yds TD Lng PD Fumbles Player G GS FF Fmb FR Yds TD Sacks & Tackles Player G GS Sk Tkl Ast Sfty Scoring Summary Scoring Summary Player G GS RshTD RecTD PR TD KR TD FblTD IntTD OthTD AllTD 2PM 2PA XPM XPA FGM FGA Sfty Pts Team Team Stats Player PF Yds Ply Y/P TO FL 1stD Pass Cmp Pass Att Pass Yds Pass TD Int NY/A Pass 1stD Rush Att Rush Yds Rush TD Y/A Rush 1stD Pen Yds 1stPy Quarter-by-quarter Quarter-by-quarter 1 2 3 4 OT T Giants 40 130 106 95 0 371 Opponents 39 84 37 76 0 236 Gatorade shower Gatorade shower 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.Almanac 1987, espn.com. accessed April 17, 2007. This originated in 1984 when Jim Burt, incensed by what he thought was mistreatment he received during practice, exacted revenge on Bill Parcells by dumping a cooler of Gatorade on him.Farmer, Sam. Origins of Gatorade dunking revealed, The Washington Post, September 23, 2003. accessed April 17, 2007. 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 continued 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 ruses, so as to at least attempt to keep the inevitable dousing a surprise.Litsky, Frank. Giants Video: Thrills, Spills and a Finale with 101,000 Extras, The New York Times, February 12, 1987. accessed March 25, 2008.Rovell Darren Darren Rovell October 13, 2005 How the dunk was born https://proxy.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=rovell/051014 2025-03-08 ESPN.com Historical ranking The 1986 New York Giants are considered one of the greatest NFL teams of all time, being recognized by the NFL Films series America's Game as the 13th greatest Super Bowl Champion, as well as being selected as the eighth greatest NFL team of all time by readers in a "Page 2" article on ESPN.com. In 2010, the team was tied for fifth in ESPN.com's NFL Super League, a project that ranked the 16 greatest NFL Super Bowl winning teams using computer simulations of a season of play between these teams, and were ranked eighth in The Ultimate Super Rankings, a 2007 ESPN ranking of the top 80 Super Bowl era NFL teams. Season facts The Giants beat the Redskins three times in one season twice in the regular season and once in the playoffs. This was the third time that a team won three games in season against the same opponent. (1982 Dolphins-Jets and 1983 Seahawks-Raiders) During the season, the Giants honored the memories of two of their former players on their uniforms. A helmet sticker with the number 38 was added to the uniforms after John Tuggle, a former running back the Giants selected as the final pick of the 1983 draft, died of angiosarcoma in August 1986. After former defensive back and two-time Pro Bowler Spider Lockhart died of lymphoma in July 1986, a patch with Lockhart's nickname and number were added to the jerseys and the Giants wore both the sticker and the jersey patch the whole season. Awards and honors Bill Parcells, National Football League Coach of the Year Award Phil Simms, Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Lawrence Taylor, AP NFL MVP Lawrence Taylor, PFWA NFL MVP Lawrence Taylor, Bert Bell Award Lawrence Taylor, AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Lawrence Taylor, NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year Lawrence Taylor, UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year Lawrence Taylor, NFC Defensive Player of the Year 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 Pooley, Eric. True Blue, New York, New York Media LLC, January 26, 1987, issue ISSN 0028-7369 (available online) 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 New York Giants official website—history section 1986 New York Giants season stats and box scores at databasefootball.com 1986 New York Giants season at Pro-Football-Reference.com 1986 New York Giants at jt-sw.com Category:New York Giants seasons New York Giants Category:NFC East championship seasons Category:National Football Conference championship seasons Category:Super Bowl champion seasons New York Giants season Category:20th century in East Rutherford, New Jersey Category:Meadowlands Sports Complex