Sep 012023
 

Lawrence Taylor

Through their first ninety-nine seasons, the New York Football Giants have participated in some of the most famous games in professional football history: “The Sneakers Game” in 1934, “The Greatest Game Ever Played” in 1958, and the 2007 Giants upsetting the 18-0 New England Patriots bid for perfection among them. Perhaps because it preceded Super Bowl XXV, known as “Wide Right,” the 1990 NFC Championship Game against the two-time defending Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers is often overlooked, despite the fact that it is likely the finest performance this venerable franchise has ever put forth.

The common denominator this game shared with those previously mentioned is the Giants were the decided underdogs. The 1990 49ers were not chasing perfection as the 1934 Chicago Bears or 2007 Patriots, but they were quarterbacked by a near mythical legend in Joe Montana, as were the 1958 Baltimore Colts. They were also striving to win an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title.

Despite boasting a 13-3 record, New York was seen as little more than a speed bump on San Francisco’s superhighway to immortality. The Giants were injured, heading into the contest with backups at quarterback and halfback; they were past their prime, star linebacker Lawrence Taylor surrendered his once unquestioned throne as the league’s best defensive player to Buffalo’s Bruce Smith; they had peaked too early, having limped through a 3-3 finish after a 10-0 start to the season; they were simply not good enough.

What the slighted Giants may have lacked in panache, they more than made up for it with resolve. They had exited the 1989 playoffs with a startling and distasteful overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams on their home field in a game they had felt they should have won. Since winning the Super Bowl in 1986, San Francisco had New York’s number, sweeping them in excruciating fashion in three non-strike games. Each and every time the Giants lamented the would’ves, could’ves, and should’ves. They were always this-close to defeating their nemesis, before the unspeakable transpired: defensive backs colliding in the waning moments allowing a long-distance touchdown, a freakishly close offsides flag on a 4th-quarter field goal that extended a drive leading to a decisive touchdown, or a supreme defensive effort going for naught as a frustrated offense only managed a field goal.

The 1988 loss at Giants Stadium in Week 2 was particularly galling, and ultimately cost New York a playoff berth. After Phil Simms engineered a late drive to put New York ahead of San Francisco 17-13 with 1:21 to play, Joe Montana, who came off the bench for Steve Young at the start of the second half, connected with Jerry Rice for a 78-yard touchdown pass. It was mostly the run after the catch that did the damage though, as safety Kenny Hill inadvertently collided with the cornerback Mark Collins, who had otherwise done a stellar job blanketing Rice on the day (his three other catches totaled just 31 yards).

Collins said, “The guy made one play all day. We had him covered all day. It was a perfect ball and a perfect route.”

Parcells could only concede, “Great players make great plays, and those guys are great players.”

While it may have been an embarrassment for Collins, the big play was a moment of atonement for Rice: “When I caught the ball, I knew Collins had made an effort to get the ball. I knew I had an open field. My mind flashed to 1986 when I had an open field in front of me and the ball popped out.”

The ramifications of that one play reverberated late in the evening of Week 16 when the Giants, at 10-6 needed the 10-5 49ers to defeat the 9-6 Los Angeles Rams to enter the Wild Card round of the playoffs. During halftime of the Sunday night contest between NFC West rivals, Simms infamously said to a reporter, “I’m sitting here staring now, watching the 49ers lie down like dogs.” San Francisco ignominiously went down 38-16 on their home field, leaving New York out in the cold.

All of these and more left the Giants gnashing their teeth and wanting to pull their hair out. The 49ers were the darlings of the NFL, the Bentley that rolled up to the red carpet at a Hollywood gala; the Giants were an afterthought, an SUV in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven.

When would this abominable hex, and disrespect, finally be put to rest?

As is often the case, when it is least expected.

The Prelude

The Giants and 49ers looked to be on a collision course for an unprecedented match-up in Week 12, boasting unblemished records after 10 games. The potential twenty-two combined wins between the teams, should they meet at 11-0, would eclipse the mark of 21 set by the 1934 Chicago Bears (11-0) and Detroit Lions (10-1) and 1969 Los Angeles Rams (11-0) and Minnesota Vikings (10-1).

However, respective division rivals Philadelphia and Los Angeles cancelled those plans in Week 11 with surprising upsets over their favored rivals. The hype did not wane with New York and San Francisco each charged with a loss. The intrigue simply shifted toward questions like: “Were those losses flukes? Were they looking ahead? Did they peak too early? Who was going to rebound?”

Both teams displayed sterling defensive efforts in a hard-hitting contest with San Francisco holding off a last second desperation drive by New York for a 7-3 victory. Most memorable to viewers though, was the heated jaw-to-jaw verbal exchange between Giants quarterback Phil Simms and 49ers safety Ronnie Lott.

What nobody knew at the time was that San Francisco nose tackle Jim Burt, who had played for New York from 1981-1988, was the instigator of this confrontation.

Burt later confessed, “It was my fault. Phil Simms is a very good friend, and I like him a lot, but we were out to win a football game and I will do whatever it takes within the rules. When I was with the Giants and we used to play the 49ers, Phil always thought he could throw against them if he had the time. I thought I’d spring it on Ronnie and fire him up a bit. I didn’t tell a lie or anything out of the ordinary. I thought Ronnie would have a great game if I told him, and he did. It worked. Great players have a lot of emotion, and he’s a great player. I told Simms, ‘It was nothing against you.’ I was hoping that would fire Ronnie up… I didn’t want anything to happen at the end of the game. I told [Phil] what happened. He laughed and I laughed and that was it. It wasn’t that big a deal. They got it squared away.”

Another former Giant teammate, Joe Morris, also offered some perspective on Simms underlying angst, “Phil feels like he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. Look at the people Montana has had around him and look at the people Phil had. Phil produced miracles with what he had. Montana had more talent… It’s like Phil was saying, ‘This guy’s good, but I’m pretty good too.’ Everyone wants to be respected by your peers.”

The pregame hype and fervent competition, augmented by post-game drama, made for a big night for the NFL and its broadcast partner ABC. The production boasted the second-highest Nielsen rating for a Monday Night Football game, after the famous 1985 contest between Miami and Chicago.

San Francisco finished off the regular season 14-2, losing only another game to division rival New Orleans, a strong defensive team featuring a multi-talented linebacking corps. The Giants, however, now on a two-game losing streak, appeared shaken in the wake of the loss. They stumbled their way to a 13-3 record, good enough for a division title and post-season bye, but were unimpressive in their wins and lost starting quarterback Simms for the remainder of the season with a broken bone in his foot.

With Hostetler at the helm the Giants managed three-point victories on the road against two of the league’s worst teams. Offensively, the Giants did just enough to stay ahead of the Cardinals in Arizona for a 24-21 win. The balanced offense bailed out the uncharacteristically leaky defense, which gave up nearly 400 passing yards to the Timm Rosenbach led, five-win Cardinals.

“It wasn’t letter perfect; it wasn’t a Picasso, but we’ll take it,” Parcells said.

The following week in New England, the only thing drearier than New York’s lackluster 13-10 win over the 1-14 Patriots was the weather. It rained all afternoon on the aluminum bleachers in the half-empty stadium.

“Other than a win, there really wasn’t very much we got out of this game,” linebacker Pepper Johnson said. “But it definitely could have been worse. If we had lost it would have taken a couple of weeks to get over the embarrassment.”

The only positive was that New York finished the regular season without any further injuries to key personnel and having a bye for the Wild Card round would give the team a needed opportunity to step away from the grind of the season.

“I’m concerned that we should be playing better,” nose tackle Erik Howard said. “We just haven’t been putting forth our best efforts. We just haven’t been playing consistently. I don’t think we’ve played our best in the last five or six weeks, probably going back to the Detroit game [Week 11].”

Most expected an early exit for New York come playoff time.

The Anticipation

There’s no better elixir for the doldrums than a big playoff win on your home field. Giants football remerged in their 31-3 stomping of the Bears. Strong, opportunistic defense, a dominant running game, and fourth-down excellence, hallmarks of the team that started the season 10-0, overwhelmed the visitors from Chicago.

Giants head coach Bill Parcells said, “Two weeks ago, I took a different approach to my team than I took the first 16 weeks. I was a little more aggressive with them as far as pointing out mistakes I couldn’t live with in the playoffs. I don’t necessarily think they liked it, but it got their attention.”

Their confidence boosted, the Giants looked forward to a rematch in San Francisco. The 49ers had dispatched the Washington Redskins 28-10 in their playoff opener.

Immediately, all thoughts dialed back six weeks to the intense Monday night clash.

“We felt they were the best in the West. We felt we were the best in the East,” said Giants defensive end Leonard Marshall. “It’s a familiar type of feeling to ’86. In ’86, we came off a big win against the Niners going into a championship game against the Redskins, who we had beaten twice. Now we’re coming off a big win against Chicago going against the 49ers, a team we felt we should have beaten Monday night. More than having to prove something to someone else, we have to prove something to ourselves.”

“It was a physical game,” recalled 49ers defensive end Kevin Fagan, “We were sore around here for several days. It felt like a season-ending game. Guys knew they were in a football game.”

Giants halfback Ottis Anderson, thrust into a starting role after Rodney Hampton broke his leg in the Bears playoff game, discussed the Giants offensive frustration, “The intensity of this game will be higher than the first game. That day, we didn’t execute well. Running and passing success, short-yardage, goal-line, none of it was there. Everything we did, they had an answer for.”

New York’s offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt echoed the rued missed opportunities, “The game worked out the way Bill likes to play. We were down 7-3 going into the red area. If we do our job and score, we win 10-7. If we’d done our job, that’s the way the game would’ve gone.”

Contrastingly, New York’s defense oozed confidence, as they felt they had played their best game of the season that Monday night. In fact, much of the week’s chatter leading up to Championship Sunday was centered around how the Giants were able to hold San Francisco to a meager seven points, and were they capable of repeating that performance?

“We played well enough last time to go into this game with a lot of confidence. I left the field with a very good feeling about how we played. We just ran out of time,” said linebacker Gary Reasons. “We’ve got another 60 minutes to get going again. So, we’re gonna rock and roll.”

Safety Greg Jackson felt similarly, “There’s no doubt we’re confident. We know we can win the game. It’s just a matter of eliminating mistakes, getting the breaks. We’ve been just one play away.”

Linebacker Pepper Johnson was focused on the opportunity for redemption, “It’s been more than just a rivalry. Those guys have been finding a way to beat us in the waning moments in the last four games. You can only get knocked down so much. You have to fight back.”

Putting emotion aside, there was detailed analysis on how the Giants defense was able to accomplish a near total shutdown of the 49ers offense.

San Francisco receiver Jerry Rice noted the physicality of the Giants defense and how they operated incongruously to the rest of the league: “The only thing about the Giants is they get a different scheme almost. They’re really going to be physical. The majority of the teams whenever they play nickel, they’re not going to bump you as physical. They’re not going to try to throw the timing off. They’re just going to try to disguise everything. The Giants did the opposite… Every time Joe dropped back, he had a lot of pursuit. Everything was completely off. If Joe doesn’t get the time, he can’t pass the ball.”

New York’s defensive coordinator Bill Belichick marveled at the maturity of San Francisco’s scheme: “We tried to take away [Montana’s] first read, and we did it pretty well. That gave more time for the rush to get to him… With the 49ers, they have been in their system so long they’ve seen just about everything they are going to see. They know how to deal with just about any problem they face without having to make major changes in that offense. You are not going to chase them out of their offense by putting another defensive back in the game. They have a philosophy on offense just like we have on defense. You’re not going to get us to change the things we do by putting an extra tight end in there.”

Belichick’s players expressed utmost confidence their coach and praised his diligence as being a major factor in their success.

“I learned so much from Bill Belichick,” safety Greg Jackson later said, “He always prepared you for each and every game and gave you tip sheets and everything… We wanted [Montana] to check the ball down a lot and try to cover their receivers on curl routes and take those things away. We knew if we could pass rush, we could definitely get to Montana and make him uncomfortable. We tried to close the middle up on them, the deep middle, and make them check the ball down a lot. We just made the looks a little bit different for him than he was used to seeing.”

Linebacker Steve DeOssie described the insight the players received, “For our defensive game plan, we were told that two-thirds of the catches their receivers made, whether it was the tight ends, running backs, receivers, whatever, would occur in a certain, easily defined area and that they got that receiver there through a thousand different formations. There were a hundred different personal groups and fifty types of motion. They told us that we shouldn’t get overwhelmed by all the different looks that we were going to see on the field every single time, the 49ers just want you to think about a thousand different things before they do it. They want you to sit there and think about what’s the formation. Once we saw film that week, we knew they were absolutely right.”

San Francisco head coach George Seifert spoke glowingly of New York’s defense, “They’re extremely well-coached and as fundamentally-sound as any defense I’ve seen play. I am kind of in awe of the technique of their players – how specific it is and how well-coached it is.”

The Motivation

The incentive of the Giants and 49ers was as different as the coasts they represented. The Giants strived for respect and redemption. Despite playing well enough to win in recent meetings with their rival, they came up short every time. They were also sick and tired of the inescapable catch phrase of the 1990 season – “three-peat.” The two-time defending champion 49ers desired immortality.

“Everybody is talking about us scoring a lot of points against the Giants, but I’d take another 7-3 win any day instead of us scoring 30 points and losing,” Montana said. “If they want to take Jerry Rice out of the game, then it’s up to everyone else to look around and take advantage of that. We really are a team here and not a collection of individuals. We are very close to a goal and dream that we set last year after the Super Bowl; that is very exciting. To win three straight Super Bowls would be a tremendous achievement.”

The earnestness because of the previous meeting was addressed by 49ers defensive end Pierce Holt: “There is a rivalry here [with the Giants]. In the last game, it was as intense as it gets. Every play was a battle. You had to play solidly on every down. Now the stakes are even higher.”

Belichick expressed a bigger picture view of the impending showdown: “These are the kinds of games you live for. It’s taken us four years to get back to the championship game. All the seasons of work, all those hard-fought games were just for the opportunity to play in this game. It’s not just another game.”

New York’s nose tackle Erik Howard had his own a personal take, “I grew up out there in the Bay Area. That was a big deal for me to play in my hometown.”

Giants’ cornerback Perry Williams noted the physical challenge of facing the 49ers, “It was always a dog fight. You knew it was going to be a long, drawn-out, hard-fought battle. With them, it was always survival of the fittest.”

San Francisco linebacker Bill Romanowski agreed, “You knew it was gonna be a who-was-going-to-beat-the-crap-out-of-who? kind of game. Every time we played [the Giants], that’s what it was like.”

New York defensive end Leonard Marshall spoke for all his teammates, “We wanted to go out and prove to the 49ers that we were just as good if not better than they were. And we knew we were a better team than the team they beat on Monday night. We just had to go out and prove it to them.”

For 49ers linebacker Charles Haley the game wasn’t as personal, “We are following a dream, to three-peat. We can capture a part of history. If we win the Super Bowl, even if I never play another down of football, I know I will have been part of a history-making achievement.”

Howard felt impelled to derail that dream, “I feel it’s my obligation to history not to let these guys three-peat. It’s like they’re walking six inches above the rest of us. Their feet never touch the ground.”

Giants defensive end Eric Dorsey felt there was an inequity in the perception of the two teams, “I’d like to think the Giants have some mystique too. We’re not playing for a three-peat, but we’ve been to the Super Bowl before. They’ve got to fear us as much as any team around. Why go out there if you think you’re going to lose?”

New York linebacker Carl Banks relished playing the underdog role, “We’re coming to play, regardless of what people expect. We have our own expectations. It doesn’t really matter what’s said in the paper or what the point spread is.”

Lawrence Taylor respected his opponent without putting them up on a pedestal, “They’re still the best team in football until they’re beaten. We feel if we play our game, play intense football, we can beat the 49ers.”

Teammate Gary Reasons saw a potential thread in the post-season tree, “I like this game because there are three teams that beat us this year. Philadelphia, and we beat them. The 49ers, and we have a chance to beat them. And, unless I see it differently, we’ve got a chance to see Buffalo in the Super Bowl. If we put all of those together, it would be a very satisfying championship for us. Not that I’m looking down the road. But I’m just trying to put this in perspective. This is our next opponent. The road to making it goes through San Francisco.”

The Strategy

Both defenses disrupted the opposing offenses during the Week 13 contest. What would change and what would stay the same in the rematch? Insiders and outsiders offered a variety of thoughts.

Seifert discussed a recurring theme, that the 49ers played against type and limited themselves by staying too close-to-the-vest, “We went into that game with somewhat of a conservative attitude and the idea ‘Don’t make any mistakes.’ [The Giants] were a very good team on capitalizing on mistakes and coming up with big plays defensively and controlling the ball. So, we went into that game with a certain mindset. It may or may not be the same going into this game.”

Belichick said past success has no effect on the upcoming game, “It’s like a division game. We’ve played them each of the past three years and now twice this year. They know our personnel; they know our system. We know their personnel; we know their system. Sometimes it’s a plus, sometimes you can’t stop them. I’m not worried about what we did last time. What we’ve got to do is more than they do, however much that is. Whatever they do, we have to do better than that. That’s how you win football games.”

Giants safety Dave Duerson felt similarly as his coach, “[Montana] never really got into a rhythm. We were able to upset some of the timing between Joe and his receivers. That’s what football is, it’s chess. The problem is, we can go in with the exact same game plan, they can do the exact same thing, and it still may not be the same game. That’s why they say, ‘On any given Sunday.’”

Reasons detailed the challenges of facing San Francisco, “Joe reads defenses very well. He reads the blitz very well. He knows where his receivers are going to be. He doesn’t waste any time. As soon as he drops back, on his third, fourth or fifth step when he plants that back foot, the ball’s coming out of there. Very rarely are you going to catch him off guard and surprise him with a rush. The best way to contain Joe Montana is to have tight coverage on his receivers as they come off the line, whether you’re playing them man or zone, and have a coordinated pass rush where you’re putting pressure on him, and you don’t give him a lane to step up and throw. If you take away his first and second receivers, he’s gonna check his third and fourth receivers. But by then, hopefully your pass rush will have penetrated and pushed the pocket enough to make a play on him. It’s not easy to do.”

Howard added, “You have to pressure [Montana], put some hits on him. He doesn’t like to get hit. He’ll throw the ball before he wants to sometimes, even if there’s nobody to throw to.”

Belichick expressed, however, it was more than just design that made San Francisco dangerous, they possessed a wealth of individual skill, “They have so much talent across the board… there isn’t much margin for error against them. You have to win every match-up because just one or two breakdowns will result in a completion or good run.”

San Francisco offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren praised a particular position group on New York’s defensive unit, “Their linebackers have maybe more the size, speed and talent than any group in the league. So, they are able to use them so many ways that you never know what to expect. Every time you think you what they’ll do, they surprise you.”

San Francisco guard Harris Barton was confident in facing anything New York might throw at them and looked forward to the challenge, “We see so many different types of blitzes and so many different types of schemes to try to get to him quick. We did a pretty good job of adjusting to it. We didn’t give up as many sacks as last year; we threw the ball a little more, and what suffered is our running game. But the most important thing is protecting the quarterback. Last time, [the Giants] defense really stuffed us. They’re a hard-nosed team to play. It’s always a violent game with them, but it’s a good type of game to play.”

Rice mentioned a single player who gave him problems, “I caught one pass [in the Monday night game], and they defended me really well. So, this weekend is going to be a test for me. I’m a little ticked off right now. When I went back and watched the films and everything, there were some things I didn’t do. I pride myself on doing my best job when I’m out there, and in that particular game I didn’t play well… I think we came out a little too conservative. This time we’re going to come out and be a little more aggressive and really give the receivers a chance to get downfield and make some plays… [Mark Collins] is really physical. He knocked me around a little the last time, and I got to do something to really counteract that and make plays.”

Parcells agreed with Rice on the possible strategy the 49ers could deploy to score more points, “If anything, they’ll try to spread us out a little more because they have access to more wide receivers [Mike Sherrard came off IR]. Their horizontal passing game philosophy works so well only because you have to respect their deep threats in Rice and Taylor. You have to be careful about that.”

Holmgren even hinted as much, particularly in the much talked about red zone, “If you can’t stretch them vertically, you try to stretch them horizontally to create holes between people instead of behind them. When it gets down in there, it gets harder. The defense can use the back line.”

Offensively, there was a significant change for the Giants. Simms was officially placed on the injured reserve list during the week, ending any speculation that he may return during the playoffs. For better or worse, New York was riding with Jeff Hostetler at quarterback. Additionally, Hampton’s broken leg created more flux regarding the Giants backfield. Presumably, Anderson would start, but others would also have to bear an increased workload.

“The problem is to enhance things to make the most of [Hostetler’s] ability,” said Parcells. “If he can roll out, you don’t just tell him to roll out. You design a couple of plays to take advantage of that ability. The big thing is to be mentally prepared and know your game plan. Then you let things fall into place. I wouldn’t say we’re brand new on offense, but I would say we have some things we didn’t have the first time that the 49ers have to worry about.”

Seifert offered his assessment, “It’s a different style of game now. I consider us a disciplined defense, but we’re going to have to be even more so in this particular game because of the style quarterback we’re facing. They have used [Hostetler] to attack the corners more. That’s because of his ability to run. But his ability to run doesn’t have to be attacking the corner with a play-action pass. He can drop back and find a crease and run up field after that.”

Meanwhile, with a playoff victory under his belt, Hostetler sounded confident, “I think I’m more relaxed. I’m really focused on what we’re trying to do. I feel really comfortable with some of the things we’ve put in for this game.”

Lott noted there did not appear to be any drop off with a backup running the offense, “[The Giants] offense has moved the ball regardless of who is at quarterback. [Hostetler] runs the offense as well as Simms.”

Giants guard William Roberts wasn’t concerned about who he was blocking for, “All year long we’ve been rotating backs in and out. It’s not a surprise that those guys will have to carry a bigger load. Hampton’s a big loss for us, just like Phil is, but we can’t dwell on that. You have to look forward and the ones that are filling in have to come through.”

Parcells agreed, “I think you’ll see some kind of mixture with the backs. What gives us the best chance to move the ball… I think we have an opportunity to move the ball against them. We moved the ball pretty decently against them last time. We just didn’t produce in the red area. We just need to score more points than we did last time. We want to keep the ball away from them as much as possible, but not at the expense of scoring ourselves.”

Anderson chimed in on the workload balance for the backs, “The burden hasn’t always been on me, not really. It’s been collectively on all the running backs. I think we’ve all responded well so far. I have good memories of last year when I had to carry a lot. I always look for an opportunity to run. But we have so many good backs that we can run them all.”

New York fullback Maurice Carthon preferred Anderson as the featured back, rather than backfield by committee, “O.J.’s best when he’s in a lot. He gets better the longer he keeps going. I’ve noticed every time Ottis was in the game, and he played two or three series and stayed out two or three series he wasn’t as effective… He’s ready for the challenge. You’ve got a guy like Rodney, he’s a No. 1 draft pick. Everyone knows Rodney was going to come in and play. But O.J.’s been a valuable player for us. If anyone’s going to take us there, O.J. will.”

Romanowski reflected on the 49ers preparation years later, “We didn’t know a lot about Jeff Hostetler. There wasn’t a ton of film on him. We couldn’t study a whole season of game tape on him. So, we approached it like we were playing a Giants team that was manned by Phil Simms. We thought they would pound the football. They weren’t going to have the quarterback try and win the game for them.”

The Predictions

Recent history favored San Francisco.

The 49ers entered the game not having allowed a TD in their last three NFC Championship Games [1984 defeated Chicago 24-0, 1988 defeated Chicago 28-3, 1989 defeated Los Angeles 30-3]. In fact, their defensive excellence spanned 13 consecutive quarters of championship football. The last touchdown San Francisco surrendered came in the third quarter of the 1983 championship game at Washington.

Overall, the 49ers had won seven consecutive post season games by a combined score of 236-64. The average margin of victory was an astounding 34-9.

The high-profile contest with multiple story lines drew opinions from everywhere. Not surprisingly, most favored San Francisco to further their bid to three-peat, but there were those who gave New York at least a chance.

Former 49ers head coach and current television analyst Bill Walsh was objective, “It’s going to be tough. The Giants are a physical, strong team and will come out and play with a lot of confidence. Both teams have a better feel for each other and what the other team can do. I think the 49ers are going to have a much better game plan. I think they’re going to come out throwing right away and not play around. They’ll throw the short, quick passes before the Giants can get to them. The Giants have to control the ball on the ground with their running game and at least get good field position before they have to punt or score. Hostetler is a fine runner and I think he can make some plays that Phil probably could not have made. An extra first down here or there is what can keep an important drive alive. I’ve always had great respect for Phil Simms, but the Giants haven’t lost a beat with Hostetler.”

Washington head coach Joe Gibbs, whose Redskins went a combined 0-4 against the NFC Championship combatants, gave the edge to San Francisco’s home-field advantage, “[The 49ers] are awful good. They have a lot of people to get to you with. But the Giants are capable of beating them. The Giants can beat anybody because their defense is dominating. I think these teams are so evenly matched that if they played on a neutral field, they would come out dead even. But in a championship game, the crowd is going to be cranked up. It was tough for us to hear. It’s tough to play in those conditions and beat somebody at their place.”

Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur highlighted the diversity of San Francisco’s offensive arsenal, “[The 49ers] have always had plenty of weapons, but what they’re doing now with their tight ends is special. Everybody knows about Jerry Rice and John Taylor and Roger Craig and the others as receivers. But now they’ve got those two tight ends who they rotate. Sometimes they play them together. When you’ve got two tight ends like they have and one of them is always fresh, and then you throw them into your mix, well, it’s another dimension for them. They complement everything in that offense and makes them even tougher.”

Chicago head coach Mike Ditka gave the impression of bitterness after his Bears recent loss to the Giants the previous week, “No one’s going to beat the 49ers. The Giants, first of all, they didn’t sack our quarterback. I don’t think their pass rush is good enough, and I don’t think they can cover well enough. Put [Giants cornerback Everson Walls] in man situations, which he’ll have to be in Sunday, they’re going to chew him up. They’ll find out he’s not what he used to be. They’ll break him with the counter routes.”

Walls, however, had bigger things on his mind than what Ditka thought of him, “Each time I play [the 49ers] I think about that play [“The Catch” in the 1981 NFC Championship Game], no doubt about it. Stepping in Candlestick gives me a feeling of alertness and intensity because I never want to be caught in that position again.”

“Nobody thinks we’re going to win,” Carthon said. “You’ve got a chance to redeem yourself, to prove a lot of people wrong. And you’ve got a chance to go to the Super Bowl. What more could you want in a game like this, especially if the deck is stacked against you?”

“We were riding house money,” Giants center Bart Oates later recalled. “We were going up against a team that was coming off back-to-back Super Bowls. We’ve got a backup quarterback and the oldest starting running back in the league. What are we supposed to do? We got no respect at all.”

Parcells liked his teams’ mindset, “I think the attitude of the team is simple – if we play our game, we can beat them. But until someone beats them, they are still the champions. They have a sophisticated passing game. They have one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks to have played the game and one of the best receivers to have played the game. They’ve got other people doing well. But if we play Giants football, which is intense football, and if we can run the football, we will beat them.”

Lawrence Taylor believed his team was ready for the challenge, “The guys practiced what they preached all week. It’s gratifying when you find out that when you put your mind to it and act on it, you can play well. This week, we’re looking for quality defense again. A couple of years ago we got into a shootout with the 49ers and lost. This year, when it was a low scoring game, we lost. They find a way to win games. The Giants have to find a way to win games.”

The Game

The intense interest in the game was evident by the standing-room-only crowd of 65,750 that packed Candlestick Park. The voracious gathering, second largest in 49ers history, was unanimously in favor of the home team, as nary a hint of blue was to be seen in the grandstands.

After the 49ers won the coin toss and received the kickoff, the first change in Belichick’s plan was revealed. Having previously radically changed the Giants defensive front to a 4-3 to control the run-heavy Bears, the front seven returned to the familiar 3-4, but with a few twists.

Looking to maintain size in the three-man line, Howard was shifted to left end with Mike Fox starting at nose tackle; Marshall remained at his normal right end spot. Behind the line, Gary Reasons received the starting nod over DeOssie, as Reasons was more adept in coverage than the run-plugging DeOssie. In addition, strong side linebacker Carl Banks would start and play the whole game. In the Week 13 match-up, he played sparingly in his first game back from a lengthy absence recovering from a broken wrist.

CBS broadcaster John Madden explained what was going to be different about the two teams’ approaches, “The last time they played, the 49ers thought they were too conservative. Mike Holmgren said what he did is if Montana was throwing in rhythm and there wasn’t anyone there right now, he would have him just throw the ball away. Today, he said they’re gonna open it up, spread it out, and he just told Joe, even though he hasn’t practiced in the last two days [because of the flu], ‘just do what you do best.’… Last time, what the Giants did on defense, is they used five defensive backs, they were in nickel the whole time. This time they’re playing Carl Banks here [over the TE], this is where they played [Greg] Jackson last time. So, now they’re playing their regular three linemen and they’re playing Gary Reasons because he’s a better pass defender. They’re not playing nickel on regular downs.”

Inside Linebacker Gary Reasons

The 49ers intention of spreading the Giants defense horizontally to create more passing lanes appeared to work as they moved the ball 44 yards over 10 plays, seven of which were passes and all three first downs were achieved through the air. Tellingly, Rice caught only one pass and it was for a loss of one yard.

Madden elaborated between plays, “The Giants defense, they all tackle well… Mark Collins is a very confident guy. He believes the way you play Jerry Rice is you play against him physical; you make everything physical. If you catch it, OK, but you’re not gonna make any yards. Mark Collins is a very good corner, a very good cover guy, but he’s a very strong player, a very physical corner.”

The tenth play of the drive was a 47-yard field goal by Mike Cofer to give San Francisco a 3-0 lead at 9:59. Despite surrendering yardage and points, New York’s defense adjusted quickly to the 49ers scheme by pressuring Montana with new-look blitzes that forced errant throws and check-downs for minimal gains.

The Giants offense answered with three points of their own, but how they did it was quite different than what many expected from their normally plodding attack. Over the 15-play advance that consumed nearly half the quarter (7:18), the Giants passed the ball eight times versus six runs. Dave Meggett was the featured back on the first three rushes, highlighting his elusiveness and speed over Anderson’s straight-line power. Carthon ran the ball once, before he and Meggett combined for the first half’s most startling play.

Jeff Hostetler

Once inside the much-discussed red zone, which had begun to take on the mythos of the Bermuda Triangle for the Giants against the 49ers, New York’s solution to reach the end zone was to go deep into the playbook for the unexpected. On first down at the San Francisco 11-yard line, Hostetler pitched right to Meggett, who ran toward the boundary and then pulled up and floated a perfect spiral into the waiting hands of an open Carthon in the back of the end zone. But Carthon let the ball drop to the turf.

“It was a good pass and it just dropped,” Carthon said, “There’s nothing you can do about it… You have to take it one play at a time.”

Two more incompletions preceded kicker Matt Bahr’s first field goal of the contest, making the score 3-3 at 2:41. Despite failing to solve the 49ers red-zone defense, New York achieved other goals. They moved the ball well by mixing in a variety of passes and wide runs and kept Montana and the San Francisco offense on the sideline for an extended period of time.

The Giants defense quickly dispatched San Francisco’s ensuing possession, forcing a punt in three plays as the first quarter quickly ended. Madden said, “We were talking to Bill Belichick last night and he says that you have to take away Rice, you have to take away [John] Taylor, and if Montana’s gonna beat you then he’s gonna beat us with a guy like [Tom] Rathman catching it. He doesn’t feel that Rathman and [Brent] Jones catching the ball can beat you. He feels that guys like Rice and Taylor are the ones you have to take out of the game.”

Pepper Johnson and Myron Guyton attack Tom Rathman

Duerson noticed Montana looking shaky early, “After the second series, when he left from under center, he was already passive, you could see it. He was expecting to get hit. Even when he handed off, he was flinching.”

New York opened the second quarter with a three-and-out of their own, but not without a moment of drama as Madden and broadcast partner Pat Summerall pondered the possibility of the Giants going for it on fourth-and-one near midfield. A week earlier the Giants stunned the Bears four times on fourth down. Instead, Parcells played it safe and elected to punt, showing trust in his defense.

Prior to the punt, Madden showed his appreciation for the style of play being demonstrated by both teams, “We are seeing very good defensive football here. We’re seeing crisp football, we’re seeing hard hitting, good tackling…this isn’t one of those things that is just conservative offense, it’s the defenses making the offenses look conservative.”

Two quick completions moved the 49ers to midfield before the drive was stymied, and the compelling game-within-the-game between Rice and Collins was on full display. Following a deep-ball pass breakup by Collins, Madden excitedly professed, “There is one confident corner back. He loves to play against Jerry Rice, and he’s tough on Jerry Rice. He likes to play him physical; he feels that he can get up there and bump him around, and then if he does get by him that he has enough speed to run with him.”

San Francisco punted away without attempting a single rush. Conversely, New York’s second drive of the game saw them return to form as they employed their familiar, bruising ground attack.

While incorporating a couple of wide runs by Meggett and a deft scramble under pressure by Hostetler, New York leaned more into the inside power runs by Anderson. Three of the Giants first downs on the time-consuming drive were on the ground as New York hogged the ball for 8:32 while traversing 56 yards over 14 plays.

More of the familiar also came by another name well known to San Francisco. Mark Bavaro, who made his first two catches on the drive, was highlighted by Summerall and Madden after making a nifty move to avoid a tackle. Summerall said, “When you ask Ronnie Lott what you have to do to stop the Giants, the first thing out of his mouth is ‘we have to stop [Bavaro].’” Madden followed, “Lott has a lot of respect for Mark Bavaro… Bavaro was a very physical player who’s turned into an intelligent player.”

Mark Bavaro

After Bahr kicked the Giants to a 6-3 advantage with exactly 1:00 remaining in the half, Montana led a quick-strike offensive that knotted the score 6-6, seconds before intermission.

Notably, Rice’s first big catch of the day, 19 yards to kickstart the drive, saw him beat zone coverage by Reasons. The Giants did manage their first sack of day, and it could not have come at a better time. After Dorsey’s personal foul penalty gave the 49ers a first down at New York’s 21-yard line with 21 seconds on the clock, Marshall threw Montana for an eight-yard loss. Montana had been forced to take the sack as Lawrence Taylor had also rushed from the opposite side, hemming the quarterback in the pocket without an opportunity to escape or throw the ball away.

Leonard Marshall and Joe Montana

During the hectic action, Madden again delighted in the high level of the competition. “You think of the last time they played on the Monday night, with the 49ers winning it 7-3. This is the same type of game, a very intense game and excellent defense by both sides. You know they say, ‘bend a little but don’t break’? They’re just bending very little and not breaking at all on either defensive side… I think the last time they played we talk about the intensity and what it meant. This game’s for a championship. This is sudden death, there’s no tomorrow. The winner goes on to the Super Bowl and the loser’s forgotten.”

Although possibly being disappointed by not going into halftime with the lead, one major trend in New York’s favor over the course of the first half jumped off the page. Despite holding the ball for only three possessions [discounting the half-closing kneel-down at 0:03] to San Francisco’s four, the Giants time of possession showed a wide advantage of 17:42 to 12:18. New York controlled the pace of the first 30 minutes, both offensively with their controlled blend of run and short passing, and defensively by disrupting the 49ers timing with tight coverage and pocket pressure.

During the halftime intermission, studio analyst Terry Bradshaw graphically illustrated how the Giants defense successfully accomplished slowing down the 49ers normally explosive offense. The tight coverage on outside receivers Rice and Taylor combined with pressure on Montana, forced him to check down to the third option; deep passes were a near impossibility unless there was a defensive breakdown. Thus far, New York’s execution had been near perfection save for a handful of plays.

The second half started frustratingly enough, as after back-to-back first downs, the once-promising drive was stalled by an offensive holding penalty that couldn’t be overcome. One misstep is all it takes to dramatically alter the course of a contest between two closely-matched teams. A mistimed gamble proved catastrophic after the Giants punted the ball to the 49ers.

Portending a reversal in 49ers fortunes, returner John Taylor swung the momentum to the home team’s side on the punt. After he caught the ball on the San Francisco 8-yard line, Taylor counter-stepped right, drawing New York’s coverage out of their lanes, then sprinted up field to his left behind a wall of interference before being pushed out of bounds at the 39-yard line. The 31-yard return electrified the crowd and fired up his teammates. Particularly damaging to New York, Taylor’s advance resulted in a meager 24-yard net in field position change.

San Francisco instantly capitalized.

Montana dropped back, and for perhaps the first time all day, had a clean pocket to throw from. John Taylor caught the high pass near the left sideline over the outstretched hands of the leaping defender Walls, and traversed the sideline unimpeded to the end zone as there was no safety help in the vicinity. The diving tackle attempt by Guyton was too little, too late as Taylor hopped on one foot to stay inbounds and cross the goal line for the game first touchdown at 10:28.

John Taylor accounted for 92 yards on two successive plays. Madden said, “Joe Montana had a little time, John Taylor is equally as dangerous as anyone in this league. Everson Walls, who’s been a heck of a cornerback over the years, took a gamble, took an angle, and when he did Taylor caught it, it was a touchdown.” And added, “And of course, John Taylor started it all off, and it’s usually a special teams play that will start it off… that punt return really gave the 49ers life.”

Walls said, “I went for the ball. I got one hand on it, but he had two. My break was good, my execution was bad. I just said, ‘Oh shit,’ I knew he was gone. But the guys on this team believe in me and when we came back on the field it was business as usual.”

Unfazed, the Giants offense returned to work at settling the game and quieting the crowd.

A first-down pass, good for 19 yards to Mark Ingram, put New York close to midfield. Breaking from tendencies, New York frequented the air as seven of the drive’s nine plays from scrimmage were passes, including all of the first downs [one via a pass interference penalty]. Covering 49 yards over 6:03, Bahr closed the gap on the scoreboard with a 46-yard field goal.

Ottis Anderson

Madden noted how, despite the 49ers defense adjusting by double-covering Meggett and forcing Hosteler to find other options, the overall flow of the game was unfolding as the Giants desired, “This is where the Giants are so tough. They just get the ball, even though the 49ers scored on one play, and methodically drive it down on you and take everything out of you.” Summerall added, “Bill Parcells said, ‘we like to make the game shorter.’”

San Francisco struggled to pick up where they had left off when they got the ball back. Montana opened the drive with a 10-yard completion to the heavily covered Rice on first down, but a false start penalty disrupted their rhythm. A short dump-off and ugly overthrew were sandwiched around a shared sack between Lawrence Taylor and Erik Howard. The 49ers punted the ball to Meggett who attempted to duplicate John Taylor’s heroics with an 18-yard return to the Giants 45-yard line.

Anderson seized the moment as well, as his 27-yard run around right end on third-and-one placed the Giants, yet again, inside the red zone at San Francisco’s 19-yard line. He had the opportunity to take the ball inside the 10-yard line but was dragged down by a desperate Lott who withstood a stiff-arm by Anderson.

The third quarter closed with the Niners ahead 13-9, but the Giant’s grinding attack was beginning to take its toll on San Francisco’s fatiguing defense. The gap in time of possession had widened to 30:31 for the Giants and 14:29 for the 49ers, who had the ball for only five plays in the quarter.

The Big Players and Big Moments

The decisive period commenced with New York again failing in the red zone. Two incomplete passes preceded an incomprehensible missed field goal by Bahr, who pushed the ball outside the left goal post from the right hash. “I rushed that one,” Bahr said, “The footing was good. I had no excuse for missing it.”

The demoralizing moment appeared to snowball. New York’s defense sagged as Montana connected on a first down pass for 14 yards to Rice, which Craig followed up with a seven-yard rush through right tackle. The respite of a false start penalty allowed the Giants defense to regroup. Lawrence Taylor forced a third-down incompletion with a hurried throw where he inadvertently kicked Montana in the knee as he lunged for the ball during its release.

Lawrence Taylor pressuring Joe Montana

Seemingly going tit-for-tat, on the second play of the Giants possession that followed the punt, Burt dove heavily into Hostetler’s knee as he followed through on a pass attempt. Hostetler left the game for the rest of the series, which ended quickly as backup quarterback Matt Cavanaugh was ineffective, throwing two ugly incompletions. As doctors, trainers, and coaches huddled about Hostetler on New York’s bench, their defense seethed.

Marshall said, “I’m not going to lie to you. That Burt hit motivated the hell out of me. I wanted to be a guy Jeff could count on. The guys were upset because Jimmy Burt used to be one of ours. When I say it was a dirty hit, it could have been one of the cleanest hits in football. We kind of took personal offense to it because Jimmy was one of our own. If it had been another guy on the team, maybe it would have been a different deal.”

Burt said, “I was just following through on the play. I wouldn’t want to hurt him. I was hoping he was OK. He’s tough. I always knew he was tough.”

Hostetler said, “Coach Parcells asked me how the knee felt, if I could go several times. Finally, I told him I was going. As long as it was stable, I was going back in. This was a huge game and I’ve waited a long time for the opportunity.”

The heat-of-the-moment outrage fired up the Giants defense, who took the field at the Niners 23-yard line at 10:50 after the exchange on the punt. San Francisco called time out before snapping the ball, as Montana did not like the look of New York’s defensive formation.

Madden articulated the importance of the series during the pause, “This is where the defense of the Giants really has to come through. They led the league in turnovers, and if ever you’re going to make something happen, if you’re ever gonna come up with a defensive play that’s gonna be a turnover, it’s a tackle, it’s a tip, a bounce, it’s something, the Giant defense may have to be the one to do it.”

A Craig run to the right for no gain and pass break up by Johnson on John Taylor set up third-and-10, and the transformational moment that significantly altered the course of both franchises for years to come.

Madden again anticipated an impending big moment upcoming before the snap, “Now this is a good situation to get that turnover, third-and-long. That’s usually when you get them. You usually get them on third-and-long when they have to force the ball down the field. Now Montana’s smart enough, he’s not gonna give you one. You might get one, but he’s not gonna give you an easy one. And if the defense doesn’t get it here, they have to stop them and hope to get a big punt return from Dave Meggett.”

One of Madden’s most well-known sayings was, “big players make big plays in big games.” It was at this point that the biggest names of both teams converged.

Under center in the standard Pro-T formation (the 49ers had long abandoned their desired three-receiver set after Montana had requested two backs for additional support against the Giants pass rush), Montana overlooked the Giants unique nickel formation. The three down linemen were shifted left with Lawrence Taylor on his opposite side over the tight end in a two-point stance, showing rush. Safety Greg Jackson momentarily occupied the spot of a fourth linebacker before dropping back, giving Montana different reads to consider.

Leonard Marshall dislodging the ball from Joe Montana

Off the snap, the Giants corners pressed Rice and John Taylor while Taylor and the linemen crashed the forming pocket. The remaining five defenders dropped into a layered zone coverage that blanketed the middle of the field. San Francisco’s guards and center formed a wall that stalemated the middle of the rush, but the ends were pierced by Lawrence Taylor and Leonard Marshall. Taylor was blocked one-on-one by tackle Steve Wallace; Marshall contended with a double-team by Bubba Paris and Tom Rathman. Initially cut by Paris then cracked-back by Rathman, Marshall’s motor never sputtered. Initially crawling, then gaining momentum once back on his feet, he relentlessly pursued Montana while Taylor deked his way around Wallace. Montana rolled to his right way from Marshall’s pressure, Taylor sprinted across Montana’s face as he pulled up to heave a pass downfield in Rice’s direction. During his windup, Montana was violently upended from behind by Marshall, face-first, into the turf, separated from the ball which floated toward the chaotic maelstrom still taking place at the line of scrimmage. Somehow the ball bounced through the awaiting hands of Collins and was recovered by Wallace. No one seemed to notice the conclusion of the play however, as all eyes were on the crumpled body of Montana, agonizingly writhing on the grass.

Leonard Marshall and Joe Montana

The broadcast team in the booth seemed as bewildered as the fans as the game came to a halt for over four minutes of real time. The tandem alternated between analyzing replays from different angles while speculating on Montana’s well being. Meanwhile support staff administered to Montana on the field.

Summerall: “Montana is still on his hands and knees.”
Madden: “I’ll tell you that is the one thing we know about Joe Montana, we know about his back, and he really took a shot in that back. Although he was rolling to his right it was still his back side.”
Summerall: “Montana with all kinds of time early.”
Madden: “It was good defense downfield, he had no one to throw to, they knocked him out of the rhythm. Then you see Taylor miss and right there is the hit, Leonard Marshall coming from the back side.”
Summerall: “Boy.”
Madden: “George Seifert I think, right now, is more concerned about his quarterback because that is a real shot. Joe Montana missed practice on Friday and Saturday with the flu so he’s a little weakened, but even if he hadn’t missed practice, you can’t take shots like that. He is still down.”
Summerall: “Usually he has that sense of when someone is coming from the other side. In this case, there’s no way he could have seen Marshall.”
Madden: “I think he was trying to get away from Taylor. Remember Lawrence Taylor was the first guy there, he was trying to avoid him. Then in doing so, Leonard Marshall got him from behind.”

Marshall said, “I was blocked. I’d been cut at my feet. I was crawling. Joe Montana rolled off to the right, telling Jerry Rice to keep running. As he pulled up, I dove, trying to strip the football… I heard him cringe, but it was a clean hit. I never go after people to hurt them.”

Leonard Marshall

Walls said, “You could hear the hit. It was scary.”

Once Montana was helped to the sideline, play resumed with San Francisco punting the ball to the Giants at 9:17. To the surprise of many, Hostetler was back under center for New York. Even more of a surprise was his second-down scramble through traffic for a gain of six yards. He deftly evaded would-tacklers on his way to the sideline, as if he never took that hit to the knee minutes earlier.

The scramble wasn’t good enough for a first down, however. After Anderson was stuffed for a one-yard loss on third-and-one, the Giants punt team took the field while the 49ers defense celebrated. Having already absorbed one devastating blow from Marshall on Montana, the next strike on San Francisco was delivered by Reasons.

Fake punts were not all that out of the ordinary for the Parcells’ coached Giants. One of the better known plays from Super Bowl XXI was the momentum-turning sneak by Jeff Rutledge, who shifted under center from a punt formation protector early in the third quarter. This initiated the decisive surge over the Denver Broncos. This time, there was no backup quarterback on the field and there was no shift tipping intentions. Reasons, calling signals as the protector in the punt formation, had the green light to call the fake any time he saw the opportunity.

He received the direct snap from center and barreled through a hole wide enough to accommodate a bulldozer. Chugging up field with the ball tucked under his arm and only return man John Taylor between him and the elusive goal line, Reasons was cut down short of pay dirt, but not before advancing 30 yards of precious real estate.

Gary Reasons running the ball on a fake punt

Reasons said of the call, “They were getting ready to get their wall going to Taylor, and I noticed an opening on the right. We had the play on all game, and I had the go-ahead to call it when I saw it,” and on attempting to elude Taylor downfield, “I was trying to set him up. I have no moves and he cut me down. I just didn’t want to fumble.”

Suddenly it was New York that was celebrating, as they found themselves within striking range and the lead with under seven minutes to play. If only they could conquer the confounding red zone.

New York’s hopes for a go-ahead touchdown were quickly extinguished by the Niners resolved defense. A short Anderson run, and two incompletions preceded Bahr’s 38-yard field goal to trim San Francisco’s lead to a single point at 5:47 of the final quarter.

Madden noted the elevation in tension of the decisive moments of not only the game, but of the season for one of the teams, “This is what you call fighting to get to a Super Bowl. Everyone is down there for every yard, the offense, the defense, the quarterback is fighting to get well. Knowing that at the end of this game the winner flies to Tampa, Florida. The losers, they forget ‘em.

“You can’t ask for a better championship game than this. You can’t think about the ‘what ifs’, you can’t think about the one that Bahr missed had he made it they’d be ahead now, you can’t think about Carthon doin’ that, you can’t think about Joe Montana… you have to think that ‘this is it’. There’s five minutes forty-seven seconds left to go… you’re one point down on one side or you’re one point up on the other side and you have five minutes and-a-half to do something about it.”

Marshall and the Giants defense picked up exactly where they left off, forcing a fumble. As Craig approached the line with a first-down handoff, the hard-hitting Marshall battered him full-force from the side, knocking the ball loose before the ball carrier’s knee touched the ground. As with Montana’s fumble, the 49ers maintained possession as Paris fell on the loose ball.

Watching the replay, Madden exclaimed while reviewing the tenacity of New York’s defenders who crashed toward Craig from all angles, “That’s real defense!”

The next play stunned the Giants and revived the crowd, which had been silent since Reasons’ fake. Eschewing the run, the 49ers went back to what they do best, moving the chains through the air. Provided with good protection, Young found Jones in the Cover-2 zone’s deep middle – behind the linebackers on the hash and in front of the safeties. The lightning-fast pickup advanced the ball 25 yards to the Niners own 49-yard line with the clock running under 4:30.

Seifert said, “I thought we had the game won, to be honest with you.”

“I even spiked the ball, because I pretty much thought it was over,” said Jones. “That’s what I was yelling and that’s what I felt. At the time, [the Giants] thought it was over too.”

Back-to-back rushes by Craig totaled 11 yards and a first down – the 49ers only rushing first down of the game – with just under three minutes to go.

Parcells paced the sidelines, choosing to retain New York’s three timeouts, as the Candlestick crowd stood and cheered the seemingly imminent trip to a third consecutive Super Bowl.

The next carry by Craig was his last as a 49er.

“Going into that series, the feeling was we’ve got to stop them and let our offense do something with the ball,” Pepper Johnson said. “Then, after [Young] completed that big play, all 11 guys started yelling, ‘Turnover, we need a turnover real bad.’”

The Giants countered the 49ers Pro T set on first down with five men on the line of scrimmage – three linemen plus Taylor and Banks up on the edges in two-point stances. The two inside linebackers were only two yards off the line, obviously prepared to plug any inside gaps. Both corners were in bump position on Rice and Taylor but had their eyes on the backfield anticipating run.

Off the snap, Young handed to Craig on an inside run, where there appeared to be a crease. The middle of the defense held stoutly for a moment, then Craig turned sideways and in the blink of an eye the ball squirted backward into the hands of a lunging Lawrence Taylor.

Lawrence Taylor recovers a fumble late in the 4th quarter

The play happened so quickly that Summerall’s normally timely call was a beat behind the action, “…and the Giants have the ball!” he exclaimed as Pepper Johnson had already signaled the change of possession amongst the group of jumping, fist-pumping, white-jerseyed defenders.

The game’s first turnover occurred during its 57th minute.

Craig said, “All I know is I hit the hole and the ball was gone. I guess someone’s helmet knocked it out. It’s hard to say what happened.”

Johnson said, “All day long he had been bobbling the ball.”

During the brief pause for the sides to change, slow-motion replay revealed the catalyst for the game’s dramatic shift. In the morass at the point-of-attack, Erik Howard fought off his block and knocked the ball out of Craig’s hand with his helmet. “Late in the game, this time of the last game, they went with the inside run,” Howard said. “We were in a ‘Stack D,’ I was over (center Jesse) Sapolu. They gave me a double-team, so I dropped down and split the seam. I can’t say I went specifically for the ball, I just went for his mid-section.”

Burt said, “Craig didn’t even get hit. He was fumbling before he got hit. On the series before, he almost fumbled because he was a little tight.”

Lott noted the auspiciousness of Lawrence Taylor, who was in the right place at the right time for the recovery, “Great players have a certain magnetism about them, and they make plays like that. That’s why he is considered the greatest [defensive] player of all time. It couldn’t happen to a better person.”

Erik Howard and Lawrence Taylor’s combined efforts put the ball in New York’s hands at their own 43-yard line with 2:36 to play and all three of their timeouts.

Hostetler made a remarkable play under pressure on first down. The fierce pass rush up the middle, almost immediately after the snap, barely allowed Hostetler to escape the grasp of two defenders, let alone set his feet and look downfield. Sprinting toward the right sideline and gesturing downfield with his left hand, he launched the ball as Burt dove at his legs. The deep pass found Bavaro, who found an open spot in front of a 49ers safety just inside the numbers, at San Francisco’s 41-yard line. Three tacklers eventually dragged him down at the 38-yard line for a gain of 19 yards, right on the precipice of field goal range as the clock ran to the two-minute warning.

Hostetler said, “The pass to Bavaro was supposed to be a drop-back pass. But when the rush got heavy, I moved to the right and the flow went with me. Mark made a great move against the grain to get open.”

A potentially disastrous four-yard loss on an Anderson run was quickly rectified by a 13-yard sideline catch by Stephen Baker, who emphatically planted both feet in bounds.

Stephen said, “When they called the play, I said, ‘You know what, this is it. This is gonna be the best route I run in my life. This is what I worked all my life for, this one moment right here to get our team to the Super Bowl. I ran that route so hard…It was a ten-yard out and then I bursted up field for 18 yards, acting like I’m running deep and then stop on a dime, and Hostetler’s rolling outside to my side fires it in there for the sticks.”

The Giants took their first timeout at 1:10 to contemplate the best option for the critical third-and-one.

Despite being stymied by San Francisco’s stout front – Andersons’ fourth quarter rushing totals to this point were four carries netting zero yards – New York’s staff did not waiver in their confidence. Erhardt said, “We let Ottis take it and hit it up in there, we felt we could always make a yard. We had that mentality.”

The 49ers lined up in a 4-4 front with a Lott cheating up to linebacker depth creating a nine-man box, while the Giants had only seven men – the five interior linemen plus two tight ends – for interference. The two wideouts split left and their respective corners would be uninvolved in the upcoming pivotal scrum.

Should San Francisco hold the line here, New York would be faced with either a field goal attempt of no less than least 46-yards, the edge of Bahr’s range on grass, or going for a fourth-down conversion. With approximately one minute on the clock after the upcoming play, and the Giants having only two timeouts at their disposal, the game and the trip to the Super Bowl would almost certainly belong to the 49ers if the Giants failed to convert.

All nine San Francisco defenders in the front stormed the line of scrimmage at the snap. New York’s out-manned line forged enough of a crease between left guard William Roberts and left tackle Jumbo Elliott for Anderson to slip between them and use his powerful leg drive to fight through the first tackler and lunge beyond the sticks to the 27-yard line for the first down. He landed on the turf with three defenders piled on top of him.

The two-yard gain may not look all that impressive on paper, but it may have been the most significant carry of Anderson’s career.

There was a brief stoppage at 0:51 that caused confusion over timeouts, which referee Jerry Markbreit ultimately ruled an officials’ timeout to spot the ball. Both teams were content to allow the clock to run – the 49ers, hoping to minimize the number of plays they needed to defend; the Giants, wanting to end the game with the ball in their hands.

To that end, the Giants took their wide receivers off of the field and presented a three tight end, goal-line formation with Anderson as the only player in the backfield. San Francisco came to the line with a 10-man front and again, Lott cheating toward the line of scrimmage creating an 11-man box. The closing moment of the NFC’s championship, and the right to participate in the biggest stage of modern professional sports, had taken on the look and feel of early 1920’s football where all 22 men would engage in hand-to-hand combat over the line of scrimmage. Leather helmets and a bloated rugby-style ball would have been all too appropriate.

The first-down rush by Anderson, behind right guard Bob Kratch this time, again saw him evade the gap-shooting Lott and power for two yards after contact. For good measure, Anderson absorbed a blow from behind by his own diving teammate, tackle Doug Reisenberg.

The Giants took their second timeout at 0:12 with the ball on the 25-yard line. The next play, again, was contested as if on the goal line. Every precious inch of field was being bitterly fought over. The play was the simplest, most basic call in any team’s playbook, the quarterback sneak. Hostetler dove off the left shoulder of Oates into the foray for a meager, yet not so insignificant, gain of a single yard.

New York stopped the clock at 0:04 with their final timeout to allow the field goal unit time to set up, after which San Francisco called the obligatory timeout to “ice the kicker.”

Once the ball was set at the 24-yard line, just a hair to the left from dead center of the goal posts, and the play clock activated, the teams came to the line of scrimmage. The 49ers aligned strong to the left of the Giants formation, seven of their defenders bunched tightly, with the other four widely spaced to the right. The overload was a decoy, designed to pull New York’s blockers over and allow the end man on the far right a lane to sprint toward the flight of the ball.

Matt Bahr

The brilliant tactical concept nearly succeeded. As Hosteler flawlessly received the snap from center and placed the ball and Bahr approached with his leg cocked – the lone 49er flashed unimpeded from his end position through a wide gap in the protection, just as it had been drawn up. However, Bahr’s kick proved to be perfectly imperfect. He pulled the ball ever so slightly left, getting it just beyond the extended fingertips of the leaping Spencer Tillman, and its flight straightened out just enough to pass inside the left upright as the clock reached 0:00.

Tillman said, “I just tried to get to it. IU didn’t come from the outside, my normal alignment. I went right behind the line of scrimmage and tried to dive over about three or four guys. I almost got it.”

Jubilant Giants jumped off the sideline and mobbed their kicker, while dejected fans and 49ers trudged off the field, their dream of a three-peat having been vanquished by inches and seconds.

The Analysis

At first glance, what the Giants had just accomplished seemed utterly remarkable.

Consider: New York dethroned the two-time defending Super Bowl champions without reaching the end zone. In fact, over the course of the two games the teams played that season, New York crossed San Francisco’s 30-yard line nine separate times and never scored a single touchdown, managing only six field goals. The other three possessions ended with a failed 4th-down attempt, a sack as time expired, and a missed field goal.

Giants celebrate Matt Bahr’s game-winning field goal

How they pulled off that feat was more-or-less winning the battle of attrition – the Giants totaled 68 plays from scrimmage to the Niners 41. Looking at those plays reveals much about the two teams. New York’s offense was balanced: 36 rushes vs 32 passes. San Francisco’s was heavily skewed: 30 passes vs 11 rushes – even though they played with the lead almost the entire second half. Underscoring their ground game’s absence, Reasons 30-yard fake punt run equaled the combined output of Craig and Rathman on nine total rushes.

Wallace said, “By us not running the ball, [the Giants] could lay their ears back and use their talent. It was guys having the freedom to rush and not worry about the run.”

This disparity points to the game’s most telling statistic, time of possession. The Giants had the ball almost two-thirds of the game: 38:59 to 21:01. (This ball control philosophy would be taken to its zenith a week later against the Bills in the Super Bowl.)

“I’ll tell you how we did it,” said Parcells. “We did it by not turning the ball over. We set a record for fewest turnovers in a 16-game season. We don’t make it easy for people. Yeah, I know, we’ve been called a conservative team, but you’ll notice this conservative team is still playing.”

The Giants feat was also historic. They were just the second team to advance to the Super Bowl without scoring a touchdown, after the Rams defeated Tampa Bay 9-0 in 1979 on three field goals. They were also only the second NFC team in 11 years to win the conference title as the visitor, the 49ers being the only other team to do so when they took down Chicago at Soldier Field in 1988.

Parcells told the press, “Any time you accomplished what we did, when you win on the road against this organization, you have to feel great. I feel great.”

Myron Guyton, Pepper Johnson and William Roberts celebrate

Niners linebacker Mike Walter said, “You think because you keep a team out of the end zone, you’re going to be OK. But it wasn’t enough today. We needed to have a three-downs-and-out with a punt, and we didn’t do that today. We needed to get our offense back on their filed. We didn’t do that.”

Although San Francisco had boasted a seven-game, playoff-winning streak entering the contest, the streak bracketing that run of success was ugly. This was the third consecutive post-season loss for San Francisco to end without Montana on the field. The 1986 Divisional Playoff saw Montana leaving the game in the second quarter with a concussion, and in the 1987 Divisional Playoff loss to Minnesota, Montana was benched at halftime in favor of Young.

Plaudits abounded for another stellar Giants defensive performance against the 49ers offense. Many cited the pressure generated by the pass rush and the effect it had on San Francisco’s timing.

Johnson said, “We wanted to hit [Montana]. We knew he’d get rid of the ball fast, but we wanted to shake the guy up and I think we did.”

Lawrence Taylor said, “I could tell Joe was getting frustrated. Any time you hit a guy like that and put pressure on him and not let him do the things he’s used to doing, you’ve done a good job.”

Parcells said, “We were able to hit Montana a few times early in the game, very hard. That was a big factor in the game. We hit their guy, they hit ours, both went down. That’s championship football.”

Wallace said, “When you have the talent they do and rush the passer on almost every down, they’re going to do some damage. We never did get the old running game established. It eventually hurt us. If you never get it going, eventually it will come back to haunt you.”

Seifert said, “The Giants did a great job of pass rushing, of mixing up their blitzes and four-man rushes. Obviously, that was a problem during the course of the game. There’s no question about that… They were relentless in what they did.”

Holmgren mentioned the 49ers early shift in approach to deal with New York’s rush, “They were blitzing us a little bit more than in the past, so Joe felt more comfortable with two backs in the game. It did take us out of our game plan a little bit [featuring 3-WR sets].”

Collins discussed covering Rice most of the game, who was limited to 5 catches for 54 yards, “I played a lot of mind games with him. I never said anything to him. I just stared him in the eyes.”

The Aftermath

Immediately after the game, there was much discussion of the biggest and most controversial plays that had taken place. Remarkably, all had been compressed within the final 10 minutes of playing time.

The most talked about were the two hits on the opposing teams’ quarterbacks.

Burt said of his hit on Hostetler’s knee that riled up the Giants, “Bart [Oates] was blocking me on that play. He lunged forward a little bit. When he lunged forward, I got around him. He missed the block and I think the guard was fanning out. When Eric Moore came to fan back out, he was late. I knew he was going to come back and cut me. I stayed low. I had to get myself down low, otherwise he’d take out my knees. So, I came in almost like a submarine because Bart was going to cut my legs. He had to do that or grab me. These guards were going to do the same. They tried to cut me the series before that, so I knew I had to stay low once I got past them. So, I came in low, and I hit Hostetler low. I had to protect myself. They made a big deal about it.”

Oates took his share of responsibility, “[Burt] got around the edge and I ended up pushing him into Jeff where it hurt Jeff’s knee. That was my fault, it wasn’t Jim’s fault. He got blamed for it – people thought it was a cheap shot. But he got my edge, and I was trying to do what I could, and I pushed him. I wound up pushing him right into Jeff’s knee.”

Hostetler held no grudges, “I don’t know if it was a cheap shot. I know him. I don’t think he was trying to hurt me. After the game he said, ‘Good job.’”

No one accused Marshall of laying a dirty hit on Montana, but that was clearly the most violent of all the impacts delivered that day.

Marshall recounted the sequence of events, “I slipped past Bubba (Paris), got cut, got up and had a chance to hit Montana. I wasn’t trying to put him out of the game or end his career…I could have easily stayed down after I was blocked. But this is big-time football, and big-time players make those plays.”

Rathman said, “[Marshall] was kind of stumbling, then I pushed him, and he went down. I laid on him for a second, then I got up and he started to chase. Great effort on his part… The Giants played great defense.”

Paris said, “I thought [Montana] would get rid of it. I didn’t even think of [Marshall].”

Montana was able to make his way to the post-game podium after the contest to speak to the press, “I still don’t know what happened. I don’t want to sound like a coach, but I have to look at the video. I don’t think it was the initial hit; I think it was the ground. I’m still having a tough time breathing deeply. Even if we had won, I wouldn’t have been able to play next week. The doctors will know more when they see the X-rays tomorrow.”

While not as controversial as a hit on a quarterback, there was a behind-the-scenes story that went mostly unnoticed on Reasons’ momentum-seizing fake punt. San Francisco only had 10 players on the field.

Niner’s special teams coach Lynn Stiles explained, “[Romanowski] got hurt on the previous play. I’m in the process of getting a guy on the field and they snapped the ball. It could have been an automatic. They came right off the field and lined up and our defense was coming off the field. Bill doesn’t normally come out because he’s on the punt team. The trainer came to me and said Bill was out. I turned to one of our players to get him in and he didn’t respond quickly enough, and they snapped it.”

Tillman said, “We were not anticipating the fake. It was a great call. They are a very conservative ball club. You have to realize their tendencies. We didn’t expect that they would gamble. We thought that they would punt the ball and let their defense work for them.”

“Well, we should’ve expected that too,” Walter said. “A couple of years ago [in the 1986 Divisional Playoff] I remember they lined up against us in field goal formation. Then they spread out and completed a pass to Mark Bavaro. What was kind of unnerving this time was watching a big linebacker run down the field pointing to where he was going.”

Siefert additionally cited the exuberance of the previous play, “You get in that situation, and you’re euphoric because you stopped them [on 3rd down]. I think that’s what happened.”

Lott appreciated the boldness of the call, “When you play a team like this, you can’t make a mistake. You’ve got to play heads-up, solid football. They capitalized. I said before the game that Coach Parcells is one guy who’s gonna roll the dice. You have to have guts and character to pull a fake. It takes more than understanding Xs and Os to win a championship. It takes guys that are willing to take chances.”

Reasons understood the significance of the moment, “I consider that the same as a turnover. We were about to give the ball to them; we kept it and we scored.”

Often unheralded, a kicker stepped into the spotlight with his tremendous contribution under pressure. Teammates and coaches lauded Bahr with praise after the game.

Hostetler relished the anticipation during the game-winning FG drive, “Everybody knew it was right out there on our fingertips. (The huddle) was intense, and everybody was focused. You could tell. It’s a look, it’s a feeling. You can sense it.”

Lawrence Taylor described the huddle before the kick, “I told the guys we have played 18 weeks and had come a long way. Blood, sweat, tears, everything. This is what we came here for – to win. To go to the Super Bowl. It was up to everyone to make sure he made his block.”

Lawrence Taylor

Bahr discussed trying to keep things simple, “I told myself to just take a good swing at it and hope for the best. The wind was swirling here, but I’ll tell you what, it was nowhere swirling as much as it usually does. Once it’s away, there’s nothing you can do. When I first hit the ball, it started drifting left, but I hit it cleanly. I had to wait until the ball got through the uprights until I knew it was good. It did seem to take a while, like an accident when everything seems to go in slow motion.”

Many of the Giants on the sidelines couldn’t watch the deciding play. Johnson said, “We knew it was good when the crowd stopped cheering. All of a sudden, we started hearing chairs folding up. That’s how quiet it was.”

Parcells, who normally was reluctant to extol praise, said, “It was the kick of his life, and that’s why I gave him the game ball.”

Johnson was giddy enough to joke with his kicker in the locker room, “I was telling Matt that he set this whole thing up by missing the first kick, just to make himself look good at the end, when it counted most.”

For the 49ers, there was little left but to lament the lost opportunity to make history.

Jones said, “We came close to doing something that nobody had ever done before. That is something to be proud of. I felt very strongly that we were going to win the Super Bowl this year, but we let it slip away.”

Meanwhile, members of the Giants took personal satisfaction in being the team to stop them.

Erhardt said of the 49ers drive to “three-peat,” “That was starting to get on my nerves. Now, we don’t have to hear it anymore.”

Howard said, “It was our obligation to prevent them from making history. Let some other team set the record, just don’t let the 49ers do it.”

Marshall said, “We left our heart out here last time. We knew we’d be back to recapture it.”

New York danced out of Candlestick Park champions of the NFC with a 15-13 victory and went on to win their second Super Bowl in four years. That game was no less dramatic, only this time it was the Giants desperately attempting to stave off the comeback attempt. Fortunately for New York, Buffalo’s kicker Scott Norwood sent the ball “wide right” of the mark. The debate over which game was more thrilling continues over 30 years later.

But the significance of the NFC Championship reverberated through the decade of the 90s.

Montana never stepped on the playing field in the post-season in a 49er uniform again. He spent the entire 1991 season and all but the final 30 minutes of the 1992 season on injured reserve or the bench as Young was entrenched in the starting quarterback role. Montana then spent the final two seasons of his career with Kansas City.

Two other San Francisco legends also saw their fates change this day. Lott and Craig both headed south to Los Angeles to play for the Raiders in 1991. Craig lasted one season there before spending two seasons as a part-time player in Minnesota. Lott still had a lot in the tank. He was an All Pro his first year in silver and black and remained a full-time starter three more seasons, one with the Raiders and two with the Jets.

The biggest changes for the Giants took place on the sidelines. The masterminds of the 1990 post-season run were both gone before training camp the following summer. Belichick accepted the head coaching job in Cleveland ten days after Super Bowl XXV and Parcells abandoned his post on the sidelines in the middle of May for NBC’s broadcasting booth, citing health concerns.

Those changes went unnoticed for one night at least. Opening the season on Monday Night Football, New York and San Francisco did their absolute best to reenact the previous season’s championship game. The Giants gritty defense held the 49ers in check long enough for Jeff Hostetler to lead another desperation drive to a game-winning Bahr field goal. The final score of 16-14 was poetically similar.

From there, however, both teams’ fortunes sank. The Giants flubbed their way to an 8-8 disappointment . While San Francisco’s 10-6 record was respectable enough, they were on the outside looking in when the playoffs came around.

Regardless of what followed, for most of those who participated in or witnessed that championship game, the memories are vivid and unblemished.

Former NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle said, “[The game] was one of the top half-dozen championship games I’ve witnessed.”

Dolphins Coach Don Shula said, “It was great to watch. As dramatic as could be. Purists couldn’t find one better. There was only one touchdown because the defenses were so excellent. I was moved by Jeff Hostetler’s determination and courage, coming back after being hurt to lead the drive to the winning field goal. Matt Bahr’s pressure kick made for one of the best endings ever.”

Former Cowboys Coach Tom Landry said, “It was refreshing to see a close game in the playoffs, but injuries played a crucial part. Joe Montana was hurt so bad he couldn’t get back into action, but when Jeff Hostetler returned, he gave the Giants a big psychological lift at a critical time. The Giants deserve credit. They hung tough until they got the break they needed, the fumble. They deserved to win.”

Oates, who like former teammate Burt finished his career in San Francisco, gleefully remembered, “I was treated pretty good [with the 49ers] because any time they started busting my chops I’d say, ‘do you remember a game back in January of ’91?’. It was the ’94 season but it was amazing, four or five years later, it stung like it happened a month ago. They had their struggles with the Cowboys but that one just killed them.”

Lott said, “It’s by far the toughest loss I’ve ever had.”

Parcells recalled years later, “That’s probably the greatest game I ever coached in. There were a lot of great players in that game. Some on our side and certainly quite a number on San Francisco. I think everyone who played in that game realized that was a very special game. It certainly was for me… Jerry Markbreit was the referee of that game. He told me years later that he was the head referee for [437] games. He told me that was the greatest game he ever officiated.”

**********************************************************************************

Sources:

“1991 Giants Media Guide”
Ed Croke, 1991, New York Football Giants, Inc.

“1991 Giants Official World Championship Yearbook”
Laura Thorpe, 1991, Woodford Publishing

“The Most Memorable Games In Giants History”
Jim Baker & Bernard M. Corbett, 2010, Bloomsbury

“Super Bowl Monday”
Adam Lazarus, 2011, Taylor Trade Publishing

“Sports Illustrated”
Paul Zimmerman, Rick Riley, 1/28/1991, The Time Inc. Magazine Co.

Historical New York Times and Washington Post searchable archives (via ProQuest)

Historical New York Daily News, Newsday, Bergen Record, The Reporter Dispatch, Oakland Tribune, San Francisco Examiner, Santa Cruz Sentinel and Santa Rosa Press Democrat searchable archives (via Newspapers.com)

Pro Football Reference
New York Giants Franchise Encyclopedia (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyg/)

Jan 252017
 

New York Giants Defense (January 11, 1987)

Ghosts come in a variety of forms. By the early 1980’s, the New York Football Giants had been haunted by a cavalcade of specters for over two decades. They were known as Frank Gifford, Sam Huff and Charlie Conerly – echoes from the glorious Golden Age – memories of what-they’d-been.

The gloomy reminders of what-they’d-become appeared in the forms of Rocky Thompson, Craig Morton and Joe Pisarcik. Those apparitions periodically manifested themselves in the cruelest forms: deflected passes landing in the arms of opposing defensive linemen who return them for touchdowns and whiffed punts.

The most haunting, of course, were the personal ones. The memories of those who were lost before their time: Troy Archer, Bob Ledbetter and Doug Kotar.

The weight of these ghostly, yet at the same time all-too-tangible, phantoms had become unbearable. The 1986 New York Giants were a team in need of an exorcism.

Veteran defensive end George Martin, who joined the Giants in 1975, said, “I attempt to have a conversation every day with at least one of my teammates about the past. We were the laughingstock of the National Football League. I tell them what it’s like to be so low you have to look up to see the bottom, that the fans are burning tickets and you’re embarrassed to wear a Giants emblem anywhere. You’re trying to get through the season so you can go home and watch the playoffs on TV. That’s really a bad situation. I tell them sometimes how grateful they should be that it’s all turned around. And I want them to know that success is a fleeting thing, and that you’ve got to grab it while you can.”

The present hadn’t offered any relief. Only weeks after the playoff loss at Chicago, linebacker Lawrence Taylor was rumored to be seeking professional help for a substance problem. Team officials would neither confirm, nor deny, suggestions on Taylor’s whereabouts. When pressed on the issue in mid-February, General Manager George Young said, “I’ve got nothing to say. I don’t know where our players are most of the time.”

The response to a month of queries was received in March when Taylor acknowledged participation in an unspecified treatment program via a statement through the Giants. In it, Taylor stated: “I have just completed the first phase of what I know will be a difficult and ongoing battle to overcome these problems.”

What the “problems” were continued to be a source of speculation. Anonymous quotes mentioned alcohol and cocaine abuse, and that the treatment facility may have been in the proximity of Houston, Texas. Head Coach Bill Parcells did not partake in the guessing games, “I think the statement tells the story. I think he’s entitled to confidentiality.”

Taylor also initiated what would become a nearly year-long boycott of the press, which Parcells fully supported.

Unconventional

Parcells did obliquely broach the subject when discussing prospects for the draft in late April. It was reported that 53 of the 335 players who had participated in the Combine had tested positive for illegal drugs. Parcells said, “I would probably prefer not to draft any of them, but I wouldn’t have a concrete policy. I’m not interested in being consistent, but in being right…I think we’re more conscious of the drug problem than we were five years ago. We have tried to become better educated.”

General Manager George Young’s draft strategy stunned all observers. The defense rich team appeared to have pressing needs at wide receiver, running back and offensive line depth. Instead, Young selected defensive players with the team’s first six selections, five of which were in the first two rounds, having accumulated extra picks acquired in off season trades. Young said, “I’m not a trader, I don’t like to trade. But these situations developed.”

The first of those “situations” was offensive tackle Gary Zimmerman, whose rights the Giants owned after the USFL folded. Zimmerman had no reservations about playing for the Giants specifically, but he had no interest in living in a large, northeastern metropolis, and preferred to remain in the West. To that end, Young sent Zimmerman to Minnesota for two second-round picks. “I wasn’t trying to unload Zimmerman, but we had been talking to the Vikings for quite some time. They needed an offensive tackle. I finally told the Vikings there was no way I’d make the deal without getting two-second round choices. And they came up with the second choice for us.

The second “situation” had simmered since the 1985 season during a prolonged holdout by All-Pro cornerback Mark Haynes. Young said, “We worked long and hard on the Haynes deal. The Broncos were the team that always showed an interest. They didn’t have a first round choice, so we couldn’t make it that way, but we finally put it together with the three choices – two this year, one next year.” (Second and sixth round picks in 1986, second round pick in 1987).

“I know we took defensive players with all those picks, but we were just taking the best player there at the time. We were concerned about the order in which we took those players. We thought some of those players were being considered by other teams. But we got the four players in the second round we hoped to get.

“For example, we knew we had to take Collins before Howard because Washington picked in the middle of our first two picks and they had just taken a defensive lineman. If we took Howard first, Washington would have taken Collins, and we knew Washington was talking to another team to try to trade up.”

The coup turned out to be: Eric Dorsey, defensive end in the first round; Mark Collins, cornerback, Erik Howard, defensive tackle, Thomas “Pepper” Johnson, linebacker, and Greg Lasker, safety all in the second round, and John Washington, defensive end in the third round.

Young said, “We were fortunate for the Zimmerman and Haynes trades because we thought we could get good players in the second round. I think we wiped out the second round defensively. Someone on the Bears said, ‘We waited at the bottom of the second round for what you didn’t want, and you took them all.’”

Parcells said, “You’ve got to feel good now. I think the strength of the draft was where we got extra choices. We took three defensive linemen, and there weren’t many. If you don’t have a solid defense, it affects your offense. Look at the Chicago Bears. In the playoffs they’re ahead of us, 14-0, and it’s all over. With their defense, you can’t get them. They go in there and run handoffs to Walter Payton.”

Preparation and Distraction

Days before the opening of training camp, former Giant fan favorite Carl “Spider” Lockhart passed away at the age of 43 after a prolonged bout with cancer. Lockhart was a hard-hitting safety with good ball instincts. He played in two Pro Bowls and was a seen as a bright spot on teams that achieved little success, having his 11-year career take place during the Giants “Wilderness Years.” The Giants wore a patch with his #43 and nickname “Spider” on it beginning in the regular season. It would be the first time New York honored a former player in that manner.

Camp opened with seven of the fourteen draftees absent as their contracts were still being negotiated, but not many seemed to notice. The most discussed absentee was 1985 rushing leader Joe Morris who wanted a new contract. The holdout turned out to be a unique one, where Morris came into camp on the third day, but on a limited, non-contact basis. Coach Bill Parcells said, “He kind of asked me if he could do that, and I kind of thought it would be better if he was here…We came to an agreement on what he does.”

The one player present who drew the most critical eye was Lawrence Taylor. How did he look and how would he perform after rehabilitating for substance abuse? When asked, linebacker Harry Carson replied, “No comment.” Bill Parcells said, “There is no update. This is not the 6 o’clock news.”

Despite the hold up and holdouts, optimism was as high as anyone around the team could recall. Quarterback Phil Simms said, “Everywhere I go, people tell me how great we’re going to do. If it’s anything less, they’re going to be disappointed…It’s just speculation. Once the season starts, it all goes out the window.”

Carson said, “Last year was last year. You can’t just take up where you left off. You have to start over. You have to make improvements in camp…I think we have as good a shot as any other team. But a lot of other teams feel that way about themselves too.”

Parcells echoed that sentiment, “I don’t really know. Every year is a new year. You don’t know the kind of attitude your team is going to have. You don’t know who’s going to get hurt. That’s why preseason predictions are ludicrous.”

Parcells had proved to possess a masterful touch as he lifted his dispirited team immediately following their playoff loss in Chicago. Wide receiver Phil McConkey recalled: “Our [1986] season actually started in that locker room in Chicago in January. Coach Parcells told us after our defeat he would do anything and everything he could to get us to the next level. He expected us to, too. He told us George Martin and Harry Carson didn’t deserve what had happened. He said George and Harry deserved to be champions. He had us aiming at Super Bowl XXI before they even played Super Bowl XX.”

The 1986 season was the 30th anniversary of the Football Giants most recent championship. Hall-of-Famers Frank Gifford, Andy Robustelli, Sam Huff, their head coach Jim Lee Howell and about a dozen other players from that team gathered for a reunion to celebrate the occasion. Their quarterback Charlie Conerly succinctly summarized the significance, “Winning the World Championship. That was the whole thing.”

Winning the championship. It was what the Giants strove for and what their fans yearned for. It was also the one and only way to silence the ghosts.

Heading into the final preseason game, most of the unsigned rookies had their deals done and were fully participating in practices, but the Morris situation remained unresolved. Regardless, Morris would play in the game, and despite not having been in a full-contact session all summer, he played well enough, gaining 53 yards on 11 carries with a short touchdown run.

The day after the game, New York learned of the passing of another former player. John Tuggle, who played fullback for the Giants in 1983, passed away after a two-year battle with cancer. He learned of his ailment after a knee injury he suffered during the 1984 mini-camp required surgery. After undergoing treatments, Tuggle was cleared to play football for the 1985 season and participated in the mini-camp, but was unable to continue and left the team. The Giants continued to pay his salary until his contract expired after the conclusion of the 1985 season. The Giants wore Tuggle’s #38 on the back of their helmets beginning in Week 5.

The final cuts brought surprises. Veteran receiver and returner Phil McConkey was released, and kicker Ali Haji-Sheikh was placed on injured reserve. Eric Schubert had already been let go, so New York had no kicker on its roster less than a week before opening day. Veteran Bob Thomas was eventually signed and made the trip to Dallas for the Week 1 Monday Night Football Game. So did the six defensive draft picks. Defensive coordinator Bill Belichick said, “They all have the potential to be good, when they start making giant strides instead of short steps.”

Big Blue Roller Coaster

The Giants received a boost when Morris, who had traveled with the team but wasn’t going to dress for the game without a new contract, signed a deal less than three hours before kickoff. The momentum didn’t last long once the game started, as the Cowboys opened a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. Repeating a familiar pattern, the Giants fought back, tied the game, had the lead entering the fourth quarter, but again lost late to their division rivals, 31-28

Texas Stadium was a house of horrors for the Giants. Since the Cowboys moved into the building in 1971, New York’s record there was 3-12. Most surprising was the failure of the defense, which was supposed to be New York’s pillar of strength, that yielded 14 fourth-quarter points, including the decisive score during the Dallas two-minute drive. There were no freak plays attributed to the offense or special teams as in years past. The defense was simply beaten at the point-of-attack.

Defensive line coach Lamar Leachman said, “That was probably the poorest effort by the front three in my seven years here.”

Parcells said, “We didn’t play good against the run. I wasn’t pleased. We should be good. I don’t think anybody on defense played real well.”

Kicker Bob Thomas reported a sprained right ankle after the game. When it was determined he would be unavailable for the home opener against San Diego, Thomas was placed on injured reserve and replaced by Joe Cooper.

The defense rebounded against the explosive, Dan Fouts-led Chargers, who were coming off a 50-28 win at Miami, in a way that would have made Sam Huff and other Giants defensive legends envious. Fouts was 19-of-43, an uncharacteristically low 43% completion percentage, for 224 yards – a poor 5.2 yards-per-pass attempt with one touchdown against five interceptions. While Fouts was only sacked once, he was pressured on nearly every drop-back. New York had seven takeaways, the most in a single game since the Giants registered 10 against Washington in 1963. All six San Diego possessions in the second half ended with turnovers, and the Giants won 20-7. Fouts said, “It seemed wherever I wanted to throw the ball, the Giants were already there. I don’t think I was tipping anything off. I think they just have did a lot of homework and have a great defense.”

Nose tackle Jim Burt said, “We did a lot of soul searching all week. It was the toughest week of my life. We got knocked to our knees emotionally last week. The defense was supposed to be the backbone of this team and we were the weak link.”

Belichick said, “We took away their outside running game and their short passes. When Fouts tried to go deep, that’s when we got interceptions.”

Leonard Marshall (70), Harry Carson (53), New York Giants (September 21, 1986)

Another NFL star was stymied by Belichick’s unit in the Week 3 contest in Los Angeles against the Raiders. Halfback Marcus Allen brought a league record 11-game streak with at least 100 rushing yards into the game, but left in the third quarter, having gained only 40 yards on 15 carries. Meanwhile, Morris enjoyed his first 100-yard game of the season for New York with 111 yards on 18 carries. Simms threw two, second half touchdown passes and the Giants earned a gritty 14-9 win.

Raiders coach Tom Flores said, “I don’t remember a defense playing us that physical. We had trouble making our reliable plays work, the ones that always do. I’ve got to feel that’s the best defense we’ll face all season.”

Four days later, Cooper was released and Raul Allegre was signed. Since Week 1 of the 1985 season, the Giants had played 21 games, including the post season. Allegre was their sixth place kicker in that span as they headed into their 22nd game. The revolving door began in the second week of 1985 when Ali Haji-Sheikh aggravated a hamstring injury during the game at Green Bay. Jess Atkinson served as his replacement for six weeks, but the Giants lost him in a waiver-claim move while shuffling their roster. Eric Schubert finished out the year but was released during the 1986 training camp and Haji-Sheikh went to injured reserve.

The Week 4 game at home against New Orleans began like a nightmare. The mistake-prone offense turned the ball over twice and the defense let the Saints into the end zone both times. Midway through the second quarter New York trailed 17-0 and Giants Stadium echoed with boos.

More alarming than the team’s wretched performance was the accumulation of injured players on the sideline. Wide Receiver Lionel Manuel suffered badly sprained knee ligaments, an injury that would keep him out the remainder of the regular season. Tight end Mark Bavaro suffered what was believed to be a broken jaw, but remarkably returned in the second half after having it wired shut. (X-Rays later revealed the injury to be a chipped tooth). Joe Morris was already out, not dressing for the game after suffering an allergic reaction to medication he had been taking for the fractured nose he suffered against the Raiders.

The injury that got everyone’s attention came early in the third quarter. Trailing 17-10, cornerback Mark Collins nearly had his skull fractured when he lost his helmet returning a punt and suffered a concussion. He lost consciousness on the bench while being tended to by doctors.

Jim Burt said, “They had him wrapped up and somebody took a shot.”

Parcells said, “When a guy loses his helmet eight guys shouldn’t pile up on him.”

Harry Carson said, “I think the guy who hit him, hit him on purpose. So I got rededicated to play harder, and so did the others. It was like something went through us. I know when something like that happens you want someone to know you care about him. You realize just how fragile a person is. I had tears in my eyes.

The Giants responded immediately with an 11-play drive for a field goal to reduce the deficit to 17-13. The aroused Carson and New York defense forced three consecutive three-and-outs, while the offense maintained the field position advantage.

That suddenly changed early in the fourth quarter when a Simms pass intended for Bavaro was tipped and intercepted at midfield. The Saints drove to New York’s 26 yard line, where safety Kenny Hill forced running back Reuben Mayes to fumble, and defensive end Leonard Marshall recovered for the Giants. Simms promptly drove the offense 72 yards – including a drive-starting 18-yard scramble – and connected with tight end Zeke Mowatt for the touchdown to give New York its first lead, 20-17, with 8:03 to play. The defense forced another Saints three-and-out and the Giants offense ground out the remaining 7:16 with a 14-play drive to ensure the victory. Burt said, “That was especially gratifying. We didn’t have to go back on the field.”

The comeback was somewhat remarkable in that it was a feat the Giants were not known for. The 17-point deficit was the largest overcome by New York since a 19-point comeback against the Redskins in 1970. Parcells was encouraged, “It tells me we think we’re supposed to win.”

New York Giants Comebacks

Over the 15 seasons between the two landmark comebacks, the Giants trailed entering the fourth quarter 119 times and lost 108 of them – a 92% losing percentage. Conversely, they led 101 times entering the fourth quarter and lost 23 times – a losing percentage of 23%. Simply put, the Giants could be counted on to lose nine of every 10 games they trailed in the last 15 minutes, while also blowing nearly one of every four fourth-quarter leads. They were not good finishers.

The week following the win saw recognition and praise for Bavaro, whose toughness was already approaching legendary status. Simms said, “The best thing Mark does for us is he runs with the ball after he catches it.”

That usually meant leaving a trail of failed tacklers behind him. Offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt said, “The guy is just determined to play the position as good as he can. He has great determination, great self-motivation…Out near the sideline, those defensive backs can push him out of bounds. He’s better in the middle of the field. He gets extra yardage there because it takes more than a push to stop him.”

Tight ends coach Mike Pope said, “If they hit (Bavaro) high, he’s got the strength to keep going.”

George Martin said, “In a quiet way, Mark Bavaro is as good a tight end as Lawrence Taylor is linebacker. He just isn’t as dramatic or spectacular.”

The most glowing praise came from out of town. Chicago Bears coach and former tight end Mike Ditka said, “(Bavaro) plays the position the way it’s meant to be played. Playing tight end is not just catching seventy or eighty passes, but playing in the trenches and always being in the play. And that’s what he does. He’s the only true tight end in football. He blocks. He catches. He punishes.”

One man was chosen to fill two needs after the injury carnage, and he had been cut by New York only four weeks earlier.

Phil McConkey had received very little playing time with Green Bay and was expendable. For the Giants, he’d be invaluable as both a receiver and returner, as well as locker room presence. While Parcells told McConkey a trade had been worked out with the compensation being “a blocking dummy and a couple of clipboards,” the price actually ended up being a 12th-round pick in the 1987 draft.

McConkey said, “A lot of teams wouldn’t have brought back a guy they’d cut. They would’ve been afraid it would be like admitting a mistake. Bringing me back showed me how serious the Giants were about winning in 1986. They weren’t worried about appearances. They were worried about results.”

The Giants were definitely worried about the results after their next game, an ugly 13-6 win at St. Louis. The defense and special teams were actually magnificent. McConkey already proved his worth – returning seven punts for 85 yards, a total greater than the team had accomplished in the first four games combined. By doing so, he helped maintain favorable field position for New York, while the defense sacked Cardinals quarterback Neil Lomax seven times and forced two takeaways.

The absence of starting talent at wide receiver for the Giants was gravely apparent – the only player on the roster with appreciable experience was Bobby Johnson. Simms struggled, completing 8-of-24 attempts, which made it easy for St. Louis to load up and stop the run. As a team, New York gained 61 yards on 25 attempts. Fortunately for them, Sean Landeta had a strong day, punting nine times with a gross of nearly 48 yards per punt.

Parcells said, “We have got a lot work to do. Thank God for my punter, my field goal kicker and my return man.”

Center Bart Oates said, “You take the win and enjoy it, but we’re not kidding ourselves. We know what it feels like to play a good football game. We just haven’t done it yet.”

To the surprise of many, the solution chosen as the elixir for the ailing offense wasn’t a receiver, it was another running back. George Young’s second trade in a week was for the Cardinals Ottis Anderson, in exchange for 2nd- and 7th-round 1987 draft picks. Many Giants players were pleased with the news. Guard Billy Ard said, “I think it’s great. It takes a lot of pressure off Joe Morris.” Carl Banks said, “(Anderson’s) biggest asset is power. He’s hard to bring down.”

Parcells told Anderson he would primarily play fullback, despite his having played tailback his entire seven-year career. Anderson said, “At this stage of my career it doesn’t matter what position I play. I just want to make the Giants a contender and a team to be reckoned with. Joe Morris is the number one back here, I’ll learn from him.”

Morris said, “Anderson’s presence is going to help this team. It’s going to help me every day.”

Young alluded to the motivation behind his atypical dealing, “If we’re trying to run for the roses, and we can get someone to help us…” Young left the sentence unfinished.

Anderson’s presence was intended to boost the offenses production, but it was the defense that was the dominating force in the 35-3 win over Philadelphia. That stat sheet told the story: nine first downs, 117 total yards, two turnovers, six sacks, and 20:27 time of possession. What gets lost on paper was the brutality with which they played. Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski said, “I can’t remember one game in 14 years when I had this many people around me. I was getting hit every time I had the ball. We played every scheme we had and they beat us.”

Carl Banks said, “The idea was to create confusion in blocking schemes. Sometimes L.T. and I ended up two-on-one. On one play near the goal line, a back had both of us. He took me, and L.T. got a sack.”

Taylor had his first four-sack game since 1984, and was also in on seven tackles. After this game, he led the NFL with seven and a half sacks. Carson said, “(Taylor’s) playing fine. He’s not playing better than last year. He’s just been more dominant. He’s not hurt like last year when he had a couple of nagging injuries. Otherwise, he’s the same Lawrence Taylor.”

While the 35 points was impressive, they were largely set up by the big-play defense giving the offense a short field to work with. Also, one touchdown came via special teams when Carson caught a touchdown pass on a fake field goal. The wide receiver position took another hit when Stacey Robinson left the game after pulling a hamstring. He would end up missing several weeks.

The win was the Giants largest margin of victory since a 32-0 win at Seattle in 1981 and gave New York its first five-game win streak since 1970. Anderson, who carried seven times for 32 yards, said, “It’s a different feeling here. These guys know what it takes to win.”

That winning feeling didn’t make the trip to the Pacific Northwest. The irony was that the offense, at least statistically, played its best game in weeks. The Giants had advantages over Seattle in first downs 22-13, rushing yards 162-72, passing yards 190-166 and time of possession 34:42-25:18. The difference was New York’s shoddy pass protection (Simms was sacked seven times for 45 yards in losses) and four interceptions. Even when Giants scored their lone touchdown, the point-after was missed on an errant snap where the kick never got off. The frustrating 17-12 loss left a bitter after taste.

Ron Erhardt said, “We did everything but score. Inside the 20 we stank.”

Parcells said, “We gave them a couple of opportunities and they capitalized. They gave us a couple of opportunities and we didn’t capitalize…I’m concerned. I’m just hoping we can get a little more consistency.”

The defense remained consistent and played up to expectations. Seattle halfback Curt Warner attested: “I was hit hard and often, and everything I got was extra difficult. That is the best, toughest defense I’ve seen in this league.”

The loss dropped the Giants to 5-2, tied for second place in the NFC East with Dallas, behind 6-1 Washington. There was also added local pressure to keep winning. The 6-1 New York Jets, who at times looked like the NFL’s best team, and the New York Mets, who were competing in the World Series, had elevated expectations of New York fans to an unprecedented level.

The Giants lost another former player on October 21 when John Del Isola passed away at the age of 74. Del Isola was a stalwart on the line for New York from 1934-1940, which included teams that won the Eastern Conference four times and won NFL titles in 1934 and 1938. Del Isola was named First-Team All-Pro in 1939 and was an assistant coach on Jim Lee Howell’s staff from 1957-1959.

New York had an extra day to reassess what went wrong in Seattle as their next game was a Monday Night showdown at Giants Stadium. As they prepared to face Washington for the first time, there was discussion on the ailing passing game as well as heightened pressure.

Erhardt: “I don’t think Phil is happy with the year he’s having. He’s had some real good games and some average ones. I don’t think he was happy with last week. “

Simms: “I feel like I’m a good quarterback. I know what’s going on out there. Offensively, we’re not playing well as a group out there. Sometimes the problems have been my fault. But it’s not time to panic, and I don’t think we’re going to panic. We might not get our offense going all year, but that doesn’t mean we won’t win.”

McConkey said, “People have high expectations, and rightfully so. But we’re playing this week for first place in our division at the halfway point of the season. I’ll take that.”

Burt said, “We’re playing hard, but people are waiting for something bad to happen. That’s what the Giants did in the past. I understand the frustration people have with the Giants, but we’re not like the Giants of the past. We’re better than we were in 1984, better than 1985.”

Even if the fans didn’t appreciate the Giants, there was no lack of respect from their upcoming opponents. Washington coach Joe Gibbs said, “We have been beaten badly by the Giants. That’s what’s in a player’s mind; that’s what builds up the lasting impression.”

Linebacker Neil Olkewicz said, “We respect the Giants…Even when they had bad teams, we respected the Giants. The Giants are more like us, blue-collar guys who worked their way up to what they are.”

Big Wins and Big Struggles

All that had ailed the Giants offense seemed cured for the first 30 minutes of the Redskins game – while seemingly half of the Giants Stadium patrons were watching or listening to the Mets Game 7 on their portable televisions and radios. Simms was 10-of-14 passing for 93 yards, while as a team New York rushed 21 times for 116 yards. Morris contributed 93 of those yards, including an 11-yard touchdown.

The Giants led 13-3 at halftime, and the only minor complaint would be the wide receivers were complete non-factors. Bobby Johnson was the only receiver with a catch – for nine yards – while the rest of the passing distribution went to the backs and a slowed tight end Bavaro, who was playing while managing a foot injury. Zeke Mowatt received his most playing time in two years as the Giants started and played from a two tight end set for much of the half.

The lead ballooned to 20-3 five minutes into the third quarter when Simms connected with Johnson on a 30-yard touchdown pass. Everything was tilted in New York’s favor, the Mets had clinched their Game 7 win while the Giants were blowing out Washington – seemingly poised to take over first place NFC East.

Redskins quarterback Jay Schroeder completed a 71-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ricky Sanders three plays after the ensuing kickoff, as Giants cornerback Perry Williams fell down on the play. In a New York minute the momentum leveled and the uproarious Meadowlands quieted.

Washington’s defense repeatedly forced New York punts while their offense chipped away at the lead. An opportunity to increase a precarious 20-17 advantage early in the fourth quarter was squandered when Allegre missed a 29-yard field goal wide right. Following an exchange of punts, Schroeder led Washington on a nine-play drive – eight of them passes – to the tying field goal from 29 yards with 4:06 to play.

Simms attempted to answer for New York. He received assistance from the Redskins, who twice committed penalties resulting in first downs. Simms ended up only 1-of-5 passing on the drive, the lone completion being a 10-yarder to Bavaro. Bracketing the incomplete passes and penalties, Morris opened the drive with a 10-yard rush and carried off right tackle for 24 yards to set up the Giants at the Washington 22-yard line at the two minute warning.

Following the time out, Morris carried twice for nine yards, then on 3rd-and-1 finished off the drive with a 13-yard carry off right tackle for a dramatic touchdown that gave New York a 27-20 lead with 1:44 to play. The Redskins didn’t quit. Schroeder led Washington on a nine-play drive, all passes, which ultimately was stopped on downs at New York’s 35-yard line. Simms ended the game with a kneel-down, and the Giants and Redskins ended the evening in a three-way tie for first place with Dallas at 6-2.

The Giants defense was magnificent against the run, holding George Rogers to 30 yards on 16 carries, but the pass defense showed cracks. Schroeder completed 22-of-40 for 420 yards, despite being sacked three times by Taylor, who now had 10 on the season. Wide receiver Gary Clark set a Washington team record with 241 receiving yards on 11 catches.

Parcells said, “That’s the NFC East right there. It’s a battle. That finishes up the first half of the season. I guess there are three teams that kind of get to start over. Fortunately we’re one of them.”

Gibbs said, “We let it get away early. And then, when we came back, we couldn’t go all the way to take it from them.”

Morris carried the offense, and finished the night with 181 yards on 31 carries with two touchdowns. Parcells said, “I was very pleased with the offense. We ran the ball extremely well. The percentage of times we used two tight ends was quite a bit. We didn’t plan to use it that much. But once we got it going we were just going to make them stop it.”

Washington guard Russ Grimm said, “They’re tough up front. We got beat up on a few plays. They shut us down in the first half, and we were lucky to make the big plays in the second half to make it a game. They played hard and deserved to win.”

Lawrence Taylor was named the “NFC Defensive Player of the Month” for October. No doubt the nine sacks accrued over four games attracted much attention, but his overall dominance as a perpetual disruptive force was without question.

The 1986 season was the 10th anniversary of Giants Stadium. The New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority marked the field with a red circle at the 50-yard line that read “NEW JERSEY MEADOWLANDS” around a map of the state. It was the first occasion a Giants home field had any ornamentation outside of the end zones.

The Giants had a chance to put Dallas a game behind them in the standings, something they failed to do the previous year in the disastrous Week 15 loss in Dallas. Veteran George Martin had a unique outlook on the upcoming big game, “I remember the years when you would come to the stadium with a 3-7 record and know you’re going to be home for Christmas. Now it’s fun. I don’t mind coming to the stadium early and being the last one out of here at night.”

The fun for Martin was only getting started. The eleven-year Giant was a full time player for the first time since 1980, having been a pass rush specialist since the 1981 conversion to the 3-4 defense. In the Week 9 game versus Dallas at Giants Stadium, Martin showed no signs of age nor fatigue, as he was good to the very last snap.

Martin’s teammates were at their ferocious best. Cowboy backs Herschel Walker and Tony Dorsett both left the game at various points with minor ankle and knee injuries, respectively, and quarterback Danny White exited for good with a broken wrist caused by blitzing Carl Banks late in the first quarter.

The Cowboys defense, while not sending and New York players to the sideline, was actually the more effective unit. They smothered the feeble Giants passing attack to six completions on 18 attempts – a miserable 3.7 yards-per-attempt – and an interception. When three sacks of Simms with losses of 21 yards were factored in, New York netted a grand total of 46 yards in the air. The crowd booed lustily after every incompletion.

Thankfully for the Giants offense, Morris showed no signs of fatigue on the short week, as he was called upon to carry the offensive unit for the second time in six days. He ended with his second consecutive 181-yard game, this time on 29 attempts with two touchdowns.

A seemingly safe 17-7 New York lead fell into jeopardy as Dallas backup Steve Pelluer energized his team and led them on an eight-play, 80-yard drive for a touchdown that brought them within a field goal at 17-14 with 7:29 left in the fourth quarter.

The Giants did little after receiving the kickoff, though Simms did complete his first and only pass for a first down in the game with a 10-yard completion to Bavaro on 2nd-and-7. Sean Landeta punted the Cowboys back to their 16-yard line with 3:33 to play.

Pelluer started the drive with four consecutive completions, and moved Dallas to New York’s 47-yard line. On 2nd-and-5, Pelluer was chased toward the sideline by Leonard Marshall and was flagged for intentional grounding, giving Dallas a 3rd-and-15 from their own 43-yard line. At this moment, the Giants received help from the 12th man, their fans. The crowd noise became so resounding Pelluer had to abandon the shotgun – a staple of the Cowboys offense – so his linemen could hear the calls. Belichick said, “The crowd was a factor. It forced Pelluer to come up under the center, which he’s not used to in that situation. I think as a result, he might have dropped too deep.”

Setting under center proved little help and the officials granted a respite with an unofficial timeout when Pelluer complained about the noise. Marshall said, “The fans were great. The twelfth man worked today.”

On the next snap, Pelluer was chased from the pocket by Marshall but he completed a pass to wide receiver Mike Sherrard for 21-yards and a first down at the New York’s 36-yard line with 1:15 to play. The next play was a 30-yard gain by Dorsett on a screen pass that was negated by a hold on tackle Phil Pozderac. A short pass gave Dallas a 2nd-and-16 from the 42-yard line. Lawrence Taylor appeared to have saved the day with a 14-yard sack, but it was negated by a defensive holding penalty that gave the Cowboys a first down on the 37-yard line with 56 seconds left.

The frenetic sequence continued. Pelluer completed a second-down pass for a first down at the 27-yard line, and Martin pushed Dallas back with a sack for a loss of 14 yards at 0:44. Pelluer threw incomplete on 2nd-and-24 from the 41-yard line. On third down, Dallas was penalized for a false start on Pozderac, who was lined up across from Martin. Pozderac said, “With all the crowd noise once we got past the 50, it was totally impossible to hear the snap count. In all that noise, I had to watch (Martin) and the ball. I’m trying to watch the ball more than him, but it’s hard. As soon as I see movement, I go.”

Martin said, “I knew Pozderac couldn’t hear the count. That’s when I gave him the false move, and he went for it.”

Pelluer’s completion on 3rd-and-29 was good for only one yard. On 4th-and-28 from the 45-yard line, Cowboys kicker Rafael Septien’s 63-yard field goal attempt fell short at with 12 seconds left. Simms knelt on the ball and the exasperated Giants walked off of the field exhausted, but triumphant. The final drive by the Cowboys officially was recorded as 14 plays for 39 yards, but when penalties are taken into consideration, there were 18 snaps of the ball. For once, New York made the big plays late to beat the Cowboys. Dorsett said, “When you come up short because of mental errors, it hurts.”

Dallas had significant advantages in passing yards 306 to 46. Morris kept New York in the game; as a team, the Giants rushed 37 times for 199 yards. When asked of the imbalance of the offense’s output, Parcells said, “I’m not under the illusion that we can run for 200 yards every game.”

The Giants top two receivers Lionel Manuel and Stacey Robinson were still on injured reserve. To compensate, New York resorted to the two-tight end offense as their base personal set for the second consecutive week. The running game prospered while the passing game dwindled to near non-existence.

Parcells said, “We want to have the mentality that we’re going to run the ball and you can’t stop it.”

The pattern repeated itself the following week in Philadelphia against the Eagles. The Giants escaped with a rough 17-14 win after nearly blowing a 17-0 lead in the final quarter. The defense dominated (seven sacks, 237 total yards allowed), the passing offense was inefficient (Simms completed 8-of-18 for 130 yards and two interceptions) and the running game moved the chains (40 rushes for 153 yards with two touchdowns).

Despite having defeated division opponents in three consecutive games and having a share of first place in the middle of November with an 8-2 record, morale was low and tension was high. The output of the offense was not sustainable for success over the long haul.

Fullback Maurice Carthon said, “We can’t keep winning this way.”

Unconquerable

Simms took the offense’s struggles personally, and refused to put the blame on the injured and inexperienced receiving corps. “You hit one bad, then you start thinking about it and you hit another one bad. It’s hard when you get to throw only every other series. This is the first time I’ve felt frustrated like this in a good long while.”

Parcells sat his quarterback down for a heart-to-heart talk while preparing for the Week 11 contest at Minnesota. Parcells said, “I called him in and said, ‘Look, I think you’re a great quarterback, and the way you got to be great was by being fearless out there, and resilient. Don’t worry about the things you can’t control, like drops. Be yourself.”

Simms said, “(Parcells) pumped me up when I needed it.”

Teammates and assistant coaches offered support for their quarterback.

Burt: “(Simms) gives you everything he’s got. The media is tough on him. A lot of fans are tough on him. I don’t know if I could take that booing. He’s very dedicated to his job. It really gets me angry when fans boo him because they don’t know anything about it. He deserves all the credit in the world…Winning isn’t enough for him. He works hard at his job, so if he doesn’t do well it hurts him. What other quarterback stays until 7:30 or 8:00 four nights a week to lift weights? He’s the quarterback. He doesn’t have to do it. That says a lot about him.”

Guard Billy Ard: “(Simms) is very competitive. He’s very emotional. He believes in himself. He expects perfection. When things are going well, he’s pumped up. When they’re not, he clams up a bit. He fits the quarterback role well. He’s a leader.”

Ron Erhardt: “I like everything about (Simms). He’s got a good arm, he’s smart, he’s in the game and he knows in certain situations what he can do and what he can’t do…But he knows what should happen in the passing game, and when it doesn’t happen he becomes frustrated. It might be a protection problem or he might make a bad throw or a receiver might run a wrong route. Sometimes you don’t get it done physically, and that bothers him. But it happens to everyone.”

Simms also got some help as Stacey Robinson was activated for the game, giving the quarterback a viable downfield option. For the first time in four weeks New York opened the game with one tight end and two wide receivers on the field. Minnesota was apparently not impressed with the refurbished lineup, as they often aligned with eight or nine defenders near the line of scrimmage to defend the run on most downs. Morris was stymied with 28 yards on eight carries at the half, but the Giants led 9-6 as the teams exchanged field goals.

Following a New York three-and-out to open the third quarter, quarterback Tommy Kramer led the Vikings on an 11-play, 79-yard drive for the game’s first touchdown, an eight-yard completion to running back Allen Rice. The Giants next possession was greatly helped by two Minnesota defensive penalties, a 37-yard pass interference and a 15-yard flagrant facemask, but it came up empty when Simms was intercepted at the 2-yard line.

The Vikings went three-and-out, and New York’s ensuing possession was again aided by a pass interference penalty, this time 31 yards, and Raul Allegre kicked a 37-yard field goal. Minnesota lead 13-12 going into the fourth quarter.

After Kramer left the game with a thumb injury and Minnesota punted, Simms and the offense awakened. Four consecutive completions and a short Morris run gave the Giants a first down at the Vikings 47-yard line. Bobby Johnson gained 22-yards on a reverse, then Simms connected with Johnson on a 25-yard touchdown pass. The Giants led 19-13 with 9:30 on the clock. The Johnson reverse was New York’s longest rush of the day; the touchdown pass was the first for Simms in three weeks. Those back-to-back plays were the Giants longest plays of the second half not aided by defensive penalties.

Wade Wilson came in for Kramer and passed Minnesota to the lead with surprisingly little resistance from New York’s defense. Completions of 18 and 16 yards preceded the 33-yard touchdown to wide receiver Anthony Carter. The six-play drive covered 80 yards and gave the Vikings a 22-20 lead with 7:53 to play.

The Giants offense stalled on the ensuing possession. The Vikings pass rush harassed Simms who resorted to dump offs to Morris and Anderson. New York’s defense held after the punt and forced a Minnesota punt after three plays. Phil McConkey’s 17-yard return set up the Giants on their own 41-yard line with 2:14 left.

The first play nearly put the Giants ahead, but Simms’ perfect pass to the wide-open Robinson, who had gotten behind the defense, was bobbled and dropped. On second down, Simms, again under heavy pressure, connected with Johnson crossing over the middle for 14 yards to the Vikings 45-yard line and a new set of downs at the two-minute warning.

A short pass to Anderson followed by an incompletion gave the Giants a 3rd-and-8 with 1:18 on the clock. After a Minnesota time out, they came with a blitz. The pocket crumbled around Simms and he was called in the grasp by defensive end Doug Martin (brother of the Giants’ George Martin) for a loss of nine yards. The Giants called time out, facing a 4th-and-17 on their own 48-yard line with 1:12 left to play.

Simms said, “I went to the sidelines. Parcells and (wide receivers coach Pat) Hodgson were on the phone, talking with Erhardt, who was up in the press box. Ron suggested the play. Hodgson offered a modification, ‘Why not put McConkey in motion? That would make them change their formation and maybe make the safeties screw up.’ Parcells said, ‘Good idea, let’s do it.’ I went back to the huddle. ‘Half right, W-motion, 74. We need 17 yards. Just be sure it’s 17.’”

half right w motion 74

Normally this play would have had Simms in the shotgun, but he lined up under center because of the crowd noise. Minnesota was in a dime package with six defensive backs. After McConkey completed his motion across the formation, Simms received the snap, dropped back and surveyed the field.

Simms said, “Bavaro saw that Minnesota’s left tackle was trying to loop around the end to get to me, so Mark stayed in place and blocked. Mike Stensrud, playing right tackle for Minnesota, charged up the middle. When I looked at Stacey, he wasn’t open. I didn’t have time to look at him again. I saw Bobby go past the first down marker. I saw him stop and turn to me. I knew I had to get the ball over the defense back in front of him. Stensrud was about to hit me. I threw, and as I did, I went down, I knew I’d thrown the ball just the way I’d wanted to.”

Johnson found a soft spot in the zone coverage and waited for the high, arcing pass, which dropped right into his hands over the reaching defensive back. Johnson tapped both feet in bounds and went out to stop the clock at 1:10. The play was good for 22-yards and gave New York a first down on the Vikings 30-yard line.

Johnson said, “I wanted to step up and get it, but I was afraid that if I did I would lose the first down.”

Simms said, “The odds against us were enormous. If I threw that pass a hundred times, I’d get it to Bobby maybe five or six. This was one of those times.”

Parcells said, “I wouldn’t say making the play was luck, but it was pretty good fortune…We guessed they would be in a three-deep zone, and we were right.”

The sequence following the climactic play seemed routine by comparison. Even the game-winning field goal attempt felt ordinary. The deflated Minnesota defense jumped offside, Morris ran three times for 11 yards, and Allegre sent the 33-yard kick through the uprights with two seconds left, giving the Giants a stunning 23-22 victory.

Simms was 25-of-38 for 310 yards, his highest yardage total for the season to date. After the game, an elated Parcells boasted, “Anybody who doesn’t think Phil Simms is a great quarterback should be covering another sport.”

The Giants 9-2 record was their best mark this late in the season since 1962, and kept them tied in first place with Washington who also won. It was also New York’s second come-from-behind victory of the season, a sign that confidence was building. Instead of waiting for something bad to happen late, they were finding ways to win. Parcells said, “My players know the race is on, and it started today. But this schedule has made our team better. With this schedule, you’ve got to be competitive. You’ve got to go.”

Resiliency and coming through with game-changing plays at critical moments was beginning to emerge as a pattern. This new tendency shone brightly twice during the Week 12 game versus the AFC West leading 9-2 Denver Broncos.

The first moment came late in the second quarter with the Broncos leading 6-3, and looking to increase their lead before halftime. Denver had just driven to take the lead, but on the first play from scrimmage following the kick off, Tony Galbreath lost a fumble and the Broncos recovered on the Giants 41-yard line. The New York defense came back out on the field with little respite and 2:21 remaining in the half.

Broncos quarterback John Elway completed an 18-yard pass to advance to the 23-yard line at the 2-minute warning. An 8-yard pass completion and quarterback sneak gave Denver a first down at the Giants 13-yard line with one minute to go.

George Martin, New York Giants (November 23, 1986)

On the next play, Elway lofted a swing pass to fullback Sammy Winder that was tipped in the air by Martin at the 21-yard line. Martin had taken a wider rush than Elway had anticipated. Martin pulled the ball in at the 22-yard line, spun, and then chugged up-field with Elway, Winder and Denver linemen in pursuit. Martin faked a lateral to Lawrence Taylor while crossing the 35-yard line, broke through an Elway tackle attempt at the 48-yard line, and picked up a convoy of blockers as he crossed midfield. Martin then feigned another lateral to Taylor, and as he raced up the sideline, Harry Carson blocked a Denver lineman at the 25-yard line. Mark Collins dove and took out Winder at the 10-yard line, allowing Martin a free path to the end zone. As he scored, the entire Giants sideline erupted and raced toward the corner of the end zone where the exhausted Martin fell beneath a pile of celebratory teammates. The play covered 78 yards and took a remarkable 17 seconds to complete. It was the seventh career touchdown for Martin, an NFL record for a defensive player at the time. New York led 10-6 at the half.

Martin said, “The ball came and it surprised me. I knew it was a great distance to the end zone and I said to myself it would be wise if I give it to someone a little bit swifter afoot than myself. I wanted to give it to Lawrence, but Elway was coming at us so I just tried to fake him off. Then I stiff-armed him and he went down. I thought I’d take it down a little further until someone tackles me. One thing led to another and eventually there was the end zone.”

Elway said, “A great play by a great athlete…I was flabbergasted. I didn’t think I’d have any trouble getting the ball over his head.”

Parcells said it was, “one of the greatest plays I’ve seen in football.”

The teams went back and forth throughout the second half. Elway led the Broncos on a 73-yard touchdown drive that tied the game 16-16 with 1:50 left in regulation. This set up the second moment.

Overtime looked to be imminent after a second down sack gave New York a 3rd-and-21 at their own 18-yard line. Simms said, “Bill thought about it for a moment and almost called a running play. But at the last moment he said, ‘Nah, forget the run. Let’s try a Double Seam.’”

Parcells said, “On 3rd-and-21 you think of running the ball and making them take at least one timeout and then we punt. You got to go with your gut feeling.”

Simms and Johnson connected again, as they had done the week before. Simms found Johnson in the middle of the field for a 24-yard gain to the 42-yard line at 1:35. A short run and holding penalty gave the Giants 2nd-and-13 at their 39-yard line. Simms completed another deep pass on a Double Seam, this time for 46 yards to McConkey, who was tackled at Denver’s 15-yard line with 28 seconds left.

Phil Simms 1986 Season

McConkey made a sight-adjustment at the line of scrimmage when he read a safety faking a blitz, which allowed him to run straight up-field behind the coverage. It was the longest reception by a Giant for the season. Simms knelt down twice before Allegre sent the winning kick through the uprights with six seconds left.

Billy Ard said, “The old Giants were content to keep games close. This year, we’ve been going for it and getting it.”

There was a noticeable lack of euphoria in the post-game locker-room, contrary to the week before in Minnesota when it had been uproarious. Harry Carson was somewhat matter-of-fact when asked about the recent late game heroics, “It seems like it’s someone different every week. Everyone feels like we’re going to make the big play.”

That confidence would serve them well the next week in San Francisco where the 49ers jumped all over New York for a 17-0 halftime lead. The only adjustment required was for the attitude. Guard Chris Godfrey said, “The sense was we were very close to losing the game. It was slipping through our fingers. We told ourselves these guys were playing harder than us; we weren’t playing like we can. And we could blow it. We just had to play harder.”

To Godfrey’s point, San Francisco’s front seven, who switched from their typical 3-4 to a 4-3, completely smothered the Giants normally formidable rushing attack. Morris carried the ball six times for a total of two yards. Simms passed the ball well, but was intercepted twice.

New York’s defense forced a San Francisco punt to open the third quarter and the Giants took possession on the San Francisco 49-yard line. Simms’ first pass was incomplete. His second was another defining moment that lifted his team, and it personified the intensity Godfrey said the team needed.

Mark Bavaro, New York Giants (December 1, 1986)

Simms passed to Bavaro over the middle at the 49ers 40-yard line. Bavaro turned up field. The first contact came at the 36-yard line; linebacker Mike Walter bounced off Bavaro’s legs. Linebacker Riki Ellison dove at Bavaro from behind and barely grazed him. Safety Ronnie Lott came up and grabbed Bavaro high at the 32-yard line and hung onto his back. Linebacker Keena Turner raced up from behind and threw a shoulder at Bavaro, but bounced off as Bavaro kept driving his legs forward. Cornerback Don Griffin bounced off of Bavaro with a failed shoulder tackle, and two defensive backs, as well as Maurice Carthon, Bart Oates, and Lott all fell in a heap on top of Bavaro at San Francisco’s 18-yard line. The play covered 31 yards, 21 of which were after the catch and 18 after initial contact.

Godfrey said, “It was incredible. We came out playing harder and quit fooling around, watching them. That play got us going. It brought back memories of what our offense had been like. It was a big charge for us.”

After a one-yard run by Morris, Simms connected with Morris on a 17-yard touchdown pass, cutting the lead to 17-7. The defense forced another San Francisco three-and-out. Taking over on their own 29-yard line, Simms completed a 12-yard pass to Ottis Anderson for a first down at the 41-yard line. Morris lost three yards on first down, and Bavaro caught an 11-yard pass on second down. The 49ers stuffed Morris for no gain on third-and-two from the Giants 49-yard line. To this point, Morris had netted zero yards on nine carries. Parcells kept the offense on the field for fourth-and-two.

New York came out of the huddle into a goal-line set with their Jumbo Heavy personnel: two tight ends with William Roberts as an extra tackle. Carthon lined up behind Simms, who was under center, and Morris was strong left. At the snap, Godfrey pulled right, and Carthon trailed. Simms handed to Morris who and followed the interference. The right side of the line held their ground and opened a lane inside right tackle, where Morris cut up-field and accelerated through the hole. Griffin got a hand on Morris at the San Francisco 41-yard line and dragged him down on the sideline at the 34-yard line. The 17-yard gain was the Giants longest of the night.

Parcells said, “I was trying to do something to win the game. We were losing at the time. I wanted to do something aggressive. If it didn’t work, we would probably lose.”

Simms completed a deep pass to Robinson in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown on the next play. It was a perfectly thrown ball that went over the outstretched hand of cornerback Tim McKyer, right into the hands of Robinson. The score was 17-14 and New York’s sideline was ebullient. Parcells said, “We haven’t really had that kind of momentum this year.”

New York’s defense forced their third three-and-out of the quarter and the Giants had the ball on their own 29-yard line after the punt. Simms passed to Carthon for seven yards and McConkey for 14. On first down on the 50-yard line, Anderson was stopped for no gain. On second down, Simms threw deep for Robinson down the middle, who attempted to make an over-the-shoulder basket catch at the four-yard line, but the ball popped off his shoulder pad as Griffin hit him from behind. As Robinson fell to the ground, he turned his body, kept his eyes on the ball, and pulled it in as he rolled over the goal line for an apparent touchdown. But the officials ruled him down at the one-yard line. Anderson plunged over right guard for the go-ahead score on the next play. The Giants had their first lead, 21-17, with 3:41 remaining in the third quarter.

Phil Simms and Karl Nelson, New York Giants (December 1, 1986)

All told, the New York offense needed only 15 plays to overcome the 17-0 deficit. Aside from the key 17-yard Morris rush on 4th-and-2, Simms was 8-of-9 passing for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Over that span, the defense held the 49ers to 14 yards on nine plays and three punts.

The first play from scrimmage was a big play by the defense to set up the red-hot Simms with a short field. Perry Williams intercepted quarterback Joe Montana’s pass at the 47-yard line and returned it to the 39-yard line. Simms completed a pass to Bavaro in the left seam at the 15-yard line. While fighting for extra yardage, Bavaro fumbled at the five-yard line and San Francisco recovered, preventing the Giants form taking a two-score lead.

Regardless, the Giants defense played bend-but-don’t-break through the fourth quarter and kept San Francisco off of the scoreboard for the remainder of the game. Two 49ers possessions ended on downs in New York territory and the Giants headed back to New York with a six-game win streak, their longest since 1970, and an 11-2 record, their most wins in a regular season since 1963. All that success was good enough for a first place tie with Washington, who had won the day before. The two were scheduled to meet in Washington in six days.

Parcells said, “To win on Monday night, on the road, being down 17-0. I’ll take it…My guys, they’re tough. They don’t quit. We haven’t been out of any game this year, not since 1984. They’re tough guys in that room.”

Morris, who finished the game with 14 yards on 13 carries, said, “Phil Simms was great today. He proved you can shut down Joe Morris, but then you have to deal with Phil Simms.”

A ghost from the past appeared in the post-game locker-room, YA Tittle. He said, “Overall, I think the Giants are physically the best team in the league. They have a good quarterback…Simms has a lot of courage, he’s come back from a lot of adversity. He’s a real pro. He comes back for more.”

Harry Carson said, “When we were behind, 17-0, at the half, we stayed calm, we kept our poise. We just believe that somebody is going to make the big play. And on Sunday we’re going to have to make the big plays again, because the Redskins are probably playing the best ball in the league.”

The win also clinched a playoff berth for the third consecutive year for the Giants, their first such streak since 1961-1963. Parcells tried to maintain an even keel, “I haven’t got too much time to celebrate. I’ll celebrate on the plane. We’ve got the OK Corral next week.”

Big Blue Steamroller

Joe Gibbs warned his team not to say anything inflammatory during the week. The normally loquacious and quotable defensive end Dexter Manley complied, and was even gracious when asked about the upcoming showdown, “I don’t dislike the Giants at all. It’s a great rivalry between two teams. So I don’t have a heck of a lot to say about those guys.”

The Redskins came into the game having won five straight, their last loss being to the Giants, and were 7-0 at home. The Giants hadn’t beaten Washington in RFK Stadium since 1981 and hadn’t swept them in a season series since 1977. Carl Banks said, “They match up to us physically better than any other team. They might outmatch us physically.”

Manley was also the NFL leader in sacks with 17.5, with Lawrence Taylor was right behind at 16.5. Brad Benson, who’d oppose Manley at left tackle, said, “They really need their defensive line to play well for them to win.” During preparations Parcells informed Benson there would be no two-tight end sets, he would be on Manley without help the majority of the game.

Simms said, “Benson gets (Manley) all by himself. That’s our style, and I’ll tell you something. I’m not worried.”

Benson said, “Sure, I’m nervous about facing Manley. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. I’ve never gotten this much attention in my life. It’s like I was a quarterback or something.”

Gibbs said, “This is the kind of game you enjoy being part of. I think that’s why you coach and play. If you don’t enjoy a game like this you’re a loser.”

Simms said, “There’s no extra pressure on us. The pressure is getting to games like this. It’s always nice to play in a game like this. A lot of people in this league would like to be in this game.”

The start of this game was frustrating for Simms, as he threw an interception on New York’s first play from scrimmage, and missed several open receivers for what could have been touchdown passes. The Giants defense was stout against the run and the pass rush was at its relentless best, harassing and chasing Schroeder from the pocket routinely. Schroeder threw two interceptions himself in the first half.

Joe Morris, New York Giants (December 7, 1986)

The ascension of the Giants came late in the first half, moments after Washington had just tied the score 7-7. There was 1:50 remaining in the second quarter. New York swung the momentum of the game in their favor, and the 1986 Giants assumed control of their destiny.

After picking up a first down, the Giants were faced with a 3rd-and-7 on their own 40-yard line. During the timeout, an aggressive call was made on the sideline. Simms said, “(Parcells said) to heck with a first down. I want it all.”

Simms threw deep down the sideline for Bobby Johnson, who made a leaping catch over cornerback Barry Wilburn and went out of bounds at the 25-yard line to stop the clock with 53 seconds left. Two plays later, Simms found Johnson in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown pass. The Giants led 14-7 and never looked back.

Gibbs said, “We were in a prevent defense, they caught us short down the sideline. That was a big drive, no question about it.”

Washington safety Curtis Jordan said, “The long pass to the sidelines was the pivotal play of the game. That turned it around. We were pressing with our corners and had the safeties deep to take away the inside, and it didn’t work. Simms made a great throw, but, heck, he’s been doing that stuff all year; he just hasn’t been getting the credit for it.”

Simms said, “To be 7-7 at halftime would’ve been disappointing. Instead, we came into the locker room happy and went out and got it done.”

The defense brutalized and frustrated Schroeder, sacking him four times – three by Taylor, including a forced fumble – and forced him to throw a Redskins franchise-record six interceptions. The seven takeaways by the New York defense matched their season high from Week 2 against San Diego. The Giants won 24-14.

Schroeder said, “They ran a lot of very deep zones, dropping the linebackers 15 to 18 yards. We couldn’t go deep, so we had to throw underneath. It takes a lot of time to zone out; with the pass rush they had, you can’t do that.”

Carson said, “We took away the long pass, that’s what hurt us in the first game. We wanted to force them to throw to their backs and tight ends.”

Gibbs explained his offense’s struggles succinctly, “(The Giants are) the only team in football that doesn’t need a safety to help force on runs. They stop runs with seven guys, not eight. The safety can sit back there and never be out of position if you pass instead of run.”

Simms praised his offensive line: “The pass protection was terrific. For an old man, Brad did a good job on Dexter.” Benson was named the “NFC Offensive Player of the Week” for his performance against Manley. He was the first – and remains the only – offensive lineman to win the award since its inception in 1984.

Taylor’s three sacks of Schroeder moved him into first place in the NFL with 19.5 sacks on the season. Giants legend and Redskins radio broadcaster Sam Huff said, “Lawrence Taylor is the best defensive football player I have ever seen.”

Leonard Marshall said, “A guy as good as Dexter Manley shouldn’t have to mouth off all the time make excuses…(He) didn’t mention that Benson whipped him all day, did he? I didn’t think so.”

Manley said, “I’m not feeling very good right now. I feel like I’ve been sucking on a lot of raw eggs.”

The 12-2 Giants were in full control of the NFC East after sweeping 11-3 Washington. The only negative for New York was the loss of starting safety Terry Kinard with a knee injury that required season-ending surgery. Herb Welch was the next man up. Parcells said, “I think our team basically has that attitude now that there is a way to overcome things. I don’t think that anything that happens now can be devastating to us. For example, losing Terry Kinard was a big loss, but I think somebody will pick up the slack.”

New York clinched their first division title in 23 years a day before they even stepped onto the field to take on St. Louis. The Redskins lost on Saturday at Denver 31-30, with the difference being a missed point-after. George Martin put the division title in perspective: “It was twelve years of struggle and disappointment, and to see it finally pay off…I just can’t put in words how it feels. But it’s still too early to start celebrating.”

The Giants were an unstoppable force their final two home games, annihilating St. Louis 27-7 and Green Bay 55-24. The 14-2 record represented the most regular-season victories for the franchise since they had won 13 games in the 1929 and 1930 seasons. The Giants were also 8-0 at home, marking only the third unbeaten home record in Giants history along with the 1933 and 1939 teams.

New York ended the regular season with a nine-game winning streak, matching the franchise mark set by the 1927 and 1962 teams. The streak can be seen in two distinct parts. The first six games were closely fought struggles, where the Giants built resolve and confidence as they overcame adversity. The average margin of victory was 3.7 points, and in three of the six games the Giants overcome second-half deficits. The first game against Washington that began the steak was tied late and New York won with a touchdown drive to prevent overtime.

The next three games saw the Giants operate at peak efficiency. The average margin of victory was 20 points. New York learned to play from ahead and finish off opponents without letting them back into the contest. There was not one single blown lead.

Carson recalled the late-season surge years later: “We were so physical that we beat teams into submission. Our play reminded me of the same type of power football the Pittsburgh Steelers had exhibited when they beat teams in the seventies. We beat up some teams so badly physically that I actually felt sorry for them. The term smashmouth was used to describe out play on both sides of the football. It was appropriate because we didn’t care what the opposing teams ran against us. We took great pride in playing hard, tough, physical football against any teams we played against.”

Lawrence Taylor led the league in sacks with 20.5 and was named the “NFL’s Most Valuable Player,” becoming the first Giant to do so since Y.A. Tittle in 1963, and the first defensive player to win the award since defensive tackle Alan Page in 1971. Parcells was named the “NFL Coach of the Year,” New York’s first head coach to be so honored since Allie Sherman in 1962.

Joe Morris rushed for a team-record 1,516 yards with 14 touchdowns, and Mark Bavaro became New York’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Homer Jones in 1968, with 1,001 yards on 66 catches.

Although the current Giants stood tall with many of their predecessors, there was a lingering drive to see the season through and end New York’s championship drought to silence the ghosts once and for all.

“It’s a New York phenomenon, not only in football but all sports,” Parcells said. “In baseball they remember Joe DiMaggio and Duke Snider and Mickey Mantle and boo every outfielder that doesn’t measure up. Knick fans remember Willis Reed and boo every center that’s followed him. Phil generated a lot of excitement as a rookie, then there was a lull and the fans were disappointed. For a while it got to Phil, but I think he’s over it now.”

Simms: “The thing you have to understand about New York is that you have to learn to live with the ghosts of the past. You have to get used to hearing people say, ‘Well, the old Giants would have done this or that.’ I’ve gotten to the point where I can shut out the booing now, the constant nagging. I honestly don’t hear it. I think I’ve changed as a player, too.”

Carson: “This isn’t like baseball where you celebrate winning the division. In football, you celebrate once and that’s when you win the Super Bowl.”

Most significant for the Giants prospects was they had home field advantage though the playoffs.

Kenny Hill said, “We don’t want to go to the playoffs in a hostile city with the temperature near absolute zero, as we did last year in Chicago. That made a big impression on us. To stay here and play in front of our own folks in our own stadium in decent weather is incentive enough for us.”

Carson said, “We feel we can beat anybody in the NFL. I think losing to the Bears in the playoffs last season was a good experience for us. I’m hungry.”

Relentless

New York’s first opponent in the post season was a familiar one, San Francisco. Coach Bill Walsh had the upmost respect for his foe’s versatile and strong defense, “You just can’t do the same things time after time against the Giants. You have to keep them off balance and not get greedy. We have to be patient and play the game and let it run its course rather than try gimmick or low-percentage plays.”

On the other side, Parcells described his focus on fundamentals and containing the 49ers potent offense, “You try to put tight coverage on the receivers early, you try to jam them. That’s always big for us because we’re primarily a zone team on defense. (Montana’s) not going to take sacks early, but if he’s trying to catch up or make a first down, he’s got to hold the ball to do it.”

On the game’s pivotal play late it in the second quarter, Montana let go of the ball while absorbing a violent impact from Jim Burt. The pass fluttered into the waiting arms of Lawrence Taylor who ran it back 34-yards for a cementing 45-yard touchdown, the Giants second in 22 seconds that opened up a 28-3 lead. Montana’s helmet bounced on the turf, causing him to leave the game with a concussion.

Burt said, “I hit him from the front. I couldn’t pull up. He had no chance to get out of the way...I didn’t even know he was hurt until I looked back later. When we intercepted, I was looking for somebody to block…I as worried I’d hurt him badly.”

San Francisco receiver Dwight Clark said, “(Montana) was pretty groggy. He didn’t know what happened to the ball. He didn’t know they had scored. I think he was fine, but he was disoriented…I never thought it got to be hopeless until it got to be 28-3. Then I began to feel a little hopeless. Before then, I thought we could come back, things might change.”

San Francisco tackle Keith Fahnhorst said, “After Joe left, things didn’t look good. Until that time, I thought we could come back.”

Early on, the ball bounced New York’s way. It was perhaps only coincidence that Jerry Rice’s unforced fumble – he apparently lost control of the ball when it hit his thigh pad – occurred in very close proximity to the location of the 1978 Joe Pisarcik-Larry Csonka fumble. The Giants faithful could only feel that the football gods were finally atoning for nearly 30 years of disappointment and unfulfilled promise.

The game opened with a Giants three-and-out. On second down from the 50-yard line, Montana connected with Rice on a slant route that should have gone all the way for an early touchdown and 7-0 lead. Inexplicably, the ball popped out of Rice’s hand. In the wild scramble for the loose ball, it was knocked into the end zone where Kenny Hill recovered for a touchback. “Rice fell on it and it squirted out,” said Hill. “I kept running and fell on it. But I think the significance of that play is being blown out of proportion.”

Taylor said, “If they score on that one, they lose 49-10.”

Walsh said, “You can’t relate this to any one play. It would be an excuse of monumental proportions.”

Parcells said, “I guess it was pretty important, but the way we were playing, I don’t think it would have mattered.”

Simms immediately engineered a 10-play, 80-yard drive for a touchdown, capitalizing on the sudden momentum swing. The first play of the drive was a 15-yard run by Morris, more than he had in the entire game at San Francisco in December. On this possession, Morris carried five times for 40 yards to set up Simms’ 24-yard scoring strike to Bavaro to put the Giants up 7-0 at 7:29.

Mark Bavaro, New York Giants (January 4, 1987)

The teams exchanged punts before San Francisco drove to New York’s 9-yard line and kicked a 26-yard field goal at 1:20. Three more drives ending with punts led to the tide turning the Giants way for good. A blitzing Carl Banks hit Montana as he threw the ball. Herb Welch caught the underthrown pass at the New York 39-yard line, and lateraled to Kenny Hill who advanced the ball to the San Francisco 45-yard line. The first play from scrimmage was a pitch left to Morris, who cut through a huge hole inside left tackle, and sprinted untouched into the end zone, giving New York a 14-3 lead at 7:39.

New York’s defense clamped down on the 49ers. The Banks-led front seven stymied any rush attempt and the pass rush collapsed the pocket every time Montana dropped back. After forcing a three-and-out, Simms engineered a 13-play drive that began with 5:35 in the second quarter and ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Johnson with 55 seconds before the half. The highlight of the drive came right after the two-minute warning, when the Giants shifted out of a field-goal formation on 4th-and-6 from the 28-yard line and Jeff Rutledge connected with Bavaro on a 23-yard gain to the 5-yard line.

The 21-3 lead quickly became 28-3 with the Burt hit on Montana that gave Lawrence Taylor the interception return for a touchdown. The Giants outscored the 49ers 21-0 in the third quarter before emptying the bench and allowing the reserves to finish off the scoreless fourth quarter.

Billy Ard said, “I almost felt bad about it. I don’t know…you score so many times, you keep lining up and kicking extra points, you look over at the 49ers, at their faces. What the hell, they’re guys like us.”

The Giants ran the ball 44 times for 216 yards, including 24 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns by Morris. Parcells was pleased with New York’s rushing attack, “The last time we played the 49ers, we got 13 yards rushing. We could’ve run 13 quarterback sneaks and done better than that.”

Joe Morris, New York Giants (January 4, 1987)

The 49ers were limited to 184 total yards and nine first downs by the Giants. Belichick believed it was New York’s best defensive performance of the year: “…the aggressiveness, the intensity, the effectiveness, not letting up for even one play. And the way we kept after them for 60 minutes…We were ready to play today. It was very noticeable. The level of intensity was above what it normally is. And that’s understandable. We waited a year for this game. It was January 5, 1986, in Chicago that we all remember.”

Pepper Johnson said, “We were just too relentless.”

Billy Ard said, “We wanted it bad.”

The 49 points scored by New York broke the franchise record of 47 they scored against the Bears in the 1956 NFL Championship Game. The 46-point margin of victory tied for the third largest in NFL post season history.

San Francisco guard Randy Cross said, “The Giants are capable of doing this to any team. They’re like Chicago last year or us the year before. Every year a team emerges that seems capable of crushing anybody, and that’s the level the Giants are at right now.”

Walsh said, “Shattered, we were simply shattered. They played a perfect game. They destroyed our offense, shattered our blocking angles. We were dealt with…The way they played, the only surprise would be if they don’t win the Super Bowl.

The Redskins defeated the Bears in Chicago, setting up a matchup between what many believed were the league’s two best teams in the NFC Championship Game at Giants Stadium.

Parcells said, “The Redskins are the best team we played this year…I thought they would have a good shot against the Bears, and they beat them. A month ago, Lawrence Taylor told me it would be us and the Redskins for the championship, and he was right.”

Washington offensive line coach Joe Bugel said, “You’ve got the league’s two most prolific pass rushers side-by-side, Taylor and Marshall. It’s going to take a great game plan and superhuman effort to beat the Giants. If we get into a throwing contest with them, we’ll be in trouble.”

The game would be the biggest hosted by the Giant since the 1962 NFL Championship Game. Fans were ecstatic, even if New York City Mayor Ed Koch said should the Giants win the Super Bowl, the city would not fund the traditional ticker-tape parade up Broadway since they played across the Hudson River in New Jersey.

George Martin, as he often did, put the present in context with the past, “It’s different now. (The fans) are cheering for us instead of against us. It used to be very disheartening when you were at home, but I’m going back a lot of years. I think it began to change in the Perkins’ era.”

Harry Carson said, “It was difficult in those days. Sometimes it felt like it was better being on the road than at home. I guess it changed when we started winning. It’s nicer now.”

Brad Benson believed the home crowd became an asset during the Week 9 game against the Cowboys, “A long time ago, that noise from the crowd wouldn’t have happened. They used to be pretty bad. They used to leave games early because we were losing. But they started to change this year about the time of the Dallas game. I think they realized they could help us.”

Practices throughout the week were palpably intense. Erik Howard said, “The last game we played against Washington was the biggest game I’ve been in so far. I didn’t think there could be anything more intense. Our intensity level all season has been high, and for the 49ers game last week it was up 50 percent. This week, it’s more. It keeps going up and up.”

Billy Ard said, “You can sense the anxiety. Fuses are shorter. There have been pushing and shoving matches in practice.”

The normally guarded Parcells exuded a quiet confidence, “We’re fine. We’re ready to play. Practices have gone fine. I think we’ve had good preparation.”

Meeting an opponent for a third time was a new experience for the current Giants, though it had occurred several times in their history. The three-game sweep was not an easy feat, but it was not an impossible one.

Three times in their history had the Giants faced a team in the post-season after defeating them twice in the regular season. In 1943, New York swept the Reskins in back-to-back games to close the regular season and force a playoff to determine the Eastern Conference champion. But Washington beat the Giants at the Polo Grounds 28-0 in that third contest.

Old Friends: Giants and Redskins Rivalry 1936-1946

In 1950, the Giants were the only team to defeat 10-2 Cleveland, including the first shut out in Browns history when Steve Owen unveiled the Umbrella Defense in their first ever meeting. However, New York lost the American Conference playoff 8-3 at Cleveland Stadium.

New York Giants – Cleveland Browns 1950-1959 (Part I)

In 1958, the Giants successfully completed the three-game sweep over the Browns. The season finale at snowy Yankee Stadium concluded with Pat Summerall’s famous 48-yard field goal that forced the Eastern Conference playoff, where New York’s defense shut down Cleveland 10-0.

New York Giants – Cleveland Browns 1950-1959 (Part II)

Once, the Giants found themselves in the reverse situation. New York entered the 1934 NFL Championship Game having been beaten by the Chicago Bears twice during the regular season, but pulled off the upset with the help of sneakers to win the NFL Title.

The 1934 New York Giants

Simms said, “As Giant football players, we have to live in the past. People remind us of that. Not that it bothers us, but we’d kind of like to wipe it out.”

Heading into the contest, Parcells acknowledged the Giants defense as the foundation of his confidence: “Defense keeps you in the game. There are going to be some days when the offense doesn’t play that well. If the defense plays well, that gives you a chance.”

Washington coach Joe Gibbs expressed the dilemma facing his defense, as in the first regular season game New York ran the ball at will, but in the second game big passing plays were the difference: “You may stop one phase, but they’re going to kill you in another.”

Blow Out

The weather forecast called for harsh playing conditions that included winds over 15 mph. Simms said, “I don’t care if it snows. But if it rains, that means cold winds, and that would cause problems for both teams. It’s windy every day we practice there, but once it gets past 20 miles an hour it gets to be a problem.”

Those conditions proved to influence one of the game’s significant decisions – the pregame coin toss. The officially-recorded condition at kickoff were sustained winds of 17-23 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. The Giants won the toss when Washington called tails and it came up heads. New York elected to defend the end zone with the wind at their backs to start the first quarter.

Parcells sought the council of New York’s punter during warmups. Sean Landeta said, “I told him the wind was going to be a bigger factor than Lawrence Taylor.”

Kicking with the wind at his back, Raul Allegre sent the ball over the end zone and beyond the end line to start the game with a touchback. Washington went three-and-out, and punter Steve Cox’s wind-opposed punt sailed out of bounds at the Redskins 47-yard line, for a net of just 23-yards.

Simms threw two incomplete passes on the first drive, but a 14-yard Morris rush put New York in position for a 47-yard field goal and 3-0 advantage at 11:44. Simms said, “I knew we had to score early. The wind’s velocity was horrendous. You could feel it on your face.”

Allegre’s kickoff was downed eight yards deep in the end zone. Linebacker Gary Reasons sacked Schroeder on the first play and the Redskins once again were forced to punt after three downs. This time Cox’s punt netted 27 yards into the wind, advancing the ball from the 11-yard line to the 38.

The Giants advanced to move the chains once. Then Simms threw an incomplete pass on 3rd-and-10 from the Washington 26-yard line. This set up a critical decision, as offensive holding was called on Bart Oates. Instead of declining and taking the down, Gibbs accepted the penalty, which gave New York a second chance with 3rd-and-20 from the 36-yard line. “I felt another 10 yards would force them into a long field goal and give us a chance for better field position,” said Gibbs. “It was a gamble there.”

That gamble backfired when Simms connected with Lionel Manuel for a 25-yard gain for a first down. Three plays later Simms found Manuel in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown pass and a 10-0 Giants lead at 5:32 in the first quarter.

After another kickoff deep into the end zone, Washington attempted to end the quarter with a succession of rushes to keep the clock moving. The first two rushes were good for a first down. The next two netted seven yards. The next pivotal play came on 3rd-and-3 from the Washington 37-yard line. Schroeder launched a perfect spiral into the wind, deep down the right sideline to Gary Clark who had two steps on cornerback Elvis Patterson. The ball hit Clark’s outstretched hands, then hit the turf. The drop proved costly, as Washington lost not only field positon, but badly needed momentum.

Clark said, “I was running with it before I caught it. I wanted it all, and got none of it. I know nobody would have caught me. And it would have made the score 10-7 and changed the way the Giants were thinking. It hurt a lot.”

Gibbs said, “That could have made our day…I think the coin toss was the biggest play for them. As soon as we lost it, we knew we’d need a break to get out of the hole…We needed a play or break to get us going, and we couldn’t get it done.”

After the drop, Cox had another punt adversely affected by the wind, this time netting 24 yards to New York’s 39-yard line. Cox said, “I was trying to kick low and get a roll, but the ball kept coming back. Forcing us to kickoff and punt into the wind was a great strategy. It really cost us the game in the first quarter.”

The Giants tried to use the wind at their backs one last time, but two of Simms’ three passes were incomplete. Landeta launched his first punt of the game – 40 yards to the Redskins 18-yard line, and it was returned to the 27.

The Redskins got their first break when New York was called for pass interference on a third-down incompletion, giving Washington their initial first down of the game at their 40-yard line. A five-yard run ran out the first-quarter clock. The strategy of defending with the wind proved to be a sound decision. Parcells said, “It was the toughest wind we’ve played in since I’ve been here.”

Changing sides of the field did not change Washington’s fortunes, as the second quarter proved to be just as disastrous as the first. After trading punts, the Giants actually improved field position as Cox’s punt with the wind set New York up at their 24-yard line. Punting from midfield four plays later, Landeta – punting into the wind – set the ball down at the 4-yard line. Landeta received a standing ovation as he walked back to the sideline.

Schroeder moved the ball out quickly, connecting with Art Monk for 48 yards down the right sideline for a gain into New York’s territory for the first time. Another completion to Monk and a George Rogers’ rush moved the chains again before the advance stalled at the Giants 34-yard line. Former Giant Jess Atkinson lined up for a 51-yard field goal attempt with the wind at his back, but the low snap skittered through Schoeder’s hands and Carl Banks recovered the loose ball at Washington’s 49-yard line. Banks said, “I think that was the biggest play of the game.”

The beginning of the end for the Redskins came on a 2nd-and-7 pass completion from Simms to Bavaro, good for 30 yards to the Washington 17-yard line. Morris ran off right tackle for eight yards to the 9-yard line, Simms ran a naked bootleg around left tackle to the 1-yard line, and Morris closed the drive with a 1-yard slant off right tackle for a touchdown and a 17-0 lead at 7:56 in the second quarter.

Joe Morris said, “It wasn’t a pretty game for us. It was hard to pass in the wind. You have to run the ball and they know you’re going to run the ball, so it’s hard. They’re a tough team.”

The touchdown drive into the wind all but finished off the Redskins. Even with the wind at their backs and throwing on almost every play, Washington struggled to move the ball.

Schroeder said, “For 15 yards I could throw. Beyond that, for the receivers it was like catching a knuckleball…The game was decided in the first quarter, no doubt about it. We couldn’t get the ball out of our territory. We had some deep shots, but either the ball was dropped or I threw it too far or the wind took it too wide. We had to fight the elements and the Giants too. It turned out to be too much.

Meanwhile, the Giants played the clock as much as they played the Redskins, running the ball as often as possible to keep time ticking away. Simms said, “Once we got the lead we sort of choked down our offense.”

Washington’s final chance to get back into the game occurred just inside the 2-minute warning before halftime when Morris lost a fumble at the Giants 37-yard line. Schroeder’s first down pass was incomplete as he was hurried by Jim Burt. Two short completions gave Washington a 4th-and-1 on the 28-yard line with one minute to go. Gibbs gambled again, passing on the field goal attempt and choosing to go for the first down. New York’s defense rose to the occasion and made the stop, swarming over Rogers for no gain on a run off left tackle.

Simms knelt on the ball twice to end the first half. The Giants game plan was seemingly to kneel on the ball the entire second half. Over the final 30 minutes, the Giants ran 29 offensive plays, 27 of which were rush attempts. Playing catch-up, Schroeder threw the ball 50 times in total, but completed only 20. Schroeder was also sacked four times and intercepted once.

The Giants defense was impenetrable – stonewalling the Redskins to 0-of-14 on third down conversion attempts, and 0-of-4 on fourth downs. The Giants advanced to Super Bowl XXI with a 17-0 victory in front of a Giants Stadium record 76,663 delirious and celebratory fans, who filled the air with newspaper, pages torn out of programs and hot dog wrappers. Jim Burt said, “This was our ticker-tape parade.”

Parcells said, “When you hold a team in that department to 0-for-18, it’s not perfect, it’s a miracle…You get those three-downs-and-punt series, it’s artistic.”

Taylor missed much of the second half after suffering a thigh bruise early in the third quarter when he collided with teammate Harry Carson’s helmet. It made little difference, as Carl Banks moved into Taylor’s role and the unit did not miss a beat. Byron Hunt and Andy Headen assumed Banks’ spot with no appreciable drop off. Chris Godfrey said, “Our defense played like a school of piranha waiting for someone to stick their foot in the water. They chewed them up.”

Brad Benson, who had held Dexter Manley to two tackles in the previous meeting, had a shut out of his own, keeping Manley off the stat sheet – no tackles and no assists. Benson said, “In the second quarter we made a bet. (Manley) said, ‘I’ll bet you $500 I get a sack.’ I took it. After the game, when we shook hands, he said, ‘It’s not fair. It shouldn’t count. You only threw two passes in the second half.’ I said, ‘O.K., I’ll settle for a beer at the Pro Bowl.'”

Manley said, “I feel I was a non-factor. I felt I was invisible.”

In their two playoff games, the Giants outscored the NFC’s representatives in the Super Bowl four of the past five years 66-3. Carson maintained a broad mindset amid the celebration: “We have to keep things in perspective because we’ve got a job to do on the field. We’re going to Pasadena not just to show up, but to win. It ain’t over yet…You have Troy Archer, Bob Ledbetter, Emlen Tunnel, John Tuggle, Spider Lockhart, I wish they could have been here to take part in this.”

Joe Morris said, “Today the New York Giant marched out of the dark ages. The only thing we used to hear about was the good old days. Now they’re talking about us.”

Run For The Roses

During the first week of preparations for the Super Bowl, George Martin felt the experience was almost too good to be true, “The Super Bowl was always like a dream, like someone telling you a fairy tale. You always hoped you would be in it. I think now that we are, you have less of a euphoric feeling.”

The Giant who had seen it all, Wellington Mara, said, “I always said the Giants would make the Super Bowl, I just didn’t know if I’d still be around.”

Carl Banks received much recognition for his dominating performance in the post-season, yet he remained humble, “If there’s pressure on the defense anywhere, it’s opposite Lawrence because most offenses are geared to go away from him. So if you’re not ready, they’re going to have a field day on your side.”

The adulation also came from ghosts from the past. Former Giant defensive great Jim Katcavage said, “All their linebackers are great. And the backups would be starting on other teams.”

Andy Robustelli seemed ready to pass on the torch of being the standard bearer: “Why the old Giants? Talk about the new Giants. I see a lot of character in the new Giants, they exude confidence. But I don’t call them a throwback because this is a whole new era. They’re not boastful, they’re not ornery. They have an opportunity to establish a shining example of what this new era can be.”

Phil Simms also garnered attention for his late season resurgence and clutch performances. His coach Ron Erhardt never doubted him, “It’s a shame. I think most of the fans think he’s a pretty good quarterback. In the past, the boo-birds were wrong.”

George Young’s belief in Simms also had never wavered: “He had to work his can off all the time and fight to stay on the field. Just think of all the times he wanted to be The Guy. He couldn’t finish in the playoffs in ’81, and he couldn’t finish in ’82 or ’83. He had to fight through all those frustrations. He had to fight his way through all those things. That’s what impresses me. I don’t count up the completed passes. I don’t know those attempts and completion averages and quarterback ratings.”

Simms himself was typically humble and deflected praise saying, “The Super Bowl is only supposed to be for special people.” He displayed his humility despite enjoying a week of practices that were the best anyone could remember seeing. Bart Oates said, “Phil was phenomenal in that Friday practice. He hit everything he threw. The receivers were making some tough catches. Parcells said, ‘Hey, this is too much. Save something for the game.’ Phil had this strange sort of a glow. It was like he was in a perfect biorhythm stage or something.”

Simms said later, “Right from the first day of practice I felt that I was going to have a good game. I felt good about throwing the ball. Conditions were just perfect for passing. I could see that the ball was carrying better. The weather was great. I was used to throwing in the cold, but now I could grip the ball any way I wanted to. I could make it do anything I wanted…I was excited by the way I was throwing, and I was excited by the game plan. We wanted to surprise them. We were going to come out throwing, and we were going to keep on throwing. I couldn’t have been happier.”

Phil McConkey said, “We were so ready even before we left for California. The game plan was in, and when we got out there, we were absolutely on fire at practice. Those were the greatest practices I’ve ever been associated with. Phil’s confidence was sky-high coming out of those practices, and he didn’t miss anything.”

Zeke Mowatt said, “We knew all week (Simms) was going to have a big game.”

The relaxed confidence from the week of practices carried over to the pre-game warm ups. Simms said, “I felt so good warming up in the Rose Bowl. ‘Nervous?’ Benson asked me. ‘No. Not nervous. Excited. I feel great. I’m gonna be throwing some fastballs today. Give me time and I’ll rip ‘em.’”

John Elway started off as hot as Simms. On the game’s opening possession, Elway started off with a 10-yard run, then connected with wide receiver Mark Jackson for 24 yards on 3rd-and-7 to put Denver in field goal position and an early 3-0 lead.

Simms answered with aplomb. He was 6-for-6 for 69 yards on the 9-play drive. The Giants passed on all five first downs, including the 6-yard touchdown pass to Zeke Mowatt, completely catching the Broncos defense off guard. Denver linebacker Karl Mecklenburg said, “They changed their whole offensive attack. Pass first, run second. It surprised us.”

Phil Simms, New York Giants, Super Bowl XXI (January 25, 1987)

Elway again moved Denver quickly, completing his first three passes. The third completion had an additional 30 yards tacked onto it when Carson was penalized for a late hit out of bounds and Taylor for unsportsmanlike conduct when he threw the official’s flag. Two plays later, Elway scored a touchdown on a 4-yard draw up the middle. The Broncos led 10-7 at 3:21 in the first quarter.

The Giants ran three more plays before the quarter ended. The passing totals for both quarterbacks were perfect: 13-for-13 for 144 yards (just over 11 yards per attempts). The first pass to hit the ground came on a 3rd-and-3 for the Giants when Phil McConkey fell down at the 45-yrd line of Denver and the ball sailed over his head incomplete. Landeta punted into the end zone and the Broncos took over on their 20-yard line.

Elway skewered the Giants pass coverage for 54 yards on 3rd-and-2, when he was able to move outside of the pocket to his left to avoid pressure, and throw across the field diagonally to wide receiver Vance Johnson near the right boundary. Banks said, “The Broncos have a smart, experienced line and they forced us out of our lanes. We had an unbalanced rush, three guys on one side and only one on the other. Elway just rolled to the side where there was one guy.”

Carson said, “We were tentative. We let Elway make some big plays, some long passes. Our defense is designed to contain the big plays and give up the short ones. It just wasn’t like us.”

Denver had a first down at New York’s 28-yard line, but despite the relative ease Denver had moving the ball against the Giants normally stout defense, there was no sense of panic. Parcells said, “I told our defensive guys before the game not to worry about (Elway) getting completions early and making plays. Just keep wearing them down.”

Three more completions and a short rush set up the Broncos with a 1st-and-goal on the Giants 1-yard line. After moving 79 yards in nine plays, Denver was one yard away from a 10-point lead midway through the second quarter.

Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants (January 25, 1987)

On first down, Elway rolled to his right with a pass-run option. New York’s defense flowed with him, flooding that half of the end-zone and eliminating receivers, while Taylor stayed with Elway until he ran out of room. Taylor tackled Elway on the sideline for a 1-yard loss. Elway said, “When you’re down there, the field gets telescoped real small. They have 11 guys in a small area, and it’s tough to throw.”

A trap play up the middle was stuffed by Harry Carson in the hole for no gain on second down. Third down was a pitch left to Sammy Winder, but New York’s goal-line front got penetration. Cornerback Perry Williams forced Winder back inside where Banks brought him to the turf for a loss of four yards. Banks said, “In New York they had scored on a pitchout from four yards out. I expected that play again, and that’s what they called.”

Denver failed to get any points from the once promising drive when Rich Karlis sent the 23-yard field goal attempt wide right. Elway said, “We were very disappointed. We had it going in the first half. That hurt us when it was 1st-and-goal and we didn’t get it in…At the point we needed the run, we couldn’t get it. The Giants are tough to run against.”

New York Giants Offense (January 25, 1987)

Taking over with 7:40 on the clock, the Giants advanced toward midfield before punting the Broncos to their own 15-yard line with 3:33 to play in the half. Leonard Marshall sacked Elway on a roll out for a 2-yard loss on first down. After a second-down incompletion, Elway was sacked in the end zone for a safety by Martin. The Giants now trailed 10-9 and had momentum on their side. Martin said, “I made a dummy call. I faked inside, he overset, and I went outside and he couldn’t get to me.”

The Giants received the free kick at 2:36 but went three-and-out and punted to Denver with 1:05 left in the half at their own 37-yard line. On second down, Elway scrambled out of the pocket and connected with wide receiver Steve Watson for a 31-yard gain to New York’s 32-yard line. A shovel pass for 11 yards preceded an offside penalty on the Giants and three consecutive incomplete passes.

Again, Denver came up empty when Karlis missed the 34-yard field goal attempt wide right. Reeves said, “I thought we should have scored about 10 more points in the first half. We knew going into the ballgame that if we didn’t take advantage of every opportunity we had, we’d be in tough shape…When you have an inadequate running game, it hurts you most inside ‘plus’ territory. To try to find a pass to use against the Giants is tough down there.”

Mark Collins said, “That missed field goal was huge, because you could feel the Broncos saying, ‘Damn, that was it.’”

Burt said, “We felt fortunate it was only 10-9 against us. We knew it was crucial to stop them early in the third quarter. We knew what we had to do. This is something you work for all your life. And we knew we were capable of coming back strong. We’ve been down at the half in other games this season, and won them.”

Carson said, “At halftime, we knew we had to contain (Elway) in the pocket, and get some three-and-outs.”

Martin said, “We were determined not to make any more dumb mistakes. We were a little bewildered in the first half, but you’ve gotta give credit to the Broncos…It was simply important to keep Elway in the pocket because when he gets out, he’s double dangerous. He can pass and he can run.”

The Giants defense began the second half on the sideline and the offense started off slowly. On 3rd-and-3 from their own 44-yard line, Morris was stopped after a pickup of two yards. New York’s punt team took the field, but quickly shifted to an offensive set with backup quarterback Jeff Rutledge under center. Rutledge checked with the sideline, then took the snap and burrowed into the line for a 2-yard gain and first down to maintain possession. This provided the spark the offense lacked since the game’s opening drive.

Parcells said, “Jeff could take a delay or run. He looked over at me, I nodded my head and he went for it. We went for it because we’re trying to win the game. This is for the world championship. I have a lot of confidence in our guys.”

Simms said, “After that play, things seemed to shift. I knew we could move the ball on these guys.”

Two of Simms’ passes had the Giants at the Denver 17-yard line. After two short runs, Simms connected with Bavaro up the right seam for a 13-yard touchdown and 16-10 lead at 10:08. New York’s revived defense held the Broncos to a three-and-out on three incomplete passes. Unlike the first half, Elway was contained to the pocket, unable to escape pressure.

New York Giants Defense (January 25, 1987)

The Giants took over on the Denver 36-yard line after McConkey returned the punt 25 yards. New York kept the ball on the ground. Three Morris rushes moved the chains. After a 1-yard run by Lee Rouson, Simms completed his only pass attempt for nine yards. The drive stalled at the Broncos 4-yard line after a scramble by Simms and two more runs by Carthon and Morris. Allegre kicked a 21-yard field goal and the Giants widened their lead to 19-10 at 4:18.

Another Bronco’s three-and-out gave the Giants the ball at their 32-yard line. A 17-yard completion to Manuel between two Morris rushes set the stage for the game’s climactic moment. On 2nd-and-6 from the Denver 45-yard line, Simms handed off to Morris, who took two steps toward the line, then pivoted and pitched back to Simms in the pocket. Simms surveyed the field and then passed deep down the left sideline to McConkey who caught the ball inside the 10-yard line. McConkey was upended by former Giant Mark Haynes and downed just inside the 1-yard line.

Simms said, “We’ve run the flea-flicker in practice for I don’t know how long and we’ve never hit on the damn thing. When I hit McConkey on the one, I thought ‘That’s it. We’ve won it.’” Morris went over from the one on the next play and New York lead 26-10 with 34 seconds left in the quarter.

Parcells said, “When we hit the flea-flicker, we really had a tremendous volume of momentum. We were dominating the third quarter pretty well. Once we hit that one and got the touchdown, I knew we would be hard to beat.”

Hard to beat quickly became near impossible. The third quarter ended with Marshall sacking Elway and the fourth quarter began with Elvis Patterson intercepting him. A 6-play drive ended with McConkey catching a deflected pass off of Bavaro’s shoulder for a touchdown and a 34-10 lead. It was the final pass Simms would throw. He finished the day 22-of-25 for 268 yards – nearly 11 yards per attempt – with three touchdowns. His 88% completion percentage was a post-season record and remains the standard for the Super Bowl.

The remainder of the game was anti-climactic, with New York allowing the bench players generous playing time and the defense playing soft to keep the clock moving. Simms was unanimously voted “Most Valuable Player” for the game after the 39-20 triumph.

“(Simms) quarterbacked as good a game as ever has been played,” said Parcells.

Ron Erhardt said, “Technically as close to a perfect game as I’ve seen a quarterback have.”

Reeves said, “The impressive thing about Simms is that when they put him in a pressure situation, he came through.”

Simms said, “In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have hoped it would work out this way. It’s like when you’re playing golf, and you know every putt’s going to go in. I didn’t throw one ball where I felt, ‘Damn! I want that one back.’…This makes up for all the crap I’ve taken over the years.”

The Giants defense also received praise. Elway said, “That defense just seems to know what I want to do and how I’m going to try to do it. There’s more quickness up front than we’ve seen.”

Denver center Billy Brian said, “They line up and say, ‘We’re going to come at you. Try to knock us off the ball.’ Their front seven is the strongest I can remember playing against.

Lawrence Taylor said, “Now, no matter what people say about our team, whether the Giants don’t look good anymore or whatever, as long as I live I’ll always have a Super Bowl ring. One time in my career, we are considered the best in the world. That was the most important thing.”

Carson said, “This has been a long time coming. I just wish I didn’t have to wait so long.”

The New Standard

Not only were the 1986 Giants the best team in pro football for the season, they rated well against teams of the past as well. They outscored their opposition 105-23 in the post-season. The record differential of 82 points was one better than the 1985 Chicago Bears who had outscored their playoff opponents 91-10.

New York overcame their own history as well. They played in their first championship game since 1963 and won their first championship since 1956.

New York Giants Super Bowl XXI Ring – © USA TODAY Sports Images

New York Giants Super Bowl XXI Ring – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Bart Oates said, “Not only did we have to overcome the people we played for 16 games and the playoffs, but there was a lot of history involved. There’s a long history of losing in this organization, and we were able to overcome all that losing by overcoming choking in the big game.”

Carson said, “For so many years, to think we would win a Super Bowl would be to question our sanity.”

Wellington Mara said, “(Winning the Super Bowl) was great, but I tried to be professional about it and remember it was great to win our other championships too. (Charlie) Conerly and Y.A. Tittle had big games for us, but maybe not in that big a game. I wouldn’t trade Simms for any quarterback in the game. For our ream, in our environment, he’s the perfect quarterback. He’s tough, maybe strong is the better word. He’s strong mentally, physically and spiritually.”

Simms said, “We won the Super Bowl, the Giants. They can’t take that away from us.”

The ghosts had finally been buried.

**********************************************************************

Sources:

“Reaching For Respect”
Paul Zimmerman, Sep 29. 1986, Sports Illustrated

“Point of Attack: The Defense Strikes Back”
Harry Carson & Jim Smith, 1986, McGraw Hill Book Co.

“A Giant Step Forward”
Paul Zimmerman, Dec 15, 1986, Sports Illustrated

“Deep Sixing The Niners”
Paul Zimmerman, Jan 12, 1987, Sports Illustrated

“Just A Breeze For The Giants”
Paul Zimmerman, Jan 19, 1987, Sports Illustrated

Official Game Program Super Bowl XXI
John Wiebusch, Jan 25, 1987, National Football League Properties, Inc.

“Closing In On The Big One”
Paul Zimmerman, Jan. 26, 1987, Sports Illustrated

“Killer Giants”
Paul Zimmerman, Feb 2, 1987, Sports Illustrated

“Giants 1987 World Championship Yearbook”
Laura A. Thorpe, 1987, Woodward Publishing

“Illustrated History of the New York Giants: From The Polo Grounds To Super Bowl XXI”
Richard Whittingham, 1987, HarperCollins

“The Giants Super Bowl Season”
Jerry Pinkus & Frank Gifford, 1987, William Morrow and Co.

“Giants: The Unforgettable Season”
Kevin Lamb, 1987, Macmillan Publishing Co.

“Simms To McConkey: Blood, Sweat and Gatorade”
Phil Simms, Phil McConkey with Dick Schapp, 1987, Crown Publishers, Inc.

“Captain For Life”
Harry Carson, 2011, St. Martin’s Press

2016 New York Football Giants Information Guide
Micheal Eisen, Dandre Phillips, Corey Rush, 2016, New York Football Giants, Inc.

Official 2016 NFL Record & Fact Book
2016, NFL Communications Dept.

Giants vs Rams Game Program London Game 16
Colin Hubbuck, Oct. 23, 2016, Haymarket Network

Going Back Through the VCR Archives: Looking Back at 25 Years of Giants Games on Tape
Giants-Vikings November 16, 1986 edition
Giants-49ers December 1, 1986 edition
Giants-Redskins December 7, 1986 edition

Historical New York Times searchable archive (via ProQuest)

Historical Washington Post searchable archive (via ProQuest)

Pro Football Reference
New York Giants Franchise Encyclopedia

Nov 172016
 

Leonard Marshall and Bill Parcells, New York Giants (December 23, 1984)

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By Larry Schmitt, with contributions from Matt Michelman

The day after the close of the 1978 season, and 29 days after The Fumble, December 18, 1978, John McVay was released as head coach of the New York Giants and Andy Robustelli resigned as director of football operations, pending the acquisition of his successor. The once proud franchise, last place finishers in five of the previous six football season, were the league punch line. The co-owners, Wellington and Tim Mara, had not spoken to one another in almost a full calendar year.

The two leading candidates for the new coaching position were from the college ranks: Joe Paterno of Penn State and Bill Walsh of Stanford. Both men were involved in preparation of their programs’ respective bowl games and would not interview until after January 1. Dan Reeves, an assistant coach on Dallas was also in the running, and would not become available until the Cowboys post season had concluded.

Robustelli’s recommendations for the director of football operations position were Bobby Beathard, personnel director of the Miami Dolphins, and Jan Van Duser, head of the NFL’s personnel office. Regarding his five year tenure with the New York Giants, which involved a major restructuring of the scouting department, Robustelli said, “It was tough trying to tear down the old building and attempt to build it again while people were living in it. It meant catching a lot of hell and maybe losing a couple of friends.”

Veteran player Jack Gregory said of the changes, “The Maras are great people. I think they’re kinda fed up with the fans getting on them. I guess it was their only choice left. I don’t know it its entirely justified, but what else can you do?”

Robustelli felt optimistic on what he was leaving behind. The organizational structure, while imperfect, had been modernized and reorganized. Player prospects were now seen by multiple scouts, who all reported up to a chief scout. Coaches were able to operate without interference from ownership. Wellington Mara said, “I told Andy all I just would like to have is veto power over trades, and I think we all should agree on the head coach.”

Getting “all” to agree was going to prove to be the most elusive of ideals.

Robustelli, fed up with the infighting, walked away from the Giants on December 31, leaving the quarrelsome Maras on their own. He wrote years later, “During my five seasons as director of operations, the games played behind the games played on Sunday were far tougher and costlier to the franchise than anything that happened on the field. Like the games on the field, there were soon two teams in our office.”

The New Year was filled with rumors and innuendo. Press conferences were called and little substance was revealed, consternation abounded, and potential candidates vanished. Paterno, who wanted full control of the football organization, ultimately refuted the Giants courting, while Walsh went to San Francisco. Reeves felt uncomfortable with the feuding owners and chose to remain in Dallas. The frustration boiled over. Tim Mara said of Paterno, “I don’t know what job or jobs my uncle offered him. My gut reaction is that Joe Paterno never was going to come to the Giants anyway.”

All the elder Mara would say is, “We don’t always agree.”

Rumors from unnamed sources suggested the two owners were conducting their own searches in solitary.

Wellington declared, “I am the president of the Giants. The office was given me by election. Even though the shareholding is equal, having been made president, I’m chief operating officer. It’s my responsibility, when there is a deadlock, to make the final decision…I want to get a man who can run this franchise the next 10 or 20 years, a good man whom I can trust.”

Tim Mara, who was titled as vice president and treasurer, retorted, “No. No. Nobody can make that final decision. We’ve had 15 years of losing, six straight years of being in the cellar. If he picks the man it will be the same old story. Business as usual.”

Wellington said, “I think there is a difference between an equal voice and the ability to immobilize an organization.”

Don Smith, the Giants former press director said, “The inviolate Mara bond has come apart. Blood was always thicker than water. The sense of family is being disrupted, shattered in the press.”

Tim Mara said, “Of course, there’s some strain. It’s been going on for some time now, and now it’s out. Now we have to go from here.”

John Mara, Wellington’s eldest son and law student at Fordham said, “The most disturbing thing is that we’ve prided ourselves as being a family. We’ve always been able to work things out and now we can’t. It’s pretty much torn the families apart. It’s unlikely that we’ll ever be able to live together peacefully again.”

The state of stasis became a stare-down contest over the potential appointment of Assistant Director of Operations Terry Bledsoe, who Wellington Mara preferred as Robustelli’s successor. Tim Mara countered with Gill Brandt from Dallas.

On February 9th, following back-to-back press conferences by the two Maras, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle stepped in to arbitrate what had become a public embarrassment to the league. Rozelle told the two owners to each draw up a list of their preferred candidates. Two names that appeared on each were Van Dueser and former San Diego coach Tommy Prothro. Van Dueser, however, chose not to get involved in the dysfunctional situation and withdrew his name from consideration after interviewing, “It was partly for personal reasons and partly for professional reasons.” Prothro declined outright, choosing to remain in retirement.

Wellington Mara said, “Some people who were prime candidates did not want to become referees.”

Tim Mara conceded that the franchise was beginning to be perceived as “foolish and ridiculous.” Wellington announced that since the two could not agree on a director of operations, that he would find the team a head coach, which incensed Tim.

Wellington: “It’s like taking an exam. When you can’t answer the second question, you go ahead and answer the third and fourth.”

An incredulous Tim said, “This was unexpected. Well just told me an hour ago. Naturally, I’m going to take this up with the commissioner. I think the coach is only one part of a football organization. The D.O. is the one who’s going to have to pull it all together…I want to have a winner. Well wants to have a winner, his way. Well’s way has had us in the cellar the last 15 years. I think the people he wants have only been linked to failure.”

On February 10th, the embarrassment reached its zenith. New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne spoke on behalf of his populace and proposed a solution while at the NJSEA: “I have not excluded the possibility of a public or private buyout of the Giants to solve their ridiculous disputes. The sports complex is a first-class, professional operation and New Jersey had expected a similarly professional performance from the Giants.”

Tim Mara told reporters that former Washington coach George Allen inquired about the vacant coaching position, but that very well may have been in response to Tim’s learning of Wellington having had a clandestine meeting with Reeves. Tim said, “It seems we’ve been growing farther apart.”

The only thing the two seemed to agree upon was mediation from Rozelle.

Wellington: “(I) would prefer the commissioner come over and run the team, I could prefer that to just sitting here and doing nothing.”

Tim: “The only person who has that power is the commissioner.”

A disgusted Rozelle had also grown tired of the feuding in public: “I’m going to continue working with both of (the Maras), but the less said, the better.”

A Great Compromise

Wellington Mara had received a recommendation from Bobby Beathard about his director of scouting, George Young. Wellington was familiar with Young’s detailed reports on college and pro players, and told Rozelle that he wanted Young, but that he couldn’t suggest anyone to Tim because it would be automatically rejected. Wellington told Rozelle that the Young recommendation had to come from him.

Rozelle told Tim Mara that he needed to choose between Young and Yale Athletic Director and former Cleveland Browns quarterback Frank Ryan. Tim said, “I had Frank Gifford check out Young for me. He called Bobby Beathard and got a glowing report, and he told me that he was definitely the man.”

On the 58th day of the bitter impasse, Young, showing the attributes of both Paul Brown and Henry Kissinger, came to Rozelle’s office in New York to meet with the Maras. The way the meeting unfolded spoke volumes to how desperate Rozelle was to have this saga finished forever.

Tim Mara recalled: “…we go on Wednesday to the Drake Hotel and we interview Young for two hours. We’re impressed and we go to Rozelle’s office. We’re sitting there and we have to go over the new resolutions about how the club shall be governed and who has right of first refusal in the event of a stockholder’s death and things like that. It also placed the football operation in the hands of whoever would get the general manager’s job.

“George wants to go home and talk it over with his wife but Pete wants it settled tonight. So George is in the other room and we’re dotting i’s and crossing t’s…Now it’s like 7:00 p.m. and nobody is in the league office, so Pete walks over to the typewriter and he starts to type out the press release for that night. It’s probably the first one he wrote in 25 years and the last one he ever wrote. While he’s writing, he suddenly looks up and says, ‘This is a great way to spend today. It’s my wedding anniversary.’”

A hastily scheduled news conference was called to get the word out immediately. An exhausted, horse-voiced Wellington Mara proudly boasted in front of the cameras and reporters, “It’s a sign the Giants are conforming with the rest of the league.”

The fallout from the Wellington-Tim Mara feud is forever be remembered in a document residing at the NFL’s office. In it are guidelines on ownership, drawn up by Rozelle, that decree any changes in the ownership of an existing franchise, or a new charter being drawn up for an expansion franchise, must have a majority owner. There will never be another 50-50 split ownership. Wellington said, “I regard it as a personal tragedy that our club provided the wisdom for that rule.”

Tim Mara said, “Sure, there were differences. But I always said that once we solved this problem, it would be behind us.”

Young came to the Giants with universal approval. Don Shula called Young, “A walking encyclopedia of information,” and added, “We went into games well-prepared basically because of George. He was my right-hand man.” Former Kansas City coach Hank Stram said, “George is in the good position of coming to a team that needs his kind of help. He knows football inside and out. He comes to the Giants well prepared.”

Regarding what promised to be a sometimes precarious man-in-the-middle between the often ornery owners, Young was appropriately diplomatic: “(I am) very happy to be with the Giants. I read the New York papers…But I know a good job when I see one. This is a wonderful opportunity and the Maras are one of the greatest families in pro football.”

On his credentials, Young said, “My experience is in personnel, waivers, things I can help a coach with. Some head coaches are excellent coaches, but are not good evaluators of personnel. Others are not good at talking to other people about trades. I don’t care who gets credit for anything, as long as we’re going in the same direction. That’s more important than any ego trip.”

The bruised egos of the two owners, however, would never completely heal. Wellington and Tim would remain on non-speaking terms for the remainder of Tim’s ownership (he sold his interest to Bob Tisch in March 1991), and one of Young’s responsibilities was to serve as their intermediary. While unease permeated the Giants offices with little respite, the feuding in public was over for good.

Establishing Order

While it took the owners 58 days to find their man, it took Young only eight days to find his. This bold and decisive move exemplified Young’s conviction and underscored his authority.

Ray Perkins was named the 11th head coach of the Giants, but was only the second to come from outside the organization (Bill Arnsparger being the first). Young was acquainted with Perkins when they were both in Baltimore with the Colts in the late 1960’s. The always quotable Young said, “Always hire a guy you know.”

Perkins had gained a strong reputation as a hardworking and studious wide receiver with the Colts, as a position coach with New England and as the offensive coordinator with San Diego. That his name had little resonance with the general public did not faze the owners, who were thrilled with the addition to their staff.

Wellington Mara: “Ray Perkins is very impressive in an unimpressive way.”

Tim Mara: “We have two people who I feel have credibility. They may not be that well-known by the man in the street, but the people in football, the people whose life is football, the people from the other 27 teams, know about them.”

One of the Giants rival executives, Gil Brandt of Dallas, ironically had given The New York Times a very candid and detailed analysis on his thoughts of the Giants a month earlier, during the Mara’s standoff. In it, he cited New York’s three chief failings:

(1) Organizational stability – the Giants were looking for their fifth head coach in 10 years. “When you pick a coach, you’ve got to pick the right man. If you pick somebody and he stays for two years and you’re not satisfied and then go to someone else, you’re back starting from scratch again.”

(2) Player acquisition and development – “When you draft top choices like Rocky Thompson, Eldridge Small, Al Simpson, guys who should be playing for you now and are no longer there, you get wiped out….Sometimes poor choices are not entirely on the scouting department. We’ve made some choices that we were high on that never improved. You have to find a way to make players compete so that they’re not just satisfied with what they’ve done but want to improve all the time.”

(3) Find the long term answer at quarterback – “Number one, they have to improve the quarterback situation, and they have to strengthen the wide receivers. Their running backs are adequate, the offensive line is coming together. Defensively, they’re pretty well set. They have the nucleus of doing well. I would try to trade or draft a quarterback. When you draft a quarterback, he’s usually not ready to play, but you can build with him. If you trade for one, it’s harder because nobody wants to give up a player like Danny White, our backup.”

In the short time since that interview was published the organization had become remarkably stabilized by Young’s presence, and a demanding coach was in place who would make players accountable. The third piece of the puzzle, that had proved to be elusive for the previous regime, was still missing.

Robustelli said as he exited his post, “When I came here, we were two years behind any expansion team. We had to tear down an organization and we had nothing to trade. If you add seven players a year, in five years you should have 35 players. Right now I would say the Giants are in a position for the first time to draft for depth. There’s only about four positions where we really need help at.”

The most critical of those positions was quarterback, which had been a revolving door since the departure of Fran Tarkenton after the 1971 season. Norm Snead, Randy Johnson, Craig Morton, Jim Del Gaizo, Joe Pisarcik, Jerry Golsteyn and Randy Dean all took their turns as starters over the ensuing seven seasons; results were routinely inconsistent and usually disappointing. The man on Young’s and Perkins’ radar would be another name the public was not familiar with, yet had the people in the know in the football world enamored. He was a strong-armed quarterback at a small school in Kentucky with a losing record (10-27 the past four seasons) that ran the ball more than they threw it.

Phil Simms’ final semester at Morehead State was a hectic one. He was continuously visited by NFL scouts and coaches.

Simms recalled: “There was no combine then, so the coaches and scouts who wanted to see me came to Morehead…I had worked out for about nine teams, and every single person who came to Morehead wanted to see how hard I could throw. In fact, when I asked Ray Perkins, the Giants coach at the time, how he wanted me to throw the ball, he said, ‘Son, I want you to throw that ball as hard as you can every time.’ ‘Even short passes?,’ I asked. ‘I want you to knock ‘em down.’

“Then Bill Walsh came along. I started working out, throwing hard as usual, and Bill said, ‘Oh that’s wayyy to hard. Throw a little softer. Throw with a little more rhythm. I want you to drop back gracefully. Be light on your feet. And I want you to throw with beautiful rhythm. I want your passes to be really pretty. I want nice spirals.’…After about 10 minutes I finally got it. I finally got to a speed that he liked. For the next 30 minutes I threw just the way he wanted me to. The results were awesome. That was one of the most enjoyable days I’ve ever had as a quarterback.”

“Bill came back to Morehead to work me out a second time. Afterward, he said, ‘Phil, if we draft you you’re going to lead the league in passing every year.’ The Forty-Niners didn’t have a first round pick that year. They had the first pick of the second round, and Bill told me he was confident I would be there. He was wrong. I wound up being a first round pick of the Giants.”

The most familiar name to football fans hoping for a quarterback in the spring of 1979 was Jack Thompson of Washington State. When Rozelle called the Giants first pick – the seventh overall – the boisterous reaction of the approximately 200 fans on hand at the Waldorf-Astoria ballroom surprised everyone in the room. The New York press was so amazed, that they pleaded with the commissioner for a second-take. Rozelle obliged, and as he stepped up to re-announce the Giants pick with a wry smile, anticipating another lively response, he got that and more.

The riled Giants fans jeered before Rozelle even said Simms’ name, and the commissioner chuckled his way off the stage while they howled defiantly. That group of Giants fans left an indelible impression on Rozelle, and he looked to capitalize on their passion. The next year, Rozelle had the draft moved to the New York Sheraton hotel, which possessed a gallery that could accommodate up to 750 people. Also, for the first time, fans could watch the selection process from home as the draft was broadcast live on television.

Despite what the fans thought, everyone in the Giants organization was thrilled to have Simms.

Perkins said, “I think Phil Simms, at some point in time, has a chance to be a great quarterback… We had good reason to believe he would not be there in the second round.”

Ray Perkins and Phil Simms, New York Giants (1979)

Former Giants coach John McVay, who was now the director of player personnel for San Francisco, told Perkins, “You guys made one hell of a pick.”

Young said, “Once in a while you get to get a guy with a great arm and great potential and you darn better take it. Names, that’s just feeding Pablum to the fans.”

Just weeks following the draft, tragedy struck the Giants. On June 22nd, defensive tackle Troy Archer was killed when his pickup truck struck a telephone pole in North Bergen, New Jersey. Archer died from severe head trauma. Another passenger was also killed and a third went to the hospital with critical injuries. Archer lost control of the vehicle on a rain-slicked road, alcohol and drug involvement were ruled out by investigators. The loss of the young, talented player was a harbinger of personal loss that was going to linger with the franchise.

Welcome to the Big Time

The Giants brought five quarterbacks to camp and the three who made the opening day roster were Simms, Pisarcik and Dean. Pisarcik was a sub-50% passer with two touchdowns and four interceptions as the Giants began the campaign 0-2. Perkins sat Pisarcik and started Dean after the Week 3 27-0 disaster at Washington on Monday Night Football. While the stat sheet was ugly – 7-of-24 with two more interceptions – it was believed that Pisarcik’s confidence was shot as the line was not protecting him. He’d been sacked 17 times over the first three games and the physical beating was becoming overwhelming. Dean didn’t fare much better in Week 4, he was 10-of-22 and two interceptions in a home loss to Philadelphia.

Pisarcik got the start for the Week 5 game at New Orleans, and Giants fans got a glimpse of the future.

The game did not appear to be anything out of the ordinary at first. New Orleans led 7-0 midway through the second quarter. Pisarcik, who had entered the game with a sore knee, struggled going to 3-of-9 for 39 yards. After he took a hard hit and bruised his shoulder, Perkins sent in Simms.

Immediately there was a noticeable lift in New York’s energy. Simms connected on two deep throws to Johnny Perkins and had the Giants in position to tie the game, but an underthrown pass toward the end zone was intercepted. New Orleans kicked a field goal and led 10-0 at the half. Simms said, “I underthrew the ball. Instead of going ahead and throwing it, I tried to make it perfect.”

The Saints widened the margin to 17-0 to start the third quarter, but the Giants matched that with Simms’ first touchdown drive for the Giants. The defense held and Simms brought New York downfield for a field goal attempt that would’ve made it a one-score game at 17-10, but Joe Danelo’s 43-yard kick missed the mark.

A linebacker Harry Carson interception gave the Giants the ball right back and this time Simms delivered with his first NFL touchdown pass, an 11-yarder to running back Ken Johnson. With 11:00 left in the game, Brian Kelley recovered a New Orleans fumble, and again Simms drove the Giants into scoring territory. Running back Doug Kotar caught a pass at the Saints 15-yard line, but the ball was jarred loose on the tackle and the Saints recovered and ultimately held on for a 24-14 victory.

Although New York was 0-5, the locker room was not despondent. Perkins was initially non-committal, but Simms was given the start the next week at Giants Stadium against 5-0 Tampa Bay. Despite failing to score more than 17 points for the 17th straight game, the Giants upset the Buccaneers 17-14. Simms statistics were not impressive, 6-of-12 for 37 yards, as Billy Taylor ran the ball 33 times for 148 yards and both Giant touchdowns.

The following week Simms aired it out for 300 yards and two touchdowns against San Francisco in a 32-14 win. Two more wins at Kansas City and Los Angeles saw the Giants at 4-5 and thinking about the possibility of the playoffs. The four-game win streak for Simms set an NFL standard for rookie quarterbacks that would stand for 25 years.

The streak nearly reached five. A Giants Stadium record crowd of 76,490 erupted joyously with 8:33 to play in the fourth quarter when Simms hit Taylor for a 23-yard touchdown and 14-6 led over heavily-favored Dallas. However, the Cowboys, led by Giant nemesis Roger Staubach, led Dallas to 10 points in the last three minutes to pull out the victory, with the winning points coming on a 22-yard field goal with three seconds to play. Linebacker Brad Van Pelt said, “I don’t want to say it was our Super Bowl, but we treated it like it was a Super Bowl.”

The Giants won two of their next three before falling out of contention after a second loss to Dallas and ended the year 6-10, their seventh consecutive losing record. Simms finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to the St. Louis Cardinals Ottis Anderson. The decade of despair ended with a sense of optimism heading into 1980.

Another brush with personal loss put a scare into the Giants in March when linebacker Dan Lloyd was diagnosed with lymphoma. The Giants maintained his locker during his treatment and recovery in anticipation of his return the following year. Ultimately, Lloyd also sat out the 1981 season, and was declared cured of cancer by his doctors in 1982. A knee injury forced him to miss the 1982 season, after which he was released by the Giants. Lloyd retired from football after playing in the USFL during the 1983 season.

Simms opened the 1980 season with a five-touchdown, 280-yard performance at St. Louis in a 41-35 victory, the best passing day for a Giant since Fran Tarkenton in 1970. A last-second loss at home to the Redskins sent the Giants into a tailspin that nearly cost them their team captain.

Phil Simms, New York Giants (October 26, 1980)

Harry Carson recalled: “When I played badly in our third game of the season in 1980, a 35-3 loss at Philadelphia on a Monday night, I considered retiring. At the time football wasn’t much fun. I was tired of doing the same thing day after day for a losing team (New York’s record at that point since Carson had joined the team in 1976 was 21-43). Then I spent 10 minutes closeted alone with Perkins. I suggested that the Giants donate my game check to charity because I had played so badly. I told him I wanted to quit, to go home and get away from football for a while. He told me to wait and come see him the next morning at the stadium…Perk did not try to talk me out of quitting. He just told me to make sure of what I was doing. I know he cared for me as a person, not just as a player. I’ll always respect him for that.”

Carson remained a Giant but had a frustrating, injury-marred season that included two stays on the injured reserve list. An eight-game losing streak ended with a thrilling 38-35 upset of heavily favored Dallas at home, the Giants first win over the Cowboys since 1974. Simms had a 300-yard passing day in that victory and the next week as well over Green Bay. However, his season ended abruptly in a loss to St. Louis with a bruised collar bone. Rookie Scott Brunner quarterbacked the Giants the rest of the way to their woeful 4-12 record. It seemed like the languishing from 1970’s would never end.

Sudden Impact

Ironically, the rancor surrounding the Giants number one pick – and second overall – in the 1981 draft came from within the organization rather than outside it. Specifically, the veterans of the defensive unit, several of which had All-Pro credentials, were displeased with the notion of a rookie coming in as the team’s highest paid player.

Young seemed unmoved, and made no public statements to quell the rumors: “Our approach will be to try to get as many quality players as we can and not be dictated to by the need-for-position board. It’s my experience when you bring the position board into the draft room, you’re in trouble.”

Young never hesitated with the selection after New Orleans took George Rogers first overall, but he deflected praise when asked about taking linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who was regarded by most as the best athlete in the draft, “Today we are all just as smart or just as dumb as one another.”

Perkins reminisced years later: “I’ve never looked at game films and been as totally impressed as I was with (Taylor). I stayed up all night before the draft hoping and praying and crossing my legs, fingers, and everything else, that (New Orleans coach) Bum Phillips would take George Rogers. And he did.”

Taylor had been uneasy on becoming a focal point of distraction: “I heard the talk that some of the Giants would walk out if I got a lot of money. I didn’t want people to be mad at me. So I sent the Giants a telegram Monday saying I would rather not be drafted by them. Monday night I got calls from some of the players, on offense and defense and some coaches. They said there was nothing to the story, and there would be no walkout. They said they wanted me here.”

He also discussed the move from his college position of defensive end to outside linebacker: “I feel at home in that position. I know what’s going on there. The block can only come from one direction.” Veteran Brian Kelley was expected to vacate his outside position and move to one of the inside spots as the Giants converted full-time to the 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Bill Parcells.

To say Taylor’s transition to a new position and gaining acceptance from the veterans went smoothly would be an understatement of the grandest proportions.

Carson: “When we arrived at training camp, it didn’t take us long to see what the guys in scouting and personnel already knew. Once we took the field, you couldn’t help but watch him as he went through drills. He made some agility drills look easy…I had never seen a player so big, so fast and so strong move the way Lawrence Taylor moved on the football field. He would make plays that would make players turn to one another and ask, ‘Man, did you see that shit?’ Lawrence Taylor was something special.”

Simms: “From what I saw in person, I can’t think of another player that compares with Lawrence Taylor. My gosh! Even if you knew nothing about football, you could see that he was different from anybody else that you had ever practiced or played with. He had skill that was unique and new to the NFL…When you played us, you actually had to change your offensive philosophy, just because you had to find a different way to deal with him…Lawrence was a ferocious competitor. He loved to win and he never turned that off.”

New York started the 1981 season unevenly at 2-2. Clearly, the defense was the strength of the team and largely responsible for the two wins, where a combined 14 points were allowed, and had kept the Giants close in two tough losses to division powerhouses Philadelphia and Dallas.

Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants (September 13, 1981)

Carson: “With each game we players that 1981 season, we could all see Lawrence Taylor was the real deal. We saw week in and week out an athlete with superb mental and physical abilities will himself, like an artist, to be better than most other players on the same field…I remember thinking, ‘Damn, I’m glad he’s on my side!’”

Perkins: “(Taylor) makes the offenses study how they’ll attack him and how they’ll try to keep him from attacking them. When you do that you have to put two men on him, which starts to restrict their offensive schemes.”

Brian Kelley said, “Looking at it on paper, you wouldn’t believe a weak-side linebacker could affect a defense so much. Watching it on film, it’s obvious. With Lawrence out there, he completely changes the whole offense.”

Simms: “(Taylor) was not only good. He was frightening.”

That week Young traded for Rob Carpenter, a big, versatile fullback who suddenly became available from the Houston Oilers. Young said, “Ray asked me last spring about getting him. We talked to the Oilers as soon as they named their new coach, but he wanted to look over his team first. He’s a real all-round back. He’s a good blocker, has good running moves and excellent hands.”

Carpenter sat on the bench as New York lost to Green Bay at home, as well as the first half the following week against St. Louis. Perkins sent Carpenter out with the first team to start the third quarter and the lift he gave the offense was not unlike the one Taylor had given the defense. Suddenly, the Giants rushing attack was consistent and reliable. Big gains on first down were followed-up with crucial pick-ups in short yardage. The Giants controlled the clock, gave the defense much needed rest, and energized the Giants Stadium crowd who cheered every time the chains moved. In 30 minutes of action, Carpenter totaled 104 yards on 14 carries and caught two passes for 23 yards as the Giants rolled to a confidence-boosting 34-14 victory.

The next week was even better. On the road in Seattle, Carpenter started and had a 122-yard rushing day on 21 carries, the first a Giant had consecutive 100-yard rushing games since Ron Johnson in 1972. The defense smothered the Seahawks and registered five sacks and four takeaways, giving New York its first shutout in three years. Taylor said, “It’s hard to complete a lot of passes if someone’s in your face all the time.”

The next week, New York won on the road against heavily-favored Atlanta. The victory was the franchise’s first in overtime. All this newfound success proved to be fleeting however, as the Giants lost three in a row. The first setback was a physical beating by the Jets where Simms was injured while enduring a nine-sack barrage. The second was a late loss following a Brunner-led comeback in Green Bay, and the third an overtime loss set up by a botched squib kick at home to Washington. The Giants also lost Simms for the second season in a row in the Washington game with a separated shoulder.

Now 5-6, many felt this was the same old Giants team on the verge of another late-season collapse as they had done so many times before. Next up was 9-2 Philadelphia, owners of a 12-game win streak over New York.

Character and Guts

The first three quarters at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium saw the defenses dominate a gritty 10-10 stalemate. The Giants front seven made life miserable for Philadelphia quarterback Ron Jaworski, who was sacked three times en route to a 20-of-45 passing day. New York played it close to the vest and relied on the running of Carpenter, who would finish the day with 111 yards on 24 carries.

The tipping point came early in the fourth quarter. On 3rd-and-1 for Philadelphia on their own 23-yard line, running back Wilbert Montgomery was stopped inches short of the yard marker. Eagles coach Dick Vermeil expectedly sent out his punting unit, but result turned out to be puzzling. Vermeil called for a snap to the up-back for a run, but the center misinterpreted the call and snapped the ball to a very surprised punter Max Runnager, who then shanked the kick for a net gain of nine yards.

New York took over on the Eagles 32-yard line and sent Carpenter into the line five successive times. After an incomplete third down pass, Joe Danelo kicked a 30-yard field goal for a 13-10 New York advantage. Philadelphia advanced the ball as far as their 45-yard line on their next possession, then the Giants defense took over the game.

Scott Brunner (12), Jim Clack (58), New York Giants (November 22, 1981)

Back-to-back holding penalties and a Brad Van Pelt sack of Jaworski set up a third-and-39 for the Eagles from their own 16-yard line. On the next snap, cornerback Terry Jackson jumped an out-route, picked the ball cleanly, and raced down the sideline 32 yards untouched for a touchdown and 20-10 lead. Jackson said, “They put two guys in my deep zone. He had to throw the ball across the field, and when he let it go I knew I had it. I also knew I would score because all the other Eagles were blocking on the other side of the field.”

The Eagles mustered up one last desperation drive that ended with a missed field goal. The Giants then ran off most of the final three minutes from the clock with Carpenter plunges and a prevent defense.

This game was almost three years to the date after “The Fumble.” It was quite ironic that the Veterans Stadium crowd began to chant “WE WANT JOE! WE WANT JOE!” as Jaworski dumped off short passes against New York’s soft zone defense. The Joe they called for was none other than Joe Pisarcik, who had been Philadelphia’s backup quarterback after a trade with the Giants during the 1980 draft.

After the game, the New York locker room was buoyant:

Taylor: “The defensive game plan was take it to them. If we lost this game, we had no chance for the playoffs.”

Van Pelt: “We started slow, but we should be proud of our performance.”

Perkins: “I don’t think the score indicates just how bad we beat them. We showed a lot of character and guts. We could have bit the dust and played the last five games and gone home for Christmas. I told our guys Monday we were going to shock the world today.”

Ironically, in the midst of New York’s most prosperous season in over a decade, hard feelings over an old grudge surfaced, when Wellington Mara sent a letter to Commissioner Rozelle, stating that the state of the franchise was being compromised by the divided ownership. In the letter, Mara wrote, “I am convinced that the absence of acknowledgement of authority will not change, and that under the circumstances, the 50%-50% ownership balance is a fatal blow to the ability of the Giants to cope with the demands of the future.”

Essentially, Wellington was asking that his title of President be officially recognized in a hierarchical manner over Tim’s titles of Vice President and Treasurer. Rozelle took no action. Prior to this, Frank Gifford attempted to mediate the situation between the owners. Tim Mara said, “Just before Thanksgiving, Frank Gifford talked to Well, he wanted to patch things up…He spent three hours with Well, and he told me that Well listened. He didn’t commit himself one way or the other…It turned out he had already written that letter to Rozelle before he spoke to Gifford. Except neither Gifford nor I knew that until I got ‘copied’ with the letter. I think Pete was great, he was diplomatic, he just let it ride.”

Ultimately, the Giants ownership situation was settled. Wellington would make one final plea to Rozelle late in the 1983 season, only to have Rozelle decree with full certainty that the agreement made in 1979 during the hiring of George Young would be upheld in perpetuity.

After a tough 17-10 loss at San Francisco, the Giants won two more defensive struggles to enter the final week of the season 8-7. A Saturday win at home against 12-3 Dallas guaranteed a winning record, but nothing more. New York also needed the Jets to defeat Green Bay on Sunday, as the Packers owned a tie breaker over the Giants.

The lead-up to Week 16 was unlike anything New York had ever seen. Both franchises had been absent from the post season since the 1960s and combined for two winning season during the abysmal decade of the 1970s (both by the Giants, in 1970 and 1972). Newspapers and local news broadcasts gleefully speculated on the possibility of a Giants-Jets Super Bowl.

The legend of “Giants Stadium Weather” was born on December 19, 1981. Kick-off temperatures in the upper 20s dropped steadily throughout the contest. Winds in the 15-23 mph range gusted to 40 mph with a chill factor registered in the low single digits. New York’s squad, whose strength was defense and power running, would be largely unaffected. Over the 3-1 stretch after Simms was lost for the season, the Giants offense averaged 2.5 turnovers per game while scoring 15 points. But the defense only allowed 11 points per game. The Cowboys potent passing offense would be challenged by the elements. Perkins said his approach for the pivotal contest was, “…just like a playoff game. You win or you go home for Christmas.”

An unnamed member of the New York defense told Sports Illustrated’s Paul Zimmerman, “When you hit the Cowboys early, and keep hitting them, they’ll lose interest – particularly if it’s a game they’re not totally committed to.”

The game started with the Giants blowing Dallas off the ball on both sides of the line of scrimmage. New York drove deep into Dallas territory twice in the first quarter but came up empty both times. After Johnny Perkins dropped a sure touchdown pass in the end zone, Danelo sliced a 21-yard field goal attempt wide left. On the next possession he missed twice, first from 32 yards, and then from 27 yards after a Dallas offsides penalty. Danelo said, “I just blew that first one (first possession), no excuses. I jumped at the ball instead of kicking it. I tried to guide that one through (third miss), steer it.”  Most disheartening for New York was those kicks were attempted with the wind at Danelo’s back.

The Giants defense, however kept the Dallas offense in check. George Martin and Taylor combined for three first half sacks and the teams entered the second half tied 0-0. The Giants broke the stalemate with just under five minutes left in the third quarter on a 62-yard drive that featured a good break when a flea-flicker pass from Brunner was tipped by Ed “Too Tall” Jones and landed in the arms of running back Leon Perry, who advanced for a 16-yard gain. Two plays later, Brunner hit tight end Tom Mullady for a 20-yard touchdown pass at the pylon for a 7-0 lead.

The raucousness at Giants Stadium was short lived however, as immediately Dallas responded with an 80-yard drive that was completed with a three-yard touchdown pass from White to tight end Doug Cosbie. The Giants seemed rattled, as on the kickoff, the return man muffed, bobbled and eventually fell on the ball on the one-yard line. Two plays later Dallas intercepted a Brunner pass and converted it into three points and a 10-7 lead with 9:12 on the clock.

New York drove into Dallas territory, but a third down sack forced a punt and the Cowboys took over on their own five-yard line. Running back Tony Dorsett ran the ball on first and second down before White completed a third down pass to move the chains. The next three downs repeated the pattern, and New York took a time out with 2:14 on the clock with Dallas on their own 45-yard line. Another first down would all but doom the Giants.

Dire circumstances notwithstanding, the following sequence of plays hinted that for the first time in 18 years, the football gods were about to smile upon the Giants.

New York Giants Defense (December 19, 1981)

On 1st-and-10, Dorsett bobbled a pitch out that Martin recovered for the Giants on the Dallas 45-yard line with 2:08 to go in the game. A holding penalty and incompletions on first and second down preceded a seven yard pass from Brunner to wide receiver John Mistler on third down. On f4th-and-13 from the Cowboys 48-yard line, Brunner stepped up under heavy pressure and completed a pass to Mistler late crossing the field. Mistler ran out of bounds at the Dallas 27-yard line to stop the clock at 1:35.

Two runs and an incomplete pass set New York up with a fourth-and-three on the Dallas 20-yard line. Danelo had his first chance at redemption with 0:30 on the clock and the fierce wind blowing in his face. Defying history, Danelo sent the ball cleanly through the uprights and Giants Stadium into a state of pandemonium as the score was tied 10-10 at 0:25.

The Cowboys won the overtime coin toss and strategically chose to defend the East end zone with the wind at their backs. New York went three and out, and Dave Jennings’ punt into the wind was short and gave Dallas the ball at their 40-yard line.

On 2nd-and-three from their own 47-yard line, Dorsett again mishandled a pitchout. This time he nearly recovered it, but Lawrence Taylor hit him while on the ground and freed the ball for Taylor himself to recover at the Cowboys 39-yard line.

New York ran the ball five consecutive plays, including a surprise naked bootleg for 19 yards by Brunner on third down, to set Danelo up for a 33-yard field goal. The attempt to give the Giants their first winning season in nine years and maintain their playoff dreams another 24 hours came on third down. Brunner said, “There really was little choice, the wind had become too much of a factor.”

The ball was spotted on the left hash and Danelo’s kick seemed headed toward center most of its flight, but at the very last moment sliced to the right, and clanged off the upright. The game remained tied and the Cowboys took over possession of the ball.

Danelo said, “I saw the Cowboys jumping around like they just won the Super Bowl, but Coach Perkins came over to me on the sideline and said, ‘Don’t be down, you’re going to get another chance.’…All I was doing was praying that I’d get another shot. It was killing me that I was letting down my teammates.”

The Giants defense made certain that was the case. On first down, White was sacked and fumbled, but Dallas recovered. On second down, White hurried a pass from a collapsing pocket and Byron Hunt intercepted for New York and gave the Giants possession on the Cowboys 24-yard line. After two short rushes and an incomplete pass, Perkins sent Danelo out to win the game from 35 yards out.

This time, set up on the right hash mark, Danelo drove the ball with authority toward center and it stayed true. The Giants won 13-10 and bedlam reigned in Giants Stadium. Teammates mobbed Danelo and Perkins carried him off the field on his shoulders. Perkins said, “I felt like I had to carry him off the field.”

Danelo said, “I just kept my head down and kicked it through. I knew if I got under the ball too much, it would hang up in the air like the first one in overtime did.”

Aside from the kicking drama, the story of the Giants success again was centered on their defense. Dorsett came into the game leading the NFL with 1,607 yards rushing, but was held to 39 yards on 21 carries with two lost fumbles. Perkins said, “We knew we had to stop Dorsett. If you don’t stop their running game, you don’t have to worry about their passing game.”

The final three Cowboys possessions all ended with turnovers. Safety Beasley Reece said, “Tony Hill, Drew Pearson, a couple of the others, they all made mention of how we had been hitting, ‘You guys are flying all over the field,’ and, ‘You guys are hitting everything that moves,’ those kinds of things. It’s an image we’re proud of.”

Bill Parcells said, “We’re not even close to the way I’d like us to be, either.”

Encore

The next afternoon at Shea Stadium the Jets punched the Giants first ticket to the post season since 1963 with a 28-3 win over Green Bay. Dave Jennings said, “I’m glad it wasn’t thrilling. I wasn’t ready for two in a row like that. You don’t know how many years I’ve gone home and watched the first round of the playoffs on TV and been sick to my stomach…When it was over I let out a yell, a small one.”

Lawrence Taylor said, “This is something that hasn’t gone on around here in a long time. I can’t really comprehend what it means to the veterans. My happiness couldn’t be one-tenth of the other players’ happiness.”

After winning four of their last five games, the Giants were a confident group heading to Philadelphia to face the reigning NFC Champions in the Wild Card Game. The wave of momentum New York had ridden during the end of the Dallas game swelled to a tsunami during the first quarter against the Eagles.

After having the opening drive of the game stall at their own 40-yard line, New York punted. Eagles returner Wally Henry fumbled and the Giants recovered at the Eagles 25-yard line. Carpenter carried five times for 21 yards before Brunner threw a touchdown pass to Mistler for a 6-0 lead (the hold on the extra point was fumbled) less than five minutes into the game.

Following a Philadelphia three-and-out, Brunner engineered a 12-play, 62-yard drive that consumed almost the remainder of the first quarter clock. A 10-yard touchdown pass to Mistler increased the lead to 13-0. It only took the Giants six seconds to add to it. Henry fumbled the kickoff on the Philadelphia three-yard line, and while attempting to recover at the five-yard line, he was crashed into by Mike Dennis. Mark Haynes recovered the free ball just inside the pylon at the corner of the end zone for a touchdown and 20-0 New York advantage.

Rob Carpenter, New York Giants (December 27, 1981)

The statistics told the story. At the end of the first quarter the Eagles had run three offensive plays for a gross of 10 yards, but lost nine on a George Martin sack of Ron Jaworski, and had two turnovers by their special teams. After trading touchdowns just before halftime New York led 27-7 and held advantages over Philadelphia in first downs (11 to 4), net yards (188-74), and time of possession (19:07 – 10:53). The Eagles also fumbled three more times in the second quarter, but recovered them all.

Philadelphia scored early in the third quarter and again late in the fourth but New York was able to hold on, as the game plan was apparently to run out the clock for the final 30 minutes. The Giants ran 18 offensive plays in the second half (not including punts and kneel downs), 16 of which were Carpenter rushes. The other two plays were a rush by Leon Perry and a Brunner pass to Carpenter.

Carpenter registered 33 carries for 161, both Giants post-season records. Not only was Carpenter’s 100-yard rushing day a franchise first in the post season, but the 27-21 victory was also the Giants first on the road in their history, and first overall since 1958. Between the years 1933 and 1963, New York had gone 0-8 away as post season visitors.

The following week the Giants saw their season come to an end with a 38-24 setback to the eventual Super Bowl champion 49ers in San Francisco. New York was actually hanging in the game at 24-17 midway through the fourth quarter, but a pair of quick touchdowns by the 49ers sealed their fate. Regardless, the 1981 season was considered an unqualified success by all.

Bumps in the Road

It is not at all an exaggeration to suggest that if the Giants 1982 season wasn’t over before it even began, there were a number of underlying circumstances conspiring against it.

  • Phil Simms was lost for the year with torn knee ligaments suffered in the preseason game against the Jets.
  • Rob Carpenter held out for a new contract, and wouldn’t return to the playing field until December.
  • The NFL Players Association staged a 57-day, eight-week strike that obliterated seven games from the league schedule.
  • Ray Perkins resigned as head coach on December 15, with three weeks left to play, effective after the conclusion of the Giants season to take over as the head coach of the University of Alabama.

The Giants began the season losing their first two home games in frustrating fashion, with late-game collapses in contests where they had statistically dominated their opponents. After the players strike, New York was beaten badly at Giants Stadium by Washington and was buried in a 0-3 hole.

Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants (December 5, 1982)

A win on Thanksgiving at Detroit and a home victory over the Eagles had the Giants hopeful at 2-3, but four days later Perkins announced his intention to leave after the season. He said, “I’m leaving the Giants with mixed emotions… This new job does me great honor for many reasons, being my alma mater and a great university in the part of the country where I was raised…Deep down, it was what I wanted to do more than anything in the world. This is simply something that’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. If it was any other place, college or pro, it would not have lured me away. I’ve always told my players to do something you enjoy. Don’t do something because it will be rewarded with money. This is something I want do.”

New York released Perkins from his contract, which included a three-year extension that was given after the 1981 season and which had bound his services to New York through the 1985 season.

Young immediately named defensive coordinator Bill Parcells as New York’s head coach in-waiting.

Young said, “Bill Parcells was first on my list, and it was a short list…I didn’t want to run the risk losing (Parcells). Somehow people always think a stranger is a better guy. In Baltimore, we had a guy named Chuck Noll sitting on our staff and we let him get away…Continuity is important, but you want to get the best guy. If he contributes to the continuity, fine, but you want to get the best guy. You don’t get the continuity first; you get the best guy first.”

A New Jersey native, and acknowledged Giant fan during his youth, Parcells said, “Coaching the New York Giants for Bill Parcells is what Alabama is for Ray Perkins.”

After climbing back to 3-3, New York dropped two more late decisions before winning at Philadelphia in the finale. The Giants finished 4-5 and just missed out on a playoff berth in the one-season-only expanded format where divisions had been eliminated.

The Longest Season

The 1982 season was seen as something of a fluke and expectations were high heading into 1983. After a 2-2 September, the Giants went 1-10-1 over the remained of the schedule. As bad as the football was at times, an accumulation of off-field losses and behind-the-scenes chicanery probably made Sunday afternoons seem like a refuge from the tumult.

Taylor said, “Sunday is a different world. It’s like a fantasy world, which I’d rather live in. Then I go back to the rest of the world and that’s when the trouble starts.”

The streak of personal misfortune continued for the Giants as backfield coach Bob Ledbetter passed away on October 9, at the age of 49, from complications resulting from a stroke he had suffered on September 24th. Players and coaches were distraught at the news. Beginning with the Week 6 game the following day against the Eagles, New York wore a black stripe over the right shoulder as a symbol of mourning, which remained throughout season.

The biggest on-field loss was of Phil Simms, again with a season ending injury. Brunner, who had begun the season as the starter, was benched in the third quarter of the Philadelphia game. After leading a touchdown drive to get the Giants back in the game, Simms had New York on the move again. But after throwing an incompletion, he knew something was wrong: “As I followed through, I brought my hand down and Dennis Harrison brought his arm up. My hand and his arm collided, and I said, ‘Damn, that hurt,’ and then looked down and saw the bone sticking out of my right thumb, and I said, ‘Holy shit, oh my God,’ and I started screaming.”

While the losses piled up through October and November, few outside the organization were aware that Parcells mother Ida was terminally ill. She passed away at the age of 71 from a form of bone cancer in mid-November, only weeks after being diagnosed. At the same time, Parcells’ father Charles was undergoing treatment for a blood infection incurred after bypass surgery.

None of this was reported in the New York sports pages at the time, but Parcells recalled years later, “I had the feeling that the world was crashing down on my head. It was one thing after another, and I didn’t handle it well. But what are you going to do? They’re not going to cancel the football games. In this business you don’t ever stop. You can’t stop. You’ve just got to keep going…You’ve got to be able to deal with it. The poor-me syndrome is very damaging psychologically, and it loves company.” Charles Parcells passed away in February 1984.

1983 New York Giants Media Guide

Giants fans found themselves making NFL history on December 4, when 51,589 ticket holders decided to stay home instead of watching the Giants and Cardinals play in person. While the miserable weather, that included driving rain and temperatures dropping from the low 40’s into the upper 30’s, was certainly a factor, the memory of the infamous 20-20 tie the two teams were involved in on Monday Night Football six week earlier couldn’t have helped. Brad Van Pelt said, “If I was a fan and my seats weren’t covered, I wouldn’t have shown up either.” In the post-game locker room, Harry Carson told reporters he wanted to be traded, “As far as I’m concerned, next week’s game will be my last at Giants Stadium. I don’t deserve this. I don’t think anybody does.”

With morale at an all-time low, Parcells had his confidence shaken by a tip from his agent, Robert Frahley, the week after the Cardinal game. Frahley told Parcells that George Young had inquired with former Miami Dolphin acquaintance and current University of Miami Head Coach Howard Schellenberger on his possible interest in the Giants head coaching position if it were to become available after the season.

The news was leaked to the popular CBS pre-game show The NFL Today, and was broadcast in a segment by Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder. After an ugly 17-12 loss to Seattle, in which the dissatisfied Giants Stadium crowd chanted for broadcaster John Madden (who was in the CBS booth providing color analysis of the game), the press peppered Young on the rumor. A visibly perturbed Young said, “Bill is the coach. I don’t want to comment on anything that is speculative.”

Schellenberger was also mentioned as a potential coaching candidate for the New Jersey Generals of the USFL, but ultimately declined both offers and stayed with the University of Miami. Parcells recalled in his biography: “I never met Howard Schellenberger, but to his credit, he told my agent, ‘These guys are offering me the job, and I’m not going to take it. You need to tell Bill that’s what they’re doing.’ So he was really a coach’s coach, and I’ve admired him for that.”

Another member of the Giants family was lost on December 17th, the day of the season finale. Recently retired back Doug Kotar passed away, 16 months after being diagnosed with a malignant, inoperable brain tumor. Kotar had played for the Giants from 1974 through 1981, and retired early during the 1982 training camp as he struggled to return from shoulder and knee injuries. Shortly thereafter he had complained of persistent headaches, which led to his diagnosis.

When the melancholy 1983 campaign mercifully came to a close, those who were left standing – which weren’t many as New York ended the year with a league-high 25 players on injured reserve – likely entered the offseason with a sense of relief.

Makeover

The first change Parcells made was within. He recalled years later: “I think in ’83, I was trying to be a head coach. In ’84, I decided to be Bill Parcells. And I kind of made a little promise with myself that I would try to do things my way, and I gave my best effort in that regard. And I really dispensed with the feelings of doing what a head coach was supposed to do.”

The next change was the roster. Nearly 50% of the previous season’s team was gone by Week 1 of the 1984 season, with many of the missing faces having been familiar ones like Brad Van Pelt and Brian Kelley. In their place were young, untested players with great potential like Carl Banks and Gary Reasons.

Carson said, “I could definitely sense a change in the attitude of the coaching staff, but I also saw a shift in the player’s personalities…The competition for jobs had gotten more intense with younger players vying for a spot on the roster.”

Despite the pressure to win now, growing pains were not unexpected. It would take some time for the mental toughness and discipline to match the physical talent. To that end, Parcells leaned heavily on his staff of assistants.

Simms said, “I tell people all the time that the hardest part of playing under that coaching staff wasn’t Bill Parcells. It was his assistants: Al Groh, Bill Belichick, Romeo Crennel, Mike Pope, Ron Erhardt. They were all vocal. They were all rough. They all could generate some fear. Ron Erhardt, man he was old school. He would call your ass out on the field. He would call your ass out in the meeting room in front of the whole team.

“We watched more films than I ever had watched before. There was a real sense of urgency for everybody involved, for me, for Ron, for Parcells. Our jobs were at stake. If we didn’t go out and get it done, we knew there would were going to be new people around.”

The work paid tremendous dividends early for Simms and the Giants. Employing a new vertical-attack passing game, Simms threw for nearly 600 yards and seven touchdowns and no interceptions against Philadelphia and Dallas to open the season 2-0, New York’s best start in sixteen years.

Phil Simms, Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (September 2, 1984)

Simms said, “There were times I thought I’d never have the chance to show what I thought I could do. There were other times I began to wonder if I was really as good as I thought I was, that I might not have what it takes to play in this league.”

The NFL initiated a new recognition program for players in 1984, where four players who had noteworthy games – one each on offense and defense from each conference – were given a “Player of the Week” award. Lawrence Taylor was the first Giant to be named the “NFC Defensive Player of the Week” for his three sack, two-forced fumble effort against the Cowboys in Week 2.

Paul Zimmerman, who covered the game for Sports Illustrated, described Taylor’s play that afternoon eloquently: “There are blitzes and there are blitzes. There are safety blitzes and maniac blitzes, single linebacker blitzes and delayed blitzes; there are blitzes that look like blintzes because they’re so ineffective. Then there are Lawrence Taylor blitzes. They are like nothing else in the NFL, or any other FL. They are like messages from Thor, or as Taylor’s former New York Giant teammate Beasley Reece once said, ‘When Lawrence is coming, you can hear sirens going off.’ Random House’s unabridged dictionary defines a blitz this way: ‘War waged by surprise, swiftly and violently, as by the use of aircraft, tanks, etc.’ Etcetera stands for Lawrence Taylor.”

A portent of an arising ritual was also noted by Zimmerman: “With 52 seconds left Sunday, the Cowboys got the ball on their 26-yard line. They had their regulars in, and they were throwing passes out of the shotgun and calling time-outs to stop the clock, but on the sideline the Giants had already begun celebrating. Carson went around with a bucket of water and a sponge, anointing teammates, coaches, everyone. He gave Parcells a dousing. The coach laughed. Carson laughed. The bitterness of last month was forgotten.”

The Giants eventually found themselves at 4-4 midway through the season and in the thick of the postseason hunt. The turning point of the 1984 season, and the Parcells-era Giants, is looked upon as the October 28 meeting with Washington at Giants Stadium.

The week leading up to the game, Parcells rode nose tackle Jim Burt particularly hard. Burt said the coach had been, “using me like a tool to get to the team.”

Carson: “Bill told Burt that if he wasn’t ready to play, (Redskins center Jeff) Bostic was going to embarrass him on the field…This back-and-forth went on all week. While Jim tried to play it off, I could tell it was getting to him. At one point Jim was coming out of his stance using dumbbells to improve his quickness on the snap. Parcells; was getting into Burt’s head and Bill knew it.”

Simms: “Bill’s always looking for your hot button, whatever it takes to get to you. There are a lot of buttons for him to push. The most important one is always the one that makes you play better. And he’ll always find it. He knew what my hot button was before I knew it. He figured me out before I figured myself out. That’s one of his gifts.”

Burt: “It was brutal. (Parcells) screamed at me every minute. I knew why he did it, but I didn’t like it.”

The tactic worked, and then some. The Giants led 23-0 late in the second quarter and 37-6 one play into the fourth quarter. New York not only handily defeated the Redskins 37-13, they physically punished them. New York dominated every statistical category, and according to plan, stuffed the Washington rush. John Riggins was held to 51 yards on 16 carries and the Redskins for 79 yards as a team. They also held Washington to 4-of-17 on third down conversions. Parcells said, “It was our best performance of the year, and I thought our defense was magnificent.”

The win broke a six-game losing streak to the Redskins and the 37 points were the most a Giants team had scored in a game in four years. New York broke from its usual tendencies and employed a new offense, running from the three-wide receiver set the entire game. Simms said, “We tried to spread things out to make their defense cover the whole field.”

Simms was the first Giant to be named the “NFC Offensive Player of the Week” with his 18-29-338-2-0 performance, despite being sacked seven times. Parcells said, “I thought Phil Simms showed outstanding courage under quite a bit of pressure.”

Halfback Joe Morris also tied a club record with three rushing touchdowns, being the first to do so since 1971. Erhardt said, “The pass opened up the running game for us. We picked our spots.”

As the game clock was expiring and most of the Giants sideline was celebrating, Burt felt an unsettled urge that required closure. He stood near Parcells on the sideline, “He gave me a big smile and said, ‘I got you ready, didn’t I?’ I didn’t say anything. I just gave him a halfway smile and looked for a water bucket.”

Burt sought assistance. According to Carson, “(Burt) said, ‘We should get him.’ I said, ‘What do you mean, we?’ Jim said, ‘C’mon Harry, you know you’re one of Parcells’ guys. If I did something by myself, he would have my ass! But if you did it with me, he wouldn’t do anything to us.’”

Burt told the press several days later, “It was cold. There was a lot of ice.”

Parcells said: “And without looking, I knew it was Jim Burt.” When asked after the game if he expected to be dunked after every victory, the coach replied, “I hope so.”

Bill Parcells, Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor; New York Giants (November 11, 1984)

He received his wish four of the next five weeks, a run that had New York in the three-way tie for first place with Washington and Dallas at 9-5, and 8-6 St. Louis right behind, with two games left to play. A Week 15 loss at St. Louis all but eliminated the Giants from an NFC East title, but with help they could qualify as a Wild Card entry.

The Giants sleep-walked their way through a dreary 10-3 loss to New Orleans at home on a cold, wet Saturday afternoon in a game that meant nothing in the playoff chase. The 9-7 record would get New York into the post season if Washington defeated St. Louis on Sunday and Miami defeated Dallas Monday night.

The Sunday afternoon game looked to be a one-sided affair in New York’s favor as Washington dominated the first half and led 23-7 at halftime. It could have been 24-7 if not for a missed point-after in the first quarter. That missing point proved critical during the Cardinals’ come-back bid in the second half.

St. Louis chipped away at the lead, cutting the deficit to 23-17 late in the third quarter, before moving ahead 27-26 with 6:15 to play. Washington responded with a long drive that ended with a 33-yard field goal for a 29-27 lead with 1:33 on the clock. St. Louis was not yet finished, however. A nine-play, 47-yard desperation drive moved them into Redskins territory and a 50-yard field goal attempt as the clock expired missed wide left. Washington locked up first place, St. Louis was eliminated, and the Giants chances were extended another day.

The Monday night game in Miami was no less exasperating for those with outside interests, although it took a while before it got going. The Dolphins led 7-0 at halftime and 14-7 at the end of the third period. After intercepting a Dan Marino pass deep in Miami territory, Dallas tied the game 14-14 with 7:28 to play. Marino responded with a nine-play drive to put Miami back ahead 21-14 with 2:31 left to play.

The Cowboys first play after the two-minute warning was a 66-yard touchdown pass on a tipped ball to Tony Hill, tying the game 21-21. The Dolphins seemed to be playing for overtime with two short passes that kept the clock moving, but on third-and-one Marino connected with Mark Clayton on a 63-yard touchdown pass that vaulted Miami to the lead 28-21 for good. Dallas missed the playoffs for the first time in ten years and the Giants were back in for the second time in four years.

The Giants traveled to Los Angeles to face the Rams, who had beaten New York badly in early October. That had been before the Giants had galvanized, and the hardened New York team upset the favored Rams 16-13.

Phil Simms and Zeke Mowatt, New York Giants (December 23, 1984)

Harry Carson, who had demanded to be traded in 1983 and walked out of camp in July, was all-in with his team of underdogs. After the game he proclaimed, “We don’t care who gives up on us. We didn’t give up on ourselves. We can’t worry about what people think. We’re more together and have more talent than any team I’ve been associated with. We’re going to stick together.”

The Giants did stick together, and they gave the 15-1 49ers all they could handle in the NFC Divisional Playoff. After San Francisco jumped out to a fast 14-0 lead, the game settled into a plodding slugfest on Candlestick Park’s soft sod. The 49ers moved on toward their Super Bowl title with a 21-10 victory over New York, but the Giants exit wasn’t without merit. Simms said, “The 49ers are a good team and deserved to win today, but I still think we can play with them. I wish we had put more offensive pressure on them.”

San Francisco coach Bill Walsh said, “The Giants are a team of the future.”

A Giant Leap Forward

Not unlike the year before, the 1985 Giants started fast in September. The season opener, in a hot and muggy Giants Stadium, saw the ferocious New York defense terrorize Philadelphia quarterbacks with eight sacks in a 21-0 win. Carson christened the new season and his coach with douse of water from a Gatorade bucket – a ritual that still had gone largely unnoticed excepting the fans at the home games.

Although the Giants seemed mediocre at 3-3 in mid-October, this team felt different than any in recent memory. The victories were convincing, the losses were close, usually decided late with a gaffe or mental error. Nobody in the NFL took the Giants lightly any longer. The days of New York being a doormat were in the rear view mirror.

The biggest difference from 1984 to 1985 were three players: defensive end Leonard Marshall, who was leading the NFL in sacks and had been named the “NFC Defensive Player of the Month” for September; halfback Joe Morris, who had become a consistent ground gainer who possessed cutting ability and speed to give New York explosiveness on the rush; and rookie tight end Mark Bavaro, who was pressed into service when starter Zeke Mowatt injured his knee in the final preseason game and was out for the season. Bavaro impressed coaches with his toughness and blocking ability, but surprised them with his knack for getting open and soft hands to give Simms a safe option in the passing game.

Leonard Marshall, Lawrence Taylor, Jim Burt; New York Giants (November 10, 1985)

A four-game win streak – the Giants longest since 1970 – put New York at 7-3 in November. That streak ended on a Monday night at Washington’s RFK Stadium in a game mostly remembered for Taylor’s career ending sack of Redskin quarterback Joe Theisman. Morris had another three-touchdown game, including one from 51 yards and another 41 yards, but the difference was Washington coach Joe Gibbs willingness to gamble and swing momentum his team’s direction when they needed it most. The Redskins converted two onside kicks and a fake punt, all of which led to touchdown drives in their 23-21 win. Parcells was measured in post-game comments, “I don’t think we were horrendous. I don’t think anyone was outstanding. I think we got outplayed. We had our chances to win the game and we couldn’t do it.”

New York rebounded and won two of their next three, and scored over 30 points in all three games (the first such scoring streak for the Giants since 1968), and headed to Dallas with the opportunity to win their first NFC East Division title. (The only other non-expansion teams not to have won their division since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 at that time were the Houston Oilers, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints.)

The entire saga of game can be encapsulated in a maddening sequence of plays that took place in the fourteenth minute of the second quarter.

The Giants had opened a 14-7 lead just over five minutes into the quarter. The defense forced a Dallas punt that resulted in a touchback. Simms then engineered an eight-play drive that had New York with a 1st-and-10 at the Dallas 22-yard line with two minutes to go before halftime. The ninth play of the drive initiated the nightmarish descent. Defensive end Ed “Too Tall” Jones batted a Simms pass up into the air that defensive end Jim Jeffcoat caught on the rebound and rumbled 64 yards for the tying touchdown.

The Giants three-and-out after the kickoff involved two sacks of Simms, one each by Jones and Jeffcoat. From the New York 12-yard line, punter Sean Landetta was pressured after a high snap threw off his timing, and a desperation shovel pass fell incomplete. The Cowboys took over on downs and scored on their first play, a 12-yard strike from Danny White to wide receiver Mike Renfro. In just 59 seconds the Giants went from being on the verge of a two score lead to trailing 21-14. Defensive end Casey Merrill said, “We were dominating them in every phase of the game, and then wham, bam, and we’re behind.”

The emotional toll of the scoring splurge was far greater than the seven point deficit. The Giants played unconfidently the majority of the final 30 minutes, until a late surge with Dallas ahead 28-21. A Simms pass toward the end zone was intercepted and the Cowboys won the division, despite the fact that starting quarterback White and his backup Gary Hogeboom both left the game with injuries. The fourth and decisive Dallas touchdown drive came with third stringer Steve Pelluer under center, who had never appeared in a regular season game before.

The New York locker room was mostly despondent afterward.

Taylor: “Every time we play those guys we beat ourselves.”

George Martin: “It was the toughest loss of my career.”

Carson: “It was the toughest loss since I’ve been here. I feel so bad because those cheap touchdowns beat us.”

Simms was refreshingly defiant: “I’m proud of myself and the team. I’m tired of hearing the Giants can’t win the big game.”

Parcells put the outcome into perspective succinctly: “We’re not through yet.”

Giants Again

Not all was lost for New York. Although they had lost out on the division title, a win in the season finale against Pittsburgh would send the Giants to the playoffs as a Wild Card. It would be the first time New York qualified for the post season in consecutive seasons since the three-year run of 1961-1963. It would also give the Giants a 10-6 record, their first double digit total in the win column since 1963. A loss for the Giants would open the door for Washington and San Francisco, who were also 9-6 and vying for Wild Card status.

Recalling the 1981 season finale, “Giants Stadium Weather” arrived in full force. At kickoff the temperature was 28 degrees with sustained winds at 12 mph. The team that was built for those conditions played with the same brutality as the unforgiving wind chill.

The Giants received the opening kickoff and pounded their way up and down field on a 71-yard, 11-play drive, nine of which were runs. Morris closed the drive with his 19th rushing touchdown of the season.

The teams exchanged punts twice and the Steelers put together a drive that ended with a field goal early in the second quarter. After the kickoff, New York looked to be headed for a three-and-out, but a third down pass interference penalty on Pittsburgh gave the Giants a second chance, and Morris made them pay. On first-and-10 from the Giants 35-yard line, Morris ran behind right guard, cut left, and while sprinting past a diving tackler, had his shoe knocked off and ran the remaining 52 yards on his sock.

Joe Morris, New York Giants (December 21, 1985)

The next time New York had the ball, Rob Carpenter’s 46-yard run set up a short dive for Morris’ third touchdown of the half and 21st of the year. The Giants added another touchdown before halftime and won the game comfortably 28-10.

Morris rushed for 202 yards on the day, second most in team history behind Gene Roberts’ 218 set in 1950, and 1,336 for the season, a new team record. He was the first Giant to reach the 1,000 plateau since Ron Johnson in 1972. As a team, New York ran the ball 53 times for 289 yards and held the ball for 38:04. The final game of the regular season finished just like the first one, with Parcells receiving a Gatorade dunk, though this time Lawrence Taylor was the one with the bucket.

Simms: “The whole game was a tribute to our line blocking.”

Morris: “I just did what I’m supposed to do when I get that kind of blocking.”

Jim Burt: “We played a total game offensively and defensively. It shows what we can do when we’re on.”

Parcells: “We’ve had some tough times this year, but more good times than tough. I’m happy for the older guys – Harry Carson, George Martin, Brad Benson. It’s nice to see them smile.”

San Francisco and Washington both won their final games as well, and the three-way tie of 10-6 teams meant the Giants would host San Francisco in the NFC Wild Card Game the next week. It would be the first home post-season contest for New York since the 1962 NFL Championship Game at Yankee Stadium.

The jubilation was short lived, and the Giants adopted the motto “Strictly Business” which they had printed on hats that also read “New York Giants Playoffs 1985” to prove they were not just happy to be a participant. Rob Carpenter said, “I think we’re going to find out how good we are, and there’s no better way than playing the 49ers because of what they’ve done to us in the past. This will be a test of how much we’ve progressed.”

Harry Carson said, “The last couple of times we played them we sat back to see what they were going to do, and then we would adjust. By the time we adjusted they were up 14 or 21 points. This time, I don’t think we’ll sit back.”

Bill Walsh said, “The Giants have a dramatically different offense this year. They have a great runner and they’re taking advantage of it. It’ll be our job to corral Joe.”

While not quite as cold as the previous week, the game time temperature of 32 degrees with a nine mph wind ensured the 49ers were likely to see plenty of Morris. The greeting that welcomed the Giants was something that had not been heard at a Giant game in two decades. Simms said, “I knew what Tittle and Gifford and Huff must’ve felt like. When we came out of the tunnel at Giants Stadium, the crowd greeted us with the loudest roar I’d ever heard. I knew there was no way we were going to lose.”

The defense set the tone early. They sent the 49ers off of the field after a rare three-and-out to start the game, and the fans behind the Giants bench gave the defense a standing ovation. The Giants took over on their own 36-yard line. Two Morris rushes gained 14 yards and Giants Stadium again roared as the chains moved. Four plays later Eric Schubert kicked a 47-yard field goal and New York had a 3-0 advantage less than five minutes into the game. Carson said, “I couldn’t remember the last time we had a lead against the 49ers.”

Leonard Marshall (70) and Jim Burt (64), New York Giants (December 29, 1985)

San Francisco gained two first downs during their next possession, and pinned New York on their own two-yard line after a punt. The Giants ran 13 plays and crossed mid-field, but punted the ball back. The pass rush began getting to quarterback Joe Montana. After completing a pass while being hit by linebacker Andy Headen, Montana was sacked by Burt. Two plays later, now in the second quarter, Montana’s third down pass was batted down by George Martin who was crashing the pocket. San Francisco punted, and New York drove from their 20-yard line to the 49ers 26-yard line, largely on the legs of Morris, but Schubert’s 43-yard field goal missed wide left.

Montana’s second pass of the next possession was tipped by Gary Reasons and intercepted by Terry Kinard, who advanced the ball to San Francisco’s 38-yard line. Four plays later, the Giants struck pay dirt when Simms led Mark Bavaro down the right seam for a one-handed catch over safety Ronnie Lott in the end zone, sending Giants Stadium into a state of near bedlam. The Giants led 10-0 with 8:11 to play in the half.

Bavaro said, “I thought it was over my head. It hit my forearm and started rolling down to my wrist…Phil just threw the ball over Lott’s head and that was it.”

San Francisco received the kickoff and took over at their own 12-yard line. On the first play, Montana completed a pass for eight yards that had 15 more tacked on as Leonard Marshall was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct when he threw a punch at a San Francisco lineman.

Three plays later the drive seemed to come to a halt when Marshall sacked Montana. But defensive end Casey Merrill was flagged for unnecessary roughness for a late hit when he also hit Montana, which gave the 49ers a first down on their own 41-yard line. The 49ers converted their next third down without the aid of a penalty and advanced into New York territory. The Giants defense seemed to be tiring as they allowed back-to-back 10-yard runs by Wendell Tyler.

Two more Tyler rushes gained one-yard each, and the clock stopped at the two minute warning. Montana’s third-and-eight pass was high and went through the back of the end, but the 49ers received a new set of downs for the third time on the drive via penalty as cornerback Ted Watts was called for defensive holding. San Francisco took over first-and-goal on the nine-yard line.

On first down Roger Craig rushed for two yards and a second down pass intended for Craig was incomplete. A false start penalty on the 49ers moved the ball back to the Giants 12-yard line, and Montana completed a pass to wide receiver Dwight Clark at the three-yard line on third down. New York managed to keep San Francisco out of the end zone and Ray Wersching kicked a 21-yard field goal with 0:25 on the clock.

The 49ers ran 16 plays (not including penalties), advanced the ball 85 yards and possessed the ball for 7:58. But he Giants defense felt rejuvenated as they headed to the locker room. Burt said, “That was the biggest mental boost of the game. We stopped them for three points. They had eight cracks at us inside the 20. It was exhausting and it was getting chaotic.”

The emotional boost carried over to the offense after the intermission. Simms engineered an eight play, 77-yard drive to start the second half, and finished it with a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Don Hasselbeck. The 17-3 lead ended up being the final score, despite sustained drives by both teams. Schubert missed two more field goals for the Giants, and all three 49er drives in the fourth quarter ended on downs in New York territory.

The Giants first home post-season game since 1962 was also their first home post-season win since 1958. Parcells received a double-dunk from Carson and Casey Merrill as the final seconds ticked off of the clock.

Bill Parcells, New York Giants (December 29, 1985)

Despite the 49ers intent to control the Giants rushing attack, Morris had a big day with 141 yards rushing yards, which surpassed the game totals of 13 of San Francisco’s 16 regular season opponents.

Simms: “It was a big win. We beat a team a lot of people didn’t think we could beat. There’s no question the difference is our offensive line. Last year we couldn’t do anything. This year we beat ‘em up front physically.”

The other side of the coin was the defense, which held the 49ers without a touchdown for only the second time since Walsh became their coach in 1979.

Parcells: “I thought our defense did as good as it ever did. Those were the World Champions. Somebody had to get rid of them. I’m glad we did.”

Bill Belichick: “There were people in Montana’s face. We got good pressure up the middle from Burt and Marshall and Martin, something we had a problem with in the past.”

Carson: “We had confidence. We put pressure on (Montana). We tried to tag him, to rattle him.”

Martin: “(Montana) was more concerned about me than he was about throwing the ball. We just kept coming.”

Simms: “That was the best I’ve ever seen our defense play, the most aggressive. Our defense was so aggressive the 49ers were looking over their shoulders.”

Taylor: “We were awesome. We kicked their ass. That’s all there is to it.”

A Hard Lesson

The Giants reward for their victory over the 49ers was a trip to Chicago to face the ferocious 15-1 Bears. They were a juggernaut that recalled the legendary Monsters of the Midway teams of the 1940’s that physically whipped the opposition. Wellington Mara said, “(The Late Bears owner George) Halas would have beaming at this Bears team. It’s his kind of team and Mike Ditka is his kind of coach.”

Ditka was also complimentary of the Giants, “They got a lot of good athletes on that football team. They’ve got a great offense. They’ve got good balance in throwing and running the football. They play defense the way it’s supposed to be played. They come after you and they take no prisoners.”

The Bears were the team that took no prisoners on a frigid day at Soldier Field. The temperature was 14 degrees at kickoff with a 13 mph wind that sent the chill factor below zero. The Giants received the kickoff and seemed to gain some momentum after two Morris rushes gave New York a first down at their 40-yard line. On second down Carpenter fumbled after catching a pass. Chicago recovered the ball and New York never recaptured that initial burst.

The teams exchanged three three-and-outs, with the field position tipped in Chicago’s favor. The Giants had a 4th-and-20 from their own 12-yard line after Simms had been sacked. Punter Sean Landetta’s drop was affected by the wind and the ball grazed the side of his foot. The Bears Shaun Gayle scooped up the loose ball and returned it five yards into the end zone for a 7-0 lead that was as improbable as it was sudden.

Landetta said, “The wind just blew it. I did everything normal, but when I dropped the ball, I saw it moving. I tried to swing my leg into it. I missed it, or maybe I grazed it with my foot. That’s something that not only never happened to me before, but I never thought it could happen.”

The defenses and wind continued to dominate the first half. A Chicago drive to New York’s eight-yard line ended with a 26-yard Kevin Butler field goal attempt sailing wide left. A Giants drive just before halftime, set up by a 25-yard Bears punt giving New York the ball on the Chicago 45-yard line, ended with Schubert’s 19-yard attempt striking the left upright.

The Bears 7-0 lead held thought he third quarter and Chicago put the Giants away with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. The game summed up the 1985 Giants when they were not at their best: the defense played hard but the offense and special teams were undone by a few untimely errors.

The difference in the contest jumped off of the stat sheet. Chicago, with the benefit of the early lead, ran the ball 44 times while New York passed the ball 53 times, including six sacks of Simms. The Bears were 7-of-16 on third down attempts while the Giants combined to go 0-of-14 on third and fourth down attempts, skewing the time of possession 37:14 – 22:46 in Chicago’s favor. Essentially, the Bears beat the Giants at their own game.

Tackle Karl Nelson: “We were hoping to run the ball more on them, and we wanted to give Phil more time. We didn’t do either.”

Center Bart Oates: “Our protection was a disappointment, we made too many mental breakdowns.”

Ditka: “It wasn’t easy winning. We beat a good football team today.”

The day after the game the Giants got their start on the 1986 season. For the third time in in five years, they ended their season against the team that ultimately went on to win the Super Bowl.

Parcells: “Riding home on the plane last night, you think it’s another offseason, another training camp, another preseason schedule, another 16 games just to stand where you were standing yesterday. You never know when that opportunity is going to come again.”

Guard Billy Ard: “I think it was a good season. Next season, we definitely will go further.”

Tackle Brad Benson: “We’re close to having it all together. We need a little bit of time. We placed higher expectations on ourselves this year, so losing was a disappointment. But that doesn’t spoil the year, and to think that would be a big mistake. This has given us an idea of what we have to do.”

Wellington Mara: “Go back to last year. The Bears lost to the 49ers for the NFC title 23-0. If they can improve that much, we can, too. You’re certainly not satisfied unless you’re number one. But let’s face it. Only four teams went further than we did. And a lot of our young players haven’t reached their potential.”

Parcells: “You don’t get any satisfaction out of winning Wild Card games. I just want to get into a championship game, and I’m not going to rest ‘til I get there.”

The Giants had come a long way since the ownership feud was brokered almost seven earlier. The hardest part of climbing a mountain is when one nears the summit – when one first sees the peak, but it feels just out of reach. The 1986 offseason was the Giants opportunity to pause, take a deep breath, and recharge for one final surge.

************************************************************************

Sources:

“It’s Just One Man’s Family”
Robert H. Boyle, Sep. 25, 1972, Sports Illustrated

“New York Giants 1979 Media Guide”
New York Football Giants, Inc., 1979

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Paul Zimmerman, Oct. 15, 1979, Sports Illustrated

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New York Football Giants, Inc., 1980

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New York Football Giants, Inc., 1981

“What’s New? New York, New York”
Paul Zimmerman, Dec. 28, 1981, Sports Illustrated

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New York Football Giants, Inc., 1981

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Dave Klein, 1982, Signet

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New York Football Giants, Inc., 1982

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Jack Clary, 1982, Bonanza Books

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New York Football Giants, Inc., 1983

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New York Football Giants, Inc., 1984

“They Lowered The Boom On Hogeboom”
Paul Zimmerman, Sep. 17, 1984, Sports Illustrated

“A Former High School Teacher Has Made The New York Giants Winners
Frank Deford, Dec. 16, 1985, Sports Illustrated

“Up And Over, Down And Out”
Paul Zimmerman, Jan. 6, 1986, Sports Illustrated

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Laura A. Thorpe, 1986, Woodward Publishing

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Harry Carson & Jim Smith, 1986, McGraw Hill Book Co.

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Ron Fimrite, Jan. 26, 1987, Sports Illustrated

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Richard Whittingham, 1987, Harper Collins

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Kevin Lamb, 1987, Macmillan Publishing Co.

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Phil Simms, Phil McConkey with Dick Schapp, 1987, Crown Publishers, Inc.

“Once A Giant, Always…”
Andy Robustelli with Jack Clary, 1987, Quinlan Press

“Tuff Stuff”
Sam Huff, 1988, St. Martin’s Press

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Dan Daly & Bob O’Donnell, 1990, Collier Books

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Jerry Izenberg, 1990, Macmillan Pub Co

“Lawrence Taylor: What the Coachers Said”
Dan Herbst, Gameday, Dec. 19, 1992, Giants vs Kansas City edition

“Wellington: The Maras, the Giants, and the City of New York”
Carlo DeVito, 2006, Triumph Books

“Captain For Life”
Harry Carson, 2011, St. Martin’s Press

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Michael Eisen, Dandre Phillips, Corey Rush; 2016; New York Football Giants, Inc.

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2016, NFL Communications Dept.

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Pro Football Reference
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Going Back Through the VCR Archives: Looking Back at 25 Years of Giants Games on Tape
Giants-Dallas, December 19, 1981

Aug 072016
 

Spider Lockhart, Brad Van Pelt, Jack Gregory; New York Giants (1975)

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The first chapter of the New York Football Giants history closed on December 29, 1963. Up until that time, one of the cornerstone franchises of the NFL, the Giants prospered on the field while they regularly struggled financially to stay afloat. The franchise nearly went bankrupt fending off four American Football Leagues (AFL) and the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), all of which placed one or more teams in the New York market. No other franchise had as many direct competitors as the Giants; 13 in all attempted to carve out their own niche in the greater New York area after Tim Mara, Billy Gibbons and Dr. Harry March purchased the rights to establish an NFL franchise in New York in 1925.

A significant number of these incursions took place during the circuit’s leanest years during the Great Depression in the 1930’s and World War II in the early 1940’s. These were times when a pro football team’s primary source of income was ticket sales. Radio and newspaper were the forms of communication and promotion, and bad weather would keep turnstile counts low.

The AAFC proved to be the most formidable foe to the NFL, and to the Giants in particular. The Maras were forced to take out a significant loan to keep the franchise solvent as escalating player salaries rose disproportionately against the modest income stream that had yet to be augmented by lucrative television money.

The decade of the 1950s was a rare period where both the NFL and Giants remained free from competition. After the New York Yanks franchise relocated to Dallas in 1952, the Giants were the lone football team in New York for eight years, their longest stretch as New York’s long pro football team.

The fourth AFL in 1960 was initially considered little more than a nuisance to the Giants, who were a star-studded outfit that regularly contended for the NFL Championship, and crossed over into popular culture with numerous players receiving advertising and media opportunities. For the first time since Red Grange in the 1920s, pro football players became household names, and the first among them were Giants like Frank Gifford, Sam Huff and Pat Summerall.

On the field, the period between 1925 and 1963, the Giants were among the NFL’s “Big Four” that dominated the gridiron circuit, along with the Packers, Bears and Redskins. The Giants overall record of 294-156-27 over 38 seasons gave them a winning percentage of 0.645. Included were 16 postseason appearances, more than any other franchise, 14 league championship games, and four NFL titles. The first championship in 1927 was played before there was a post season; the other three were all won on the Giants home fields in the Polo Grounds in 1934 and 1938 and Yankee Stadium in 1956. The Giants lost four other titles games on their home field, but established league records for attendance until the NFL moved into the enormous Los Angeles Coliseum which held over 100,000 patrons.

The ultimate recognition for the best-of-the-best is induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The Giants were invited to play in the first Hall of Fame Game in 1962 and had three charter members in the inaugural class of 1963: founder Tim Mara, center Mel Hein and tackle Cal Hubbard. There would be many more to follow. Today, the Giants total number of enshrines of 22 rates third, behind only the Bears and Packers. Of the Giants 12 retired numbers, 10 were worn by players from this era.

Foreshadowing

Many believe the Giants demise was initiated with the trading of linebacker Sam Huff to Washington and defensive tackle Dick Modzelewski to Cleveland during the 1964 offseason. That may be true, but there were warning signs that went unnoticed, obscured by the team’s success and record-setting passing performances by Y.A. Tittle during the 1962 and 1963 seasons.

The 1959 offseason with the departure of offensive coordinator Vince Lombardi to Green Bay began a sequence of miscalculations, untimely misfortunes, unusual circumstances, and poor drafting. New York continued to succeed despite second-choice staffing and unsatisfactory talent backing up an aging, though talented and championship-hardened, roster.

Owners Jack and Wellington Mara had anticipated Lombardi assuming the head coach position when Jim Lee Howell retired. Lombardi had long been frustrated by his inability to land a head spot in the NFL, and prior to the 1958 season had been offered the head coaching job in Philadelphia. Lombardi was advised by Wellington not to take it and wait for a better opportunity. That chance came the following year, and according to Wellington, there had been an oral agreement with the Packers’ board of directors that they would release Lombardi back to the Giants when the New York head coaching position became available.

Howell stepped down from coaching after the 1960 season and moved into the Giants player personnel department. Green Bay refused to relinquish Lombardi to the Giants after he led the Packers to the NFL Championship Game that season. The Maras then turned to offensive coordinator Allie Sherman, considered by many around the league to be a brilliant offensive mind. Sherman would become the most controversial and polarizing figure in franchise history.

Sherman originally came to New York in 1949 as a specialist to help Single Wing and A-Formation tailback Charlie Conerly transition into a contemporary T-Formation quarterback. Giants Head Coach Steve Owen, while being a revolutionary genius with defenses, had dated ideas on offense and relied on concepts that were comfortable to him. Sherman was a prized possession of Philadelphia head coach Earl “Greasy” Neal as an undersized quarterback and later assistant coach. Sherman helped the Eagles become an offensive power and advance to the NFL title game in 1947. Neal told Owen, “Take Sherman as your assistant. He knows more about (the T-Formation) than anyone.”

Sherman and the Giants were mostly successful, albeit never fully committing to either Conerly or the T-Formation, over the next four seasons. A disastrous and injury-riddled 1953 campaign led to Owen’s departure. After being passed over for the head coaching positon for Jim Lee Howell, Sherman coached the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) Winnipeg Blue Bombers for three seasons. His teams featured imaginative offensive concepts with multiple men in motion that took advantage of the CFL’s more liberal rules, and qualified for the post season all three years.

Despite his success, Sherman desired to return to the NFL and accepted a scouting position with the Giants in 1957, while also coaching Conerly part-time. When Lombardi left for Green Bay in 1959, Sherman assumed the Giants offensive coordinator role. Under his tutelage, Conerly enjoyed a career year and was awarded the NFL’s MVP trophy as the Giants won the Eastern Conference title.

After Howell stepped down as head coach, Sherman signed a three-year contract as head coach of the Giants on January 10, 1961. Before Sherman became official, there were many behind-the-scenes machinations where the Mara’s attempted to extract Lombardi, who was entering the third year of a five-year contract to coach Green Bay. Once the futility of that exercise was accepted, Sherman became the eighth head coach of the Giants.

The roster Sherman inherited had plenty of championship experience. Many of the Giants starters, including the core of the defensive front seven, were on the Yankee Stadium field when they won the NFL Championship in 1956. That was also the team’s biggest problem – their best players were their oldest. There hadn’t been a rookie drafted that made an impact on the Giants since Sam Huff.

Most troubling, many of New York’s draft picks produced for other teams. Wide receiver Buddy Dial (2nd round 1959) had an eight-year career in Pittsburgh and Dallas, and appeared in two Pro Bowls. Wide receiver Bobby Joe Conrad (5th round, 1958) had a 12-year career with the Cardinals and Dallas, was All Pro once and played in another Pro Bowl. Don Maynard (9th round 1957) was a reserve and kick returner on the 1958 Giants, but he went on to a Hall of Fame career as a wide receiver with the New York Titans/Jets. In 1959 the Giants first round choice (10th overall) was used on quarterback Lee Grosscup as an heir apparent to aging Conerly. Grosscup appeared in eight games and amassed a total of 47 pass attempts as a Giant through 1961, his last year on the team. He was out of football altogether following the 1962 season.

What the Giants did do well, and what sustained them for a terrific three-year run, was execute exceptional trades. The Y.A. Tittle deal with San Francisco for tackle Lou Cordileone turned out to be a first-rate heist in New York’s favor. Soon after, a trade with Los Angeles for Del Shofner in exchange for a first round pick completed the key components of what would become a record-setting offense.

While the roster still lacked the desperately needed infusion of youth, there was no wanting for talent among the starting eleven, regardless of the dates on their birth certificates. New York’s average age was 29½ with 6½ seasons of NFL experience for their starting lineup in the 1962 NFL Championship Game versus Green Bay. The Packers, by comparison, were just under 28 years with five years of experience. That does not appear to be a significant difference on paper, but once the Giants over-30 crowd began to leave following the 1963 and 1964 seasons the decline in performance was precipitous. Green Bay’s core remained mostly intact through a run of five championships over seven years, which ultimately saw them be honored with the unofficial title of Team of the Sixties.

Duplicitous Eccentric or Misunderstood Genius?

Sherman’s first three seasons at the helm were unqualified successes. The Giants 33-8-1 record earned them three Eastern Conference titles. Despite losing all three championship games, Sherman was recognized as one of the game’s best and brightest coaches. He was voted NFL Coach of the Year in 1961 and 1962, and remains the only coach in history to have won in consecutive years. Wellington Mara quipped years later, “Allie might have been the best second choice since John Alden.”

Tittle certainly was appreciative of what Sherman meant to his career. The reborn quarterback established the NFL record for touchdown passes in a season with 33 in 1962, then reset it with 36 in 1963, during 14 game seasons. Those still stand today as the Giants franchise standard. Tittle said, “(Sherman) never looked upon the Giants as a team but as 40 men – each with a unique personality. Sherman realized early in his career that a successful club depended on the system adapting to the players, not the other way around.” The Giants were so confident in Sherman, they tore up his contract after the 1962 season and locked him up with a new five-year deal.

Y.A. Tittle, Allie Sherman, and Kyle Rote, New York Giants (1963)

Not everyone behind the scenes were as generous sending adulation Sherman’s way. Halfback and wide receiver Frank Gifford saw two sides to the coach: “Allie was a terrific offensive coach but not a great head coach. Allie had a good sense of the passing game, and he loved to employ it. But when it came to dealing with real players rather than with blackboard X’s and O’s, Allie’s style hurt him a great deal. Instead of saying, ‘this is the way it’s going to be,’ he tried to cajole the players.”

Defensive end Andy Robustelli described the first three years of Sherman’s tenure as “an era of agony and ecstasy for all of us connected with the Giants – the agony often taking place in our locker room while the fans were in ecstasy over the wondrous feats our team performed.

“We freely wondered whether the head coach had a hang-up about the defense, and after a while we simply accepted the fact that we would never be his favorite. It was plain to us that he couldn’t handle the defense’s notoriety. My role as a coach offered me a unique perspective as well as some agonizing dealings with Sherman. Al was not the kind of person with whom you could disagree and feel it was for the good of the team. That was a tough situation for me because I felt one of the prerequisites of being a good assistant coach was to express freely an opinion that was based on experience and knowledge.”

Robustelli placed most of the credit on Tittle. “Y.A. was more than just an efficient quarterback. His personality carried over to the field, where there was no doubt who was in charge.” (Y.A. Tittle’s Incomparable 1962 and 1963 Seasons)

Defensive tackle Rosey Grier was traded to Los Angeles after the 1962 season for John Lovetere, who was younger and more athletic than Grier, who suffered from chronic weight issues. Lovetere had a strong 1963 season but suffered a knee injury the following year and never returned to form. This was only the first of many moves that would backfire on New York for one reason or another. Wellington’s uncanny knack for getting the right player at just the right time had escaped him.

By far, the most shocking and controversial transaction in Giants history was the trading of star middle linebacker Sam Huff to Washington after the 1963 season. The grudge Huff held against Sherman eventually became a legend that took on a life of its own. In return, New York received two journeymen players, defensive end Andy Stynchula and halfback Dick James, who brought youth but little impact. Rookie Lou Slaby inherited Huff’s position as the man in the middle but only lasted one season as the starter, and two overall in New York. He was out of football by 1967.

The friction between Huff and Sherman began before the 1962 season with a change in scheme that confounded the All Pro. In the new defense, Huff was required to fill the strong-side gap between the guard and center, regardless of where the play was going. The reading of offensive keys that Huff had executed to near-perfection in the Landry 4-3 defense was now nullified after the snap. Near the end of the exhibition schedule Huff confided his discontent with defensive captain and coordinator Robustelli, who told him, “I agree with you, but this is the defense Allie wants you to play, and you’re just going to have to do it.” (New York Giants – Cleveland Browns 1950-1959)

Huff eventually voiced his dissenting opinion to Sherman, despite the predictable result being all but assured. No changes were made and the Giants once impermeable defense began to show signs of leakage. Over the 1960 and 1961 seasons, when the NFL schedule expanded to the 14-game schedule, the Giants surrendered an average of 17 points per game with the Landry-created 4-3 defense (this despite its originator now in Dallas with the expansion Cowboys). The next two seasons with the Sherman defense, the total went just upwards of 20 points per game. The won-loss record didn’t suffer as the potent Tittle-to-Shofner connection kept the Giants just ahead of the opponents on the scoreboard.

Also traded away that portentous offseason was defensive tackle Dick Modzelewski. He went to Cleveland for tight end Bobby Crespino, a serviceable if unspectacular player who remained with New York through 1968. The foundation of the Giants 4-3 defense, defensive tackles Grier and Modzelweski backed by Huff, had been gutted.

If the Giants hadn’t felt like they went into games with one hand tied behind their back going into the 1964 season, it probably didn’t take long soon after it started. The injuries that depleted the roster were symbolized in perpetuity with the crushing John Baker hit on Tittle in the Pittsburgh end zone. Tittle and fellow former heroes Shofner, Gifford, fullback Alex Webster, defensive end Jim Katcavage, cornerback Dick Lynch and cornerback Jimmy Patton all missed significant time or their seasons ended prematurely. Robustelli said with his tongue only partially in-cheek: “It seemed we won because of ‘experience’ and lost because of ‘age.’”

New York’s 2-10-2 record in 1964 was as abysmal as it was unexpected. Never before had a Giants team had a double-digit figure in the loss column, and the 399 points surrendered by the sieve-like defense averaged nearly 29 points per game. The inconsistent offense with rotating personnel was unable to bail them out this time. When the season mercifully closed, Webster, Tittle, Robustelli and Gifford all retired. It would be a long time before those shoes were filled.

Wandering into the Wilderness

New York had the first pick in the 1965 draft (which was held in November 1964). The Giants have had the number one overall choice twice in their history, and ironically, both times they selected highly regarded backs whose careers were altered by untimely and severe knee injuries. The first was Kyle Rote in 1951, and the second was Tucker Frederickson.

Frederickson was of a much higher pedigree than New York’s recent run of failed first round picks: Lee Grosscup (1959), offensive tackle Lou Cordileone (1960), running back Bob Gaiters (1961), linebacker Jerry Hillebrand (1962), offensive tackle Frank Lasky (1963) and running back Joe Don Looney (1964), all of whom were deemed questionable choices at the time. Frederickson was an impressive athlete with all of the necessary credentials. Many other teams were envious of the Giants at the time and stated they would have taken the back from Auburn given the chance. Denver of the AFL, which held its own draft the same day, inquired about Frederickson, but he told them he preferred to sign with the NFL’s Giants.

The celebration of the touted pick was short lived. Team president Jack Mara passed away from cancer on June 29 at the age of 57. The loss was devastating to Wellington, who had shared the duties of running the Giants with his brother for 29 years. Jack handled the business side and Wellington the football operations. With no succession plan in place, Wellington dutifully, if somewhat reluctantly, assumed stewardship of everything involved with the franchise. The strain of handling all aspects of the team over time impeded New York’s growth as a franchise during an era where the more successful franchises diversified and modernized their approach in areas such as player evaluation and acquisition. The Giants became stuck in what was often referred to as “old ways.”

While Wellington burned the candle at both ends, he craved a sense of stability and security after the loss of his brother. To that end, he tore up Sherman’s contract on July 26 and signed the coach to a new 10-year deal. Mara said, “The most important thing we could do was get the best possible leadership on the field. That’s why we have given Al a new contract.”

Sherman said, “I think any coach in the business would envy me today. We have the kind of ball club that can give the city what it has come to expect and want in the way of a winning team. We have the ingredients to come back quicker than a lot of people might think.”

Improve the Giants did in 1965, to 7-7 which was good for a second place tie in the mediocre NFL Eastern Conference. Veteran Earl Morrall started every game and stabilized the quarterback position. Homer Jones flashed some big play potential as a wide out and Frederickson made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. The defense continued to struggle, but the kicking game was far and away the weakest link. As a team, New York made an embarrassing four of 25 field goal attempts on the season, a figure that would have been unacceptable even in the drop-kick era of the 1920’s.

Mara reconciled that on-field problem by signing Pete Gogolak from the AFL’s Buffalo Bills to a three-year contract. That move also created a typhoon of issues for NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, which ultimately led to the AFL-NFL merger. The two leagues agreed to have their respective champions meet in a unifying professional football title game after the 1966 season, and would follow with a common draft beginning in 1967. Teams from both leagues were also free to schedule preseason exhibition matches against one another that same year. (History of New York Giants Place Kickers: Drop Kicks, Placements and the Sidewinder)

The Chasm

The Giants 1966 preseason was an unmitigated disaster. Frederickson strained knee ligaments in a scrimmage with Green Bay and sat out almost all of the remaining practice sessions. He returned for the final preseason contest, a 37-10 annihilation at the hands of the Packers, and was lost for the year when that same knee was severely reinjured.

The season opener, a 34-34 tie at Pittsburgh, was at the very least entertaining. The New York Times likened the proceedings of the turnover- and mistake-filled game as a skit by either Laurel and Hardy or Abbot and Costello. The dour Sherman was more succinct, “Sloppy.” Statistically, New York was terribly outplayed. The Steelers had the edge in first downs 25 to eight and rushing yards 138 to 32. Big plays kept the Giants close. Despite being under constant pressure, Morrall connected with Jones twice for touchdowns – one for 98 yards, a new club record, and the other for 75 yards.

There were no such silver linings the following week. The Giants traveled to Dallas and were so soundly beaten (52-7), that the New York media for the first time since Red Grange’s New York Yankees in 1926, began to turn their attention to another team – the New York Jets and their flamboyant young star Joe Namath. The Giants two biggest problems would haunt them the entire season: a weak offensive line that provided no pass protection, and porous defense that offered no resistance and couldn’t get off of the field.

Chuck Mercein (29), New York Giants (October 16, 1966)

The points allowed in succession following the Cowboy game were 35, 28, and 24 – all losses. For one game, somehow, the Giants defense plugged the leaks in a game against Washington. New York’s front seven played as if they were inspired by the presence of old friend Sam Huff, and held the Redskins to 179 total yards and nine first downs. Giants quarterback Gary Wood, who entered the game in the second quarter, was battered by the opposing pass rush and gave way to original starter Morrall early in the fourth quarter. Morrall led the Giants to 10 points and a 13-10 win.

That was the season’s highlight, as the following week the point parade marched on. A five-game span in November and December saw the Giants surrender a mind boggling 250 points, an aggregate higher than four teams yielded over their entire 14-game schedules! In two of those games New York scored at least 40 points and still lost. To put this perspective, the average points allowed for the NFL in 1966 was 301. The Giants surrendered 501, a record for a 14-game season. The 500-point plateau has only been passed twice since the 16-game schedule began in 1978: the 1981 Baltimore Colts and the 2008 Detroit Lions.

The entire 1966 campaign was best symbolized by the November 27 game at Washington, a 72-41 loss. Three records were set that still stand today: 113 total points scored, 16 total touchdowns, 72 points scored by one team in a regular season game. The record scoring cost Washington $315 in lost footballs. Thirteen of the 14 were lost on point-after attempts kicked into the stands and the other was thrown into the stands by an enthusiastic Redskin player after a touchdown. The embarrassment reached a ludicrous level when Huff called a time out with 0:07 left in the game and sent the field goal unit onto the field, despite Washington being comfortably ahead 69-41.

Huff remained unapologetic years later: “On the field before the game, Kyle Rote interviewed me for his pre-game radio show. ‘What do you think about the game?’ he asked. ‘We’ll score sixty,’ I said into the microphone for all my friends back in New York. As we were doing our calisthenics, (Head Coach) Otto (Graham) asked me what I thought. ‘Otto,’ I told him, ‘we’re gonna kill ‘em’. And Otto, I want to ask you one more thing: show no mercy. Show no mercy to that little son-of-a-bitch across the field, because this is our day.’”

Regarding the time out call, Huff said, “While Otto was talking to (quarterback) Sonny (Jurgensen), I took it upon myself to yell for the field goal team to get out there. After the game, Otto took a lot of heat for kicking the field goal and rubbing it in. But that wasn’t Otto’s decision, it was all mine. The 72 points we scored were for a lot of people: me, Mo, Livingston, Rosey, and all the old Giants. That was a day of judgment, and in my mind, justice was finally done.”

Giants fans seemed to begin to see things thought Huff’s eyes. The derisive “Good-bye Allie” sing-along (to the tune of “Good Night, Ladies”) began to echo through the Yankee Stadium. At the conclusion of the season’s final game, Sherman required a police escort to walk off of the field through angry mobs of fans.

The Trade

The move to assuage the fan base, as well as divert the city’s fascination with the ascending Jets, was as bold as it was costly. On March 7, 1967, the Giants dealt for Pro Bowl quarterback Fran Tarkenton.

In a football sense this made sense, as the fearless and mobile Tarkenton would be able to be productive behind New York’s weak line. However, the cost of their first and second round choices in the 1967 draft, first round pick in the 1968 draft and a player to be named later was exorbitant. This signaled the start of an era Wellington later termed “the patchwork system”, a repetitious cycle of get-better-now moves that eschewed long term growth and ultimately stability. The 1967 Giants were far from a win-now team that would become a contender with the addition of a single player, even if that player was a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback.

Wellington Mara confessed years later: “I didn’t want to have a loser while the Jets had a winner.”

For his part, Tarkenton did everything he was brought to New York to do. He gave the Giants instant credibility – on and off of the field – and stabilized the quarterback position, something that was desperately needed, as the majority of the roster seemed to be a revolving door over his tenure.

Schematically, the Giants became a diagonal offense, employing short routes and slants to get the ball out of Tarkenton’s hands quickly. He developed a certain chemistry with Homer Jones, who had his most productive years with Tarkenton. Jones set team records in 14-game seasons that stood for decades, even though his penchant for freelancing routes got on his quarterback’s and coaches’ nerves.

The 1967 and 1968 seasons were an even 14-14 for New York in the won-lost column. The difference between the 7-7 campaigns was the latter season had New York 7-3 with a chance for a trip to the post season in the realigned NFL. A four-game losing skid to close the schedule had the anti-Sherman throng at full throat again. Meanwhile, the Jets shocked the world at large with their victory over Baltimore in Super Bowl III.

The pressure on Sherman to turn the Giants around was unprecedented, as was the hype before the August 17, 1969 preseason game between the Giants and Jets at the Yale Bowl. Giants President Wellington Mara posed alongside his Jets counterpart Philip Iselin, each holding their respective team’s helmet, as if it were Super Bowl 3½. The New York Times featured a column speculating what the world would be like if Namath were a Giant, alongside an article expressing traffic concerns of the New Haven Police Department and providing contingency plans and alternate routes. Nobody in the world could be convinced this game didn’t count for something, if not everything.

Both teams were prepared and up for the game in front of a standing room only crowd of 70,874. However, once the game started, the mistake-prone Giants must have felt helpless under the wheels of a green steamroller. Namath and the Jets led 24-0 two minutes into the second quarter and cruised to a 37-14 victory that gave them the neighborhood “bragging rights.”

Despite the one-sided score and Giants frequent ineptitude, the game remained a gritty and spirited affair. The New York Times game summary stated: “Although the contest was in truth a mere preseason game, the coaches, Weeb Ewbank of the Jets and Al Sherman of the Giants, used their personnel as though a Super Bowl were at stake. Perspiring regulars on both sides stayed in action until late in the fourth period.”

New York Giants vs. New York Jets (1969 Preseason)

Aside from botched kick returns, poor punts and turnovers, the Giants main culprit was again their ineffective defense. Namath enjoyed a pristine pocket to read through progressions and deliver strikes to open receivers. He finished the day 14-of-16 for 188 yards with three touchdowns and a clean jersey. The Giants were humbled and humiliated, and several of the Jets, including former Giant Don Maynard, said the win over the Giants was more gratifying than Super Bowl III. “The Super Bowl was one thing, but playing in the Yale Bowl before 70,000 people for an exhibition…that was another kind of Super Bowl,” said Maynard.

The dismal preseason began to take on the feel of a funeral procession as the dispirited Giants trudged along and accumulated losses. New York was 0-5 after dropping an awful 17-13 game to Pittsburgh in front of a sparse crowd in Montreal on September 22. Coupled with the 0-4 slide to close the 1968 season, the Giants had gone winless over their last nine contests. Wellington Mara’s sense of loyalty and patience had reached its limits.

The Change

The next day Sherman was fired. A sullen Mara said at the press conference, “Sometime between 2am and 6am I reached my decision. There was no straw, no camel’s back. We just weren’t winning enough football games. The sole reason for our existence is to please our fans. If we’re not pleasing our fans we’ve got to find out why.”

Sherman said, “I was a little surprised, but, heck, that’s football.”

The new coach was offensive assistant, and longtime star fullback, Alex Webster. While Sherman had five years remaining on his 10-year deal, Webster was given a two-year contract to run the team. He said, “I feel like I’m part of the family. We’ve got one of the best offensive teams in the league. We’re going to win some games.”

Mara also said there would be a new hire to work between himself and Webster. This person would focus on “evaluation, selection and procurement of players” and feature “a more distinct approach, a new outlook.” However, it would be several years before Wellington actually added this new director of football operations position.

Later Mara confided there was another candidate strongly in the running for the head coaching job “It was late in the preseason, and we didn’t have a wide choice to begin with. Somebody I would have considered very strongly was Andy Robustelli, but he was in Japan at the time and we just had to do it immediately.”

The former Giant great-turned successful businessman Robustelli years later said, “My biggest disappointment was not being made the head coach of the Giants when Sherman was fired. I was the right choice. I would have done the job.”

Behind the scenes, dissatisfaction and frustration were percolating. Wellington’s nephew Tim Mara, who had been passive with the franchise since his father Jack’s passing, began to feel the need to interject his influence. “From Allie’s later years on, I felt like I wanted to be more involved. And when we finally had to let Sherman go, I was one hundred percent for it. A change was really necessary.”

What Webster the coach lacked in organizational experience, he made up for with personal connections. Wellington said, “I thought the guy on our staff who could get the most out of the players, the guy they would most want to play for, was Alex. Alex had a great grasp of people and players and of offensive football. He was a fine offensive coach. The players knew what a great player he had been, too, and they respected him for that.”

Webster said years later, “Basically the team I took over was an average team. There were some players, but not enough. We had a few…they were offensive players, the defense was weaker. The hardest thing was taking over nine days before the season. I couldn’t put in anything of my own, I had to go along with Allie’s theories.”

Despite the sudden change and numerous challenges to overcome, the season opener at Yankee Stadium was as rousing as it was surprising. A thrilling come-from-behind win over the powerful Minnesota Vikings was highlighted by two late fourth quarter touchdown passes by Tarkenton, the second with 0:59 on the clock. The dark cloud that had hovered over the Giants since the previous November parted, and the jubilant players carried Webster off of the field on their shoulders. Yankee Stadium reverberated with cheers rather than boos and sarcastic sing-alongs.

The celebration was short lived, however. The Giants were whipped 24-0 in Detroit the following week. A seven-game losing streak in the middle of the season buried New York in a deep hole, but a three-game winning streak and a season ending win over rival Cleveland gave some hope going into the offseason.

Fred Dryer, New York Giants (December 21, 1969)

Webster’s first move to mold the Giants in his image was obtaining a reliable running back. To that end he traded the prolific, yet inconsistent, receiver Homer Jones to Cleveland for halfback Ron Johnson, defensive tackle Jim Kanicki and linebacker Wayne Meylan. The idea was to have more balance on offense, and hold the ball to keep the defense off of the field. To assist Webster with game planning and scheming, former Giants tight end Joe Walton was promoted, and he coordinated the new passing attack and based the offense around the I-Formation.

The new-look 1970 team had an up-and-down preseason, but it included a win over the Jets (who were without an injured Namath). The Giants endured a disappointing 0-3 start to the regular season and inspired little optimism. But, before going down in flames, Webster’s team started to click. Johnson had the Giants first 100-yard rushing game in three years during a win against Philadelphia. The next week’s 16-0 win over the Boston Patriots was New York’s first shutout since 1961, and the following week Tarkenton became the first Giant to throw five touchdown passes in a game since YA Tittle in 1962. Finally, comparisons to the past were favorable. After evening their record at 3-3, the first regular season showdown with the Jets took place at Shea Stadium on November 1.

Some of the luster of the matchup was missing as Namath watched the game from the sidelines in street clothes, but the demand for tickets was so strong that the Jets management installed temporary seating to meet the demand.

The Shea Stadium record crowd of 63,903 witnessed a mostly non-descript game until a fist-fight erupted between Tarkenton and Jets linebacker Larry Grantham. The Jets led 10-3 in the third quarter and just halted a Giants drive when they stopped Tucker Frederickson on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line. Tarkenton felt he had been hit after the whistle by Grantham, and the two ignited a skirmish between the teams. After order was restored, Jim Files tackled former Giants running back Chuck Mercein in the end zone for a safety. Now with momentum with the Giants, Tarkenton exacted some revenge by hitting Johnson down the sideline for a 50-yard gain and then Bob Tucker for a 9-yard touchdown. The two-play drive following the free kick gave the Giants a 12-10 lead.

Fran Tarkenton and Tucker Frederickson, New York Giants (November 1, 1970)

Cornerback Willie Williams then intercepted Al Woodall’s first down pass after the kickoff and returned it to the Jets 29-yard line. Three plays later Tarkenton connected with wide receiver Clifton McNeil for an 11-yard touchdown and 19-10 advantage. The 16-pojnt eruption came with just 77 elapsing from the clock. The Giants added a field goal in the fourth quarter for the 22-10 final score. More importantly, the 4-3 Giants were in playoff contention.

Back-to-back come-from-behind wins at Yankee Stadium against division rivals Dallas and Washington set the Giants up for a meaningful December. The Giants had won nine of their last 10 games heading into the season finale against the Los Angeles Rams, and a win would earn their first division title and playoff berth since 1963. Their prospects looked good after Gogolak gave New York a 3-0 early in the first quarter but the game unraveled quickly after that. Los Angeles led 24-3 at the half, as they took advantage of numerous Giants miscues. New York lost five fumbles on the day and lost 31-3.

Regardless of that final game, the Giants had a lot to feel good about. The 9-5 record was their first winning mark since 1963, Johnson was the first 1,000 yard rusher in franchise history and Gogolak set a team scoring record with 107 points.

But New York soon discovered their success was fleeting. Distractions that made the action on the field seem secondary in importance were lurking just around the corner.

The Move

On March 25, 1971, to the surprise of all, The New York Times published an article stating the Giants had forged a verbal agreement with the state of New Jersey to explore future options of constructing a football-only stadium on the other side of the Hudson River.

Backlash came fast and hard. Editorials in all the area papers criticized the Giants for “abandoning” the city and accused the Maras as being “opportunists.” All of these emotionally based assaults ignored the fact that the Giants had indeed explored options construction in Uniondale and Yonkers, New York, and only after refurbishment requests to the city to upgrade the aging Yankee Stadium were refused.

The official announcement of the Giants partnership with the newly created New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority (NJSEA) came on August 26, and ended a summer of rumor and speculation.

Immediately following the announcement, New York Mayor John Lindsay attempted to evoke a clause in the Giants contract with the Yankees, after finally authorizing a $24 million upgrade to Yankee Stadium, to evict the Giants from the city limits. Lindsay also petitioned NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to bring an expansion franchise to New York and demanded the Giants drop “New York” from their name.

In a public statement, an irate Lindsay said, “In taking this action the Giant management crossed the line that distinguishes a sport from a business. I am today directing the Corporation Counsel to initiate proceedings to restrict the rights of the Giants to call themselves the name of the city they have chosen to leave.”

The expansion prospect proved unrealistic. The NFL established home markets as a 75-mile radius from the location of home game sites – regardless of political boarders. Any team staging a league contest within that radius would need the approval of both the Giants and Jets. This concept also played into the Giants keeping their identity with New York after moving the short distance to New Jersey.

At the press conference with New Jersey Governor William Cahill and NJSEA chairman Sonny Werblin (former owner of the AFL New York Titans), Wellington Mara cited the positive aspects of the new football-only stadium: more and better seating, easy access from the highway and more parking close to the stadium. The football Giants had been perennial tenants to the baseball Giants and Yankees since 1925, and they were ready for a state-of-the-art home of their own.

William Cahill, Wellington Mara, David Werblin; Meadowlands Announcement (October 27, 1971)

Wellington Mara said: “In going around the circuit, we felt other clubs were able to take a lot better care of their fans. We had a lot of obstructed view seats in Yankee Stadium. And we had a huge waiting list for tickets. We thought if we could get better locations for more people, it was something we were very interested in.”

No doubt, part of the vitriol public officials directed toward Mara and the Giants came from the sting still felt by the departure of the baseball Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers in 1957. The financially troubled city that was struggling to compete with other markets just learned they were losing their third professional team in 14 years. Bronx Borough President Robert Abrams curtly stated, “We made them a successful operation, now they want to leave. If they want to play in a swamp, let them play in a swamp right now.”

All of this commotion obscured the actual game of football for the next several years. In retrospect, that may have been a blessing in disguise. The surprise winning season of 1970 proved to be little more than a mirage, as the 1971 Giants crumbled on the field and were a discontented rabble off of it.

Johnson appeared in only two games while rehabbing a knee injury, and Tarkenton and defensive end Fred Dyer forced their way out of New York via trades after the season. A rift between Tarkenton and Mara over a financial disagreement caused the quarterback to go AWOL during the preseason, and apparently affected his performance during what would be his statistically poorest campaign. Dryer was simply fed up with what he considered a poorly-run operation, “I had to get out of that place while I had my sanity.”

The Giants rebounded to their second winning record in three seasons in 1972, as the healthy Johnson returned better than ever and had another 1,000-yard season. However, that too turned out to be another tease. While the 1966 embarrassment remains the single-season low point for the Giants, the 1973 and 1974 seasons are the worst back-to-back campaigns in franchise history. The combined 4-23-1 record bridged the Giants exodus from Yankee Stadium – where they started the 1973 season with a win and a tie – to the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut.

Ron Johnson, New York Giants (September 23, 1973)

The Giants had explored many options for a location suitable for their temporary home games. These included Downing Stadium at Randall’s Island, Michie Stadium at West Point and Palmer Stadium at Princeton University, but all proved unsatisfactory for one reason or another. While the Yale Bowl lacked its own locker room facilities – the teams changed and showered at a field house approximately 200 yards away – the seating capacity accommodated just over 70,000 patrons.

The Giants residence at Yale featured two head coaches (Webster was released after the 1974 season), one victory (24-13 over the St. Louis Cardinals on November 18, 1973) and zero Pro Bowlers – the first time since that event’s inception in 1950 that no New York player was invited.

Linebacker Brian Kelley recalled, “My rookie year was ’73 and the first couple of games of the regular season we played in Yankee Stadium. From there, it started going downhill pretty quick. We went to the Yale Bowl. Not that it’s a bad place, but it was more like an away game, because we had to drive two-and-a-half hours from our practice fields to go to a home game.”

An Anguished Disorganization

The Giants – somewhat reluctantly and not without consternation – named Andy Robustelli as their first Director of Football Operations prior to the 1974 season.

Robustelli said of his hiring, “During the previous week Well and Tim had discussed what might be done to revive the team, and Tim suggested someone with a football background was needed to run that side of the organization. When Wellington and Jack ran the team, Well was the vice president, but in effect his duties were those of a director of football operations. When he succeeded Jack as president, Wellington thought he could continue to specialize in that area and allow Tim to take over the business side; as club president Well would continue to oversee as necessary. Those plans fell apart when everyone in the organization turned to Wellington to solve every problem.”

Wellington Mara said, “It became obvious to me that I had to step back, that I had to bring someone in to run the team. Because of the closeness and length of my association with all of the people on the staff, where I thought I was just giving an opinion, it was being taken as an instruction. It wasn’t meant to be that way.”

Tim Mara said, “I It became clear we needed a football man to run the team, a general manager. I suggested that and Well agreed with it…(Robustelli) was what I thought we needed…during that time I was still more or less dealing with the business aspect of the team.”

Robustelli said the most difficult aspect of integrating with the organization was the displacement of Wellington’s long-time friend Ray Walsh, who possessed the title of general manager. In Robustelli’s words: “In reality, he was the business manager. Unlike most general managers in professional sports, he did not deal with the players’ contracts, make trades or involve himself in any way with the football operation.” Walsh received a vice president title and continued to deal with non-football responsibilities.

Robustelli’s first major move was finding the Giants next head coach, and for the first time since 1930, a candidate from outside the Giants organization was chosen. Bill Arnsparger, the architect of the Miami Dolphins dominant defense, was a hot commodity following three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, including two victories. Arnsparger was renowned for both his tactical skills as well as his patience, a necessary trait for the massive rebuild that loomed.

Wellington Mara said, “Tim, Andy and I drew up lists (of the) men we thought should be considered as the new coach. Bill Arnsparger was at the head of all three lists.”

Once Arnsparger was on board, Robustelli got to work on a complete overhaul of the Giants organizational structure. This included everything from player personnel evaluation (which included the difficult removal of the current head of player evaluation – Jim Lee Howell), building modern training facilities (which led the forging of a partnership with Pace University in Pleasantville, New York) and right up to the division of responsibilities between the team’s two owners. Robustelli even had a hand in the Giants new look on the field, and radically changed their logo and uniforms in time for the 1975 season.

The Giants on-field fortunes were not unexpectedly familiar. The lingering effects of the back-to-back 2-11-1 and 2-12 seasons were at least temporarily assuaged after the removal of Lindsay from the mayor’s office. New Mayor Abe Beame allowed the Giants back into New York to play at Shea Stadium in 1975. Robustelli said, “Nothing ever compared to Yankee Stadium, but in 1975 any permanent move was at least a year away, and we needed an immediate psychological boost.”

Not surprisingly, under Arnsparger’s direction, New York’s defense began to show significant improvement. Players either acquired or developed under Arnsparger included: defensive end Jack Gregory, defensive tackle John Mendenhall, linebacker Brian Kelley, linebacker Brad Van Pelt, punter Dave Jennings, defensive end George Martin and linebacker Harry Carson.

Bill Arnsparger (1974)

Unfortunately, at the same time the once-potent offense began to falter. Finding a long-term replacement for Tarkenton proved to be both difficult and costly. Norm Snead, who came from Minnesota in the Tarkenton deal, had a strong 1972 season (where he set a franchise mark with a 60.3 completion percentage) but slumped badly in 1973 while struggling with knee troubles and weak pass protection. His seven touchdown passes to 22 interception ratio underscored the need for new blood.

The Giants number one draft choice in the 1975 draft was sent to Dallas for quarterback Craig Morton, who had battled on and off for years with Roger Staubach for the Cowboys starting position. Morton possessed all the necessary physical attributes required for the position, but lacked some of the intangibles the rebuilding Giants needed to reverse their fortunes.

“We needed Morton, we had to have a competent quarterback. Maybe we paid too much for him. We probably did. But there was no choice, not really, and I’d do it again,” Robustelli said years later. “I think Morton was the right guy but on the wrong team.”

Arnsparger echoed that assessment, “It was the feeling of everybody that we had to have a quarterback of (Morton’s) capability, and we had to spend an awful lot to get him. But we were trying to do something that had to be done, but I don’t know if our team was ready for him. We probably needed a different type of quarterback, because we weren’t good enough to play with Craig.”

Robustelli said, “Craig often needed a kick in the ass to get his attention and let him know he couldn’t call his own tune. Instead of being the positive influence I had sought, the opposite occurred. I take nothing away from Craig’s football abilities, but he was not the kind of leader we sought.”

At the same time, Robustelli began to have concerns with Arnsparger’s sometime passive approach in dealing with issues. He also sometimes thought the Giants were a soft team and undisciplined team. “Bill was very stubborn about many things and very fixed in his ways, often unwilling to change or even compromise. It was exasperating at times.”

The Giants record improved marginally to 5-9 in 1975. The next desperate move caused reverberations that initiated an irreparable rift in ownership.

New Home, Old Ways

Fullback Larry Csonka, former Super Bowl MVP and associate of Arnsparger in Miami, was a free agent following the demise of the World Football League (WFL). New York’s major overseers, the head coach, general manager and principal owner were all interested in adding him to the roster for both his muscle in the run game as well fostering some as instant credibility with a disenchanted fan base.

Typical of the Giants internal climate at the time, how the Csonka signing came about is a matter of whom you believe.

Tim Mara: “We had a meeting, the three of us, and went over the players that were available.” After reviewing what were believed to be unreasonable contract demands, “…we decided not to pursue it; it might have been the shortest meeting we ever had.”

Later that week, Tim Mara said that while attending a meeting with the NJSEA, Wellington called and informed him the Giants were close to signing Csonka. Tim was incredulous, believing the patchwork system of paying for today’s short-term fix later had to stop. He attested that Wellington assured him the deal would be called off.

“But then the next call I got was that we had signed him, and we were having a press conference that night,” Tim said.

Robustelli: “Wellington became more and more enthusiastic as the negotiations progressed…Tim Mara was another matter. He didn’t even involve himself in the negotiations despite my urgings. During the Csonka negotiations, he chose to be a ‘convenient’ owner – one who was visible in the good times but never around to help make the tough decisions or take his share of the flak when (things went) badly. I believe his non participation was strategic; he left himself in a perfect position to second-guess the move, which he frequently did.”

Robustelli also said this pattern repeated itself during the renegotiation of Brad Van Pelt’s contract and the signing of first round draft pick defensive end Gary Jeter.

As uncomfortable as things were in the front office, they may have been even worse on the field during the 1976 season.

Harry Carson recalled the climate of his first NFL training camp: “Coach Arnsparger indicated that all positions were up for grabs. He wanted players to compete and didn’t care who started as long as they could get the job done. Arnsparger really didn’t have a choice; he needed players willing to shake things up as he had experienced two prior seasons that only netted him seven wins against 21 losses. He knew his ass was on the hot seat and he was in jeopardy of losing his job if things didn’t get better fast.”

The Giants began the season with a four-game road trip. Despite outplaying the Redskins for 59 minutes, New York collapsed late and surrendered the deciding touchdown with 45 seconds left in the game for a tone-setting 19-17 loss. The games at Philadelphia, Los Angeles and St. Louis were never that close, and neither was the home opener. All the compliments following the 24-14 loss to Dallas were paid to the brand new, state-of-the-art football-only stadium. Nobody had anything good to say regarding the overmatched team on the field.

“It became a growing concern, that Andy was right, when the 1976 season started. The lack of success had gotten to the point that, not that he didn’t have the respect of the players, but he couldn’t command their attention,” Wellington Mara said. “The idea of changing in midstream was not appealing, but I felt that if we continued to go downhill, some of the good young players might have been lost beyond recall.”

After closing 1975 with three straight defeats, and opening the 1976 with seven more, it had been over 11 months since a Giants team had tasted a victory. The strain was becoming unbearable.

Carson said, “The team had not won one game, and it was frustrating to lose week in and week out. I could sense that the coaches were under pressure to win…The atmosphere between coaches and players, as well as between offense and defense, was getting more hostile than earlier in the season,”

The time for change came the Monday morning after a 27-0 loss to Pittsburgh.

Arnsparger said, “…when we lost our first seven games, I came in one morning and Andy told me it was over.

Starting Over…Again

John McVay, who had head coaching experience in the WFL and had been brought to the staff as an insurance policy as a coach-in-waiting by Robustelli, was quickly promoted as head coach on an interim basis.

McVay recalled the moment: “(Robustelli) looked at me and said: ‘Bill’s leaving, and you’re it.’ Just like that. They never told me anything beforehand, never asked me if I’d take the job. I mean, they fired Bill and they decided I’d be the coach…It was the most painful, dire circumstance in which you can be cast into the job of head coach. There has been no time to anticipate it, to prepare for it, to even think about it. The shock and surprise are, well, indescribable.”

Following two more losses, McVay’s first win, a 12-9 win over Washington, was a milestone on several levels. It ended an 11-game losing streak to their division rival, marked their first win at Giants Stadium, and ended the franchise record nine-game losing streak.

Wellington Mara, Giants Stadium (1976)

Carson said, “With that first victory, you could feel the weight being lifted off our backs and especially off the shoulders of the coaches. With a win, people start to smile and feel better about themselves.”

The Giants finished the season winning three of their last five games. McVay received a new two-year contract to coach the Giants, though not necessarily on a permanent basis. McVay was seen as someone who would ascend to management and run the Giants football operations when Robustelli, who was growing weary of being caught between the bickering Maras, ultimately left to return to his private businesses.

Once again, the paramount offseason need was a new quarterback. This time around however, character was deemed the higher priority above physical ability. The Giants looked north of the border to find their man, Joe Pisarcik, a three-year veteran of the CFL.

Robustelli said, “Pisarcik was a very methodical, strong-armed quarterback who was never going to be exceptional, but he was tough and he’d fight right to the end of the game. I liked him right from the start because I thought he was the right kind of player for our situation – someone who was could hang tough and absorb some of the pounding while we bought time, upgraded other positions and got ourselves the star quarterback of the future.”

The 1977 Giants had a roster that had been largely turned over since the 1974 season. One of the pre-Robustelli players, tight end Bob Tucker, forced a trade in the middle of the season by acting out as a malcontent. His frustration was understandable – most of the promising talent on the team was on the defensive side of the ball, and the offensive line was a perpetual ongoing project. Ageless veteran offensive lineman Doug Van Horn was still reliable, but the pieces around him always seemed to be shuffling as draft picks and free agents came and went. The 5-9 season marked the fifth-consecutive sub-0.500 record for New York, but things did seem to be stabilizing. For the first time anyone could remember, there was hope heading into the offseason.

We’ve Had Enough

The 1978 Giants were 5-3 at the halfway point of the NFL’s first 16-game season. Granted, most of the wins came against the lower half of the league echelon – two of the losses came at the hands of the defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys. A three-game road trip turned into a three-game skid. Yet, the Giants still in remained in position for wild card contention at 5-6. A home victory against Philadelphia would tie the division rivals for second place.

For just over 59 minutes, that seemed to be a near certainty.

The Giants Stadium sensed all was right, to the point where many began leaving their seats to beat the traffic.

The Giants defense had just turned the ball over to the offense after stopping Philadelphia on fourth down just inside the New York 30-yard line.

Then everything began to go wrong.

On first down, Pisarcik fell on the ball for a three-yard loss, but Philadelphia linebacker Frank LeMaster blitzed and hit Pisarcik while he was lying on the ground, breaking the normal protocol on such a play. The officials stopped the clock to separate the two teams as members of the Giants, who were angered by what they believed was unnecessary roughness, defended their quarterback. Giants center Jim Clack said, “Usually, when the quarterback is just going to fall on the ball, we tell the other team to take it easy and not bury him.”

The Giants ran the ball on second down, ostensibly to protect Pisarcik from an over-aggressive defense. New York players in the huddle disagreed with the call, and told him to just fall on the ball. Pisarcik though, ran the play from the coaches as directed, and Csonka ran behind left guard for an 11-yard gain, setting up a 3rd and two. Philadelphia used their third and final time out. All that was required for New York to secure the victory was run one more play, keep the ball in bounds, and allow the remaining time to expire.

What could possibly go wrong?

The same run play was called. The results changed the fortunes of the Giants forever.

The fateful play was run with 0:31 on the clock from their own 29-yard line.

The snap from center was slightly off, Pisarcik said it was high and hit his right forearm. Unable to handle the ball cleanly, Pisarcik never had firm control as he pivoted to hand-off to Csonka, who was charging toward the hole full-speed. The mistimed exchange caused the ball to hit Csonka’s right hip and bounce away on the hard artificial surface. Eagles safety Herman Edwards scooped up the loose ball after its second bounce and sprinted across the goal line with 20 seconds left on the clock for the game-winning score.

McVay explained the controversial play call after the game, “We didn’t want to get the clock stopped by them faking an injury. Our thought was to get the first down and not have to worry about it.”

Offensive coordinator Bob Gibson said, “It was a safe play. We’ve used that play 500 times this season. It was safe. Csonka never fumbles.”

Others who were there recall the moment vividly.

Jim Clack: “Never in my life have I seen anything like it. It’d make a good movie. We’d write a good book on how to lose.”

Pisarcik: “I should’ve fallen on it. That’s what I should have done. But my job is to call the play that comes in. I don’t really have the freedom to change a play just because I don’t like it.”

Doug Van Horn: “But damn, we beat that team yesterday. Physically we beat ‘em up, only to lose in a horrible, horrible way.”

Harry Carson: “I was stunned, just like everyone else in the stadium. At the conclusion of the game I could not move. I sat on the bench for another 15 minutes staring at the ground.”

Andy Robustelli: “Using the clock in the final minutes of a game is a delicate art, even when your team has the ball and your opponents have no time outs. Plays must be called that use a maximum of time with a minimum of risk.

“However, the play that required Pisarcik to make a reverse spin – that is, he took the ball and spun in the opposite direction from where Csonka was running before wheeling around and placing the ball in his hands. I cringed when I saw that reverse pivot. I would have accepted even a simple handoff with its smaller margin of error, particularly with a back like Csonka who had done it thousands of times in his career.

“I was stunned to the point where I didn’t want to believe that the impossible had actually happened.”

New York’s post-game locker room was frenetic. The press badgered players for an explanation, but most wanted the same answers themselves. Many were too shocked to respond, others lashed out in anger. Pisarcik was coaxed out from the solitude of the trainer’s room by Robustelli and into the fray.

The next morning the decision was made by Robustelli and Wellington Mara to fire Gibson, the man responsible for the call. McVay defended his coach and offered to resign himself.

McVay was retained but fired shortly after the season’s conclusion as the Giants lost three of their four remaining games. The 6-10 record was their sixth consecutive losing season, and the fourth within that streak with losses tallying in the double digits.

Robustelli, as planned, officially resigned early in the 1979 offseason, allowing ownership to initiate their quest for a new successor. Many of the plans Robustelli had made in modernizing and restructuring the Giants organization were underway and beginning to bear fruits, especially the overhauled player development department. But he was unable to overcome the uneasiness and lack of trust between the two feuding owners who had been on non-speaking terms for nearly a full year.

The pathos became overwhelming during the Giants final two home games.

Prior to the game against the Los Angeles Rams on December 3, approximately 100 fans held an organized burning of their normally prized season tickets in a trash barrel on the sidewalk adjacent to the stadium. Their protest was, “in memory of Giant teams of the past,” fan Ron Livingston was quoted as saying in the next day’s New York Times.

Wellington Mara said, “You never like to know that what you’re trying to sell is not what they want to buy. And that’s what it means to me. You listen and you read your mail.”

The following week, during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals on December 10, another fan made sure Wellington got the message loud and clear.

Leaflets were passed out in the parking lot to tailgaters that alerted them to look skyward during the first half of the game. If they agreed with the messaged, they were encouraged to stand and cheer.

Indeed, probably the loudest ovation in the first three years of Giants Stadium occurred when the single engine plane towing the sign that read “15 YEARS OF LOUSY FOOTBALL…WE’VE HAD ENOUGH” slowly and agonizingly circled the stadium. The majority of the 52,226 fans in attendance (there were over 24,000 no-shows) not only stood and applauded, they spontaneously erupted in a thunderous chant of “We’ve had enough…We’ve had enough…” for several minutes.

After the game, the Giants humiliated principal owner Wellington Mara said he was aware of the plane, but did not actually see it, and uncharacteristically declined to comment further.

The Giants looked ahead in need of the three vital components of any successful football program: a general manager, a head coach and a quarterback. The strain they were now under would make the next two months feel like another 15 years.

************************************************************************
Sources:

“A Pedantic Professor Who Likes To Buck Long Odds”
Tex Maule, Sep. 7, 1964, Sports Illustrated

“The Giants Grow Up”
Mark Mulvoy, Dec. 4, 1967, Sports Illustrated

7 Days To Sunday: Crisis Week with the New York Football Giants
Eliot Asinoff, 1968, Ace Books

New York Football Giants 1971 Press, Radio and Television Guide
New York Football Giants, Inc., 1971

“Scramble Back to the Deep Purple”
Tex Maul, Feb. 7 1972, Sports Illustrated

New York Football Giants 1972 Press, Radio and Television Guide
New York Football Giants, Inc., 1973

“It’s Just One Man’s Family”
Robert H. Boyle, Sep. 25, 1972, Sports Illustrated

New York Football Giants 1973 Press, Radio and Television Guide
New York Football Giants, Inc., 1973

New York Football Giants 1974 Press, Radio and Television Guide
New York Football Giants, Inc., 1974

New York Giants 1975 Media Guide
New York Football Giants, Inc., 1975

New York Giants 1976 Media Guide
New York Football Giants, Inc., 1976

New York Giants 1977 Media Guide
New York Football Giants, Inc., 1977

New York Giants 1978 Media Guide
New York Football Giants, Inc., 1978

The Encyclopedia Of Football – 16th Revised Edition
Roger Treat, Suzanne Treat, Pete Palmer; 1979; A. S. Barnes & Co.

Giants Again!
Dave Klein, 1982, Signet

“Up, Down And Up Again”
Ron Fimrite, Jan. 26, 1987, Sports Illustrated

Illustrated History of the New York Giants: From The Polo Grounds To Super Bowl XXI
Richard Whittingham, 1987, Harper Collins

Once A Giant, Always…
Andy Robustelli with Jack Clary, 1987, Quinlan Press

Tuff Stuff
Sam Huff, 1988, St. Martins Press

The Pro Football Chronicle
Dan Daly & Bob O’Donnell, 1990, Collier Books

No Medals for Trying: A Week in the Life of a Pro Football Team
Jerry Izenberg, 1990, MacMillan Pub Company

The Whole Ten Yards
Frank Gifford with Harry Waters, 1993, Giff & Golda Productions

“William T. Cahill: Bringing Professional Football to New Jersey”
Michael Eisen, Gameday, Sept.29, 1996, New York Football Giants, Inc.

Wellington: The Maras, the Giants, and the City of New York
Carlo DeVito,  2006, Triumph Books

Nothing Comes Easy: My Life in Football
Y.A. Tittle, 2009, Triumph Books

Captain For Life
Harry Carson, 2011,  St. Martins Press

2015 New York Football Giants Information Guide
Micheal Eisen, Dandre Phillips, Corey Rush; 2015; New York Football Giants, Inc.

Official 2015 NFL Record & Fact Book
2015, NFL Communications Department

Historical New York Times searchable archive (via ProQuest)

Pro Football Reference
New York Giants Franchise Encyclopedia

Oct 072015
 

Emlen Tunnell (45), New York Giants (November 18, 1951)

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Emlen Tunnell and Roosevelt Brown were the first and second African-American players of the New York Football Giants franchise, respectively. They arrived from obscurity – Tunnell as a free agent who walked in off of the street and asked for a job, and Brown as a 27th round draft pick chosen on a whim when his name happened to be noticed on a newspaper clipping. Despite their humble beginnings, both men became deeply rooted in the Giants family and remained fulltime members of the organization for the remainders of their lives.

Professional football was an integrated sport in the 1910s and continued to be so when the American Professional Football Association (APFA) formed in 1920. That circuit is known to have employed at least 13 African-American players between the years of 1920 through 1933, although none participated during the 1927 season. Most were members of the small-town teams like Akron, Rock Island, Hammond, Dayton and Canton. The one with the highest profile was Fritz Pollard, an extremely talented tailback who played with five teams from 1920 through 1925, including the APFA Champion Akron Pros in 1920 (which he also coached). Pollard was posthumously enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

The only big-city team to have African-Americans on their roster for a significant length of time was the Chicago Cardinals who had three during their early years. They included the excellent tackle Duke Slater from 1926 through 1931 and halfback Joe Lillard who led the team in scoring in 1933. Lillard was released after that season, as was tackle Ray Kemp from the Pittsburgh Pirates, initiating a 12-year span where the NFL was an all-white league.

Although no official ban of African-American players has never been proven to have existed, it would be ludicrous to entertain the belief their exclusion was mere coincidence or happenstance. Some theorists believe, though it has never been proven, influential Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall, who entered the league in 1932 and became infamous two decades later for his all-white roster, was significant in convincing the other owners to eliminate black players from their rosters.

Possible motivation for an all-white league was marketing preference. Pro football at the time was desperately trying to climb the ladder of popularity in the 1920s and 1930s and tried to emulate baseball, which had been segregated since the 1880’s, in many ways organizationally. It would have been in line with the beliefs of the times that a league of white, college-educated players would be more appealing to prospective ticket buyers.

The league slowly and incrementally bolstered its fan base through the Great Depression and World War II years, but it likely had nothing to do with all-white rosters. Rather, it was accomplished by intelligent organization, the institution of an annual championship game and rules changes that improved the way the game was played on the field.

As a result of the ban, many talented black players, who professional football fans surely would have embraced and appreciated on a grander stage, languished in obscurity in semi-pro leagues. That is exactly what happened in 1946, one year before Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier. The impetus for integration was inspired by expansion, relocation and the threat from a rival league.

No Longer Separate, but Not Exactly Equal

Cleveland Rams owner Dan Reeves (no relation to the Dallas player of the 1960s who also coached the Broncos, Giants and Falcons in the 1980s and 1990s) had his eyes on the untapped market of the West Coast for a number of years, but his requests to move his franchise had been voted down. That all changed with the surplus of players who became available after the conclusion of World War II in 1945. Prospective owners who had unsuccessfully attempted join the NFL via expansion formed their own league, the All American Football Conference (AAFC), to begin play in 1946. The new league announced they would not only have a franchise located in Los Angeles, but also San Francisco. The NFL, which did not have a franchise further west than Green Bay, realized their tactical error and finally granted Reeves’ wish to move his team to avoid giving the AAFC exclusivity on the West Coast.

As Reeves negotiated to have the Rams play at the expansive Los Angeles Coliseum, he was told they would not be allowed to do so unless they had at least one black player on the team. Reeves responded by signing two former UCLA stars from the independent pro team Hollywood Bears, Kenny Washington on March 9, 1946 and Woody Strode shortly thereafter. Coincidentally, both players were college teammates of Jackie Robinson at UCLA.

Nearly simultaneously, Paul Brown was in Cleveland assembling the team that would dominate the AAFC and push the NFL into the future. Brown had known nothing but success everywhere he went, achieving legendary status as a high school coach at Massillon, OH, won a national title at Ohio State in 1942 and had his 1944 team at the Great Lakes Naval Station finish in the Top 20. Two of Brown’s hallmarks were having the best players he could find on his roster, and not tolerating racism. Despite there being no apparent color line in the AAFC, Brown signed the league’s first two African-Americans in August 1946, Marion Motley, who had played for Brown at Great Lakes, and Bill Willis, who played for Brown at Ohio State. Brown said years later, “I didn’t care about a man’s color or his ancestry, I just wanted to win football games with the best possible people.”

Despite these four men having integrated professional football a year ahead of Robinson and Major League Baseball, without receiving little fanfare, their perseverance was no less significant. Comparatively, the apparent indifferent public response was more indicative of pro football’s subordinate status at the time. Regardless, their contributions remain irrefutable as they opened the doors for many others to follow. They endured numerous hardships, including sometimes brutal physical and verbal abuse from opponents.

Motley said in their first few seasons officials turned a blind eye to late contact and dirty play, including elbows to the face (in an era where facemasks were still rare) and said he had several fingers broken by the opposition deliberately stepping on his hands. “Of course, the opposing players called us ‘nigger’ and all kinds of names like that. This went on for about two or three years until they found out that Willis and I were ballplayers.” Occasionally their teammates took policing action into their own hands and would call a “bootsie” play directed at an offending player where justice would be meted out at the bottom of the pile.

Off of the field, slights were commonplace. African-American players were often not welcome at the same hotels where their teams stayed, and regularly ate at separate restaurants. During the 1946 season, Brown left Motley and Willis behind on a road trip to Miami to play the Seahawks because he feared for his players’ safety. He assured them that Miami would not be in the league the next season, and true to his word, the franchise was rescinded and a new one arose in Baltimore.

Strode and Washington were both already past their primes when they joined the Rams and had brief stays in the NFL. Willis and Motley were magnificent performers, won multiple championships, and are both enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hitching a Ride to the Big Time

The floodgates didn’t exactly open after 1946. The flow of African Americans into professional football was more like a trickle. The AAFC bolstered their African-American population at a slightly quicker rate than the NFL. Most notable of the 1947 additions were Cleveland’s end and punter Horace Gillom and the New York Yankees dynamic halfback and returner Buddy Young. Detroit was the second NFL team to employ African Americans when they signed halfback Mel Groomes on April 17, 1948 and end Bob Mann one week later.

Tunnell still had a year of college eligibility left in 1948 after missing his senior year at Iowa with an eye injury, but wanted to give pro ball a try. He hitchhiked from Garret Hill, PA to Manhattan. Tunnell recalled, “I was just about to forget it and go home when I got a ride from a West Indian guy in a banana truck who took me all the way to the Lincoln Tunnel.”

He made his way to the Giants offices at Columbus Circle and asked to speak with Coach Steve Owen. After Owen told Tunnell he’d never heard of him, General Manager Ray Walsh recognized Tunnell’s name from his time at Iowa, and brought him to meet owner Tim Mara. The owner was impressed enough with the player’s positive attitude and self-confidence to allow him a try out. It did not take long for Tunnell to prove himself worthy to Owen on the field and be offered a contract, officially making him the Football Giants first African-American player. The New York Times printed a three paragraphs documenting the Giants signing of the “Negro back” on July 25.

Tunnell and Tim Mara forged a bond that lasted until the owner’s passing in 1959. Tunnell said, “During that very first morning in the office, Mr. Mara gave me the feeling that I had found a friend in New York. He impressed me as a man who believed in his judgement. He stood on his own two feet and expected you to do the same. He was one of the finest men I’ve met. It wasn’t that he was a financial friend, although he certainly was that, but a personal friend.”

To survive physical practices designed to test the efficacy of newcomers, Tunnell befriended the Giants other African-American employee, trainer Charlie Porter. After being rousted by Owen from the cold tub after a brutal practice, Porter reinforced the coach’s fundamental beliefs while offering compassion to the bruised player who was questioning his confidence, “I let you come in here because I know he wouldn’t give permission to a rookie. Steve always says this game has to be played down in the dirt. He knows you’re physically tough enough to get down in the dirt. But in this league you have to be mentally tough, too, and some guys just aren’t.” Tunnell took Porter’s message to heart, and would ultimately set the NFL standard for most consecutive games started with 143 [since broken] before his playing days in New York were finished.

After learning the rigors of the trade at camp in Pearl River, New York, a battle-hardened Tunnell returned to New York and faced a host of off-field challenges. He was nearly arrested attempting to cash his first paycheck from the Giants when the teller and security guard had believed it was stolen. Lacking a driver’s license, Walsh had to come to the bank to vouch for Tunnell. He also experienced difficulty finding himself welcome at Manhattan Hotels, until he found the Henry Hudson, which Tunnell described as “a white hotel” and stayed there for eleven years. He also found himself late for a team meeting when a cab driver refused to bring him to the Polo Grounds. After being turned away at many restaurants, Tunnell alternately invited teammates to his favorite establishments in Harlem.

Tunnell had no such difficulty being welcomed in the locker room. His first and longest-lasting friendship was with another newcomer in 1948, quarterback Charlie Conerly. “I consider Charlie Conerly to be one of the best friends I have in the world, and I have reason to believe that he feels the same way about me. We hit it off right from the start. Charlie was a war veteran like myself…another thing we had in common was neither of us carried our race on our sleeve. We judged one another as football players and guys.”

Emlen Tunnell, New York Giants (1948)

During his first regular season game, Tunnell was concerned about what the fans thought of him, and it caused him a deep conflict because his resolution conflicted with his coach’s orders. After taking several hard hits on punt returns, Owen told Tunnell to signal for a fair catch for the sake of his own safety. Tunnell said, “Like a good little rookie, I signaled for a fair catch on the next punt. As I ran off the field I heard some boos…There was another punt; another fair catch and a lot of boos. That tore it. When I got back to the bench, my neck was no longer brown. It was red. No player worth his salary reacts favorably to boos, and in my case there was something behind those boos that I didn’t like. I was sure that some of those people were booing because they thought to themselves, ‘The nigger is afraid to run with the ball.’ This was one of the few times in all my years in sports when I have been insubordinate to my coaches. ‘To hell with those fair catches,’ I snapped. ‘If you want somebody to make a fair catch, put another guy in there. I’m not going to have those people think I’m gutless.’ That moment of decision grooved me for the future. If I had been willing to go for the fair catch or if Steve had been unwilling to let me play it my way, I would not have been the player I turned out to be.”

Tunnell went on to set NFL single-season and franchise records for punt returns and punt return yards that lasted over a decade.

Tunnell struggled with more than punt returns his rookie season. He was unsure of his assignments, and accrued a large number of defensive holding penalties as he repeatedly was fooled in one-on-one coverage situations in pass defense and also never quite found a defined role on the team as he played sporadically on offense.

The turning point came on November 21st against the Packers in Milwaukee when Tunnell intercepted three passes (the first of four three-interception games of his career) and returned one 43 yards for his first touchdown as a professional. Tunnell said, “I was making the ping-pong transition from a guy who thought he was a great pass defense man to a guy who realized he didn’t know anything about pass defense to a guy who was learning a little about pass defense.” His renewed confidence was expressed with exuberant tackling. Tunnell knocked Green Bay back Jack Jacobs from the game.

Tunnell, who had also knocked out Philadelphia’s All-Pro halfback Steve Van Buren earlier in the season, relished the physicality of tackling as much as he enjoyed making a play with the ball in his hands: “I could make tackles until I’m 50. Your body may go, but your heart doesn’t.”

Influential Impact

The following offseason George Taliaferro, a multi-purpose back from Indiana, became the first African-American selected in the NFL draft. He passed up the opportunity to play with the Chicago Bears and instead chose to play with the Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC. At the conclusion of the 1949 season, six of the AAFC’s eight teams had at least one black player, while only three of ten NFL teams had one (the Rams, Lions and Giants.)

In 1949 Tunnell returned two of his then-franchise record 10 interceptions for touchdowns, as well as his first punt return for a score. The 10 interceptions is quite remarkable when considering the NFL played a 12-game season and teams only threw the ball approximately 41% of the time. [In 2014, NFL teams threw the ball nearly 57% of the time during a 16-game season.] Over the first 10 years of his career, Tunnell never registered fewer than six interceptions.

His most significant contribution to the Giants came in 1950 as a key cog in Owen’s Umbrella Defense, which was designed specifically to slow down the dynamic and explosive Cleveland offense. Tunnell said, “Steve Owen had a fine football mind, and he used it to concentrate upon the problems presented by the Browns…Otto Graham often sent out four potential receivers against the opposition’s three deep backs. When Cleveland’s great ends, Mac Speedie and Dante Lavelli, ran hook patterns that took them toward the middle of the secondary, the Browns halfbacks, Dub Jones and Rex Baumgartner or Ken Carpenter, would double flare, a maneuver that took them outside and deep. As an alternate to this, Speedie or Lavelli, or both, would run down and out to the sideline. The sideline pass was Graham’s bread-and-butter play.”

Emlen Tunnell (45), Tom Landry (49); New York Giants at Cleveland Browns (October 1, 1950)

Owen’s concept was to congest the traffic along the sidelines. After lining up in a six-man line, the ends would drop back into coverage, leaving the interior four to rush. The two safeties covered the deep middle while the two defensive halfbacks covered the area between the ends and safeties. The single linebacker keyed on fullback Marion Motley. Looking at the scheme on a blackboard, the defense resembled an opened umbrella.

The defense performed like an umbrella as well. In their first meeting, New York upset the Browns in Cleveland 6-0, the first shutout in the Browns’ history. Graham threw three interceptions and did not complete a single pass through the first half. It was the perfect answer for the quickly evolving T-Formation offense that had taken pro football by storm after World War II. The umbrella would be further refined by Tom Landry later in the decade as the 4-3 defense. The four defensive backs, operated intuitively with one another, passing off receivers and covering the field with an intricacy never before seen.

Tunnell said that 6-0 victory was so enjoyable that he never felt the urge to play on offense again. “I guess I got sold on defense when I teamed up with Tom Landry, Harman Rowe and Otto Schnellbacher in 1950. That was the best-tackling backfield I ever saw. Everyone knew what the other fellow was going to do and that’s what made it such fun. After that I never wanted to play offense again.”

Emlen Tunnell, New York Giants; New York Giants at Cleveland Browns (December 17, 1950)

Tunnell reemphasized his passion for physical play when he reacquainted himself with Van Buren late in the season finale, which New York needed to win to maintain a tie in the standings with Cleveland. New York held a 9-7 lead on a snow-covered field when the Philadelphia back turned the corner and appeared headed for a long gain until Tunnell came across the field and stopped Van Buren dead in his tracks with a thunderous hit. The drive stalled and the Giants held on for the win. After the game Van Buren said, “I’ve been hit hard, but never that hard.”

After the 1950 season, Detroit released its two African-American players, Bob Mann and Wally Triplett and did not have another black player on the team until 1958, a span that covered the entire coaching tenure of head coach Bubby Parker. After 1952, 10 of the NFL’s 12 teams had at least one black player, the exceptions being the Lions and Redskins. Washington owner Marshall infamously stated during the period, “We’ll start signing Negroes when the Harlem Globetrotters start signing whites.”

Tunnell set an NFL record in 1951 with 34 punt returns, three of which were run back for touchdowns. He also took place in a unique occurrence in pro football history on November 4, 1951. Against the New York Yanks at the Polo Grounds, Tunnell combined with Buddy Young, to record the first back-to-back kickoff return touchdowns in NFL history. Tunnell’s covered 100 yards for his and Young’s 90.

1952 was the season that Tunnell earned the moniker “Offense on Defense” as he was a big play waiting to happen when he got his hands on the ball. His seven interceptions for 149 yards, 30 punt returns for 411 yards and 15 kick returns for 364 yards totaled 924, more than the NFL’s leading rusher, African-American back “Deacon” Dan Towler of Los Angeles who gained 894 yards.

Quotas, Stacking and Skill Positions

African-American players were often relegated to positions that allegedly required less intelligence, which gave birth to the term “skill positions.” Black players found themselves grouped at such positions as halfback and safety on defense and backs and ends on offense. This tactic became known as “stacking”, which limited the number of African-American players who could make their respective team as they were competing against one another for the same roster spots. There were also implications that some teams may have had a quota in place for African-American players.

Hall of Fame receiver Raymond Berry, however, saw beyond common perception, and complemented Tunnell for more than his athleticism: “He had brains. He knew what was going on out there. He could cover, tackle, do it all. He was so knowledgeable about the position and the defensive schemes he played in.”

The position that proved to be the most difficult for black players to assume was quarterback. The first black quarterback since Pollard in the 1920’s was Willie Thrower in 1953. His experience was limited to two appearances, and eight pass attempts for the Chicago Bears. Thrower was released after the season and was not signed by any other teams. Tunnell reset the record for punt returns that same year with 38, and would stand until 1965.

Still, Tunnell is remembered by those closest to him for his physical style of play. Teammate Sam Huff recalled, “He was the hardest hitting guy in the league. He would hit people so hard they’d be afraid to catch a pass in front of him; catch a pass in front of Emlen Tunnell and usually you don’t finish the game.”  Hall of Fame back Lenny Moore said Tunnell was the second-best tackler he faced after Dick “Night Train” Lane.

The Sleeper Pick

The Giants added their second African-American player, tackle Roosevelt Brown, in the 27th round of the 1953 draft. A member of the Giants staff saw his name mentioned on a black all-American team in the Pittsburgh Courier [a black newspaper] and during a moment of indecision when the Giants were on the clock, he suggested Brown as the team’s choice.

Brown was a unique physical specimen. He was a sculpted 245 pounds his rookie season with a 29-inch waist. In addition, he was one of the fastest players on the team, and would always be considered the fastest lineman in the NFL his entire career. Dedicated to physical conditioning, he was noted for routinely staying on the field after practices to run extra laps on his own.

Roosevelt Brown. New York Giants (1953)

Like Tunnell before him, Brown’s mettle was tested right away in training camp. Coach Owen lined Brown up across from ferocious All-Pro defensive tackle Arnie Weinmeister in drills. Brown was beaten repeatedly and finished the day physically battered, but Owen was impressed with the young player’s resolve.

Brown ascended from the bottom of the depth chart and was New York’s starting left tackle on opening day in September as a rookie. His transition to New York was made easier by the now-established veteran Tunnell. Brown, who roomed with Tunnell in 1953, said, “Within two months, Emlen had introduced me to every cabby, maître d’hôtel, barber, teammate, cop or politician I needed to know in New York. There was no fuss to it. They were Emlen’s friends.”

While New York had a dismal season in 1953, Brown proved to be a bright spot and someone the new coaching staff could build around. Brown proved to be an instinctive pass blocker early on, exhibiting patience that belied his experience as he held his ground while defenders tried to maneuver around him. On running plays, Brown dominated the point-of-attack and pierced the front wall of the opposition’s defense creating running lanes. Beginning in 1954, offensive coach Vince Lombardi turned Brown into pro football’s first pulling tackle on his signature play: the power sweep.

Brown regularly logged the most minutes played for the Giants the first 10 years of his career. In the days of small rosters (teams carried 33 active players in 1953, expanded to 35 in 1957, 36 in 1959 and did not reach 40 until 1964), versatility and endurance were highly valued. Brown was a mainstay in New York’s goal-line and short-yardage defenses, and regularly lined up over the center in the middle guard position.

While being a generally quiet man who chose not to draw attention to himself, his former teammates were not at all reticent to describe his play and importance to the Giants. “As far as I’m concerned, Rosie was the best offensive tackle ever to play,” said Frank Gifford. “We knew the moment we saw him that this was one of the great physical specimens, eventually rounding out at about six-feet-five and 270 pounds. But nobody imagined his incredible athletic ability. Rosie was so fast he could have played running back and would have made a great tight end.

“Rosie and I teamed up on one of Lombardi’s most effective plays, the 48 Option. It was a quick pitch to me, and I either ran the ball around the left end or threw it, depending on what the defensive cornerback did…Rosie just loved to annihilate those little cornerbacks. There’d be nothing but grease spots left of them when he got up. In the huddle he’d practically froth when they called the 48 Option. It gave me my longest career run from scrimmage [79 yards, November 29, 1959 vs. Washington]. On that one, Rosie creamed the cornerback, got up to chase after me, and wiped out another defensive back nearly 40 yards downfield.”

There was no coincidence that in 1956 when Brown was named the NFL’s Lineman of the Year, Gifford was also voted the NFL’s MVP. “I wouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame if it weren’t for him,” said Gifford.

Roosevelt Brown, New York Giants (1956)

Sam Huff said, “Our MVP lineman had to be Roosevelt Brown. He was nothing but muscle, a bigger version of Jimmy Brown, and he was all heart. He was so valuable to our team he even played some defense. Rosie also played on all the special teams.”

Opponent, peer and Hall of Fame Baltimore guard Jim Parker said, “Rosie never did the same things twice. He was incredible. He was my favorite, my idol. Everything I learned I picked up from him. I wanted to be just like him.”

Refuting the perception that black players lacked intelligence, longtime New York coach Allie Sherman regarded Brown as being an “extra coach” on the field for his team. He said Brown often alerted teammates to changes in the opposition’s sets. And he also marveled at Browns’ athletic gifts. “Nobody could do the things he could do,” said Sherman. “He was so quick that on an end run, in the time it took a quarterback to lay the ball in the runner’s belly, he could slide all the way down the line in the direction of the play, get there before the ball carrier and join in the run block with the two guards at the point-of-attack.”

Roosevelt Brown, New York Giants (1958)

Brown received numerous accolades from his peers and football personnel, who voted him to nine Pro Bowls and named him All Pro six times over his career.

Progress

As more black players made their mark in professional football, more joined the ranks. In the 1953 and 1954 seasons, African-American Joe Perry of San Francisco became the first player with back-to-back 1,000 yard rushing seasons.

Emlen Tunnell (45), New York Giants (November 28, 1954)

In 1954, the Giants added end-kicker Haldo Norman and fullback Bobby Epps, which doubled the number of African-Americans on the team. Norman injured himself mowing his lawn shortly before training camp and only appeared in the preseason. Epps had a productive three-year tenure in New York and started 21 games over the 1954 and 1955 seasons.

Two cornerstones of the great Giant teams to come arrived in 1955, defensive tackle Roosevelt Grier and fullback Mel Triplett. Their transition was made easier by the men who preceded them. Giant captain Andy Robustelli reflected years later: “One of the reasons we never had problems was because of Em Tunnell. Emlen was good to all people. He was a hell of a decent person who meant a lot to young ballplayers.”

While the NFL’s African-American population gradually increased during the 1950’s and locker rooms appeared to be harmonious, there were still uncomfortable encounters on the field of play. Gifford recalled: “Perhaps because Rosie was so talented, some of the clowns we played against gave him a real racist initiation. He’d hear, ‘you black motherf—–,’ and a lot worse. When he’d come back to the huddle, I’d be as embarrassed as he was.”

Emlen Tunnell, New York Giants (1955)

Tunnell was perceived as pleasant, friendly and easy going without a care in the world. But he often confided his worries and frustrations with his close friend Conerly. Conerly told Tunnell one evening in the early 1950’s, “Time will heal everything. Just like you came here to play. You were the first colored guy and since then there have been more and more. That’s how it will be in everything else.”

While the social pressures were tremendous, there also happened to be an unforeseen positive consequence – a little freedom from the coaches and bed checks while on the road. When the team stayed in white-only hotels, alternate arrangements were made for Tunnell, Brown and the other black players on the team. Brown said, “Wellington Mara always took care of it, and the people we stayed with were always nice people with nice homes, and we loved it. We didn’t have any curfew like the other guys, and we could do anything we wanted – drink beer and party – with no coaches checking up on us. Sometimes Charlie Conerly, Frank Gifford and Alex Webster would come over where we were staying, and once Frank said, ‘Hell, you guys got the best of two worlds.’ It actually upset me when the segregations arrangements ended, and we had to stay with the rest of the players.”

Bill Svoboda (30), Emlen Tunnell (middle), Alex Webster (29); (December 30, 1956)

By the decade’s end however, many players had had enough and stood up for change. Rosey Grier remembered an exhibition trip to Dallas with the Colts in 1959. “We black players knew what going to Dallas meant: the white players would stay in one hotel and we would be housed in another one that was presumably more suited to our race. It was always that way in the South. It was awkward, because we had to take a bus to the hotel where the white coaching staff and players were staying for meetings and the like. But, when it came time to eat, we had to get back in the bus and go someplace where it was okay for blacks to eat.

“But, in 1959 in Dallas, we had a change of heart. It may have been provoked by the promotional nature of the trip that called for all the players to attend a pre-game party downtown where we could be gazed at by local businessmen who might be interested in backing an NFL franchise for Dallas.”

Grier, Brown, Triplett and the black players from the Colts, including Lenny Moore, discussed boycotting the pre-game event as a form of protest. When Grier and the others refused to board the Giants bus to the pre-game party, Coach Jim Lee Howell became alarmed. Wellington Mara had overheard the discussion and intervened, “We didn’t know you felt like this, and I promise you in the future we won’t go anywhere we can’t stay together.” All the Giants attended the party, but the African-American players from Baltimore refrained. Although Grier questioned whether they had given in too easily at first, Mara proved true to his word and New York never again patronized a segregated establishment.

Breaking Barriers off the Field

Tunnell’s final game in a Giants uniform took place on December 28, 1958 against Baltimore in the “Greatest Game Ever Played.” Tunnell was believed to have slowed down with age. He had his return duties reduced and occasionally chafed with defensive coach Tom Landry, and was released after the season. He played three more years in Green Bay, and his final game was the 1961 NFL Championship Game against the Giants, where he intercepted a Y.A. Tittle pass during the Packers 37-0 victory.

Tunnell spent the 1962 season in the unusual capacity of serving as a freelance scout for both New York and Green Bay. The Giants were impressed with Tunnell’s insightful work and hired him as a full-time assistant coach in 1963, the first African-American to serve in such a capacity. Lowell Perry of the Steelers served as an assistant coach in 1957 after having his pelvis fractured and hip dislocated by Grier and Bill Svoboda of the Giants in 1956, then was a part time scout for Pittsburgh in 1958 before moving into private business.

Roosevelt Brown, New York Giants (1962)

Brown was forced into retirement by a chronic phlebitis condition after the 1965 season and joined Tunnell on New York’s coaching staff in 1966. Both men cherished working with young players and reflected on how pro football had changed dramatically in the time since they had entered the league.

Tunnell said: “You knock people down, you stop people from scoring – there’s no difference. The only difference is that there are more players and there’s more money…I think the quality is different simply because there’s more teams…I think the desire is gone because I’ve had players say to me, ‘There are 26 teams, I’ll get a job.’ And it’s true…It doesn’t bother me, ‘cause it’s their money. There are a lot of guys making money who don’t put out and that bothers me more than anything. I don’t understand it, because when they go out to work they can’t make the same kind of money they’re making playing pro football. They don’t stay after practice. They don’t enjoy themselves. The Kyle Rotes, the Giffords, the Tunnells, the Rosie Browns, the Robustellis – they stayed out every day on their own time. I used to run up to 10 punts every day, 75-80 yards, up until I got too old. I did it because I enjoyed it.”

That love poured over into his coaching as well. Tunnell once reprimanded a player he had personally scouted and brought to the Giants, Carl “Spider” Lockhart, during a contract dispute. Tunnell told Lockhart playing for the Giants was a privilege, “You should be paying them. Sign that contract!”

Tunnell said of the changes since he became one of the first African-Americans to play professionally in 1948, “There are more black players now. They’re playing because they’re good enough to play, not because they’re black.”

Joe Green (#33), Willie Williams (#41), Coach Emlen Tunnell, Carl “Spider” Lockhart (#43) at practice in 1971

While coaching the Giants group of defensive backs, known as “Emlen’s Gremlins”, Tunnell received pro football’s highest individual honor, enshrinement into the Hall of Fame in 1967. Tunnell is not only the first African-American member in Canton, but also the first player recognized as a defensive specialist from the two-platoon era (though his punt and kick return accomplishments were certainly considered.) During his brief acceptance speech, he thanked his coaches, the Maras and the driver of the banana truck who picked him up hitchhiking to the Giants offices.

During this time, Marlin Briscoe became the first African-American to assume the role of a regular starting quarterback for a pro football team. Briscoe started 11 games in 1968 for Denver of the AFL. He spent most of his career traveling and started 66 games for six different teams over the course of his nine-year career and played in the 1970 Pro Bowl.

Tunnell coached through 1973 and returned to scouting the following year. He served in that capacity until his death at training camp in 1975. John Mara said, “It’s fair to say that Emlen was the most beloved member of our organization, perhaps in its history.”

Brown coached through 1970 and returned to scouting in 1971, when he found a little-known defensive tackle named John Mendenhall who became a stalwart for the Giants defense through the decade. Brown was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975, and was the second player selected strictly on the merits of line-play (Parker was the first in 1973).

Brown remained with the Giants for the remainder of his days until 2004, an uninterrupted span of 51 years, and was ever-present around the offensive line drills during every training camp. Brown said in 1972, “I am very fortunate to have been with the Giant organization. I have never had to look over my shoulder…the organization, the coaches, they all had faith in me and I had faith in them. Even though we weren’t winning my first years with the Giants, there was a tradition of winning. The Maras were fine people and they know how to treat people right. The only thing for me was to do my best in return.”

Brown shared Tunnell’s view of the modern ballplayer, “Right now, I think we have too many average players. Too many ballplayers are thinking about Wall Street…A good player wants to win. For him this is it. Winning is the name of the game. I don’t think many of today’s players are as dedicated as they should be…[There is] no difference in the game itself. I think there is a difference in the money structure, which tends to lead a number of players the wrong way.”

Wellington Mara said Brown was the best lineman ever to perform for the team “Rosie was a great Giant. He was with this organization for more than 50 years as a player, coach and scout. He excelled in every area and he was always a gentleman.”

Both Brown and Tunnell combined to play in 17 pro bowls and were honored with 10 All-Pro selections during their careers in New York (Tunnell also participated in the 1959 Pro Bowl with Green Bay). Both men were selected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as members of the All-1950’s Team. When Tunnell was named to the NFL’s 50th Anniversary team in 1969 it was a unique honor, as he was the only safety chosen. He was essentially declared to be the best safety in pro football’s history at the time. Brown was named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary team in 1994, along with Forrest Gregg and Anthony Munoz at the tackle position.

At the time of the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, approximately 30% of all players were African-American. That number rose to 68% for the 2014 season. More than just numbers, the modern era of professional football displays the talents of African-American performers on the grandest of stages. Doug Williams became the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl in 1987. Tony Dungy, who played on the 1978 Super Bowl champion Steelers, won a Super Bowl as a head coach with Indianapolis in 2006. The Giants have won two Super Bowl titles under the watch of general manager Jerry Reece.

Professional football advanced exponentially after the inclusion of African-Americans in 1946, and its popularity today reinforces the importance of the sacrifices endured by the pioneers who stepped forth during a time when they received no recognition. The game that is enjoyed by millions of fans today is better because of their contributions.

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SOURCES:

  • New York Football Giants 1954 Press, Radio and Television Guide, Robert Daley, 1954, New York Football Giants, Inc.
  • New York Football Giants 1957 Press, Radio and Television Guide, Robert Daley, 1957, New York Football Giants, Inc.
  • The Giants of New York: The History Of Professional Football’s Most Fabulous Dynasty, Barry Gottehrer, 1963, Putnam
  • Footsteps of a Giant, Emlen Tunnell with William Gleason, 1966, Doubleday & Company, Inc.
  • The First 50 Seasons, Bob Oates Jr., 1969, Ridge Press
  • New York Giants: Great Teams’ Great Years, Jim Terzian, 1973, Macmillan Publishing Co.
  • There Were Giants In Those Days, Gerald Eskanazi, 1976, Prentice Hall Press
  • Rosey: An Autobiography, Roosevelt Grier with Dennis Baker, 1986, Honor Books
  • Tuff Stuff, Sam Huff, 1988, St. Martins Press
  • The Whole Ten Yards, Frank Gifford with Harry Waters, 1993, Giff & Golda Productions
  • Pigskin: The Early Years Of Pro Football, Robert W. Peterson, 1997, Oxford University Press
  • The National Forgotten League, Dan Daly, 2012, University Of Nebraska Press
  • 2015 New York Giants Information Guide, Michael Eisen, DeAndre Phillips, Corry Rush, 2015, New York Football Giants, Inc.
  • 2015 Official NFL Record & Fact Book, Brenden Lee, Jacob Gellerman and Robert King, 2015, National Football League
  • Historical New York Times searchable archive (via ProQuest)
Jul 122015
 

1954 New York Giants – Haldo Norman is #84

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Jason Pierre-Paul is not the first New York Giant player to lose a digit during an off-season, non-football-related accident.

In the summer of 1954, the Giants signed what they thought was a promising young end named Haldo Norman to their roster. Norman was a highly-regarded end coming out of Gustavus Adolphus College in 1951, where he finished among the nation’s leaders in pass receiving. After being drafted by San Francisco, Norman suffered a broken collar bone during training camp and spent the next two seasons on the taxi squad.

The 49ers released Norman after the 1953 season, which ultimately led to a lawsuit against San Francisco and a $4,500 settlement. The Giants, who were under a new regime following a disastrous 1953 campaign where everything went wrong, desperately needed help to revive their passing game.

Among the numerous changes head coach Jim Lee Howell and offensive coordinator Vince Lombardi had in mind were completely abandoning Single Wing football and converting to the modern T-Formation. Because of that, the roster needed quality receivers. In addition, Norman was also a talented place kicker, meaning he would save New York a roster spot by multi-tasking.

Unfortunately, shortly before training camp started, Norman severed a toe while mowing his lawn. The injury not only forced the Giants to scramble for added depth at the end position, New York also now needed a place kicker. The Giants signed Ben Agajanian who had been released by the Los Angeles Rams.

Norman did play in two preseason games after the injury as a kicker, and converted four PATs and a field goal. However, he never appeared in a regular season game. The Giants carried him on their roster and he appeared in full uniform in the team photo that was taken at the Polo Grounds in October.

Norman retired after the 1954 season and went into private business and also coached high school football.

May 302015
 

Frank Gifford (16), Ray Beck (61), Charley Conerly (42), Alex Webster (29), 1956 New York Giants

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By Larry Schmitt with contributions from Daniel Franck and Dr. Bruce Gilbert

The 1956 season was a watershed moment for football in New York. Filled with potent portent, the campaign proved to be the penultimate piece of the puzzle for the ultimate explosion of pro football’s popularity with the general public, the event horizon for which was crossed on December 28, 1956 when the Giants met the Bears for the NFL Championship. Almost three-and-a-half decades of groundwork created the proper conditions for the spontaneous and unpredictable happenings that captivated an audience and spawned the new national pastime – Football Sunday. Legions of fans would congregate for tailgate parties at their local stadiums or have the game of their favorite team broadcast right into their living room. Then fans would reconvene at Monday-morning quarterback meetings at their watercoolers on Monday.

The first step was short in distance but profound in stature. NFL Commissioner Bert Bell received an inquiry from a Texas-based oil syndicate about the availability of the league’s New York franchise. The Mara family would later suspect the offer came from Murchison brothers, who would one day start the Dallas Cowboy franchise. Bell notified Giants owner Tim Mara that a $1,000,000 offer had been made, contingent on the home games being staged at Yankee Stadium, rather than the Polo Grounds. Mara declined, but figured if his team was worth that much at Yankee Stadium that the team should make the short trip across the Harlem River to the larger and more prestigious venue.

Yankee Stadium and Polo Grounds (circa 1954-57)

The once venerable Polo Grounds, the Giants home for their first 31 seasons, had suffered from a lack of upkeep and was gradually falling into a state of disrepair. Although Mara’s team rarely enjoyed sellout crowds, the growth potential was also attractive. The Polo Grounds standard seating capacity was 55,000 while Yankee Stadium was just over 62,000. [These figures are for the standard baseball configurations. Both stadiums were often equipped with temporary seating along the sidelines for football games which increased ticket availability.]

The Polo Grounds had been the only home field the Giants had known to that point. The Giants had a tremendous run during their residence at the Polo Grounds, including an overall regular season record of 132-62-11 – which included one game in 1949 as the visiting team against the New York Bulldogs. They had won eight Eastern Division titles, hosted five post-season games and won two of their three NFL Championships there in 1934 and 1938. Although there was no post-season in 1927, the Giants won the pivotal game for the championship against the Chicago Bears 13-7 on November 27 at the Polo Grounds as well.

The announcement to move to Yankee Stadium was made on January 26 and was attended by Bell and Yankees General manager George M. Weiss. Bell emphasized the league’s need for stability of a franchise in New York as the Giants signed a 20-year lease. The future of the Polo Grounds was very uncertain; current speculation had the baseball Giants possibly moving to Minneapolis by 1962 when their lease expired. Charles Feeney, president of the baseball Giants, was also in attendance and said, “We had a long and pleasant association with the Football Giants; we are sorry that they’ve left the Polo Grounds but we wish them nothing but luck in the future.”

Wellington Mara, George Weiss, Jack Mara, and Bert Bell (January 27, 1956)

The Football Giants move to Yankee Stadium monumentally altered the perception of the team. While Owner Tim Mara emphasized that the team name would remain the Giants with the change in venue, the Giants went so far as to incorporate the structure into their official team logo. The quarterback who had towered among Manhattan’s skyscrapers since the mid 1930’s was now set inside Yankee Stadium. However, the Football Giants remained secondary in the consciousness of the metropolis’ citizenery until the close of baseball season in mid-October.

That is with good reason, as the Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers and baseball Giants had won every World Series since 1948. In fact, five of those seven were “Subway Series” featuring the Yankees against either the Giants or Dodgers. The 1956 season would make it six of eight as the Yankees played the Dodgers again. While the Football Giants toiled in the shadow of baseball, pro football as a whole had made significant progress not only in closing the gap with college football in terms of popularity, in many markets (New York included) the professional game had already eclipsed it.

Exponential Exposure

While the NFL had made organizational and legislative changes to make the pro game more appealing to fans, there is no debate that the single biggest reason for the proliferation of pro football as the sport that dominates America’s landscape is the advent of television.

Radio was the first medium to extend pro football to the masses in the 1930’s. The first nationally-broadcast game via radio was the Thanksgiving Day contest between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions in 1934. The first television broadcast was between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Eagles from Ebbets Field on October 22, 1939. The telecast was only available in New York and Schenectady. The 1940 Championship Game between the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins was the first title game nationally broadcast via radio.

Teams were left to their discretion with televising their games with their local television affiliates, and ultimately this would lead to a tremendous revenue inequality. But in the early days there were few televisions available and the medium was still very much experimental. Nobody at the time conceived the magnitude of its underlying potential. Most teams chose to broadcast their away games, but there were some exceptions. In 1946, the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears each televised a handful of selected home games, while the Giants televised their entire home schedule (to approximately 8,000 TV sets), and their attendance at the Polo Grounds increased 18% over the prior year.

In 1948, Bell negotiated the first league-wide television contract, which was for select regular-season games and the NFL Championship Game. Television money now became an essential source of income for all teams. The 1948 Championship Game between Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Cardinals was the first televised championship, although it was limited to the two team’s local markets. In 1950, the Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to televise all of its games – home and away. The unforeseen consequence of home attendance dropping was then first realized as there were significantly more television households in America. The NFL adopted the blackout rule in 1951 – no NFL games were broadcast to a market where an NFL game was being played on that same day. Bell reasoned, “You can’t give fans a game for free on TV and also expect them to pay to go to the ballpark.”

The 1951 season also saw the first coast-to-coast telecast of the NFL Championship Game, between the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams, by the Dumont Network. From 1950 through 1953, both ABC and Dumont broadcast weekly pro football highlight programs nationally. Most teams began programming their own weekly shows locally as a supplement to their games on Sunday. Chris Schenkel was the Giants play-by-play announcer for games, a role he would hold for over a decade. Steve Owen hosted the Giants first coaches’ show in New York, and became the franchise’s first familiar face.

During this time, it was noted that the attendance for college football and major league baseball was experiencing a state of decline, but pro football’s attendance was steadily ascending. The stability and prosperity sought by professional football’s founding fathers three decades earlier was now finally materializing. For the first time, public demand was coming to the NFL. The response from the league was the first prime-time, live sporting event series. Every Saturday night from 1953 through 1955 an NFL game was broadcast across America. Some college purists protested that the NFL was hurting their game, but Bell’s retort told how the tide had turned for good, “We’ve got no quarrel with the colleges. Our Saturday night and Sunday games don’t hurt their gate as much as they claim. We have their best interest at heart. They’re our farm system.”

In 1955, NBC purchased the rights to broadcast the NFL Championship Game and would keep it through the rest of the decade. In 1956 after DuMont went broke, CBS entered into a contract and became the first network to televise NFL games to selected television markets across the nation, as long as they did not conflict with the home team. The first nationally-televised Thanksgiving Day game took place between Green Bay and Detroit Lions that season. This tremendous increase in exposure not only introduced the NFL to a larger fan base, it gave the league a significant boost in stature. The most significant change was the cash brought in by the CBS contract. The prosperity seemed irresistible as stadium attendance continued to climb.

Gate receipts increased and sellouts became more common as community support became more robust. Pro football attendance increased to over 70% during the 1950’s. The average gate of 23,356 in 1950 grew to 43,356 in 1959, which represented 90% of the league’s capacity. Having surpassed college football, pro football was narrowing the gap on major league baseball as well. While legal issues on how the new television medium would be utilized were a behind-the-scenes distraction for several years, the problems would be worked out in the next decade.

The biggest leap in attendance occurred between 1956, with an average attendance of 35,356, and 1957, with 39,393. This was undoubtedly helped by the Giants successful season in a larger stadium. TV had an impact too. Head Coach Jim Lee Howell, who had been with New York as a player and coach since 1937, said, “We had a great game all the time, but it wasn’t exposed to many people outside of the cities where we played. Television has helped, it has made more people aware of the game.”

Final Touches and Finishing Business

The Giants had progressed each of the past two seasons under the new regime of Howell and his two brilliant assistant coaches, Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi, and a bolstered roster after a dreadful collapse in 1953. Lombardi brought toughness and precision to the Giants offense while Landry infused ingenuity and innovation to the defense. Each brought a different style to coaching. Lombardi would pound a blackboard with his fist in frustration to make his point, while Landry would simply, coldly stare down the object of his dissatisfaction without raising his voice or gesturing with his arms.

Following a disappointing start in 1955, the teaching and drilling finally delivered returns during an impressive 5-1-1 run to finish the year. The loss and tie were to the league champion Browns, and the final win of the season was against the Western Conference champion Lions in Detroit, a team the Giants had always struggled against.

Despite the upturn in fortunes and the retirement of nemesis Otto Graham from Cleveland, most prognosticators were lukewarm about the prospects for the 1956 New York Giants. New York had gone nine seasons without an appearance in the championship game, their longest stretch since the league had split into divisions in 1933. Perhaps the only people optimistic about ending the championship drought were the Giants players and coaches themselves.

Training camp was a long and grueling affair for the 53 players who reported to compete for the 33 roster spots. Eight full weeks of training and conditioning at a high school field in Winooski, Vermont, that was interspersed with six dates traveling the country to play pre-season contests at neutral sights. The NFL was exploring new ground for potential expansion while also bringing games to fans who had only begun watching on television. Five of the Giants six game were played in non-NFL cities and they stretched coast-to-coast from Boston to Seattle and Portland, Oregon and south to Dallas and Memphis.

New York Giants – Baltimore Colts Game Program (August 20, 1956)

On offense, Lombardi honed his version of the T-Formation sweep. The Giants had a rugged and battle-tested offensive line, led by All-Pro Roosevelt Brown at left tackle, that emphasized athletic ability and coordination. New York’s philosophy was ball control and their bread-and-butter plays were 47 Power, which featured right halfback Frank Gifford, and 26 Power, which featured left halfback Alex Webster. They were essentially the same play directed to opposite sides of the line. On occasion, fullback Mel Triplett plunged straight into the line.

Vince Lombardi and Frank Gifford, New York Giants (December 9, 1956)

Offensive assistant Ed Kolman said, “We are playing the percentages in attempting to get modest but consistent gains on each run. If we gain three or four yards a play, we control the ball. And when we are controlling the ball, the other side can’t very well score.” Howell said, “It was almost like the old Single Wing days. What a difference it made in the Giants that year.”

Underscoring the Giants being a run-first team, they employed a unique two-quarterback system where Don Heinrich started the games and veteran Charlie Conerly came off the bench at some undetermined point depending on the ebb and flow of that particular game. Despite being the de facto backup quarterback, teammates and coaches held Conerly in the highest esteem. Gifford said, “I’ve never met a quarterback with less of an ego. Charlie called all his own plays and was the kind of quarterback who wanted information brought back to the huddle. He knew that no quarterback could see everything going on downfield. He respected his guys and made each of them part of the play-calling process.”

Sam Huff said, “Conerly was never a great pure passer, but he was a precise, control-type quarterback, methodical with a great feel for the game. He was a quiet guy too, and he was definitely a leader on that team. But he led out on the field, not with his mouth, and he was the toughest old bird you’ll ever see.” Howell said, “Charlie Conerly was our great quarterback, our meal ticket all the way through. He was a great competitor and admired by his teammates.”

When the ball was in the air, the primary targets were end Ken McAfee and flanker Kyle Rote, who were backed up by former starter Bob Schnelker. Occasionally the passes came from the arm of Gifford, who was deadly with the option pass. Gifford spent time under center during camp. According to Coach Howell, “He’s practicing strictly for experience. He does too much at halfback to change now.” Exhibiting his seemingly unbounded ability, Gifford also started the season as the Giants place kicker on field goals and point-afters. Strong-legged rookie punter Don Chandler handled the kickoff duties.

Nevertheless, with a blend of young talent and veteran leadership, the defense was New York’s dominant platoon. Strong defense had been the hallmark of the great Giants teams ever since Steve Owen took over as head coach in 1931. Landry, having played as an All Pro and coached under Owen, proved to be as least as innovative as his mentor, if not more so.

There still were different perceptions regarding offense versus defense in the NFL. The players who put points on the scoreboard were the well-paid desired commodities. The papers printed the names of the offensive starters only, even though the two-way 60-minute player was a diminishing breed. The Giants rosters typically were composed of two-thirds offensive players, with one-third devoted to defense. Most of the top draft choices, Travis Tidwell in 1950, Rote in 1951, Gifford in 1952, Joe Heap in 1955, and Henry Moore in 1956 were devoted to the offense. When Lombardi became the offensive coach he had other offensive assistants, Landry when he retired and became a full-time coach in 1956 was a defensive army of one in the locker room. And within that locker room the offense had the bigger meeting area while the defense met in the small, desolate and dank regions of the stadium.

What Landry had at his disposal were ways to effectuate change. To his players he used the disrespect to breed a collective sense of pride and purpose to be unleashed against the pampered and proper glamor boys of the offense. He also used the respect Wellington Mara had for him as well as the deference Jim Lee Howell gave him as permission to bring in a group of defensive players with the intellect and instincts for the game that Landry demanded.

Look at the moves the Giants made in the 1955-1956 offseason. Of the ten new players who made the Giants final roster, most were on defense. The middle rounds of the draft brought in Sam Huff, who had played offensive guard in college but was converted to linebacker, and defensive end Jim Katcavage who also played offensive end at Dayton. Both would be significant contributors to the “Coordinated” 4-3 defense Landry had been refining over the prior two seasons.

The predominant defense in the early and mid-1950’s was the 5-2 alignment. There were several variations, with the most popular being the Eagle Defense, popularized by Earle “Greasy” Neal in Philadelphia in the late 1940’s, and Bud Wilkinson’s Oklahoma Defense. The defining characteristics of the two were the deployment of the linebackers. What they had in common were the middle guard (today known as the nose tackle) being nose-to-nose with the offensive center and the defensive ends lined up outside the offensive tackle and tight end. The Eagle Defense set the linebackers in the gaps between the defensive tackles and ends, which put tremendous pressure on the interior of the offensive line. The Oklahoma defense moved the defensive tackles out a gap and had the linebackers flanking the middle guard. Landry’s Coordinated Defense took the best parts of both of these and assimilated it into a 4-3 front with the backfield concepts of Owen’s Umbrella Defense (essentially what is today known as a Cover 2).

52 eagle oklahoma defensesWhat really set New York apart from the competition was Landry’s obsessive analysis of opponent’s tendencies – “frequencies” as he termed it – regarding personal, formation, field position and down and distance. Every man on the Giants defense had a gap or zone responsibility that needed to be honored for the scheme to work. The days of whip-the-man-in-front-of-you-and-chase-the-ball were over.

The key position was what Landry called “the quarterback of the defense” or middle linebacker. The role required someone tough enough to handle the pounding of charging fullbacks and halfbacks on running plays, athletic enough to cover the middle zone and outside flats on passing plays, and intelligent enough to call the defense in the huddle, read the offense’s pre-snap keys, diagnose its intentions and call a shift or audible to get his unit in the proper position to defend.

Landry’s man was Huff, who spent time during a frustrating training camp playing on both lines. During the preseason he was moved permanently to the defensive platoon, and while regularly playing tackle, he occasionally received a few snaps at middle linebacker in relief of starter Ray Beck who struggled with an ankle injury.

Huff said of Landry and his concepts years later: “It was really simple when you think about it. We’d have the ‘Inside 4-3’, where the defensive tackle would shut off the middle and the linebackers would pursue to the outside, or we’d go to the ‘Outside 4-3’, where the tackle would angle outside and I would come up the middle and make a play in there, or catch the play from behind. All the years we played, that’s all I ever did. We got so good at it, it became almost second nature to everyone on the unit. That first year, Landry called the signals.”

43 inside outside defensesSome of the teams that played the 5-2 defense would occasionally call on an athletic middle guard, such as Cleveland’s Bill Willis and Chicago’s Bill George, to line up in a two-point stance and drop into coverage after the snap. Landry’s 4-3 defense had Huff lined up at true linebacker depth, approximately three yards off of the line of scrimmage, where he could read the offensive backfield and determine where the play would most likely be going.

“Landry was one of the first people to set up his defenses against the strength of the formation,” Huff said. “Every offensive formation has its strength and weakness, and every defense has its strengths and weaknesses. So Tom would meticulously set up the defense to play against the strength of the offense. We would always line up in a 4-3 and give the offensive team the same look, but once the ball was snapped we had all kinds of looks, depending on what we keyed on. Before Landry, teams would line up in that 4-3 and just go after the ball. But Tom would tell us to watch for the way the backs lined up, to watch what side of the field the tight end and flanker were lined up on. Those were the keys to what the offense would do. So we would roll our zone defense to the strength of the formation and react accordingly when the ball was snapped. It really was a very simple concept, and when you watched it on film, it was a thing of beauty. Landry was a genius then and now.”

While Huff received the accolades, he did not do it alone. Three of the four members of the defensive line that kept Huff free to make plays were new to the Giants that summer. Defensive tackle Rosey Grier, who joined the Giants in 1955 along with safety Jimmy Patton, was the lone holdover. Powerful and athletic, Grier was capable of domination when motivated, but struggled with conditioning and was prone to freelancing. Rangy defensive end Jim Katcavage would develop into a pass rushing force, but began the year behind starter Walt Yowarski, and saw significant action at multiple positions as the season wore on. Fourth-year defensive tackle Dick Modzelewski was traded for from Pittsburgh where he had been a disappointment who clashed with his coaches. However, as someone who understood the Landry way of defense, he moved into the starting lineup immediately. He was a strong and dependable player who kept opposing linemen off of Huff. Sixth-year defensive end Andy Robustelli was received in a trade from Los Angeles for a first-round draft choice. He was now happy to be closer to his pregnant wife and three children. Robustelli would move into the starting lineup and remain there, not missing a game until his retirement after the 1964 season. Robustelli was a versatile two-way end and intelligent. He became the defensive leader, and was a clutch player capable of big performances in pressure situations.

1956 New York Giants

The secondary was manned by Ed Hughes and Dick Nolan at the defensive halfback positions and Emlen Tunnell and Jimmy Patton as the safeties. A punishing tackler who possessed uncanny ball skills, Tunnell was already regarded as possibly the greatest safety and kick returner ever to play the game. Along with Conerly, Tunnell was the senior veteran in his ninth season with New York. Patton was fast and just coming into his own in his second season, and would share kick and punt return duties with Tunnell. Hughes, acquired from Los Angeles for a fourth-round pick, and Nolan selected in the fourth round out of Maryland in 1954, were both intelligent players whose intuition as to where a play was going would overcome a lack of foot speed. Their grasp of the game would translate into head coaching careers after their retirements.

The Long and Winding Road

The Giants six away-game preseason was followed up by a three-game road trip to open the regular campaign. Despite moving to a new home field an old problem followed the Football Giants. Yankee Stadium, like the Polo Grounds, was unavailable until baseball season had concluded. In their 31st season of play, the Football Giants had never opened a season at home, and normally played the first three to four weeks of each season away. Combined with camp opening in the middle of July, this meant the most of the players and coaches would be away from home two and a half months.

New York dealt the San Francisco 49ers their first season-opening loss in franchise history during a convincing 38-21 win at Kezar Stadium in front of 41,751 fans. The Giants struck early and often, scoring on their first three possessions: a 44-yard catch-and-run by Webster from Heinrich, a 59-yard rush by Gifford and a 17-yard placement by Gifford. The teams traded touchdowns in each of the remaining three quarters, with Triplett going over on plunges each time for New York. While the Giants defense surrendered 27 first downs and nearly 400 total yards in the 49ers come from behind effort, they were opportunistic, intercepting three Y.A. Tittle passes and recovering a fumble.

Dick Nolan (25), Jimmy Patton (20), Hugh McElhenney (39); New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers (September 30, 1956)

New York’s defense struggled the following week in front of 21,799 fans at Comiskey Park against the Chicago Cardinals. Halfback Ollie Matson had a big day rushing from the Wing-T formation and quarterback Lamar McHan completed five of seven passes for an impressive 136 yards. Harland Svare moved from this natural weak side linebacker position to middle linebacker for the injured Beck. The Giants led 13-7 but on the last play of the first half Dick “Night Trane” Lane stepped in front of Webster on a pass from Conerly in the flat and returned it 66 yards for a 14-13 lead and Chicago never looked back. Triplett had another three-touchdown game but it wasn’t enough as New York came up short in a 35-27 decision. Pat Summerall was five-for-five on point-after conversions for the Cardinals.

New York Giants at Chicago Cardinals Game Program (October 7, 1956)

Notable was Chicago’s use of transistor radios to relay strategic observations from the press box to the field. One adjustment call by assistant coach Charlie Trippi in the third quarter led to a blocked Chandler punt that set up a Cardinal touchdown. The Giants defense again gave up big yardage, 356 total, but had six takeaways with four fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

The following week the Giants upset the Browns in Cleveland 21-9 in front of 60,042 fans. This game is renowned for Paul Brown having his play calls over a transistor intercepted by New York. Later in the week, Commissioner Bell outlawed the use of radios on the field during league games. Andy Robustelli had six sacks for losses totaling 60 yards as the New York defense smothered the Browns attack. Most significantly for the Giants, Beck started at middle linebacker but left early. Huff stepped into the position and everything seemed to fall into place as the Giants defense never looked better. [You can read more about this game here.]

Frank Gifford (16), New York Giants (October 14, 1956)

Home Sweet Home

Four days before the grand opening of Giants football at Yankee Stadium, New York brought kicking specialist Ben Agajanian back to the team to relieve Gifford of some of his duties. The Giants staff acquiesced on Agajanian’s request to be allowed to return home to the West Coast during the early part of the week, and then rejoin the Giants on the Friday before games. The 38-year old Agajanian would handle field goal and point-after placements while Chandler retained kickoff responsibilities.

Anticipation was high following the win at Cleveland, and a crowd of approximately 40,000 was expected for the game. The 38-10 win over Pittsburgh was convincing and the local press jumped on the bandwagon, exclaiming superlatives and proclaiming intangibles. The New York Times game summary boasted: “The Giants needed about twenty minutes to make themselves comfortable in their new home the Yankee Stadium…Long before the final gun, the 48,108 spectators, marking the biggest crowd at a home-opener in Giants’ history, seemed convinced that the New Yorkers are headed for a ‘big’ year.”

Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Giants Game Program (October 21, 1956)

The game started slowly for the Giants on offense. Once Conerly took over for Heinrich near the end of the first quarter, they became unstoppable. A 3-0 deficit became a 31-3 advantage by the end of the third quarter. New York totaled 455 yards on offense and did not turn the ball over. Conerly efficiently passed for three touchdowns and 208 yards on 14 completions in 23 attempts.

New York Times columnist Arthur Daley made an observation on the difference between the stadium’s two tenants: “The switch from baseball to football is never more apparent than in the dressing room before play begins. The Yankees laugh and joke and engage in horse play. The Giants look like men who are heading for a mass execution without any hope of a reprieve from the Governor.” Howell seemed indifferent regarding the change of venue, “Once the game started I was too busy to make comparisons.”

Gifford offered unique insight on a peculiarity of the playing surface years later: “I disliked one thing about Yankee Stadium: the field wasn’t level. If a football team was moving from the outfield toward the infield, which was elevated for drainage, the players were moving uphill. It was probably a difference of only a few inches, but, in my mind, it looked and felt like Mount Everest. On the other hand, it provided me with the perfect cop-out. Once, after I got tackled from behind after a long gain, I shamelessly told the press, ‘If I’d been running downhill rather than up, he never would have caught me.’ I was only half kidding.”

The following week the Giants defense was even more impressive while the offense sputtered. Part of the reason for the frustration was the return of an old friend – former franchise icon Steve Owen coached the Eagles defense, and he deployed a special 6-1-4 alignment to counter New York’s strengths. Despite his inability to adapt the Giants offense to the modern T-Formation during the latter part of his tenure, Owen had no peer when it came to concocting a scheme to neutralize an opposing offense’s strengths.

Vince Lombardi, New York Giants (October 28, 1956)

Philadelphia recovered two first half fumbles and lead 3-0 in the first quarter, but they were not able to seriously threaten the New York end zone as Landry’s Coordinated Defense wreaked sensational havoc. The New York Times game summary stated, “…the Giants had spectacular tackles such as Dick Modzelewski, Roosevelt Grier, Roosevelt Brown, Sam Huff and Walt Yowarski. These fellows never stopped charging. They spent as much time in the Philadelphia backfield as did the Eagles.”

Conerly entered the game in the second quarter with the score tied 3-3 and led the Giants to a 13-3 halftime advantage that was more than enough. The Giants defense held the Eagles to 132 total yards and intercepted two passes, and preserved the 20-3 win. New York moved into a first place tie with the Cardinals who were upset in Chicago by Washington 17-14.

Charlie Conerly (42), Mel Triplett (33), New York Giants (October 28, 1956)

The pattern for the Giants repeated itself, a sluggish and sometimes sloppy offense was just good enough to get by, while the defense was strong and at times dominant at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field in front of 31,240 spectators. A typical exchange in the first period saw Grier recover a fumble on the Steeler’s one-yard line, only to see Gifford fumble the ball back. New York held, but Agajanian missed a 42-yard field goal attempt. Pittsburgh outgained the Giants in total yards 255-229 but the Giants held the edge in takeaways 3-2, and pulled out a hard fought 17-14 victory to keep pace with the Cardinals who defeated Philadelphia 28-17. The two 5-1 teams would meet at Yankee Stadium the next week.

The hype for the game started early and continued throughout the week. Media coverage for the Football Giants hadn’t been this prominent or enthusiastic since the heyday of the rivalry with the Sammy Baugh-era Redskins a decade earlier. The fans were swept up the excitement, and brisk ticket sales raised hopes for a crowd upwards of 60,000. Howell declared the game a “must” for New York, given that the Giants had already lost to their division rivals, and the Cardinals had a more favorable remaining schedule. “We certainly are not in a position to be able to lose to Chicago on Sunday,” said Howell.

Tunnell spent two days in the hospital with an injured back, but was cleared to play later in the week, which was good news for Landry who needed all of his best players to stop the one player who had ripped through New York in Week Two. “Matson is a bread-and-butter back most coaches dream about. Most experts agree that he is the greatest runner in football today,” said Cardinals staff member Eddie McGuire. Former Giant great Mel Hein, who coached at Southern California, backed up the boast, “You can’t relax a second with him. Give him a foot and he’ll go all the way.”

The Apple of New York’s Eye

If the entire 91-year history of the Football Giants could be distilled down to a single moment in time where they captured the city’s heart and imagination and were finally accepted on an equal plane with their major league baseball constituents, it may very well be Sunday November 11, 1956.

Although the throng of 62,410 inside Yankee Stadium was just short of a sellout, it was the largest crowd to see the Giants play anywhere since 60,337 visited to the Polo Grounds on December 8, 1946 for a matchup against the Redskins, and was the second largest in Giants history after the 73,000 who came to see Red Grange at the Polo Grounds in 1925.

Landry devised a new defense to combat the Chicago Split-T attack that confounded New York in October. This time Huff’s responsibility was to key on Matson and determine where he would go and beat him to the point of attack. This strategy served as the prototype for the way New York would defend Cleveland and Jimmy Brown in future years.

Appropriately, the first points scored by New York came on a safety. Less than two minutes after the opening kickoff, Robustelli blocked Dave Mann’s punt and Katcavage fell on Mann with the ball in the end zone.

The game still hung in the balance through the second quarter. New York appeared to be ready to add to their 2-0 lead at the end of the first quarter until the Cardinals stopped them on downs at the one-yard line. After forcing a punt, Heinrich led the Giants to a touchdown and 9-0 advantage early in the second quarter. Then the Cardinals Lamar McHan led three successive advances into Giants territory that ultimately swung the balance of the contest. Each time Huff and the Giants defense clamped down on backs Matson and Johnnie Olszewski and forced field goal attempts. Summerall missed from 40 and 47 yards before connecting from 30. Conerly replaced Heinrich late in the period and the Giants led 9-3 at the half.

After passing New York to Chicago’s 20-yard line in the third quarter, Conerly was intercepted attempting to hit Rote in the end zone. The Giants defense forced a punt and Conerly engineered a 70-yard drive that was highlighted by a 48-yard completion to Gifford to the Cardinal’s 12-yard line. On the next play, Webster carried the distance for the touchdown and a 16-3 lead.

Following another Chicago punt, Conerly completed a 43-yard pass to Gifford to the Chicago 25-yard line. Following a few Triplett plunges, Conerly completed an 11-yard pass to Gifford in the end zone for a 23-3 advantage midway through the fourth quarter. With the outcome all but settled, the Cardinals put Jim Root in at quarterback, and he led Chicago down the field into Giants territory. Not only did the large crowd at Yankee Stadium not leave early, they zealously exhorted their passion. The bond between the fans and the Giants was galvanized in a chant that reverberates almost 60 years later. As the Cardinals advanced closer to the goal line, the New York supporters in the bleachers at the end of the field the Giants were defending attempted to impose their will and inspire the defense as their twelfth man: “DEE-FENSE…DEE-FENSE…”

Ultimately Matson scored on an 11-yard pass with 10 seconds remaining, but it didn’t matter. The 6-1 Giants were now in sole possession of first place in the Eastern Division and New York was officially a football crazed city. The defense deserved all of the adulation it received. Despite not forcing a turnover in the game (the first and only time all season) they held Matson to 43 yards on 13 carries and Chicago to 284 total yards. The Chicago Daily Tribune cited Robustelli and Grier for “excellent performances” and said Patton, Hughes and Tunnel “were stalwarts” in holding Cardinal passers to seven pass completions in 16 attempts.

This win, however, was a complete team effort. The New York Times game summary stated: “It was not only the Giants beat the team they had to beat that made so strong an impression. It was the manner in which they did it. The defense showed its usual strength and, for a change, the offense sparkled. Superb offensive blocking, missing the past two weeks, was a big factor in yesterday’s convincing triumph.” Gifford was the go-to man with 68 rushing yards and 116 receiving yards on six catches with a touchdown.

During this five-game win streak for New York, the defense surrendered just four touchdowns as the Giants outscored the opposition 119-46. Gifford said of the steak years later, “Halfway through the season we started beating teams easily, and with an intensity I’d never seen.” The normally stoic Howell boasted after the game, “This is the best Giants team in 10 years.”

An interesting consequence of two-platoon football, which was only in its seventh season of permanency, was how it divided teams into factions. Prior to that, teams were coached and practiced as a single unit. Now, not only were players identified and segregated in meetings as “offense” and “defense”, there were assistant coaches further specializing and refining their talents. The platoons ultimately assumed their own personalities. The fascination and appreciation New York fans showed for the defense was unique and unprecedented, but it clearly was the better and more consistent unit for the team, and seemed to get better with each game. The players noticed.

Gifford: “That year marked the start of the much-publicized rivalry between the offense and defense. While it never got mean, it did get intense. Probably the defense’s unprecedented fame had something to do with it. Never in the history of football had fans gone to a stadium primarily to root for a ‘DEE-fense’. The rivalry also extended to Lombardi and Landry, who, as the proud architects of their two units, in a sense created it. The one trait they shared was a fierce competitiveness, especially with each other.”

Huff: “Our defense was so good that many times we simply controlled the offense in practice, wouldn’t let them do anything. That used to get the offensive guys ticked off, and Lombardi would get so angry he’d keep the offense out on the field long after Landry had the let the defense go to the showers.”

Prosperity then Humility

If the Giants became lackadaisical in their preparation, let down their guard or simply believed they were as good as everybody told them they were, they can’t really be blamed. All of this media attention and praise was an entirely new phenomenon for them, and were unprepared to handle it. There is no other explanation for what happened the following Sunday when New York was thoroughly embarrassed in a poor effort against the 3-3 Redskins.

One single play perfectly described the woeful afternoon New York endured in front of 26,261 delighted Washingtonians. Leading 24-0 in the third quarter The Redskins brought their punt team out with a fourth-and-one on their own 36-yard line. After the snap, punter Sam Baker took off with the ball on a 22-yard advance through the completely fooled Giants coverage team to maintain possession. The drive ended with a field goal and ultimately New York lost 33-7.

Most disappointing was the inept performance from the defense, which surprisingly allowed 23 first downs and 231 yards rushing. Although three takeaways were forced by the Giants, their offense turned it over five times. Gifford and Katcavage were both injured and destined for overnight stays in the hospital with back and hip injuries, respectively. The only good news was the second place Cardinals were also upset on the road, having dropped a 14-7 decision at Pittsburgh.

The week of Thanksgiving was a busy one for New York, correcting what Howell described as “a bad day all around.” Gifford and Katcavage were both released and cleared to play. The Giants needed all 33 men on their roster for the 7-1 Chicago Bears, who held a half-game lead in the Western Division over 7-2 Detroit. While the Bears were a familiar opponent with their typically rugged outfit and powerful rushing attack, fronted by the league’s leading rusher Rick Caseras, they were different in that George Halas was not on the sidelines. He stepped aside as a courtesy to long-time associate Paddy Driscoll. Second-year signal caller Ed Brown was also leading the NFL in passing efficiency and end Harlon Hill was leading the NFL in receiving yards and yards per catch.

Chicago Bears at New York Giants Stadium Club Ticket (November 25, 1956)

The boisterous crowd of 55,191 at Yankee Stadium seemed to quickly heal whatever it was that ailed New York the previous week. The three-headed rushing attack of Gifford, Webster and Triplett slashed through the Bears front behind precise blocking. The 10-0 halftime lead stretched to 17-0, and may have been on its way to becoming even wider had Heinrich’s pass not been intercepted by Ray Smith who returned it to the New York 16-yard line. The Giants defense held their ground and the Bears kicked a field goal to close the third quarter at 17-3.

Lombardi sent Conerly in to start the final quarter with orders to keep the ball on the ground. After discussing New York’s unique dual-quarterback system with Sports Illustrated’s Tex Maul (known as “The Old Pro”), Conerly became the first Giant on the cover on the magazine the week after this game, Conerly was the subject of a feature article in the December 3, 1956 issue. He said, “You don’t see much of a game when you’re in. You’re looking for the guy you’re going to pass to or the guy you’re making a hand-off to, and you don’t see much else. I guess I wouldn’t even recognize half the guys I play against in a game if I saw them on the street afterward. They’re just a blur when they are coming in at you, and you don’t look at them again until you come out of the huddle. Then they are uniforms in a defense and you don’t see faces, just the defense.”

Charlie Conerly

Regarding sitting on the bench while Heinrich played Conerly said, “You don’t find any big weaknesses. It’s not like college football. Everyone is good and what you look for are habits a player develops. When you have been in the league a long time you get to know what a defensive halfback will let you do, for instance. One guy will let you throw underneath him—in front of him. The next guy covers pretty good to the outside but he doesn’t move as good to the inside, and you throw that way to him. Little things are what you look for. Like you size up the defense when you’re waiting to start the count and you see a safety man cheating a little bit toward an end you’ve got spread and you know he’s got to cover that end in the defense they have called, and he’s cheating over toward him because it will be hard for him to get there. So you call an automatic and hit the end quick.”

Conerly engineered a drive to the Chicago 22-yard line, alternating Gifford and Webster on sweeps, but Agajanian’s field goal attempt sailed wide. The teams quickly exchanged fumbles which set the Bears with the ball on their own 24-yard line with under nine minutes to play. Brown handed off to back Bill McColl, who swept toward right end, but pulled up and lofted a high arcing spiral deep down the sideline to the wide-open Hill. Giants defender Patton had released his coverage expecting the run, and the speedy Hill was unchallenged on his sprint to the end zone. George Blanda’s point-after made it a one-score game with 8:09 left in the game.

Conerly again directed a ground progression that moved the chains and took time off the clock. Chicago’s defense, which was the second-ranked unit in the league after New York’s, resisted and the Giants punted the ball back with just over two minutes remaining. Brown moved the Bears with a series of short passes along the boundaries, allowing Hill and McColl to step out of bounds to stop the clock and preserve time.

From Chicago’s own 44-yard line, Brown lofted a deep ball to Hill, who was this time covered closely by Patton. Hill tipped the ball up at the New York 5-yard line and began falling forward with Patton right behind him. Hill tipped the ball again, then cradled it in his arms as he fell across the goal line. The play was as spectacular in its artistry as it was stunning in its result. Blanda’s point-after deadlocked the game 17-17 for the final score.

“You can’t ask a boy to do much better than Patton did on that one,” Coach Howell said after the game, but he added: “Of course, he might have knocked it down or intercepted it if he hadn’t lost a step,” he said. “You just can’t make any mistakes.”

The philosophical Conerly had prophetically said to Maule before the game, “Mistakes cost you a lot more in pro ball. Back in college, a club could make a mistake and, like as not, it wouldn’t cost much. But a mistake against a pro club nearly always costs you, and usually it costs a touchdown. The mistakes in the line may not—you got the secondary to help out. But a mistake back in the secondary—that’s usually six points.”

New York’s defense mostly performed well in the game. They held Chicago’s rushing attack to a mere 12 yards and the Bears offense only generated 11 first downs and had four turnovers. The two big pass plays to Hill, who had seven catches for 195 yards and was compared favorable to Don Hutson in the New York Times after the game, in the fourth quarter were costly. The 6-2-1 Giants remained in first place ahead of the 6-3 Cardinals who beat Pittsburgh 38-27.

Lombardi cited this game later in his career as one that permanently changed his game management. He regretted his decision to have Conerly to keep the ball on the ground and play conservatively. He said, “From then on, no matter what the score was, I coached as if it was nothing-nothing.”

The Giants performance the next Sunday against Washington at Yankee Stadium in front of 46,351 fans was far from perfect, Howell commented that the contest which was filled with fumbles, miscues and missed field goals contained “more mistakes than a top game should have.” But Gifford came as close to perfection as anybody could. The star back rushed 19 times for 108 yards and caught six passes for 53 yards, and Gifford accounted for all four touchdowns. He opened the scoring with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Ken MacAfee, ran for two and caught a 14-yard scoring strike from Conerly.

Defensively the Giants returned to their mid-season form. While holding the Redskins to 75 passing yards, New York generated seven take-a-ways, including three fumble recoveries and four interceptions. Huff picked off two of the passes and the defense held Washington to only seven points. The final Washington score came on a fourth quarter 75-yard fumble return. New York’s 28-14 win ended the Redskins five-game win streak and essentially ended their hopes of catching the Giants in the division race at 5-4. The 7-2-1 Giants Eastern Division lead opened to a game and a half over the 6-4 Cardinals when the Cardinals lost to the Packers 24-21.

Over 45,000 fans were expected for Cleveland’s annual visit to New York, but an unusually weak Browns team combined with rain, snow and cold made many fans decide it would be better to stay home and listen to the game over the radio. The 27,707 who braved the elements and hoped to personally witness the Giants clinch their first divisional title in 10 years went home chilled and disappointed. The New York Times game summary even questioned New York’s championship mettle, “The impression yesterday was that the Giants will have to show marked improvement over their latest showing. Against Paul Brown’s energetic and spirited aggregation the New Yorker’s were a do-nothing, go-nowhere outfit. They seemed sluggish on defense and immobile on offense.”

Frank Gifford, New York Giants (December 9, 1956)

A 63-yard drive that culminated in a game-tying Conerly-to-Gifford scoring pass early in the second quarter seemed to give New York life. The next possession for the Giants was a 50-yard advance into Browns territory, but Don Doll intercepted Conerly to squelch not only a scoring opportunity, but seemingly the Giants spirits for good. They never threatened again and Cleveland rolled to a surprisingly easy 24-7 win. Gifford caught six more passes and his running season total of 49 already surpassed the previous franchise mark of 47 set by Bill Swiacki in 1949.

Although the Cardinals lost to the Bears 10-3, Washington defeated Philadelphia 19-17 and had two games to play, giving them an outside chance at the title should New York and Chicago both lose their final games. However, the Giants controlled their own destiny. A win or tie at Philadelphia would wrap up the Eastern Division, no questions asked. The Giants closed out their six-game home schedule with an impressive total attendance of 280,727, far ahead of their 1955 six-game docket that totaled 163,787. Division title or not, pro football had taken a significant advance forward in New Yorker awareness.

Bad weather plagued the Northeast all week, and although Howell did not use the sloppy field conditions for the disappointing loss to Cleveland, he was upfront about his desire for improved conditions (particularly for the offense) against the Eagles: “We are a team that accomplishes more because of quickness rather than brute strength, but against the Browns we were not quick at all. We never really got started and I believe the condition of the field was an important factor. I hope we have a dry field on Saturday when we wind up against the Eagles.” Howell and the Giants spent part of the week practicing across the street at Macombs Dam Park while the Yankee Stadium field was covered by a tarp to preserve it for the potential championship game.

The Connie Mack Stadium playing surface was in good condition at game time and the Giants performance was everything their coach had hoped for. The New York Times game summary stated: “Superior offensive blocking, more certain tackling, and a clearly obvious advantage in overall speed all belonged to the Giants.” New York attempted only 11 passes and chose instead to ride the big legs of Webster, who rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Gifford also contributed 81 yards on 16 carries and Triplett 72 yards on 14 carries. The Giants led 14-0 at the half and 21-0 after three quarters. The defense was magnificent, keeping Philadelphia contained on their own side of the 50-yard line for the first 42 minutes, and barely missed its bid for its first shut out of the season when Adrian Burke completed a touchdown pass to Bobby Walston with 1:08 remaining. The Giants won 21-7.

Early Accolades

The Giants had two weeks to celebrate their first Eastern Conference title since 1946 as the NFL regular-season schedule had yet to be completed for other teams. The Giants would face an old familiar foe in the championship game: the Chicago Bears, who had also beaten the Giants in the 1946 title game. The Bears had clinched the Western conference crown in a winner-take-all brawl against Detroit. Chicago won 38-21 in a violent, fight-filled game that saw hundreds of Wrigley Field fans became part of the mayhem and charge the field during a fight between the two teams. Dozens of Chicago police officers desperately struggled to restore order before a full riot ensued.

Seven Giants were chosen to represent the 31-man Eastern Conference roster in the Pro Bowl: Charlie Conerly, Frank Gifford, Roosevelt Brown and Kyle Rote on offense and Andy Robustelli, Rosie Grier and Emlen Tunnell on defense. The All-Pro team featured five Giants: Gifford, Brown, Grier, Robustelli and Tunnell.

In the overall rankings, the Giants offense was mostly in the middle of the pack in the 12-team league. The best way to describe them would be efficient, if occasionally inconsistent. Lombardi’s unit excelled in rushing the football and not making negative plays. They ground out the third-most yards in the league (Gifford and Webster both finished in the top 10 individually in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns) and surrendered the fewest sacks and turned the ball over the least. Overall, the New York offense finished at or below average in scoring (6th), total yards (7th) and passing yards (8th)

Landry’s defense was first in fewest total yards allowed, fewest yards per rush, most quarterback sacks, most takeaways and gave up the fourth fewest points. They would need to be at their best in the championship game against Chicago, who had the league’s top rusher in Caseras (1,128 yards) and most explosive receiver in Hill (1,128 yards on 47 receptions for a 24 yards per catch average and 11 touchdowns). Hill was a nightmare for the Giants in the November game at Yankee Stadium.

Howell had the Giants spend the first of their two weeks off in the film room, specifically watching the 17-17 game, to clean up what were considered correctable errors with technique and recognition. “It’s a treat to have two weeks to get ready for a game. When you’re playing every Sunday you don’t have a chance to put much new stuff in. There are a few new wrinkles we’ve had in mind for some time and we’re taking advantage of this opportunity to go over them.” Bears coach Driscoll, who also had two weeks to prepare, was confident with his squad’s state: “The boys are in top physical shape and their mental attitude is up. There are no injuries and no signs of staleness.”

Gifford received the NFL’s “Player of the Year” award on the NFL’s final Sunday. He was the first player in history to finish in the top five in both rushing (819 yards, 5.2 yards per attempt) and receiving (51 receptions for 603 yards) and was fifth overall in all-purpose yards. He was 10th in the NFL is scoring with nine total touchdowns (five rushing, four receiving), two field goals and one point-after. He also threw two touchdown passes.

The interest in the game was unprecedented. Articles appeared in the local newspapers daily, ranging from practice updates, player profiles, to prospective strategies the two teams might feature. This served to educate the new audience to the game. Earlier in December, former Notre Dame great and former Bear Johnny Lujack wrote a lengthy feature article in The New York Times that praised the merits of the professional game over the college version. Only a decade earlier, such a public declaration would have been retorted as heresy or dismissed as nonsense.

The public a whole, however, not only was watching the pro football games on television, they were going to stadiums in record numbers. The 1956 season was the fifth consecutive that the league had set a new record at the gate. The NFL’s paid attendance in 1956 was 5,551,623, a 1.17% increase over the 1955 gate. In an interview in The Chicago Daily Tribune, Commissioner Bell said of the NFL’s spike in popularity, “Ten years ago some of our critics wailed that the pro players didn’t try. Now, it seems, the complaint is that the boys are trying too hard.” He also stated that liberalizing the passing game and free substitution were the biggest factors in the pro game attracting more fans.

New York Giants – Chicago Bears 1956 NFL Championship Ticket Stub

Despite rainy weather the week leading up to the game and concerns over possible poor field conditions, ticket sales were brisk and a sellout was expected. The gross receipts for the game hinted at the age of prosperity the NFL had entered. The winners and losers shares would be the highest ever to that point in time. The wining team members would end up taking home $3,779.19 each and the losing team $2,485.16 each. The most significant reason for this was the NBC contract for the right to the national broadcast. The last time the Giants and Bears met for the championship in New York in 1946, the game was held in front of a robust crowd of 58,346 – which would be slightly larger than the crowd that would be at Yankee Stadium for this game. Yet, the winners and losers shares were $1,975.82 and $1,295.57, respectively. Clearly, television would be a significant factor in determining the course pro football would follow in the future.

The players were aware of this, and the day before the game they formally announced a project that had been surreptitiously in the works for three years – the formation of a players union. Their initial declaration included a list of six demands, which in retrospect were modest and not unreasonable: (1) league recognition of the union; (2) compensation, including per diem, for attending training camps; (3) injury compensation; (4) $5,000 minimum player salaries; (5) a pension program; and (6) clubs – not players – paying for equipment. Rote was the representative for the Giants, and eleven of the twelve teams were accounted for, excepting the Bears whose players declined recognition either out of fear or respect for Halas, a founding member of the American Professional Football Association (APFA) in 1920.

The Bears were considered the favorite to end the championship drought for the two old rivals. Chicago last won a championship in the 1946 game against the Giants and New York hadn’t won since 1938.

The Big One

Not unlike the first championship meeting between the Giants and Bears in New York in 1934, the weather turned extremely cold during the overnight and the field was completely frozen. The overnight temperatures plummeted during the night and was 26 degrees at game time and winds reached 30 miles per hour. Halas’ son-in-law Ed McCaskey said, “It was the coldest I had been in my whole life. We attended `My Fair Lady’ the night before, and as we left the theater, an ice storm set in. The next day, the field was a mess.”

Recalling the 1934 championship game which took place under similar circumstances, Robustelli had 48 pairs of brand new basketball sneakers delivered to Yankee Stadium that morning. Howell had several players try them out on the field alongside players wearing cleats. The players with the sneakers demonstrated superior traction on the slick surface while the players in cleats slipped and fell. The decision on equipment was easy.

Chicago had brought along sneakers as well, but they were of an earlier vintage. George Connor recalled, “We had poor sneakers with little rubber cleats. I know they were old: one pair had Bronko Nagurski’s number 3 painted on the heel. I guess they were the same ones Halas ordered after the 1934 sneakers game … The rubber was starting to crack, they were so old.“ Bears coach Driscoll said, “Those sneakers were better than ours. Their soles were thicker than our soles. This helped their footing greatly.”

Gene Filipski (40), New York Giants (December 30, 1956)

The difference in footwear was apparent from the very start. Chicago kicked off and Gene Filipski returned the ball 54 yards giving New York possession in Bears territory. Four plays later Triplett rumbled through a huge hole in the line, trucked would-be tacklers and bowled over an official on his way to a 17-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead. Lombardi said, “That run by Gene gave the team its opening spark. From then on, it was a solid effort from each and every man.”

Mel Triplett running for a touchdown; Chicago Bears at New York Giants, December 30, 1956 (1956 NFL Championship)

New York’s defense made the next contribution when Robustelli recovered a loose ball on a botched exchange between Brown and Bobby Watkins on the Chicago 15-yard line. Three rushes netted four yards and Agajanian booted a 17-yard field goal. After ten total plays from scrimmage, New York led 10-0.

The game summaries from the major newspapers of both cities described the one-sided affair:

  • Chicago Daily Tribune: “The mighty Chicago Bears came into a cavernous deep freeze called Yankee Stadium here today and left as football’s greatest enigma, humiliated by the New York Giants 47 to 7 in the National league’s 24th annual championship playoff.”
  • New York Times: “The manner in which the Giants ran, passed, kicked, scored and defended against the Western Conference rulers shocked most of the 58,826 half-frozen fans watching the playoff game.”

Patton intercepted Brown on an overthrow of Hill that led to another Agajanian field goal. The score was 13-0 as Conerly took over for Heinrich at the end of the first quarter. Conerly hit Webster on a 24-yard gain to set up a three-yard plunge by the big back for a 20-0 lead before the second quarter was three minutes old. The relentless Giants were dominating in all three phases of the game and the Yankee Stadium crowd was delirious.

Frank Gifford (16), Ray Wietecha (55), New York Giants, 1956 NFL Championship Game (December 30, 1956)

Chicago had one break that gave them a chance to stymie New York’s onslaught and get back into the game. The Giants defense held the Bears, but Tunnell fumbled the punt and Chicago recovered at the Giants 24-yard line. Four plays later Caseras ran for a touchdown to cut the lead to 20-7. However, Conerly guided another long advance that closed with a Webster one-yard plunge for a score.

J.C. Caroline mishandled the ensuing kickoff and Chicago began the possession at their 10-yard line. New York’s defense threw the Bears for losses on three consecutive plays, setting up a punt from the two-yard line as Yankee Stadium roared: “DEE-FENSE…DEE-FENSE…” Ray Beck sliced through the line and blocked Brown’s punt and rookie back Henry Moore fell on the ball in the end zone. The Giants were in command 34-7 at halftime.

The Bears replaced Brown with Blanda and switched from the T-Formation to the Short Punt formation where Blanda essentially operated as a tailback. The results were the same, New York’s defense was stifling and their offense ground away yardage with their three backs. Conerly attempted only 10 passes but was deadly accurate, completing seven for 195 yards and two touchdowns. The Chicago passers combined for 20-of-47 for 237 yards and two interceptions.

Alex Webster (29), Dick Yelvington (72), 1956 NFL Championship Game

The Giants added 10 more second-half points, and several hundred fans who remained in the frigid stadium stormed the frozen field and tore down the goal posts, celebrating the emphatic 47-7 victory and the Giants first championship in 18 years.

Caseras told the Chicago Daily Tribune, “They smashed us from start to finish…The Giants play that winning brand of football: hitting you hard on one play then hitting you harder on the next. We were really confident when we started, but they got ahead so quickly, and did it so easily, we couldn’t play our regular game. We were outplayed, terrifically outplayed.”

Howell said before the start of the game that he was concerned that his team was too relaxed, but that concern was unwarranted once the game started, “They just wanted to play – they wanted the championship.”

Chicago quarterback Brown said the Bears were too tight and possibly exhausted, “We were over-trained. We only had one day off—Christmas Day—preparing for this. What the hell—the Giants got five days off. We were just too tied up.”

Whether the differing philosophies in preparation were at the root of the outcome did not matter to Commissioner Bell who said, “In all the time I’ve been watching pro football, I’ve never seen the Giants as hot as they were today.”

The End of the Beginning

The 1956 Giants not only brought pro football to the forefront of the greater New York area, but the entire NFL came along for the ride. Soon pro football players transcended the confined orbit of the sporting world and crossed over to mainstream America.

Frank Gifford (16), Ray Wietecha (55), 1956 NFL Championship Game

Gifford recollected, “I’ll always believe that that game (the 1956 NFL Championship) was the key to the development of the NFL today. People forget what the NFL was like in those days. It was not America’s number one sport. But once we played the game, we became heroes in New York. The thing just grew from there.”

The names of the Giants players from this era are still remembered fondly nearly 60 years later, even by fans who are too young to have seen them play, because they are still featured in archival footage from NFL Films. Five players from the 1956 Giants are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Tunnell (1967), Robustelli (1971), Brown (1975), Gifford (1977) and Huff (1982). One other remains on the outside looking in. “Charlie is the best player who is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” late owner Wellington Mara said of Conerly on many occasions. “He has better numbers than some quarterbacks who are there.”

Bill Svoboda (30), Emlen Tunnell (middle), Alex Webster (29); (December 30, 1956)

Conerly being on the cover of Sports Illustrated in December 1956 was a big recognition at the time, but paled in comparison to Sam Huff being on the cover of Time Magazine in November 1959. Players were being so wholeheartedly embraced by fans that Madison Avenue took notice and exploited the public’s new love for football. The NFL’s new heroes were paid handsomely to endorse products and services nationwide. In New York, Rote hosted a weekly radio program and Gifford televised the sports segment on local news during the offseason. In 1960, Huff became a national sensation when he was featured in a 30-minute documentary hosted by Walter Cronkite titled “The Violent World of Sam Huff.”

More immediate dividends were reaped by the Giants who sold out every home game for the 1957 season, the first time that ever happened. A cottage industry erupted around the Tri-State area as local hotels and restaurants advertised Giants games on television outside the 75-mile radius of the blackout zone. New Yorkers began traveling to eastern Long Island and southern Connecticut to pick up the broadcasts from the Hartford affiliates and south New Jersey to pick up the Philadelphia affiliates.

New York Giants 1956 NFL Championship Ring

The public’s insatiable appetite seemed ready to be sated following the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Giants and Baltimore. The thrilling game captured the imagination of not only the 64,185 fans inside Yankee Stadium, but the record 42 million fans nationwide who watched the telecast on NBC.

Only months after that game, a group of entrepreneurs, headed by Lamar Hunt, approached the NFL about expansion and inclusion into the burgeoning league. After being rebuffed several times, the group started their own league, the fifth to challenge the NFL since 1926 and the fourth one to be called the American Football League. This one, however, had staying power and helped continue the pro game’s evolution by sparking the creation of the Super Bowl in January 1967 and NFL-AFL merger in 1970.


SOURCES:

“Pro Football – Parasite or Paragon?”
George Cullicott,  Sep. 1956, Sports Review Football 1956

“The Titans Were Tied”
Tex Maule, Dec. 3, 1956, Sports Illustrated

“Notes On A Gelid Afternoon”
Tex Maule, Jan. 7, 1957, Sports Illustrated

New York Football Giants 1957 Press, Radio and Television Guide
Robert Daley, 1957, New York Football Giants, Inc.

National Football League 1957 Records and Rules Manual
Joseph T. Labrum, 1957, The National Football League

New York Giants
Don Smith, 1960, Coward-McCann Sports Library

The Giants of New York: The History Of Professional Football’s Most Fabulous Dynasty
Barry Gottehrer, 1963, Putnam

The First 50 Seasons
Bob Oates Jr., 1969, Ridge Press

The Encyclopedia Of Football – 16th Revised Edition
Roger Treat, Suzanne Treat, Pete Palmer, 1979, A. S. Barnes & Co.

Illustrated History of the New York Giants: From The Polo Grounds To Super Bowl XXI
Richard Whittingham, 1987, Harper Collins

Tuff Stuff
Sam Huff, 1988, St. Martins Press

The Whole Ten Yards
Frank Gifford with Harry Waters, 1993, Giff & Golda Productions

From Sandlots to the Super Bowl: The National Football League 1920-1967
Craig R. Cowenen, 2005, The University of Tennessee Press

Historical New York Times Searchable Archive (via ProQuest)

Chicago Tribune

Google News Historical Archive

The Pittsburgh Press

Mar 022015
 

Bo Molenda (23), Dale Burnett (18), Ken Strong (50), Harry Newman (12); 1933 New York Giants – Photo Courtesy of Rev. Mike Moran

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The 1933 season is the most significant in the National Football League’s early history. While being mired in the depths of the Great Depression, many significant changes were made during the offseason that ensured not only the fledgling league’s survival, but allowed it to prosper and ultimately overtake college football and baseball as the country’s first choice for sporting entertainment. This marked the birth of the modern NFL, and planted the seed that would blossom on December 28, 1958 at Yankee Stadium when the Giants and Baltimore Colts captivated a national television audience in what has become known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”

The first major decision was for the league to create its own standard of play. Since the league’s inception in 1920, the rules governing competition were legislated by college football, which had hamstrung the NFL’s growth by preventing the pro game from differentiating itself from the college game. With its own set of rules ready for 1933, the NFL began to establish its own identity and attract new fans with a different style of play. The main intent was to create more excitement on offense and increase scoring.

The Impetus for Innovation

The catalyst for this unprecedented change was spontaneous improvisation. The NFL had no firmly-established tie-breaking procedure in place at the close of the 1932 regular season. The 6-1-6 Chicago Bears and 6-1-4 Portsmouth Spartans finished officially tied for first place, as ties were not factored into winning percentages at the time. Their 6-1 equated as a 0.857 winning percentage, and during the season the two had played one another to 13-13 and 7-7 ties. There had been too many disputed championships in the 1920’s and the owners did not desire another.

For the first time, a playoff game was arranged to decide who would be declared champion. A blizzard followed by subzero temperatures forced the game to hastily be shifted indoors from Wrigley Field to Chicago Stadium, which had a considerably smaller playing surface. Some of the special ground rules put in place for the game gave a glimpse into the future of football, as well as a controversy that arose late in the game.

The confined space only allowed for a field that was 80 yards in length and approximately 50 yards in width, with the sidelines nearly abutted to the grandstands. The actual playing field was 69-yards from goal line to goal line. The end zones were smaller than regulation and rounded along the end line to fit within the contours of the field that was shaped like a hockey rink. As a precaution, inbounds markers were placed on the field to allow play to begin more toward the center of the field instead of right on the sideline following an out-of-bounds play. This proved to be a revelation, as fewer downs were wasted attempting to center the ball, and also allowed for more productive offensive plays with more of the field was available to use. The goal posts were also moved up from the end line to the goal line.

The game was tied 0-0 five minutes into the fourth quarter. On fourth-and-goal from the Spartans two-yard line, Chicago fullback Bronko Nagurski charged toward the line, but abruptly pulled up and lofted a pass into the hands of teammate Red Grange for a touchdown. Portsmouth head coach Potsy Clark immediately stormed the field in protest, claiming Nagurski was not the required five yards behind the line of scrimmage when he passed the ball forward. Referee Bobby Cahn upheld the ruling and the touchdown stood. The Bears held on for a 9-0 victory and were professional football’s champions for 1932.

The NFL declared it would no longer strictly adhere to the college rule book and forged its own code on February 25, 1933. Although the professional parameters were still strongly rooted to the college game, the differences were significant and would ultimately prove to stimulate a more open and entertaining brand of football. Higher scoring games also decreased the likelihood of tie games, a direct response to the fact that the participating teams in the 1932 playoff participated in a total of 10 tie contests.

  • Forward passes were allowed anywhere behind the line of scrimmage, rather than five yards back (the penalty for which had been loss of possession.)
  • The goalposts were moved to the goal line to make field goals a more attractive option.
  • In-bound lines were added to the field to keep plays from being wasted merely to center the ball on the field.
  • The ball carrier was not ruled down unless contacted by a defender.

Structural differentiation occurred by borrowing ideas from major league baseball. Boston Redskins owner George Preston Marshall and Chicago Bears owner George Halas championed the idea of splitting the NFL into Eastern and Western divisions and having the two first-place teams meet in what they conceived as a “World Series of Football.” Splitting into divisions created “pennant races” that fans would follow, stimulating interest in more cities around the league as more teams had the opportunity to qualify for the championship. The annual championship game would also once-and-forever eliminate disputed championships. Everything would be settled on the field. This reorganization was officially implemented on July 8, 1933, and the site of the championship was predetermined on a rotating basis. The Western Division champion would host the game in 1933 and all subsequent odd-numbered years while the Eastern champion would host in 1934 and all further even-numbered years. This system remained unchanged until expansion caused the league to realign into four divisions in 1967.

The NFL expanded to ten teams in 1933, up from its all-time low of eight in 1932. The placement of the new franchises was significant. Beginning in the late 1920’s, NFL President Joe Carr mandated that the league migrate from large towns and small cities into large cities, especially ones that had a major league baseball team. This helped elevate the NFL’s image, as many pro football teams would share stadiums with their baseball counterparts.

The Staten Island Stapes withdrew from the NFL after the 1932 season (but would continue as an independent team and occasionally play NFL teams in exhibition matches.) Three new franchises received league charters and were based in Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The number of franchises that had competed at least one season in the APFA/NFL was now at 51 in the circuit’s 14th season. The realignment featuring two five-team divisions operating from large metropolitan areas gave the NFL much needed stability. The days of impermanent and transient franchises were drawing to a close.

Player statistics were officially recorded by the league for the first time in 1932. Weekly postings of league leaders were distributed to the press and printed in newspapers beginning in 1933. This gave fans an interactive experience, allowing them to follow their favorite players as they would during baseball season by tracking the league-leaders in batting average and ERA.

Reload

The Giants themselves also underwent a transformation prior to the season, having endured back-to-back disappointing seasons as the core of the team that had challenged for the league title in 1929 and 1930 got old.

The core of New York’s team was its perennially-powerful line. Ray Flaherty and Red Badgro were the best pair of ends in pro football. The interior line was anchored by Len Grant, Butch Gibson, Mel Hein, Potsy Jones and Bill Owen. The infusion of new blood took place in the backfield, with fullback Bo Molenda, tailback Harry Newman and halfback Ken Strong, the latter signing with the Giants after the Staten Island Stapes left the league.

Ray Flaherty, New York Giants (1933)

The Giants struggled to score points in 1932 after Benny Friedman departed for Brooklyn. The new tailback was chosen for his pedigree. Newman had played behind Friedman while at Michigan in college. The hope was his time observing Friedman playing and practicing alongside him would translate into production on the field. Newman could run, pass and kick almost as well as Friedman, and the Giants billed him as the team’s marquis star. Newman said, “’It was Benny who taught me how to pass. I think I may have thrown two passes in high school. Benny felt if I was going to make it to the top in college, I needed to be a good passer as well as a runner.”

Following four weeks of drills and practice in Pompton Lakes, NJ and exhibition games versus the All-Long Island Stars and Patterson Night Hawks, the 1933 New York Football Giants opened the season with a five-game, three-week road trip. The league opener was a Wednesday-night contest, pitting the Giants against the Pittsburgh Pirates in their inaugural football game.

The Pittsburgh Press said Newman “stole the show” and “did everything with the ball but swallow it,” while comparing him to baseball pitching great Carl Hubbell. The crowd of 25,000 remained enthusiastic, despite the Giants dominant performance. Newman scored on a 5-yard rush and threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Dale Burnett. Perhaps most pleasing to Coach Steve Owen, however, was Newman’s successful 39-yard field goal, as no New York kicker successfully made a field goal during the entire 1932 season. Strong also had a good all-around game for the Giants, scoring on an interception return and two point-afters. The Pirates only score came on a safety when the ball skittered though the end zone in the third quarter when Strong’s punt was blocked. The Giants won 23-2.

New York was overwhelmed by the Spartans and 90-degree temperatures four days later in Portsmouth. Tailback Glenn Presnell moved the Spartans offense up and down the field on New York in front of 7,000 fans. Portsmouth had the game well in hand, 17-0 in the fourth quarter, when the Giants avoided a shutout with an unusual play. Newman called his own number on a rush from the Spartans 45-yard line, ran through the line and into the secondary. He fumbled the ball when hit from behind, but teammate Red Badgro was nearby to scoop the loose ball at the 20-yard line and take it the rest of the way for the touchdown. Strong added the point-after from placement and the final score was 17-7. The busy road trip continued with an exhibition contest at the Indianapolis Indians on Wednesday before a league contest versus Green Bay at Milwaukee.

Milwaukee fans had been eager to see the Packers in person, and the game against the Giants was very much anticipated as the two teams had battled one another for league supremacy in 1929 and 1930. Instead they witnessed 60 full minutes of undisciplined execution combined with sloppy ball handling. Strong and Newman had productive game for New York, but The Milwaukee Journal provided a descriptive summary of the Wisconsin team’s performance: “Twelve thousand fans laid it on the line hoping to see the Packers and Giants artistically maul each other around in a National League football game at Borchert Field Sunday afternoon, and 12,000 fans, after seeing the exhibition, quietly left the park gently holding their noses between the forefinger and thumb.”

A first quarter Green Bay fumble led to an impressive 39-yard placement field goal by Strong from a wide angle into a brisk wind. In the second quarter, Hein intercepted a pass at the Packer 25-yard line, and Newman connected with Burnett on a 19-yard touchdown pass shortly thereafter for a 10-0 New York lead. Green Bay scored late in the fourth quarter to make the final 10-7 score look respectable, but those who saw it knew better. The Milwaukee Journal detailed “the Bay’s” comedy of errors: “It wasn’t that the Packers lost, they have lost before. They lost to the Bears last Sunday but still looked like a football team. It was that they fumbled, missed signals, fumbled, missed tackles, fumbled, passed like the Apache A.C. Indians, fumbled, checked signals until they finally resorted to a huddle, fumbled, passed wildly from center, fumbled, used bad judgment in spots, fumbled – and then used butter fingers on the ball some more. It was a sad, sad exhibition all around.”

New York headed back to the East Coast for one last road game in Boston. The newly renamed Redskins were building themselves into a rugged outfit. They were strong on the line of scrimmage and had one of the great young backs in the league in Cliff Battles. After jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, Boston gained control of the tempo and pounded out long drives for a 21-7 lead in the third quarter. New York fought back. Stu Clancy connected with Flaherty on a 35-yard aerial, and then finished the drive with a 15-yard rush into the end zone. However, Glenn “Turk” Edwards pierced the line and blocked Newman’s point-after attempt, leaving New York behind 21-13.

New York Giants at Boston Redskins (October 8, 1933)

Late in the fourth quarter, the Giants had the ball on their 20-yard line and were desperate for a quick score. Newman took the snap from center, sprinted toward the edge and flipped a lateral toward a teammate who missed the ball. Newman retrieved the ball on the 10-yard line, reversed field, and traversed the distance for an 80-yard touchdown. His point-after was good, bringing the score to 21-20. Newman’s long run gave him 108 yards for the contest, and earned him the distinction of being the first officially recognized 100-yard rusher in franchise history. Unfortunately for the Giants, this was not the only accolade of the day. The Redskins were able to run out the clock before New York could threaten again. Battles carried the ball 16 times for 215 yards and a touchdown in the first officially recorded 200-yard rushing performance in pro football history. The Giants headed back to Harlem with a 2-2 record.

Home Cooking

The environs of the Polo Grounds definitely agreed with Owen’s team in 1933. If they felt road weary after their five-games-over-three-weeks road trip, they certainly recovered in a hurry. New York opened their home schedule with a record-setting romp in their first-ever meeting with Philadelphia in front of 18,000 fans.

Harry Newman, New York Giants (October 15, 1933)

Scoring early and often, the Giants set a team record with eight touchdowns and 56 points. The New York Times game summary said: “the red-jerseyed New York team swept ruthlessly through the visiting eleven to register one of the largest scores ever made in professional football. The Giants gave evidence of tremendous power and fine cooperation, unleashing a running and passing attack that completely puzzled the Philadelphia congregation.

The Giants eight touchdowns were scored by six different players: five were rushing and three passing, with Molenda and Kink Richards each going over twice. New York had totaled eight touchdowns in a game against Frankford in 1930 in a 53-0 win, but only converted five point-afters. This time the Giants were eight-for-eight. Jack McBride converted four placements, Strong two, Newman one and Hap Moran passed to Newman for one.

Fifty-point scores were not uncommon in the early days of professional football as mismatches often occurred between the league’s handful of established franchises and the rabble of teams that struggled to hold their rosters together. As the NFL stabilized in the later 1920’s, the level of competition became balanced as there were fewer teams and stronger rosters. One-sided blowouts became less frequent. The Giants two 50-point games in 1929 and 1933 were the only occurrences of that plateau being reached through the six-year span of 1928-1933, and New York would not reach it again until 1950.

The Giants entertained the Dodgers the next week in an inter-borough battle that drew an exuberant 35,000 spectators to the Polo Grounds. Brooklyn featured familiar names to fans of the Giants: Benny Friedman, along with newcomers Chris Cagle and John “Shipwreck” Kelly, who left New York after the 1932 season and acquired a percentage of the Dodgers franchise. Newman again drew praise for his deft passing against Brooklyn’s durable defense, which came into this game off a shut out versus Cincinnati.

A unique play occurred in the second quarter with New York ahead 7-0. Newman punted to the irascible Kelly, who surprisingly punted the ball right back to Newman, giving the Giants a new possession with a net loss of one yard. The Giants lead 14-0 at the half, and after leading another touchdown drive, Newman was given star treatment and was taken out to a standing ovation. Owen sent in Richards to finish the game at tailback. Friedman got the Dodgers on the scoreboard late with a fourth quarter touchdown pass. Brooklyn successfully completed an on-sides kick, but the Giants defense held and the final score was 21-7. After bolstering their record to 4-2, good for first place in the Eastern Division, the Giants boarded the train to Washington for a mid-week exhibition match before heading to the mid-West to meet a familiar foe with a new look.

The Comeback Kings

New York Giants Center/Linebacker Mel Hein in 1933 – Photo Courtesy of Rev. Mike Moran

After winning the NFL title in 1932, Ralph Jones stepped down as coach for the Bears. George Halas, having bought out long-time partner Edward “Dutch” Sternamn, reinstalled himself as head coach. Part of his motivation may have been the desire to work closely with Bronislau “Bronko” Nagurski, who was the embodiment of everything Halas desired in a football player: tough, smart and relentless. Nagurski was a unique specimen. At six feet two inches in height and 235 pounds, he was a nightmare for defender to bring down. On defense he played tackle where he demolished blockers. Hein stated years later, “I learned that if you hit him by yourself, you were in trouble. If you hit him low, he’d trample you to death; if you hit him high, he’d take you about 10 yards. The best way to tackle Bronko was to have your teammates hit him about the same time – one or two low, one or two high. He was the most powerful fullback that I ever played against. Bronko had a knack of running fairly low. He had a big body and he could get that body, that trunk, down and be able to throw his shoulder into you. If you didn’t get under his shoulder, he just knocked you butt over tea kettles.”

The Chicago Daily Tribune boasted the expected crowd was to be the largest ever at Wrigley Field for a professional football game. (The Cardinals occasionally played there when Comiskey Park was unavailable). An added draw was Newman, who had many fans in the area from his time at Michigan University, and his college teammate Bill Hewitt, now on the Bears. Newman was leading the NFL in passing while also averaging five yards per rush. Halas drilled the 5-0 Bears in defensing New York’s diversified attack. Also of note were the three active players who participated in the first Giants – Bears game at the Polo Grounds in 1925: McBride for the Giants and Red Grange and Link Lyman for Chicago, as well as Coach Halas. The Giants and Bears had met 13 times overall with Chicago holding an 8-5 advantage over their Eastern rivals.

The Bears were the cardiac team of the 1933 season, having won four of their five games by coming from behind late in the final period. The Giants controlled much of the action through the first three quarters, keeping the Bears pinned deep in their own end of the field throughout the third quarter. The field position advantage finally paid off for New York when Strong was good on a 26-yard placement for a 10-7 lead. The Giants defense appeared to close the contest after recovering a fumble at mid field. Newman advanced New York to the Bears 35-yard line where the drive stalled. Luke Johnsos tipped the field position advantage and swung the momentum Chicago’s way when he broke through the line and blocked Strong’s punt, Hewitt scooped the ball and wasn’t tackled until he was dragged down from behind by Newman at New York’s 18-yard line. The comeback was on and the 28,000 Chicagoans were on their feet.

Grange, who, along with Hein, played the full 60 minutes, charged forward for a first down at the eight-yard line. On third-and-goal from the 11-yard line, Keith Molesworth received the snap from center, play-faked to Johnny Sisk, and handed off to Bill Hewitt who came around from the end position. Hewitt followed blockers into the line but pulled up as a herd of New York defenders collapsed on him, and lobbed a pass to Bill Karr alone in the end zone. “Automatic” Jack Manders was good on the placement and the Bears went ahead 14-10 with six minutes to play. The Chicago defense held to preserve their perfect record at 6-0. Newman and Strong ran the ball well for the Giants, but Newman completed only two passes while having four intercepted. The Giants held Nagurski in check, but never quite got a handle on Hewitt, who was the game’s top performer.

New York returned home at 4-3, just ahead of 3-3-1 Boston, who was facing the Bears at Fenway Park. The Giants hosted the always tough Spartans, a team owning a three-game winning streak over New York. The first three quarters of the game showed no reversal of fortune for either team. Glenn Presnell ran 81 yards for a touchdown and kicked a field goal for a 10-0 lead. The battle in the trenches was mostly a stalemate. Portsmouth’s front wall was fortified by All-Pro linemen Ox Emerson and George Christensen.

Ken Strong, New York Giants (November 5, 1933)

New York’s first break came with approximately 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Presnell, who was soon to leave the game from exhaustion, missed an 18-yard placement attempt. Like the blocked punt the previous week in Chicago, the momentum tipped and the door of opportunity opened. Following an exchange of punts, Newman, who had not yet completed a pass, led the Giants on a 68-yard advance. Badgro and Hank Reese began to control the line of scrimmage, clearing space for Strong, Burnett and Newman on plunges and slants. Newman completed a nine-yard pass to Flaherty and completed the drive with a 12-yard aerial to Strong, who fell backward over the goal line for a touchdown. Strong missed the point-after and the deficit remained 10-6.

The aroused New York defense smothered Portsmouth on the ensuing possession and the Giants started on their 48-yard line after receiving a punt. On the first snap, Newman rolled right and lofted a deep ball into the hands of Burnett at the Spartan’s 14-yard line as the Polo Grounds crowd was “galvanized into an excited, roaring mass.” A Spartans defender was penalized for a late hit on Burnett and the ball was set on the one-yard line. The Giants lined up strong to their left and Strong followed a wave of interference to go over for the winning score and added the point-after for a 13-10 victory. Presnell and Strong registered all the points for their respective teams.

The First Pennant Race

The Giants enthusiasm was tempered after receiving news from out of town. Boston had upset the Bears 10-0. The upcoming Redskins game at the Polo Grounds would be a pivotal match for first place in the division. The 5-3 Giants had a half-game lead over 4-3-1 Boston, but the Redskins had won the first game and a sweep would give them a tie-breaking advantage. A large crowd was expected, since the game was billed as a memorial and charity fundraiser for the late Fordham coach Major Frank Cavanaugh. A high scoring game was predicted – the Redskins led the league in rushing and the Giants led the league in passing. That proved not to be the case.

The contest was a savage battle in the trenches. Boston sent Battles into the fray behind Edwards, looking to duplicate the success they enjoyed in the first game. The Giants countered with Strong plunging behind Grant. Neither team passed the ball with great success as the pressure from both defensive fronts was tremendous. It was entirely appropriate that game’s lone touchdown was scored by an unsung member of the pits.

Newman sparked the Giants only sustained drive with a 15-yard return of a Battles’ punt to the New York 44-yard line in the second quarter. Strong plunged three times for a first down at the Boston 44-yard line. Newman connected on a pass to Burnett to the 28-yard line, and then ran a slant off right tackle for a first down at the Redskins 13-yard line. Three rushes left the Giants with a fourth-and-12 on the 15-yard line. Owen passed on the field goal attempt and signaled Newman to run a play.

Newman took the snap from Hein, rolled to his right and fired a high pass toward the goal line. Battles was in position defending the intended receiver. He leapt up and batted the ball down. Tackle Tex Irvin had been running interference for Newman and was in the area. Irvin reached out, grabbed the deflected ball and fell over for the touchdown. Strong’s point-after gave New York a 7-0 advantage and closed out the scoring for the day. The second half was a field-position struggle featuring the punting exploits of Battles and Strong. Neither team advanced beyond the other’s 30-yard line nor there were no serious scoring threats.

With a 6-3 record and a firmer hand on first place, the Giants again found disconcerting news from the out-of-town scoreboard. The Bears had shockingly been played to a 3-3 tie at Philadelphia. Halas’ team would certainly be motivated to get out of their unexpected slump when they visited the Polo Grounds the following week.

In a calculated risk, Owen changed up his line-up, eschewing explosiveness for size. Given that Chicago was the league’s burliest team – their roster averaged 208 pounds, including 215 along the line – this seemed like a questionable strategy. The prospects of a defender staring down the barrel at the 267-pound George Musso running interference for the 235 pound Nagurski must have kept Owen awake at night. Strong and Newman would start the game on the bench in favor of Clancy and McBride. Owen said he would substitute the larger backs for the more dynamic pair when a scoring opportunity presented itself. Richards would also receive significant playing time subbing for Molenda, who was beat up after playing the full sixty minutes of the previous three games.

Owen’s strategy played out exactly as he had envisioned it during the closing moments of the second quarter. The larger lineup played Halas’ eleven to a stalemate through the game’s first 25 minutes. Looking for a spark, Newman and Strong entered the game with the Bears in possession of the ball at their own end of the field. Newman intercepted a Carl Brumbaugh pass and returned it 20 yards to the Chicago 25-yard line. But a clipping penalty during the return moved the ball back to midfield (the penalty for clipping was 25 yards at the time.)

Chicago Bears at New York Giants (November 19, 1933)

From the 50-yard line, Newman received the snap, dropped back to pass, and kept retreating under a heavy rush all the way back to New York’s 25-yard line. Side-stepping and weaving through would-be tacklers, Newman headed back up-field. Most of Chicago’s defense was now behind Newman and his receivers took on the role of blockers. He advanced the ball beyond the 50-yard line and wasn’t brought to the ground until he had reached the 15-yard line for a net gain of 35 yards that electrified the 22,000 fans at the Polo Grounds.

Newman completed an eight-yard pass to Turtle Campbell with just over one minute on the clock before halftime. The Giants called their fourth time out of the half and accepted the accompanying five-yard penalty (essentially a delay-of-game infraction). Deciding it was too risky to run another play, Newman called for the field goal try on second down, which Strong sent through the uprights with ease for a 3-0 Giants lead at intermission.

The Bears came back with a vengeance in the third quarter. Nagurski plunged into the line and Brumbaugh flipped laterals to Sisk and delivered aerials to Molesworth during a 66-yard advance. A remarkable 25-yard play included three exchanges of the ball. Brumbaugh passed downfield to Hewitt, who lateralled to Karr. This play was Chicago’s fourth first down of the drive and set the ball goal-to-go on the seven-yard line. But on first down a lateral was mishandled and the Giants recovered the loose ball. The reprieve was temporary however. Strong launched a deep punt but Molesworth evaded several tacklers and returned it back to the New York’s 18-yard line. Sisk and Manders bucked through the line for a first-and-goal from the eight-yard line.

According to The New York Times summary, “Then came the most thrilling moments of the game and a goal line stand by the Giants that had the crowd cheering frenziedly.” On successive plunges Manders, Sisk and Molesworth advanced to the one-yard stripe. Manders was stuffed again on fourth down, but New York was offside and gave Chicago another chance one half-yard from pay dirt. The Giants line penetrated and Molesworth was thrown for a three-yard loss on the fifth attempt. New York took over possession on their own four-yard line. Grant and Ollie Satenstein were cited for their exceptional efforts to come off blocks and repel the forward charge.

Neither team penetrated deep into the other’s territory and Strong’s field goal held up for the 3-0 win. New York was not firmly in control of the division yet as Boston kept pace by defeating Green Bay. And Brooklyn was on an undefeated roll of their own and stood at 4-2-1.

The Giants dispatched the slumping Packers the next week with relative ease, 17-6. The contest was notable for Strong’s unique free kick field goal in the second quarter. You can read more about this historic occurrence here.

The Dodgers vaulted over the Redskins into second place with a 14-0 win over Boston at Ebbets Field. Brooklyn’s defense had been virtually impregnable following the 21-7 loss to New York in October. Since that game, the Dodgers surrendered only three points over five games during a 4-0-1 run (the tie game was 3-3 versus Pittsburgh). They had given up only four touchdowns thus far during the season; one to the Bears and three to the Giants. Standing at 5-2-1, a win over New York on Thanksgiving would put Brooklyn in first place by percentage points over the currently 8-3 Giants.

Owen again altered his strategy for a rugged opponent, this time emphasizing the aerial attack as Brooklyn was the toughest unit to run on. The first half saw the expected physical line play from both units and three missed field goals, two by New York and one by Brooklyn. The second Giants miss was one that had the fans of both teams on their feet in anticipation of a potentially great feat.

New York had the ball on Brooklyn’s 45-yard line with only seconds on the clock before halftime and elected to go for what would be a record long field goal. Newman knelt on the Giants 48-yard line for the hold. The snap and spot were perfect and New York’s front kept the Dodgers out for Strong’s booming placement. It was high and long enough but sailed just outside the right upright. Remarkably, the ball flew over the end zone and hit the Ebbets field grandstand wall before coming back to the turf. Its flight was estimated to have been 65 yards and the 28,000 fans gave Strong an ovation for his effort as the teams walked off the field for intermission.

Dale Burnett (18), Harry Newman (12 – making the tackle), Ken Strong (50), New York Giants (November 30, 1933)

A four-play drive in the third quarter, all passes, gained 59 yards to set up Strong’s 16-yard field goal to put the Giants on top 3-0. Following an exchange of punts, New York was on the move again, now with Clancy in for Newman. Clancy plunged for three-yards and McBride completed a nine-yard pass to Flaherty for a first down. Four consecutive rushes moved the chains again and the Giants had the ball on the Dodgers 11-yard line as the game moved into the final period.

Brooklyn crowded the line of scrimmage and Clancy called for a trick play. McBride received the direct snap from Hein and handed off to Molenda, who faked a line buck and tossed a diagonal pass toward Flaherty in the end zone. Flaherty was knocked down by a defender before the ball arrived and the pass interference penalty gave New York a first-and-goal on the one-yard line. Clancy went over for the score on a plunge and the Giants had the game in control after McBride’s placement made it 10-0. Brooklyn never threatened and the Giants returned to the Polo Grounds at 9-3, all but assured of the first Eastern Division title in league history.

Only 10,000 spectators braved a cold rain to watch the Giants clinch the Eastern Division title against Pittsburgh. The 27-3 final score belied the frustration New York endured for most of the first three quarters. Newman passed the ball nearly at will on three long drives in the first half – including a 98-yard march between the one-yard lines – that all came up empty. With three minutes left in the third quarter, the Pirates still lead 3-0. Finally New York’s attack broke free. Newman peppered the Pittsburgh secondary with accurate strikes to sure-handed receivers and Strong capped the drive with a scoring strike of his own for a 7-3 advantage at the end of the penultimate period. Another touchdown drive gave the Giants a 14-3 lead. The Giants intercepted two passes (including one by Newman), giving New York short fields to work with and the rout was on.

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (December 10, 1933); Ken Strong with the Football

A surprisingly-tough Eagles team gave the Giants a run for their money to end the regular season at the snow-covered Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. Given that New York had already clinched the division and had easily rolled over the Eagles in the first meeting, they may not have been sharp. A 61-yard rush by Swede Hanson in the middle of the fourth quarter gave Philadelphia a 14-13 lead and apparent upset victory, but it was to be short lived. The 8,000 fans who withstood the winter weather were stunned to see Newman complete a 61-yard touchdown pass to Richards immediately after. The 20-14 lead held and 11-3 New York closed the season on a seven-game win streak and with a perfect 7-0 record at home. Despite the championship game being held in Chicago, Owen and the Giants were confident.

The First Greatest Game Ever Played

Anticipation was high for the NFL’s first championship game between division winners. Newspaper coverage previewing the event was the most extensive since Grange’s debut in 1925. The Chicago Daily Tribune billed the game as “the football championship of the United States.” Articles were written in both cities portraying the exploits of Newman, Strong, Manders and Nagurski. Point spreads were not published, but The New York Times hinted toward what handicappers might be thinking, “The elevens are so evenly matched defensively that the game probably will be decided on mistakes or ‘breaks,’ with the chance that it will develop into an aerial battle.”

New York Giants – Chicago Bears NFL Championship Game Program (December 17, 1933)

Grange would not start the game for Chicago, but he would see plenty of playing time. In his ninth season of professional ball, Grange no longer possessed the breakaway speed that had earned him the moniker “The Galloping Ghost”. But he was an extremely-intelligent player and was one of Halas’ most dependable defensive backs.

Despite a light rain and fog at the game’s start and chilly temperatures, 30,000 eager fans arrived at Wrigley Field, the largest crowd there in eight years. The game opened at a deliberate pace as the two teams sparred one another. Gradually the tempo increased as they warmed up and before long their engines were humming. The ebb and flow, big plays, momentum swings and rapid lead changes made everyone forget the weather in a hurry. The New York Times summary put it succinctly: “The game was a thrilling combat of forward passing skill, desperate line plunging and gridiron strategy that kept the chilled spectators on their feet in constant excitement.”

On Chicago’s first possession, Molesworth quick-kicked the ball over Newman’s head, and pinned New York deep in their own end. Strong punted for the Giants on third down, and Molesworth returned the ball eight yards to the New York 42-yard line. Nagurski and Gene Ronzani rushes moved the chains twice and set the ball on the 15-yard line. From there the Giants defense stiffened and Manders was good on a 16-yard placement to giving the Bears a 3-0 lead.

New York resorted to deception to try to get on the scoreboard. The ball was spotted on the Bears 45-yard line, where the Giants lined up in an unbalanced formation with both guards and tackles deployed to Hein’s right and only the end on his left. The right end was split approximately 20 yards toward the sideline. Newman stepped up from his tailback position directly under center. On the first signal, the left end stepped back, making Hein eligible, and the wingback stepped up to cover the right tackle and the right end stepped back. Hein snapped the ball into Newman’s hands, who handed it right back to Hein. The line fired off to their right, Newman followed the fullback into the line as if he still possessed the ball and was brought to the ground by Musso. While this was going on, Hein nonchalantly walked forward approximately five yard with the concealed ball. Chicago had been completely fooled. None of the Bears defenders had paid any attention to the center, but Hein suddenly broke into a sprint toward the goal line. Brumbaugh alertly saw Hein take off and chased him down after a 30-yard gain. The Bears held and kept New York off the scoreboard.

Hein said, “This was a play we had to alert the officials about ahead of time. We put all the linemen to my right except the left end. Then he shifted back a yard, making me end man on the line, while the wingback moved up on the line on the right. Harry Newman came right up under me, like a T-formation quarterback. I handed the ball to him between my legs and he immediately put it right back in my hands – the shortest forward pass on record. I was supposed to fake a block and then just stroll down the field waiting for blockers, but after a few yards I got excited and started to run and the Bear safety, Keith Molesworth, saw me and knocked me down. I was about 15 yards from the goal, but we never did score on that drive.”

In the second quarter, Grange returned Richards’ punt to the Giants 46-yard line. Ronzani caught a 15-yard pass on second down at the Giants 29-yard line. A short rush and two incomplete passes brought Manders out for another field goal, which was good from 40-yards and gave Chicago a 6-0 advantage.

1933 NFL Championship Game (December 17, 1933)

New York returned the kickoff to their 38-yard line. On second-and–five, Richards bucked into the line, bounced off Lyman and charged through the secondary until he was brought down at the Chicago 29-yard line. Newman threw a scoring strike to Badgro and Strong’s point-after placement marked the game’s first lead change as New York moved ahead 7-6. The score held to halftime, as a long Chicago drive resulted in a rare Manders’ missed field goal attempt.

In the third quarter, Richards punted out of bounds at the Bears 37-yard line. Nagurski bulled through the line for a 14-yard gain to the Giants 49-yard line. After an incomplete pass and three-yard Ronzani plunge, Nagurski picked up seven yards on a cut back through the line for a first down. George Corbett completed a 27-yard pass to Brumbaugh before New York stuffed three rushes. Manders was good on his third field goal, this one from 18-yards, to put Chicago back on top 9-7.

Newman returned the kickoff to New York’s 27-yard line and completed a pass to Burnett on first down to the 50-yard line and then another pass to Burnett to the Bears 37-yard line. On second-and-10, Richards bucked for six yards and on third down Newman connected with Badgro to Chicago’s nine-yard line for a first-and-goal. New York was penalized for illegal motion, so on first down from the 14-yard line, Newman completed a 13-yard pass to Max Krause who was pushed out of bounds at the one-yard line. Richards was stuffed on a plunge by Lyman, but Krause went over for the score on third down. Strong’s placement put New York ahead 14-9.

The mutual offensive momentum was irresistible. Corbett returned the kickoff to the Bears 23-yard line, then alternated plunges with Nagurski for a combined seven yards. One third-and-three from the 30-yard line, Nagurski was stopped after a gain of one. Chicago was flagged for illegal motion on the play and the Giants accepted the five-yard penalty to give Chicago a third-and-eight. From a punt formation, Corbett passed to Brumbaugh who traversed through open field down to New York’s eight-yard line, a gain of 67 yards which had the Wrigley Field stands in a state of bedlam. Two rushes netted two yards, and on third-and-goal, Nagurski faked a plunge and lobbed a pass over the line to Karr in the end zone – the same exact play that had won the championship in the playoff against Portsmouth the previous season. Manders’ placement put Chicago back ahead, 16-14, the third lead-change of the quarter.

Strong returned the kickoff to the Giants 26-yard line. Three consecutive Newman completions quickly moved New York to Chicago’s 25-yard line. After a false start, Newman completed his fourth consecutive pass, this one to Burnett, and the Giants had a first-and-goal on the Bears eight-yard line as the thrilling third quarter ended.

On the fourth quarter’s first play, Newman handed off to Strong who ran a slant to the left, spun and lateraled the ball back to Newman. Chicago’s defense reacted to the ball and changed direction. Newman spotted Strong alone in the end zone and finished the drive with his fifth completion and a touchdown to regain the lead. Strong said, “Newman handed off to me on a reverse to the left, but the line was jammed up. I turned and saw Newman standing there, so I threw him the ball. He was quite surprised. He took off to his right, but then he got bottled up. By now I had crossed into the end zone and the Bears had forgotten me. Newman saw me wildly waving my hands and threw me the ball. I caught it and fell into the first-base dugout.” Strong’s placement put New York on top again, 21-16.

The Bears received the kickoff and generated two first downs as they advanced to midfield. New York’s defense held its ground and forced a punt. The Bears defense responded in kind and forced a Giants punt after three downs. The Giants got the ball back when Ronzani threw a deep pass that was intercepted by Krause at the Giants 35-yard line. Unable to move the chains, New York went three-and-out again and gave the Bears favorable field position in doing so. Strong received Hein’s true snap, but Chicago pressure quickly penetrated and rushed the punting attempt. The ball went straight up in the air and bounced forward for a net of nine yards.

The Bears started their third possession of the fourth quarter on the Giants 47-yard line. A nine-yard pass and Nagurski run gave Chicago a first down on the Giants 33-yard line. Nagurski faked a plunge and completed a jump pass to Hewitt who raced through the secondary. As two defenders converged on Hewitt at the at the 20-yard line, he lateralled to Karr who continued diagonally toward the sideline, then cut back to pick up a block on a defender, and ran the distance for the go-ahead touchdown. Brumbaugh’s placement put the Bears ahead 23-21 with three minutes on the clock.

The Giants looked to strike fast after receiving the kickoff, and lined up in the same unbalanced formation where Hein had run with the snap-handoff in the first quarter. Only this time, Newman took the snap and pitched to Burnett who ran right, while Hein released as a receiver. The Bears were fooled a second time, but Burnett was pressured by the pass rush and his throw was high and wobbly. The arc of the ball allowed Molesworth to recover and knock the ball to the ground incomplete before Hein could get his hands on it.

After moving the chains there was time left for just one more play, and Newman called for a hook-and-lateral. Newman completed a pass to Badgro who had Burnett trailing him. Grange had been in position and when tackling Badgro, he noticed Burnett looking for the ball. As he wrapped up Badgro, Grange pinned Badgro’s arms to his body. Badgro was unable to release the ball to the wide open Burnett as Grange wrestled him to the ground.

Grange said, “I was alone in the defense and Burnett was coming at me with (Hein) on the side of him. I could see he wanted to lateral, so I didn’t go low. I hit him around the ball and pinned his arms.” Badgro unsuccessfully tried to run through the tackle once he realized he couldn’t deliver the ball. “If I’d gotten by Red Grange, I would have scored. Grange had me around the middle. His arms were around the ball and I couldn’t get rid of it. If I get by him, we win the game.

The clock expired and the final gun went off. Owen overheard an official near the New York bench ask, “Who won?” to which Newman quipped, “How should I know? I was only playing.”

There was no most-valuable-player award at the time. Newman and Manders stood out for their respective teams, but The Chicago Daily Tribune had this to say on the subject after going through a roll call of performers:”…realize that THIS football game belonged to the teams. No better example of teamwork and uniform direction can be found in the history of the sport…and in all mechanics of the game, blocking and tackling, the players left slight chance for criticism. Six times the lead changed. And on each occasion that New York or Chicago went to the fore the tension increased.”

The significance of the moment was not missed in the post-game buzz. Scribes noted the impact of the new rules and realized they had just been treated to a glimpse of the future. And they raved about it. The New York Times said: “The struggle was a revelation to college coaches who advocate no changes in the rules. It was strictly an offensive battle and the professional rule of allowing passes to be thrown from any point behind the line of scrimmage was responsible for most of the thrills.”

For the very first time, pro football was acknowledged as a leader, something to be emulated, not scorned. It would be some time before the tag “post-graduate” would be retired for good, but during that chilly and wet afternoon at Wrigley Field, the pendulum swung in the pros favor and there would be no looking back.

Feb 132015
 

Green Bay Packers at New York Giants (November 23, 1930); Benny Friedman with the Football

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by Larry Schmitt with contributions from Rev. Mike Moran for BigBlueInteractive.com

The 1930 season was the NFL’s eleventh in operation. Although the circuit had made many significant improvements in its structure, organization and operation, it still was subordinated in the general public’s favor. Baseball, college football and boxing received far more attention and recognition from the media and public. Pro football was largely ignored until the World Series had concluded, and Sunday sports pages were filled with college football summaries from Saturday, while pro football previews rarely existed, even in the cities where the home team was hosting a contest that very day.

New York City is the perfect example of this phenomenon. Prior to the onset of the Great Depression in October 1929, three local colleges fielded nationally-significant teams – Columbia, Fordham and NYU – that were loyally followed by fans. When they met one another, games were moved from their respective campuses to the larger Polo Grounds or Yankee Stadium to accommodate the demand for tickets. It was not uncommon in the 1920’s for the Giants to play a home game in front of crowds in the low 10,000’s the day after a college game that featured a capacity crowd in the same building. The NYU-Fordham contests guaranteed full houses at the close of the decade, with crowds of 50,000 and 60,000 packing the Polo Grounds respectively in 1928 and 1929. The 1930 game was moved to Yankee Stadium where 78,500 patrons purchased every ticket. New York had plenty of football fans, they just happened to prefer the college version of the sport.

Big Crowds and Seminal Moments

Accentuating this preference was the fact that New Yorkers’ support for teams beyond the city limits was robust as well. The Army Cadets from West Point, which is approximately 50 miles north of Harlem, used the Polo Grounds as its home-away-from-home when playing marquis games that drew crowds that exceeded the capacity of Michie Stadium.

This devotion to college football expanded beyond the state. New York’s large Catholic and Irish populations formed a segment of fans that soon became known as the “Subway Alumni.” Although most of them never visited South Bend, Indiana, they adopted the team as their own. Notre Dame’s first contest in the city was at the Polo Grounds on November 8, 1921 against Rutgers. The crowd of 15,000 would prove to be the smallest the visitors from Indiana would ever perform before within the metropolitan area, but a phenomenon had taken root. The turnout was probably affected by the fact that the game was held on a Tuesday. Notre Dame had beaten Army 28-0 at West Point the prior Saturday and stayed over at the Bear Mountain Inn to prepare for the Rutgers game. Newspapers covered the game extensively and reveled in Notre Dame’s performance in their 48-0 win.

Notre Dame had visited West Point nearly every season since 1913, and their rivalry had become celebrated as both teams were national powers. The first meeting between the two in New York took place on October 13, 1923 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. A near-capacity crowd exceeding 30,000 watched Notre Dame’s 13-0 victory. A month later, on November 24, Army played rival Navy to a 0-0 tie at the Polo Grounds. The stadium was filled beyond its normal capacity. The throng of 63,000 was accommodated by temporary bleachers along the outfield walls, and was the largest in city history to that point.

The Army-Notre Dame game on October 18, 1924 was held at the Polo Grounds as well, and was a tremendous boon for the visitors from Indiana. Over 60,000 fans were in attendance while a major corner stone of Notre Dame lore was established. This was the day New York Herald Tribune writer Grantland Rice penned his famous opening to his game summary of Notre Dame’s 13-7 victory:

Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as Famine, Pestilence, Destruction and Death. These are only aliases. Their real names are Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army football team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds yesterday afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down on the bewildering panorama spread on the green plain below.

The Army-Notre Dame game outgrew the Polo Grounds. Between 1925 and 1929, the five games between the teams at Yankee Stadium averaged over 80,000 spectators. The November 10, 1928 game featured another legendary moment for Notre Dame. Tied 0-0 with Army at halftime, Notre Dame Head Coach Knute Rockne delivered his impassioned, and now legendary, “Win One for the Gipper” speech in the Yankee Stadium locker room. Notre Dame controlled the second half for a 6-0 win over the previously unbeaten Army team.

Army also played Navy in New York City during this time. The 1925 and 1927 games were held at the Polo Grounds, where the crowd of 75,000 in 1927 was the largest ever at the venue for any sporting event. The 1930 game at Yankee Stadium was attended by 70,000 spectators. The largest crowd for an Army game in New York was the December 12, 1928 contest against Stanford before a standing room only house of 86,000, and the November 8, 1930 contest versus Illinois drew 74,000 fans.

Competition Amid Apathy

Amidst all this appreciation for college football, the Giants were received with relative indifference. In 1921, University of Chicago Head Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg famously tagged pro football as a “menace,” and fans of the college game still derisively termed NFL product as “Post Graduate Football” and stayed away in droves. While that claim proved ludicrous decades later, pro football’s image problem was real and largely self-inflicted.

The NFL game was indistinguishable from the college game, and experienced great difficulty attracting new fans. Many colleges had programs dating back to the 1890’s; their fan bases were deeply rooted and loyal, while the NFL experienced a nomadic and unpredictable period of franchise movement and lack of stability.

The Giants inaugural-season crowd average at the Polo Grounds was a seemingly robust 24,000 for nine dates. But, when discounting the 73,000 who showed up for the Red Grange game on December 6, the average drops significantly to 17,875 for the other eight home games. The following season was grim. Pro football felt the strain of over-saturation in the market as five teams competed on Sundays in the greater New York area: the Giants and Brooklyn Lions of the NFL, and the Newark Bears, Brooklyn Horsemen and New York Yankees of the rival AFL. Before the season closed, Newark ceased operations and the Brooklyn teams merged as a single entity within the NFL. Grange’s Yankees were the AFL’s lone survivor and were absorbed into the NFL in 1927. Both they and the Giants – whose attendance for eight home dates at the Polo Grounds plummeted to a paltry 9,500 per game average – finished in near financial ruin.

Benny Friedman (November 23, 1930)

The Giants attendance rebounded into the middle 10,000’s for the next two seasons: 18,500 for the championship season of 1927 and 16,000 in 1928. A strong team in 1929 featuring headliner Benny Friedman boosted the season average to 21,250 for eight home dates. Over this span, the Giants largest home gate, aside from the 1925 Grange game, was a turnout of 38,000 to see the Providence Steam Roller on November 8, 1927. That was a triple header on Election Day where the Giants were warmed up by two high school games, who no doubt were the bigger attraction. It is not known how many stayed in their seats to watch the pros at day’s end.

Most Giants home crowds ranged from 15,000 to 25,000, but many dates fell below 10,000. Compounding the problem was the fact that the Giants gave away thousands of tickets for each date, in hopes of attracting new fans to home games. On the road, the gate for Giants games averaged approximately 4,000-5,000 less than home games. The Giants largest away game was 26,000 for a game against the Bears at Wrigley Field on November 3, 1929. Games in smaller cities like Providence, Frankford, Pottsville and Green Bay were usually in the 8,000-9,000 range.

Hard Times, Good Times

The onset of the Great Depression in October 1929 put another strain on the fledgling pro game. Nobody knew it at the time, but the Depression proved to be a blessing in disguise and helped the NFL gain respectability.

As would be expected, initially, the first result from the economic downturn across all sports was reduced attendance. Baseball, boxing, and college and pro football all suffered at the gate. The big three sports would not fully recover to their Roaring 20’s-level of prosperity again until well after World War II. Pro football, however, bucked the trend. By the late 1930’s, attendance began a slow but consistently steady upward climb, as did press coverage.

This effect was twofold. First, many colleges reassessed their football programs. Many universities subordinated football’s relevance, and others disbanded their programs completely. It was no longer possible for some football fans to find a game to attend on a Saturday afternoon, while interest by others faded as their favorite program’s prestige diminished. Second, the job market for college graduates shrank dramatically. For some, pro football was their only opportunity for employment, even if it was only for a portion of the year. Ken Strong, a member of the Staten Island Stapletons at the time of the stock market crash and later of the Giants, said, “The Depression sent a lot of boys into professional football who would have had jobs in good times. It has helped a good many of them pay off debts they ran up in order to get through college.” This resulted in higher-quality rosters in the pro ranks, and better games. Some college fans for the first time gravitated to the NFL to follow the alumni from their college teams.

Wide-scale growth and prosperity for the pro game was still a long way off, but the seed planted by pro football in 1920 was now beginning to take root. Still, even with more attention on pro football, many still thought the pro game inferior to the college game. Many in the general public would quickly proclaim that a good college team would be more than capable of whipping the best pro teams. It would not be long before that theory was put to the test, and that debate rendered obsolete. It served as the catalyst for pro football’s ascension in public opinion.

Champions and Contenders

Notre Dame was the National Champion in 1929 and would repeat with a dominant and undefeated 1930 season. The Packers were the NFL champs in 1929, finishing just ahead of the Giants in a heated race, and had not lost a game since December 1928. The difference between first and second place was a late season contest at the Polo Grounds where Green Bay defeated the Giants 20-6. They would renew their rivalry twice in 1930, and it was not a coincidence. Teams still set their own schedules, and a meeting between two good teams usually meant a strong turnout at the gate (weather permitting) and this was not lost on the owners who spent the offseason tightening their belts. Tim Mara said later of the challenging financial period, “The only luck we had was in 1930. I agreed to go to Green Bay for $4,000, and the Packers agreed to come to New York for $5,000. We cleared $60,000 on the two games. This was a real lifesaver, coming as it did right after the Wall Street crash.”

The two teams featured similar traits – high-scoring offenses that helped further the passing game (something that would tremendously help pro football vault over college football later in the decade) and powerful lines that battered opponents. The Giants led the NFL in scoring in 1929 while the Packers allowed the fewest points. New York tailback and passing pioneer Benny Friedman said years later, “We had no problems with anyone else, but the Packers were special. They were so big, and yet they were so fast, that they almost won their games before they took the field.”

Len Grant, New York Giants (1930)

New on the Giants roster in 1930 was end Morris “Red” Badgro. All-Pro end Ray Flaherty left the Giants to coach at Gonzaga, but Badgro stepped in and performed just as well as his predecessor. Rookies Len Grant and Butch Gibson brought young blood to an already strong line and back Dale Burnett contributed as a blocker and occasional ball carrier.

The 1930 New York Football Giants were a confident team heading into the early part of their season, which as usual was a string of road games as they waited for the baseball Giants to conclude their season and vacate the Polo Grounds. Friedman, tackle Steve Owen and halfback Jack Hagerty picked up where they left off the year before and dominated the Newark Tornadoes and Providence Steam Roller by an aggregate tally of 59-7. In between, the Giants also played a Thursday night exhibition contest against the Long Island Bulldogs in Brooklyn. New York’s resolve was quickly put to the test the following week on a visit to the reigning champions in Green Bay.

The Packers also brought back much of their 1929 roster into the new season. Tackle Cal Hubbard, guard Mike Michalske and end Johnny “Blood” McNally, who wrought havoc on the Giants in their pivotal game in 1929, were back and as good as ever. A newcomer brought an enticing dimension with him. Tailback Arnie Herber, while playing in limited time behind Verne Lewellen, showed promise with a strong and accurate passing arm.

City Stadium was filled with 13,000 fans to greet the 2-0 and unscored upon Packers. The front walls of both defenses controlled the early action. Midway through the second quarter, Green Bay advanced into New York territory. Lewellen connected on a short pass to end Tom Nash, who evaded a defender before traveling the distance into the end zone on a 15-yard play. The Giants offense was unable to respond and punted the ball back. New York also held, then created a golden opportunity by blocking the Packers punt. From Green Bay’s 24-yard line, three rushes moved the chains for a first down. After being thrown for a loss, Friedman connected with Len Sedbrook for a 20-yard touchdown.

Both defenses regained firm control of the contest through the third quarter. The 7-7 tie was broken in the final period when McNally received a short pass from Red Dunn and raced 55 yards for the touchdown and eventual 14-7 victory. Again, New York had played the Packers tough but came up just short. The Packers seemed to have a knack for spurning the Giants by making a big play late precisely when they needed it.

Revival

The next stop on road trip provided another familiar opponent, against the always formidable Chicago Bears, who had recently undergone a significant change in on-field leadership. George Halas and Edward “Dutch” Sternaman, who co-owned the Bears, had also served as co-coaches for the franchise’s first nine seasons. Both men were opinionated and strong willed, which often led to confrontations. During the offseason, the two founders decided the best path for all involved would be to step back and find someone new to coach the Bears while they both focused on the business aspect of running the team. They settled on Ralph Jones, who was a successful collegiate coach at Purdue and Illinois.

Jones was a cerebral coach, and he tinkered with Halas’ favored offensive system, the original T-Formation. Jones set the quarterback under center where he would receive a direct snap. (Previously he would take a short snap approximately two or three yards behind the center.) Jones also widened the line splits, giving the blockers more freedom for lateral movement within schemes, rather than simply trying to outmuscle the defender directly across from him. The most revolutionary change was the pre-snap motion where one of the halfbacks would move laterally across the formation and be far outside the end when the play started. Over the course of the upcoming decades, this back-in-motion would ultimately evolve into the flanker.

Nearly as unique as the new schemes was the rookie who made the X’s and O’s come to life on the field, Bronislau “Bronko” Nagurski. At six feet, two inches in height and weighing approximately 235 pounds, Nagurski was larger than most linemen of his era. He lined up at tackle on defense, but was a fullback on offense. It certainly is no surprise that Nagurski was a devastating force on line plunges, but he also proved to be adept at ball placement when pulling up before hitting the line and delivering a strike to a receiver. Later in his career, Owen answered a question regarding the best way to defense Nagurski, “With a shotgun, as he’s leaving the dressing room.”

Just over 12,000 fans showed up for the Bears home opener at Wrigley Field. Like the Giants, the Chicago football teams opened their seasons on the road while they awaited their shared stadia to become available after the conclusion of baseball season. The first quarter featured a scoreless 15 minutes where New York wasted long advances with lost fumbles in Chicago territory.

When the Giants finally secured a firm grip on the ball, they took over the game quickly. They erupted for two touchdowns in the first six minutes of the second quarter, sparked by a takeaway. Dale Burnett intercepted a Carl Brumbaugh aerial at Chicago’s 20-yard line and was dragged down from behind at the two-yard line by Nagurski. Ossie Wiberg plunged over the line for the touchdown but Friedman’s placement attempt sailed wide left. Following a short Bears punt, Friedman directed a 47-yard scoring drive over ten plays. Eight advances were rushes, including three by Friedman totaling 19 yards. The star tailback was one-for-two passing, with the completion being good for 10 yards to Len Sedbrook to the three-yard line to set up Burnett’s touchdown plunge. Red Grange’s brother Garland Grange blocked Friedman’s point-after attempt.

Apparently satisfied with the 12-0 lead, Friedman retired to the sidelines for most of the afternoon while Jack Hagerty assumed the helm. Attempting to placate the patrons who called out to see Friedman launch aerials, Head Coach LeRoy Andrews reinserted Friedman in a quasi-curtain call, and he finished the day a modest three-for-five for 33 yards passing. The Giants defense handled Jones’ new version of the T-formation with little trouble, having allowed just six first downs and not letting Chicago reach New York’s 20-yard line.

The Giants home opener came on a short week as they had a Thursday game scheduled against Chicago’s other team. The Cardinals featured a genuine triple threat in Ernie Nevers, a player who could run, catch, punt and drop kick with equal effectiveness while also playing rock-solid defense. The marquis attractions Friedman and Nevers would meet up under the lights in the Polo Grounds’ first-ever night game, a new marketing experiment by the NFL in its continuing quest to engage the public.

A crowd of 15,000, which included former Governor Al Smith, watched the Giants perform in the clutch with big plays in a come-from-behind win. All of New York’s scoring occurred in the final five minutes of both halves.

Chicago baffled New York on a 75-yard advance featuring reverses, a triple pass and delayed line bucks. The drive was initiated near the end of the opening period and carried over into the second. Mack Flenniken went over for the score but the point after was missed. The middle part of the quarter was played evenly before Sedbrook took off on an 85-yard touchdown run for New York to tie the game. Then Friedman shrewdly directed a touchdown drive that was capped off with a Wiberg plunge. Friedman’s point-after gave the Giants a 13-6 advantage at the half.

A scoreless third quarter set up a thrilling final period. The first nine minutes of the quarter were dominated by stout defenses and exchanges of punts. With under six minutes to play, Chicago assumed possession of the ball on the mid-field stripe. On first down, Bunny Belden connected with Chuck Kassel on a deep pass for a 42-yard gain. Flenniken plunged twice for the final seven yards and the touchdown. Howard Maple’s point-after try was wide, but the Cardinals were within one point, 13-12 and had momentum on their side.

The kickoff return gave New York the ball at mid-field and Friedman wrested control of the contest. Line plunges and slants were mixed with a 10-yard completion to Tiny Feather. Friedman went over for the score to give the Giants a 19-12 lead, but missed the point-after. Chicago initiated a desperation drive for a tie, but Nevers lost a fumble on New York’s 40-yard line. Friedman battered through the Cardinals defense, and completed a pass to Glenn Campbell at the two-yard line. Three Freidman goal-to-go plunges were stonewalled by Chicago’s front, but he creased them on fourth down for the final tally and a 25-12 win.

There was no opportunity for rest. In less than 72 hours the Giants would host Frankford for their third game in eight days. As was their custom, however, the Yellow Jackets arrived at the Polo Grounds having played a home game on Saturday – local blue laws forbade public gatherings on Sunday. The scoreless first quarter belied the firepower in New York’s passing offense. Four of the Giants team-record eight touchdowns came from the arm of Friedman, and the Giants topped the 50-point mark for the first time in franchise history. The other scores came via two rushes, an interception return and a fifth touchdown pass by Hap Moran, which had commenced the parade.

Hap Moran (22), New York Giants (October 19, 1930)

The Giants previous high mark for points in a game was a 45-3 win at the Buffalo Bisons in 1929. An unofficial milestone was reached in this 53-0 win as well. Friedman was the first-known player to accumulate 300 yards passing in a game. Newspaper accounts credit him with 18 completions in 23 attempts for 310 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. NFL statistical records were not officially recorded until 1932, however, so this performance is mostly overlooked in historical chronicles.

(The NFL’s first officially recognized 300-yard passer is by Pat Coffee of the Cardinals. On December 5, 1937, Coffee was 17-of-35-for 304 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in a 42-28 loss to the Bears in a game that was called with just under three minutes to play on account of darkness at an icy Wrigley Field. The Giants first official 300-yard passing effort was by Paul Governalli on November 9, 1947, who was 16-of-35 for 341 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 41-24 loss to Philadelphia.)

After a full week off, the Giants went back to the three-games-in-eight-days grind. The defense was up to the challenge, and New York defeated Providence on Sunday, Newark on Wednesday night and Staten Island on the following Sunday by aggregate score of 68-14 at the Polo Grounds.

Steve Owen, New York Giants (October 26, 1930)

The game against the Stapletons was actually a formidable challenge as the Giants escaped with a come-from-behind 9-7 win off the foot of Friedman who was good on a 42-yard placement field goal with under 1:00 on the clock. (You can read more about this game here.)

A two-games-in-four-days road trip saw Friedman rush and pass New York to a 19-6 win at Portsmouth on Wednesday night before a Sunday afternoon rematch with the Cardinals at Comiskey Park. A small crowd of only 4,000 attended because across town at Wrigley Field the Bears tangled with Green Bay in a crucial contest that drew 22,000 spectators. Both Chicago teams lost close games: the Bears 13-12 and the Cardinals 13-7, setting up a stretch run for first place between the 10-1 Giants and 8-0 Packers.

Most surprisingly to the fans at Comiskey Park was that the hero of the day was neither Friedman nor Nevers. Friedman struggled through the first half, completing just one of eight pass attempts, while Nevers caught a 20-yard pass for a 7-0 Chicago halftime lead. That score had been set up by a 65-yard Nevers punt that was downed on the New York one-yard line. The ensuing Giants punt only moved the ball out to the 35-yard line, giving Chicago a short field. Nevers rushed for 10 yards on first down and scored two plays later.

Moran entered the game after halftime but there was no change on the scoreboard until several minutes had elapsed from the fourth quarter clock. When New York had the ball on their own 40-yard line, Moran completed a five-yard pass to Hagerty who sprinted down field, zig-zagged through would be tacklers, and crossed over for a 60-yard touchdown. Moran’s placement try was blocked and the Giants trailed 7-6.

After forcing a Chicago punt, New York took over from their 30-yard line. Moran lofted a deep ball to Glenn Campbell for a 35-yard gain into Cardinal territory. On first down, Moran connected again with Campbell, this time for seven yards to the 28-yard line. On second-and-three, Moran faked a pass and raced around end to the Chicago 15-yard line. Mule Wilson plunged twice to set up a first-and-goal from the two and Moran received the honors of going over for the touchdown himself. His point-after put the Giants in the lead 13-7. New York’s defense preserved for the important victory. Moran unofficially finished the day six-of-eight passing for 147 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception. Despite missing a field goal late to ice the game, he outplayed both Friedman and Nevers and was the lead man in both the Chicago Herald Tribune and New York Times on Monday.

On November 16, the day the Giants lost 12-0 to the Bears in miserable cold rain and wind at the Polo Grounds, the big news was college star back Chris Cagle was to be released from his coaching contract at Mississippi A&M to play for the Giants. Cagle had been a star performer for West Point before losing his amateur eligibility when it was discovered he had been married, which was a violation of college rules at the time. The current Giants squad faced an improved Bears team that featured the powerful Nagurski finding his niche. He plowed through New York’s front wall setting up one fourth-quarter touchdown and going over for the second himself. The Giants passing attack, whether it was Friedman or Moran, struggled on the sloppy track in front of the small crowd of 5,000 fans. Good news arrived for the Giants from out of town however. The Packers were upset by the Cardinals at Comiskey Park 13-6, giving the Giants a chance to vault past Green Bay as the Packers came to New York the next week.

The Rematch

Pro football generated some buzz during the week leading up to the game. The contest was billed as a de facto league championship match. The New York Times even made mention of former Giant Cal Hubbard returning to face his old team with its new star Cagle. The public bought into the hype and the 40,000 fans gave the Giants their largest home attendance mark since Red Grange’s visit in 1925.

Benny Friedman (1) and Chris Cagle (10), New York Giants (1930)

To the dismay of fans, however, Cagle left the game in the first quarter having suffered a facial laceration after catching a short pass. Badgro put the Giants on the scoreboard first when he caught a perfectly placed spiral from Friedman along the sideline at the two-yard line and was tackled lunging over the final stripe for the touchdown. Friedman’s placement gave New York a 7-0 lead that held into the second half.

In the third quarter, Moran set up New York’s second touchdown with a rush out of the punt formation with the Giants pinned deep at their end of the field. Moran ran around right end then cut up the center of the field. Two blockers kept pace with Moran, who evaded McNally twice as he traversed up-field, until the Green Bay 10-yard line. Lavern Dilfer, who had been deep to receive the presumed punt, made a flying tackle of Moran one yard short of the end zone. This 91-yard carry remained the franchise standard until 2005.

Three consecutive plunges left the ball about a foot away from pay dirt, where Friedman followed behind the left guard for the touchdown. Friedman’s point-after placement was blocked and New York lead 13-0.

Green Bay valiantly fought back. A long pass reception by McNally gave the defending champions the ball on New York’s 11-yard line, but the Giants defense stiffened and thwarted the advance on downs at the two-yard line. The Giants punted the ball back and a Dunn-to-Lewellen aerial quickly gave the Packers a first-and-goal on the four-yard line. Lewellen swept around right end for the touchdown, but Dunn’s placement missed. The third quarter ended with New York ahead 13-6.

Chris Cagle (12), Benny Friedman (1), New York Giants; Green Bay Packers at New York Giants (November 23, 1930)

Green Bay made one lengthy, exhausting advance in attempt to tie the game in the final period. They overcame a holding call at mid-field (a 15-yard penalty at the time) and moved the chains five times until the ball reached New York’s five-yard line. Herdis McCrary plunged twice for a yard, and Bo Melinda slammed ahead for a two-yard advance. The thrilled Polo Grounds crowd was caught up in the tension-packed goal-line stand, and on their feet exhorting the defense. Before the ball was snapped, several players on both sides of the line jumped early. The players held their positions once the ball was reset. On the snap, Dunn handed to McCrary who was stoned by the center of the Giants front wall as the Polo Grounds faithful roared their approval.

Neither team threatened to score again. The 13-7 final moved 11-2 New York ahead of 9-2 Green Bay in the league standings. The New York Times game summary unofficially gave the Packers the statistical edge in first downs 15 to eight, as well as passing yards 138 to 67. The Giants led in rushing yards, 172 to 160, most of which came from the lengthy jaunt by Moran. This was only the second loss the Packers had suffered in 24 months.

Backyard Brawling

The Giants had little time to celebrate their huge victory; for the third time their schedule had them playing three games in eight days. Next up was a Thanksgiving Day game at Staten Island against the coveted player who got away.

Prior to the 1929 season, Coach Andrews was instructed by Tim Mara and Dr. Harry March to offer a $4,000 contract to the graduated NYU star and triple-threat back Ken Strong. For reasons still unclear, Andrews offered Strong a contract for $3,000. Strong declined the offer and signed with the Stapletons, and would always relish the opportunity to show up the team that had underbid for his services.

Thompson Stadium was standing-room only with over 12,000 fans in attendance while hundreds more crowded outside the fences trying to view the action on the field. Although the Stapletons entered the game at 4-4-2 and never having beaten the Giants before, they had plenty of motivation. Aside from Strong, Mule Wilson had recently signed to Staten Island after being released by the Giants; Doug Wycoff was a member of the 1927 World Champion Giants; and the Giants first star player, Hinkey Haines, was an assistant coach on the sidelines.

The game was a physical altercation where both teams earned every inch of ground they were able to muster. Wilson was part of the Stapletons starting 11 and the leading ground gainer on the day, but his biggest impact was felt on defense. He repeatedly fought through blocks and dropped Friedman and Cagle in the backfield for losses and frustrated New York’s typically potent offense. The first score of the game came with just under 1:00 to play in the second quarter. Campbell blocked Strong’s punt at the Staten Island 20-yard line and recovered the loose ball in the end zone himself. The hold for the point-after try was mishandled and Friedman’s pass for Moran in the end zone was defended. The Giants led 6-0 at the half.

New York’s defense made a crucial stand in the third quarter after Jim Fitzgerald recovered a fumble on the Giants 20-yard line and a subsequent unnecessary roughness penalty set the ball on the five-yard line. Four consecutive rushes were stopped and the Giants took over on downs. Staten Island held their ground as well, and a Friedman punt from the end zone gave the home team the ball on the plus 45-yard line. Wycoff completed two passes to Bernie Finn to again set the ball five yards from New York’s goal line. This time Wycoff took the ball over for the score on second down and Strong’s placement was good and gave the Stapletons a 7-6 lead in front of their raucous crowd.

The struggle continued well into the fourth quarter. New York lost its captain Friedman to a leg injury, but the Giants were able to mount a last minute desperation drive despite his absence. Cagle completed two passes to Moran, giving the Giants a first and goal on the five-yard line but failed to score after three plunges and a missed a placement field goal attempt by Wiberg. The loss cost the Giants more than the services of Friedman. Their stay atop the standings was all too brief, as Green Bay had routed the Yellow Jackets in Frankford 25-7 and regained first place.

As the compressed schedule prevented Friedman from dressing for the Giants game against Brooklyn at the Polo Grounds on Sunday, Hagerty would get the start in his place. This promised to be another rugged contest for New York as not only did the Dodgers feature the NFL’s stingiest defense (they would finish the season allowing a league low 4.9 points per game), but had the motivation of yet another former New York star, Jack McBride, who led the league in scoring.

Chris Cagle, New York Giants (November 30, 1930)

The crowd of 25,000 was not restricted just to fans of the home team hoping the Giants would keep pace with Green Bay, many fans came over the bridges from Brooklyn to support their team as well. New York significantly outplayed the Dodgers in the first half but only had six points to show for it, and again that lone score was the result of Campbell recovering a blocked punt. This time Campbell blocked Jim Mooney’s punt at Brooklyn’s 45-yard line, scooped the loose ball, evaded Mooney and rambled the distance uncontested into the end zone.

In the second half, Brooklyn’s offense began to find seams in the Giants front. Stumpy Thomason ran for several long gains and also cleared the way for McBride between the tackles. McBride ultimately doomed his former team in the fourth quarter on a 37-yard rush that set up his two-yard plunge for the tying score. His point-after placement gave Brooklyn a 7-6 edge that held up as the final score. McBride played the full 60 minutes, scored all the Dodgers points and essentially buried New York in second place as Green Bay annihilated the Stapletons 37-7 two boroughs away at Thompson Stadium. Rumors of a player revolt surfaced the day after the game and Andrews was abruptly dismissed as head coach.

A few weeks earlier, Mayor Jimmy Walker had devised a plan where three football games would be used for unemployment relief fund generation. Local school NYU would host Colgate University on December 6 in one benefit, the Army-Navy game at Yankee Stadium on December 13 was the second, and a new and exciting venture would be the Giants opposing a team of all-stars from Notre Dame, coached by Knute Rockne.

Allegedly, according to some players, Andrews became obsessed with facing Rockne and his All Stars. Practices became unusually brutal and he verbally berated the players, and threatened fines and releases. One story purported Friedman and Owen approaching Mara and seeking relief from the conditions that the team felt had become intolerable. He obliged and installed the two as co-player coaches for the remainder of the season. Friedman said years later: “(Andrews) just got himself all worked up thinking about this great meeting with Rockne. He thought he had to be tougher with us and pretty soon he lost control of himself completely.”

Funny Math

Although the 11-4 Giants still had a mathematical chance to move back ahead of the 10-2 Packers, it was unrealistic as their hopes were tethered to the unlikely probability of a Green Bay collapse. The season played out with New York winning its final two games at Frankford and Brooklyn, and Green Bay losing at the Bears and tied at Portsmouth. The Packers became the NFL’s second champions to repeat, and they did it by four-thousandths of a percentage point.

The method for calculating win percentage at this time is important to consider, and it had to do with the way the league handled ties. Essentially, tie games were disregarded as if the games had never been played. Green Bay’s record of 10-3-1 gave them a win percentage of 0.769 because the tie game at Portsmouth was discluded from the factoring – the 10 wins were divided by 13 total games. It was not until 1972 when the NFL changed the parameters and treated a tie game as a half-win and half loss. When this calculation is applied retroactively to the 1930 Packers record, their win percentage is 0.750 which would drop them to second place behind the 13-4 Giants win percentage of 0.765.

Despite the late season slump that dismantled New York’s championship hopes, the season was considered a qualified success. The Friedman-led squad led the NFL in scoring for the second year in a row and the Giants were a marquis attraction on all their road trips. The attendance at the Polo Grounds was sometimes curtailed by poor weather, but the turnout for the November game against Green Bay was very encouraging and hinted that pro football was beginning to catch on in New York. Friedman was a first-team All Pro, and Badgro and linemen Rudy Comstock and Joe Westoupal were second-team All Pro.

The Giants had one more game to play. The upcoming exhibition contest against the Notre Dame All Stars had no effect on league standings or post-season awards, but it meant everything in regards to gaining the respect and recognition of the general public. The entire NFL was vested in a strong performance from the Giants, even if the majority of the home fan base was not.

The Pros Versus the Joes

Like the Packers, Notre Dame repeated as champions in 1930. The original plan for the charity game was for the Giants to play the current Notre Dame team, but Coach Rockne was concerned about the impact of cross-country travel via rail on his team, as their season concluded at USC on December 7. His contingency plan was brilliant and more alluring to the public – an all-star team comprised of Notre Dame Alumni.

Rockne assembled the legendary Four Horsemen (Elmer Layden, Don Miller, Jim Crowley, Harry Stuhldreher); five of the Seven Mules (Adam Walsh, Joe Bach, Rip Miller, Noble Kizer, Ed Hunsinger); Jack Chevigny from the 1928 team; seven members from the 1929 national champions (Jack Cannon, John Law, Tim Moynihan, Ted Twomey, Joe Vezie, John Gebert, Jack Elder); Bucky O’Connor, Frank Carideo from the current 1930 team;, and two former Notre Dame players with NFL experience, Hunk Anderson and Glenn Carberry.

New York Giants – Notre Dame All-Stars (December 14, 1930)

Although the Four Horsemen were by far the main attraction, the undercard billing was compelling. The press debated who the better tailback was, Carideo, who Rockne touted as “the best passer alive” or Friedman. Unlike many college coaches, Rockne was not opposed to football being a profession. He himself had played several years in the APFA/NFL predecessor Ohio League, which included a championship with the 1915 Massilon Tigers and legendary contests against Jim Thorpe’s Canton Bulldogs. But that did not mean Rockne did not believe college football was the superior brand, and he was not shy about public boasting either.

However, Rockne appeared to waver after committing to the game with the Giants. Just days after the acceptance, rumors circled that he was reconsidering and was privately concerned that he may have put himself into a potentially regretful position. Public outcry over this wavering demanded Rockne’s assurance that he and his all-star team make an appearance. The New York Times ran a story every day leading up to the game describing the unprecedented ticket demand for a Giants-All Stars match-up, which was to be paired with the Army-Navy game to be played at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Charles Stoneham, owner of the baseball Giants, donated the use of the stadium so all the proceeds would be used for the unemployment fund.

While Rockne may have been concerned about suffering personal embarrassment, the risk undertaken by the Giants was far more significant. They would be representing the institution of professional football as a whole. A loss to the college players could realistically damage the NFL’s public perception permanently. Mara and March received telegrams from owners and executives around the league offering their best wishes for success.

Rockne may have only had limited time to get his group ready, but he made the most of it and drilled his group hard. Gathering in South Bend on the Tuesday prior to the game in New York, Crowley said later that the two practices left him “stiffer and more sore than in all the years I played regularly lumped together.” Rockne explained, “At first I thought these fellows might not be able to put up a good game after several years’ layoff. But when I got to South Bend on Wednesday I found them a little older but was pleasantly surprised to see the way they handled the ball. This is not going to be merely a spectacle but a real game.”

The New York press covered the lead-up to the game daily, and the public’s anticipation grew to a near fever pitch. Both games that weekend were sold out in advance. The anticipation was just as fervent in South Bend. Over 1,500 alumni from Northern Illinois and the greater Chicago area had a police-escorted parade and reception with the All-Star team, as well as with the returning 1930 National Champions who had defeated USC 27-0.

The welcome mat would reach all the way East too. A reception and gala dinner with Mayor Walker was planned for the All Stars upon their arrival in the Big Apple. Rockne telegrammed Walker to confirm plans, as well as notify the fans in New York that he and his boys were confident: “We don’t expect to have our season’s winning record broken by your team of Giants.”

Rockne and his team arrived on Saturday morning and were paraded by a police escort from Grand Central Terminal to City Hall where the New York City Police Band and hundreds of devotees from the Notre Dame fan clubs of New York and New Jersey greeted their heroes enthusiastically. All of the local radio stations broadcast the reception, and Rockne, Mara and Walker were interviewed live on national radio.

Rockne held a closed practice inside the Polo Grounds, and insisted that all the Giants office personnel be prohibited from having any view of the field while the Notre Dame team went through their final drills. Rockne told the press afterward, “We have several surprises for the Giants and we don’t want to spoil any of them.” Rockne and Mayor Walker walked across the Harlem River to Yankee Stadium and watched Army defeat Navy 6-0. Mayor Walker was also scheduled to have dinner with Rockne and the All Stars the evening after the game versus the Giants on Sunday at the Vanderbilt Hotel with the local Notre Dame fan clubs.

The New York Times game day preview backed Rockne’s proclamations, “As to the game itself it promises to be one of the best, with the edge by no means favoring Friedman’s highly competent performers.” That afternoon the Polo Grounds was a house with divided loyalty. The grandstands behind the Giants side of the field were decorated with red and blue bunting while the Notre Dame side was augmented with navy blue and yellow. Pre-game ceremonies included marching bands from NYU and the Police Brigade and Rifle Guard playing “Victory March” (Notre Dame’s Fight Song) and “The Sidewalks of New York” over and over as the Polo Grounds seats filled. More than half of those in attendance were there to cheer on Rockne’s team.

As the two teams stepped onto the field for warmups, Rockne surveyed the competition. Acknowledging the Giants outweighed the All Stars by an average of 60 pounds per man; he approached Friedman and bargained, “We’ve got a lot of boys who think they’re football players. They may have a lot to learn today. How about some concessions?” The two bartered and agreed upon free substitution and shortened 12:30 quarters. Rockne returned to his team and attempted to buoy their confidence, “The Giants are heavy but slow. Go out there, score two or three quick touchdowns, and then defend. Don’t get hurt.”

The Giants size, strength and toughness was obvious to all. The one area that was grossly overlooked was their motivation and resolve. The Giants were sick and tired of hearing about the All Stars and how professional football was second rate. They had something to prove and they did it from snap-to-whistle on every play right from the opening kickoff.

On the first play from scrimmage, 170 pound Law lined up across from the 240 pound Owen. Law turned to referee Tom Thorp and asked, “Can you tell me sir, how much time is left?” Notre Dame was knocked backward on the first three plays, the last of which was finished in the end zone for a safety. The Giants had a 2-0 lead before the game was two minutes old and Rockne’s team finished the quarter with -12 yards from scrimmage. The beating only got worse from there.

Red Badgro (17), New York Giants makes tackle for a safety against Notre Dame All-Stars (December 14, 1930) – Courtesy of Rev. Mike Moran

The New York Times game summary was a complete reversal from its preview the day before: “From start to finish the Giants had the South Benders utterly at their mercy.” Friedman put the game on ice for New York with two touchdowns in the second period. The first touchdown was a short plunge by Friedman. The second an impressive 20-yard rush that was set up by a brilliant play fake. Friedman read the defense at the line, dropped pack and pump-faked, which opened the center of the defense. He ran through the hole in the line, stepped around or through four tacklers and trucked Carideo on his way into the end zone. Referee Tom Thorpe said, “That was one of the finest calls and executions I’ve ever seen.” Friedman’s placement made the score 15-0.

During the action there were some memorable exchanges between the elevens. During the second quarter, Kizer told Walsh, “I’m going to pull out on this play and take the inside back on pass defense. So cover me here.” Walsh exclaimed, “What? And leave me here all alone? Not on your life!” On the snap, both players vacated their positions and sprinted for the bench. Crowley said, “They weren’t scared, they were smart, that’s all.”

Stuhldreher had an encounter with Butch Gibson. “He really smothered me, but he was a gentleman. He helped scrape the dirt off me and checked for broken bones. ‘I want to ask you something,’ he said. ‘I went to a small school called Grove City. You went to a big one, Notre Dame. Now do you know which one played better football?’ I couldn’t do anything but agree with him. I was afraid not to for fear that I’d get him even angrier. As it was, he got me many more times in the game.”

Benny Friedman with ball, New York Giants against Notre Dame All Stars (December 14, 1930) – Courtesy of Rev. Mike Moran

The All Stars managed one first down, which came on a 12-yard run by Enright, and their furthest advance was to their own 49-yard line. At halftime Rockne sought relief for his battered team. He approached March and said, “I came here to help with a charity and at a lot of trouble. You’re making us look bad. Slow up, will you? I don’t want to go home and be laughed at. Lay off next half.”  The Giants subbed out most of their starters for the second half, except for Turtle Campbell. How much drop off there was is debatable.

Consider that the second half replacement for Friedman at tailback was Moran, who was a catalyst for New York late in the season. Cagle, billed as the Giants next great star and the Army player who ignited Rockne’s 1928 “Win One for the Gipper” speech, subbed for Tiny Feather at half back. Burnett, the Giants third highest scorer, subbed for Sedbrook. The Giants had a deep bench and had many players were eager to step in and take their shots at the All Stars.

New York’s second team continued to play both brilliantly and brutally. A 30-yard pass from Moran to Campbell, followed by Moran’s placement, closed the scoring while defensively Notre Dame was kept off of the board. The final score was a resounding 22-0. Statistically it was worse. The Giants had eight first downs to Notre Dame’s one and outgained the All Stars 138 yards to 34. Notre Dame failed to complete a pass in nine attempts, with two intercepted. They also lost a fumble. After the game, Rockne told his team, “That was the greatest football machine I ever saw. I’m glad none of you got hurt.”

The game summaries were almost apologetic toward Rockne and his team. Readers were reminded that the game was played for charity ($115,153 was raised and put directly into the city’s fund for the unemployed) and that the All Stars had been assembled on short notice and had minimal practice time to get ready. The Giants were a practiced and battle-hardened unit, ready for full contact while many of the Notre Dame team had spent the season scattered around the country in coaching positions.

Stuhldreher said, “It wasn’t much of a football game. Rock had the idea that we could beat the pros, and I guess he sort of got carried away in the pregame publicity. But we did drum up a real good crowd for the game, and that was great…except that he got the Giants sore at us. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that opening kickoff. Layden caught the ball and was belted by all 11 Giants. They really whammed him. He staggered to his feet, took a dazed look at me in the huddle, shook his head, and asked, ‘Is this game over yet?’

A Victory for All

The reverberations from Giants victory were profound; nobody ever accused “post graduate” football as being inferior again. Although some fans continued to begrudge the pros, this contest can be marked as the starting point where the general public began to turn to the NFL as the favored version of the game. Press coverage for professional football began to be displayed on an equal plane with college football over the course of the decade. Football stadia began to see larger crowds on Sundays rather than Saturdays. The transition was slow, but it was steady, and by the end of World War II, the NFL had expanded coast-to-coast and was cultivating a national market via the new medium of television. College football experienced little growth and its attraction remained largely regional.

The Giants-All Stars game was the last Rockne coached. He was killed in a plane crash in Kansas on March 31, 1931. He remains a coaching legend, having pioneered and popularized the early passing game. His 0.881 winning percentage remains the highest of college coaches who have stood on the sideline for at least 100 games.

March turned over his interest in the Giants as Tim Mara handed the duties to his sons Jack (President) and Wellington (Secretary). Friedman was originally offered the head-coaching position of the Giants, but that offer was pulled when Friedman demanded an ownership interest in the team. After an injury plagued 1931 season, which included double-duty as head coach for Yale University, Friedman moved on to Brooklyn as player-coach of the Dodgers.

Tim Mara then offered the job to Owen, who was initially reluctant (he suggested Guy Chamberlain to Mara first) but ultimately accepted the role. Still with a lingering dissatisfaction of the late season swoon and ugly departure of Andrews, Mara wanted more than anything a strong, reliable man in charge who was able to withstand hard times. He said, “What I needed was a man’s man. What I wanted was a man who could manage other men, a man other men would respect. What I got was even more than I bargained for.”

Owen was the Giants steward for 23 seasons. He spanned the stretch when the NFL stabilized itself through the depression, tread water through World War II, transitioned from the Single Wing to the T-Formation, survived competition from the rival AAFC, overtook college football and closed the gap with major league baseball. Under his guidance, the Giants emerged as the NFL’s flagship franchise. They appeared in a league-high eight championships in that time. Owen and his Giants won two of those championships in memorable fashion on their home field in front of appreciative crowds. In both NFL Championship Games, in 1934 versus the Bears and 1938 versus the Packers, the league standard for championship-game attendance was set.

The legacy of the win over the Notre Dame All Stars cannot be overstated. The Giants’ home attendance for league games in 1930 was 16,000. It jumped to just over 24,000 the next season in 1931, despite the fact that team’s fortunes declined. The 1931 Giants finished 7-6-1 and were never a factor in the league race for first place. Changes took place after a losing season in 1932. The Giants built a new team. And the NFL created its own rules manual which intentionally differentiated it from the college game. The NFL realigned into two divisions and installed a post-season championship game that generated new fan interest. Prosperity that seemed unimaginable at the start of the decade was about to become unavoidable.

Dec 312014
 

Don Chandler, New York Giants (1963)

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By Larry Schmitt with contributions from Daniel Franck and Rev. Mike Moran

When most Giants fans think about a kicker making a clutch kick in a pressure situation, they most likely recall Matt Bahr or Lawrence Tynes kicking the Giants to the Super Bowl. There was a time when the odds would have been against those seemingly effortless kicks being successful. The game of football has evolved most significantly in the way goals are scored from the field. When the American Professional Football Association (APFA) was formed in 1920, the ball was larger and drop kicks were the favored method for field goals, while placements were typical for most points-after–touchdowns. Misses were common though, teams would often make just a few field goals over the course of a season and point-afters were never taken for granted.

The players who attempted these kicks did not come in off the bench. They were four-down players who played on both sides of the ball. When an offense was stopped on third down, one of the backs, or even a lineman, dropped back for a punt or field goal attempt. If the field goal was missed, he did not sulk back to the sideline; he lined up in his defensive position and continued to play.

The Giants entered the NFL in 1925 with Jim Thorpe, one of the most famous football players of his day, on the roster. Aside from his exploits as an athletic runner and fierce tackler, Thorpe was a legendary drop kicker. Thorpe’s tenure with the Giants was brief, being aged and out of shape, he lasted only three games before being released. New Yorkers never saw him attempt any of his famous drop kicking exploits in the Giants red and blue. But they were once treated to a drop kicking exhibition between Thorpe, then of the Cleveland Indians, against Charles Brickley of the New York Brickley Giants at the Polo Grounds in December 1921 four years before the NFL’s New York Giants were formed.

Charles Brickley and Jim Thorpe – Courtesy of Rev. Mike Moran

The occasion marked the first professional football contest in New York City and took place at halftime. Each man was good on six of twelve attempts. Brickley took the honors of the longest successful attempt from an impressive 60-yards out. In the actual game, Thorpe was good on a 40-yard attempt and also drop-kicked a point-after in the Indians’ 17-0 triumph. Unfortunately, the added attraction of Thorpe’s drop kicks was not enough to keep the fledgling New York franchise afloat, and Brickley’s Giants disbanded after the game.

The APFA/NFL followed the college football rulebook for its first 12 seasons. In college, placements were required for point-after attempts through 1922. Beginning in 1923, a player could choose between a drop kick or placement attempt. Place kicks could only take place behind the line of scrimmage while a drop kick could take place from anywhere on the field (the NFL abolished this seemingly obsolete rule in 1998.) The ball at this time was much broader around its circumference and closely resembled a rugby ball. This facilitated drop kicking as the ball bounced true as it descended on end to the ground, and also allowed for a greater surface area for contact on the kicking foot. The kicker would either kick the ball with the top of his foot or instep as it hit the ground or just after it bounced.

From 1920 through 1926, the goal posts were on the goal line in front of the end zone and there were no in-bounds lines (later known as hash marks) on the field. This combination often caused attempts to be made from wide angles, greatly increasing their difficulty. To help alleviate this, the goal posts were moved to the end line at the back of the end zone in 1927, but the added distance proved to be nothing more than a different challenge. Drop kicking for distance was never an issue, controlling the flight of the ball was the premier challenge.

The goal posts themselves had the same dimensions as today. The crossbar was 10 feet above the ground and 18 feet, four inches in width. Missed field goals resulted in the defensive team taking over possession of the ball on the 20-yard line, regardless of where the ball was kicked or the previous line of scrimmage (essentially a touchback.) Kickoffs were off a tee from the 40-yard line.

The record for the longest drop kick field goal is 45 yards by the Canton Bulldogs’ Wilbur “Pete” Henry, who connected on two in a game against the Toledo Maroons on December 19, 1922. However, there are three unofficial 50-yard drop kicks that remain off the books because they could not be verified. The first was by Henry in November 1922. Then John “Paddy” Driscoll of the Chicago Cardinals had one in September 1924 and another in November 1925. Henry’s official record of 45 yards remained the longest successful kick of any kind in professional football for 12 years.

Mixed Styles, Unpredictable Results

The very first points in New York Football Giants history (the Giants owned by Tim Mara) came via a drop kick field goal off the foot of Matt Brennan on October 15, 1925 at Frankford Stadium. The 15-yard kick gave the Giants a 3-2 second quarter lead over the Yellowjackets, but the Giants went on to lose 5-3. The next day at the Polo Grounds, Thorpe missed a 48-yard drop kick field goal in the third quarter of a 14-0 loss to the Yellowjackets. Thorpe was released later in the week and then played two games with the Rock Island Independents where he failed to register any points.

The Giants first win came two weeks later, a 19-0 triumph at the Polo Grounds over the Cleveland Bulldogs. Dutch Hendrian registered the first successful point-after for New York, a second quarter drop kick. This was somewhat unique in that most point-after attempts were from placement, a tendency that endured from the early college rules. Hendrian had the first multi-field goal game for the Giants on November 11 versus the Rochester Jeffersons at the Polo Grounds. He drop-kicked two goals over in the first half from 35 and 25 yards out.

The Giants fielded a competitive team their inaugural season, and finished fourth overall with an 8-4 record. As was the case with most teams, the kicking duties were handled by a group of players. Small rosters and restricted substitution demanded versatility by all team members; specialized talents were a luxury decades in the future. The more a player could do well, the more valuable he was to his team.

The most valuable player of the 1925 Giants was fullback Jack McBride. Although official statistics were not recorded until 1932, game accounts indicate McBride was usually New York’s leading passer, and either first or second in rushing along with fleet- footed halfback Hinkey Haines. McBride handled the bulk of the Giants kicking. His point-after in the 7-0 win over the Buffalo Bisons on November 3 at the Polo Grounds was the first successful placement for the Giants, and his 30-yard field goal versus the Dayton Triangles on November 29 was New York’s first placement from the field. McBride led the Giants with seven point-after conversions during their inaugural season.

The early part of the 1926 season highlighted how no kicks, whether dropped or placed, were ever sure things during this era. The season opener saw McBride good on two placement point-afters and Paul Hogan good on a drop kick point-after in a 21-0 win at the Hartford Blues on September 26. The Giants 7-6 win the following week at Providence on October 3 versus the Steamroller was preserved by a blocked drop kick point-after attempt in the third quarter. New York suffered back-to-back 6-0 losses to Frankford on October 16 and 17 that featured 42- and 32-yard placement field goals by Johnny Budd at Frankford Field, but the next day at the Polo Grounds he failed on his point-after try.

The early NFL record for consecutive point-afters made was by Henry, who converted 49 straight attempts from 1920 through 1928 while playing for three teams that included a brief tenure with the Giants in 1927, although he did not register a kick while with New York. The second longest streak was 26 straight by Elmer Oliphant of the Buffalo All-Americans in 1921. Although McBride never had a streak approaching those two, he did convert 15 point after placements during the 1926 season while Hogan drop-kicked three more. McBride also converted New York’s only field goal, a 25-yard placement at Ebbets Field against the Brooklion Horsemen – an amalgam of the NFL’s Brooklyn Lions and the AFL’s Brooklyn Horsemen – on November 25.

The shape of the ball gradually changed over the course of the decade. Drop kicks became increasingly rare as the circumference of the ball narrowed to facilitate the nascent passing game. The college football rulebook listed a circumference around the middle of 22.5 inches and 23 inches in length for 1928. The size was reduced to 22 inches around the middle and 22.5 inches in length in 1931. This change greatly impacted drop kicking as the end became more pointed. Not only was the required true bounce more difficult to obtain, the spin of the ball coming off the foot changed, which negatively impacted accuracy.

McBride handled the bulk of the kicking chores for New York the next two seasons. The Giants lone field goal in 1928 was Bruce Caldwell’s drop kick on October 28 at Yankee Stadium, providing the margin of victory in a 10-7 decision over the rival New York Yankees.

Bruce Caldwell drop kicking a field goal at the Yankees in 1928.

The most sought after players in the single platoon era were known as Triple Threats, a player who could run, pass and kick (tackling on defense was a given, calling them a quadruple threat would’ve been redundant.) Two players who fit this rare mold were fullback Ernie Nevers and tailback Benny Friedman.

The Giants obtained Friedman in 1928 when Mara purchased the entire Detroit Wolverines franchise, and immediately installed him as the face of the Football Giants and centerpiece of the team. Friedman was deservedly renowned for his ability to manipulate the bloated ball of its day through the air, but he was the Giants primary kicker as well. He passed for a professional record 20 touchdown passes in 1929, ran for two others and kicked 20 point-afters from placement.

Tony Plansky converted an extra point on November 3 at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Bears, and a drop-kick field goal on December 1 at the Polo Grounds versus Nevers and the Chicago Cardinals. This game at the Polo Grounds took place three days after the oldest record standing in the NFL record book was established. On Thanksgiving Day at Wrigley Field, Nevers ran for six touchdowns, a standard that has been tied twice. The mark that has proved unattainable though was the total points of 40, as Nevers drop kicked four point-afters. He accounted for all the point in the Cardinals 40-6 win over the Bears.

Nevers scored two touchdowns and dropped a point over in the game at New York, but Planksy dropped the decisive kick over from 42-yards as time expired for a 24-21 Giants win, and in the process also set the mark for the longest field goal in franchise history at the time. Planksy’s 1929 conversions are the last recorded drop kicks in Giants history. Friedman led New York in point-afters again in 1930, and also registered New York’s only successful field goal of the season. The last minute placement from 42 yards gave the Giants a 9-7 win versus the Stapletons at Staten Island on November 2, and also tied Plansky’s record for length.

Friedman suffered a severe knee injury in 1931 and missed the second half of the season. He left the Giants during the off season after a contract dispute to play and coach for the upstart Brooklyn Dodgers. Versatile wingback Hap Moran assumed the role of place kicker for the Giants, leading the team with eight point-afters and the team’s only field goal of 1931.

Hints of Specialty

The Giants found another versatile back to help fill the void left by Friedman in 1932, and he was very familiar to the Giants, having lost him in a recruitment competition to Staten Island a few seasons earlier. Ken Strong was a phenomenal talent – he was once compared to Thorpe and Nevers by Grantland Rice – and was one of the last pure Triple Threats. As a whole, New York had a down year in 1932. There were a mere seven point-afters registered on the season and not a single field goal – they were shut out from the scoreboard entirely four times.

The NFL created its own rule book in 1933. In addition to relocating the goal posts forward to the goal line, in bounds lines were placed 10 yards in from the sidelines. This assured plays from scrimmage would originate closer to the center of the field and reduced the instances of downs being wasted merely to move the ball away from the boundaries.

That season Strong recorded the first free kick field goal in Giants history. On November 26, at the Polo Grounds against Green Bay, Dale Burnett made a fair catch of a short punt by the Packers on the 30-yard line. Knowing of the rarely-used rule, and unable to resist the opportunity for an uncontested attempt by a skilled kicker, Coach Steve Owen immediately called for a free-kick field goal. Strong’s attempt was true and through the upright, giving the Giants their final points in a 17-6 win. Strong’s kick was believed to be the first-known free-kick field goal for many years until it was recently discovered that George Abramson of the Packers made a 35-yard free-kick field goal at Comiskey Park against the Chicago Cardinals on November 8, 1925. Strong’s kick is now recognized as the second free-kick field goal in NFL history and remains the only one converted in Giants history.

In 1934 the ball also shrank to its final dimensions: 21.25 inches in circumference and 21.5 inches in length. This prolate spheroid was aerodynamically designed for passing, and inadvertently caused a significant shift in the kicking game.

With drop kicking now all but gone, save for a very few holdovers, the preferred method of place kicking was the straight-ahead approach. This featured similar leg mechanics as the drop kick, and likewise provided comparable accuracy and distance. The major difference between the two methods is that in the placement kick, the foot is pointed upward when contact is made with the ball. In the drop kick, the foot is pointed downward (essentially the same motion and alignment as a punt). Strong, who exclusively placekicked in the NFL but occasionally drop kicked in college, noted his thoughts on the differences between the styles in his 1950 book “Football Kicking Techniques”. He said the shape of the ball was an overrated argument against the drop kick. In fact, he said drop kicking provided the offensive team the advantage of a tenth blocker, who was lost as the holder for placements. Strong said placements were the preferable method in inclement weather.

The changes had an impact on the field. The improved distance aspect was proven without a doubt on October 7, 1934 when Detroit’s Glenn Presnell set the NFL’s new distance record with a 54-yard field goal in a 3-0 win at Green Bay’s City Stadium. He led the NFL with 13 point-afters and 64 total points (boosted by five touch downs) that season.

New York tailback Harry Newman shared the kicking responsibilities with Strong for two seasons, and set a team record that would stand for nearly 30 years when he connected on three field goal attempts at Fenway Park against the Boston Redskins on October 7. Newman’s performance was clutch as well. He tied the game 13-13 early in the fourth quarter, and then sent the winner through with less than four minutes to play for the Giants 16-13 victory.

Strong reset New York’s longest field goal standard by two yards on October 21 in a 17-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Polo Grounds with a 44-yard placement. However, his signature performance came two months later in the NFL Championship Game on December 2. Strong’s 17 points (two touchdowns, two point-afters and a field goal) were a critical factor in the Giants upset of the 13-0 Bears for the Giants second NFL title, and was the franchise post-season standard for 69 years.

Strong did the Bears in again the following season. In the middle of the third quarter at a rainy Wrigley Field, New York and Chicago were tied 0-0. Strong exhibited composure repeatedly under challenging circumstances, while also nursing a separated shoulder. The Giants mustered a drive on the sloppy field, but stalled at the Chicago 15-yard line. Strong’s initial field goal attempt from 22 yards hit the left upright, but the Bears jumped offside and the Giants received a new set of downs on the 10-yard line.

The Chicago Daily Tribune described the sequence that began with a fourth-and-goal from the six: “Strong went back to the 14-yard line and made a place kick, but both lines jumped offside and the field goal did not count. Strong again stood on the 14 and kicked. Both sides were again offside and his perfect placement was wasted. On the next attempt Strong barely got the ball over the bar. His teammates had been considerate enough to stay onside this time, however, although the Bears were pushing them around when the ball was snapped.” Once in the lead, Giants head Coach Steve Owen depended on Strong’s leg for punting, as the Giants engaged in a field position battle with Chicago and prevailed 3-0. Most surprisingly, Strong outdueled the NFL’s most highly regarded kicker of the time, “Automatic” Jack Manders, who missed all three of his field goal attempts.

After the 1935 season, Strong left the Giants for the New York Yankees of the new rival AFL. During that period, with their own kicking situation in flux, the Giants were victimized by one of the all-time great drop-kickers, Earl “Dutch” Clark. On November 18, 1936 at the University of Detroit Stadium, Clark drop-kicked a field goal and three point-afters in the 38-0 Lions victory. These were the last successful drop kicks against the Giants in the regular season.

Tillie Manton was one of three New York players to kick field goals in 1937. The one he made on September 26, 1937 at Forbes Field ranks among the highest in degree of difficulty in team history. In the middle of the fourth quarter of a 7-7 game, the Giants embarked on a 68-yard drive that stalled on Pittsburgh’s 5-yard line. The ball was set for play on the in-bounds line, which were only 15-yards in from the sideline. On third down New York attempted a play to move the ball toward the center of the field, but the Pirates overloaded their defense and forced a field goal attempt at an acute angle, as the goal posts were located on the goal line. The New York Times game summary described the situation: “Manton had to try for his winning field goal from far over on the side of the field. Had it been much farther over, Tillie would have had to boot from the Pittsburgh bench. The angle was simply horrible, and when the Giants craftily went off side to lessen the angle by bringing the ball back, Pittsburgh just as craftily refused to accept the penalty. The Manton kick had to be perfect and straight as a die to click. Fortunately it was.” This impressive kick would be New York’s last fourth quarter game winner for 13 seasons.

Ultimately, the heir apparent to Strong proved to be another multi-talented back. Ward Cuff came to the Giants in 1937 with no prior kicking experience, but he was tutored personally by Owen. Cuff only kicked two field goals his rookie season while he fine-tuned his new skill. A milestone was set by a member of the old guard that year. On September 19 Detroit’s Clark made the last recorded drop kick field goal in professional football history – a 17-yard attempt in the second quarter of a 16-7 win over the Cardinals.

The next season, Ralph Kerchival of the Brooklyn Dodgers registered the final regular season drop kick point-afters on November 13 against Philadelphia at Ebbets Field. Kerchival registered six total points in the Dodgers 32-14 win with three point-afters and a field goal. Interestingly, Kerchival converted the field goal and first two point-afters as placements, but drop kicked the third point-after. The New York Times speculated Kerchival drop-kicked the final point “just to prove his versatility.”

Cuff assumed the role as the Giants primary kicker in 1938, and he led the league with five field goals and 19 point-afters as the Giants won the Eastern Division title. His two field goals and two point-afters provided the edge as the Giants won their third overall championship, and became the first team two win two NFL Championship games, 23-17 over Green Bay in a hard fought contest.

Ward Cuff (14) and Ken Strong, New York Giants (1939)

Cuff shared the kicking duties with Strong in 1939, who returned to the Giants from exile for one season. The AFL folded after the 1937 season. Strong was barred from the NFL but played for the Giants farm team in Jersey City in 1938, then rejoined the big-league Giants for the 1939 campaign. He suffered a back injury early in the season at Washington and remained a kicking specialist the remainder of the year. Once one of pro football’s last Triple Threats, Strong emerged as one of the very first specialists. (Christian “Mose” Kelsch of the 1933-34 Pittsburgh Pirates is the first documented kicking specialist, although he did occasionally perform as a back and had 11 carries over two seasons.)

Cuff’s biggest day took place at the Polo Grounds on October 22 in front of the second-largest crowd in pro football history at the time. He was three-for-three on field goals and added a point-after, to give the Giants a seemingly comfortable 16-0 fourth quarter advantage over the Bears. However, Sid Luckman shredded the Giants normally stout defense. Nevertheless, while Chicago scored two quick touchdowns on only four plays, the Giants held on for the 16-13 win.

The 1939 Eastern Division Champion Giants were known as a “money team,” who pulled out close games with big plays at crucial moments. Cuff was one of Owen’s “money men,” and his seven successful field goals that season established a franchise high and helped further that reputation. Bears Owner and Head Coach George Halas later recognized Owen’s early emphasis on specialty as an important influence on overall strategy, “Steve was the first to stress the importance of defense and the advantage of settling for field goals instead of touchdowns. Every team strives today to do what Owen was doing twenty years ago.”

The new mark for the Giants longest field goal surprisingly came off the foot of Len Barnum. His 47-yard kick at the Polo Grounds against the Cardinals on November 11 eclipsed the standard twice set by Strong in 1934 and 1935 by three yards, and was the longest kick in the NFL in 1939.

Cuff led the NFL in field goals two more times in his career as a Giant, and broke Friedman’s point-after mark with 26 in 1943. Cuff was traded to the Cardinals after the 1945 season, and left as New York’s all-time leading scorer. The Giants retired Cuff’s #14 in 1946 [though it was temporarily brought back into service in 1961 for Y.A. Tittle.]

The NFL’s final successful drop-kick took place in the NFL Championship Game at Wrigley field on December 21. Ray McLean of the Bears tallied Chicago’s final point in a 37-9 win over the Giants when he drop-kicked the point after. The last drop-kick in pro football until the 2005 season took place on November 28, 1948 in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), but it was not by design. San Francisco’s Joe Vetrano lined up for a placement point-after in Kezar Stadium against Cleveland. The snap was low and the holder lost control of the ball. Amid the chaos, Vetrano scooped the ball, evaded the rush and successfully drop-kicked the ball through the uprights, a magnificent ad-lib performance.

Owen and the Giants took advantage of the war era’s relaxed substitution rules and lured Strong out of retirement in time for the 1944 season. It proved to be a fortuitous move for both sides. Strong led the NFL in field goals and the Giants won the Eastern Conference. Perhaps to underscore his intended role as a specialist, Strong insisted on not wearing shoulder pads or a helmet during games. Strong set the franchise record for point-afters with 32 in 1946 as the Giants again won the Eastern Conference. Strong retired for good after the 1947 season. Over the course of his final four seasons as a kicking specialist, he converted 102 of 104 point-after attempts in an era when misses were still commonplace. Strong’s #50 was retired in 1947 and he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

On October 7, 1945, a record that may prove unbreakable was set by Green Bay’s Don Hutson. In the second quarter of a game against Detroit at the Wisconsin State Fair Grounds, Hutson caught four touchdown passes and kicked five point-afters. The record 29 total points scored in one quarter still stands today. Hutson added two more point afters in the second half, bringing his total to 31 points on the day, which at the time was the second most points scored by an individual in a game after Never’s 40 point game.

Len Younce, an All-Pro tackle, was New York’s primary kicker in 1948. He struggled on field goals, converting just one of seven, but was 36 for 37 on point-afters which broke Strong’s record. Looking to improve in the field goal department, a unique specialist joined the Giants in 1949.

Perceived Handicaps as an Advantage

“The Toeless Wonder” Ben Agajanian is one of the most unique and influential kickers in pro football history. After losing four toes on his right foot in an elevator accident when he was in college, Agajanian had a cobbler fabricate a squared-off cleat for kicking. This actually may have provided an advantage for him as with the straight-ahead style he was able to get more surface area of his kicking foot onto the ball than other kickers. Agajanian broke his arm in a 1945 preseason game with Pittsburgh and became a kicking specialist for the remainder of his career. He spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC before joining the 1949 Giants.

Agajanian had an excellent first season in New York. He set the Giants field goal record with eight, and his 35 point-afters were just one short of tying Younce’s 36 from the previous season. However, he was released after the season. A kicking specialist was considered an impractical luxury on a 32-man roster. Versatility was still the rule of the day.

End Ray Poole filled the role capably for the next three seasons. Being a lineman, he had good range off his strong right leg, but he endured accuracy issues his first season. He did, however, prove himself to be reliable under pressure. On November 5, 1950, Poole capped off a furious come-from-behind effort at the Polo Grounds against Washington. New York trailed 21-14 late in the fourth quarter when they mounted an 89-yard march to a touchdown. Poole’s point-after tied the game at 21-21 with two minutes to play. Poole kicked off, and the Redskins made an ill-fated attempt at a razzle-dazzle play. Tom Landry intercepted a lateral following a pass completion on the Washington 41-yard line. Charlie Conerly completed a pass to the 33-yard line and Poole made the winning kick from 40 yards with four seconds on the clock.

Poole’s field goal accuracy greatly improved in 1951 and the Giants reaped the benefits. He established the new team mark for field goals in a season with 12, while tying the record for three field goals in a game twice during the season, and a third time in 1952 before retiring.

New York’s kicking duties in 1953 were shared by multi-purpose backs Randy Clay and Frank Gifford, who combined to covert three of 12 field goal attempts. A new coaching staff, headed by Jim Lee Howell, and rosters expanding to 33 created another opportunity for the specialist Agajanian, who had returned from retirement to kick for the Los Angeles Rams in 1953. During that season, Baltimore Colts Bert Rechichar set a new record for field goal length when he connected on a 56-yarder at Memorial Stadium against the Bears.

Agajanian seemed determined to redefine exactly what it meant to be a specialist. He maintained a house in California and wanted to be with his family and keep an eye on his private business interests as much as possible. Agajanian proposed to Howell that as a pure kicker he did not need to be present for the full week of practice. Howell complied, and Agajanian flew home on Sunday nights and returned to New York on Thursdays throughout the regular season.

No one had ever seen anyone as meticulous with his craft as Agajanian, which is probably why he was befriended by the analytical Landry. Agajanian broke down every aspect of kicking to a science. He was the first to insist the center snap the ball to the holder with the laces facing forward, even noting the number of revolutions the ball should make during its flight. He instructed holders on how to simultaneously turn the ball as they set it to the ground, straight up-and-down. Agajanian would only have the holder set the ball on an angle if there was a strong wind.

He also designed the bowed-line formation, with the outside blockers at the wing position, to kick-protect. Later, during his 24-year career as a kicking coach, Agajanian would develop the three-steps-back, two-steps-to-the-side set for the sidewinder approach to the ball. Landry said Agajanian did more to advance kicking than any other individual in history.

The acquisition of Agajanian in 1954 paid immediate dividends for New York. Agajanian advanced the Giants single-season field goal record to 13, and he twice kicked three in a game. Prior to the 1956 season, team management became disenchanted with his absence during the week and rescinded his traveling privileges. Agajanian retired from kicking, but agreed to coach his potential replacements Gifford and rookie punter Don Chandler during training camp. They struggled with the additional responsibilities during the first three weeks of the regular season and the Giants acquiesced on Agajanian’s demands and brought him back to New York. Not only did Agajanian retain his special dispensation to leave for the West Coast during the week, but he was reprieved during games as well. Chandler continued to handle kickoffs, as he possessed had a powerful leg. Agajanian’s role was refined to handling only field goals and point-afters.

Agajanian wore a tennis shoe on his planting foot and removed the cleats from his specialized kicking shoe to neutralize the effects of the frozen Yankee Stadium field during the NFL Championship Game against the Bears on December 30. His two first quarter field goals gave the Giants a 13-0 advantage on their way to a 47-7 rout, New York’s fourth championship and first in 18 years. He was cited in The New York Times game summary for his performance: “Then, too, there was 38-year old Ben Agajanian, whose exclusive assignment with the Giants is place-kicking. His talented toe accounted for 11 points. He booted five of six conversions – the lone failure was his first as a Giant – and two field goals.”

Ben Agajanian, New York Giants (1957)

During his final year with New York in 1957, Agajanian kicked the franchise’s first 50-yard field goal. The fourth quarter kick on October 13 not only broke Strong’s 17-year old record for the Giants longest field goal, it proved to be the longest field goal ever made in Washington’s Griffith Stadium. Agajanian retired to the West Coast after the season. He left the Giants with two team records aside from the longest field goal: the most point-afters with 160 and the most consecutive point-afters with 80. Agajanian was New York’s third highest career scorer with 295 points, after Strong’s 351 and Cuff’s 319.

Agajanian was again lured from retirement, this time by the Los Angeles Chargers in 1960. He kicked for five more teams until retiring for good in 1965, where he then embarked on a long coaching career. There have been several earnest attempts to get Agajanian elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recent years, but he has yet to receive the honor.

There were big shoes to fill following Agajanian’s departure. It was appropriate that they were filled by another kicker who wore a square-toed cleat.

A Star is Born

Pat Summerall was born with his right foot backward. Doctors performed an operation where the foot was broken, turned around and reset. It seemed unlikely that Summerall would become pro football’s first universally-celebrated kicking specialist when he was included in a trade with defensive back Linden Crow between the Chicago Cardinals and the Giants. Summerall was a two-way end who also had some kicking ability, but was erratic. He had never had a season where he converted 50% of his field goal attempts and often missed point-afters.

His mentor was Landry, who while serving as the Giants punter had spent time on the practice field with Agajanian. He observed Agajanian and engaged in discussions dealing with their respective crafts. Landry mentored Summerall his first camp with New York, and the new kicker acknowledged that as the turning point of his career. “Landry made sure that the center knew exactly how many times the ball had to spin between leaving his hand and being caught by the quarterback, so that when he put it on the ground, the laces would be facing away from me. That was the level of precision, and professionalism between teammates, that we were held to. Landry paid attention to every kick and every detail of what I was doing. He said if you miss to the right, this is what you’re doing wrong. If you miss to left, this is what you’re doing wrong. And when you practice, make sure you have someone who knows what’s going on because it doesn’t do any good to practice bad habits.”

The attention to detail paid off, as Summerall became a household name making big kicks in pressure situations, even if it was a role he did not necessarily relish. “I’m thinking if we keep making first downs they won’t have to call on me. Sometimes the pressure is terrible. If you miss, there’s no second chance. It’s as tough as being a pinch hitter in baseball.”

Summerall’s first climactic field goal served as an overture for New York’s now legendary 1958 season. At Yankee Stadium on November 9, the Giants engaged in a back-and-forth battle with the Colts, who were without Johnny Unitas. Having just yielded a touchdown that tied the game 21-21 in the middle of the fourth quarter, the Giants advanced. A mix of Gifford rushes and Conerly passes set the ball, 4th-and-3, at the Baltimore 21-yard line. The snap and placement were imperfect, but Summerall delivered. “When I saw the laces were facing the right sideline I knew I had to kick the ball a little to the left,” said Summerall. “The ball always fades to the side with the laces.” The kick went through at 2:40 and the Giants defense held on for the win.

This just set the stage for the dramatic season finale on a snow-covered field against the Browns (story here).

Summerall had one of the great seasons for a kicker in 1959. He had five games where he kicked three field goals, including a 9-3 win over the Cardinals where he accounted for all the Giants points. He also had another occasion where he was relied upon to finish a come-from-behind surge. On September 23 at the Los Angeles Coliseum, New York trailed the Rams 21-17 entering the final period. Summerall’s 14-yard field goal cut the lead to 21-20 with 13:30 left to play. The teams traded punts for the rest of the period before the Giants began their final advance. Conerly passed New York to the Los Angeles 11-yard line where the drive stalled with under two minutes on the clock. Summerall was good on his 18-yard attempt and the defense preserved the 23-21 victory.

Charlie Conerly (42) and Pat Summerall (88)

In 1959, Summerall became the first Giant to lead the NFL in field goals (20) since Strong in 1944. He also established a team record with 90 total points by a kicker. Summerall’s final season in 1961 saw him set a new franchise mark with 46 point-afters, of which the final 129 point-afters were made consecutively without a miss.

Double Duty

As is their tradition, the Giants looked to the familiar as they embarked upon a new era. Strong was brought in to mentor Chandler and Jerry Hillebrand during training camp. Typically, the straight-ahead kicker would line himself up approximately one-and-a-half yards behind the holder. On the approach, the kicker would take a short step forward with the kicking foot, a long, hopping step with the plant foot to generate forward momentum, then swing the kicking foot at the ball with the ankle locked and the foot in an upward facing position.

There was some frustration on Strong’s behalf as Chandler refused to lock his ankle, yet he repeatedly was good on his attempts, even from long distances. Despite his unorthodox style, Chandler was awarded the job, possibly to Strong’s consternation. Chandler said later, “Basically my technique is all wrong, I cut across the ball too much. They pointed it out to me when I was a rookie, but decided not to change me because I was getting good results.”

Ken Strong, New York Giants (1962)

Strong said, “Don has the most powerful leg drive I’ve ever seen. The most important thing I had to do was help him build confidence. Some years ago some other coach told him he would never become a good place-kicker because of the way he whips his foot across the ball. We had to get that idea out of his mind. After that it was just a matter of showing him the right steps and follow through.”

As punter and kicker, Chandler helped to save one of the Giants 36 roster spots. But he did more than that as his success as a kicker was both immediate and profound. He tied the Giants record for three field goals in a 29-13 win at Franklin Field in Philadelphia on September 23. In the rematch with the Eagles at Yankee Stadium on November 18, Chandler eclipsed the record when he made four field goals in a 19-14 win. Chandler kicked four more field goals in the Eastern Division clinching 26-24 win at Wrigley Field against the Bears.

Chandler became the first New York kicker to surpass 100 total points with 104 in 1962. He set a team record with 47 point-afters and added 17 field goals. As impressive as those marks were, they did not last long. In 1963 Chandler had 106 total points on 18 field goals and 52 point-afters, a franchise standard which still stands today.

A game ball was awarded to Chandler after his four-field goal effort in a 33-6 win at Cleveland on October 27. His workload on the day – aside from the four field goals – included three point-afters, eight kickoffs and two punts. On December 1 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Chandler set another team record with a 53-yard field goal. The kick came midway through the fourth quarter and tied the game with the Cowboys at 27-27. It also tied for the third longest field goal in NFL history at the time. New York went on to win 34-27. Chandler said, “I could have kicked a field goal from 60 yards today. The wind was that strong. My kick was good by at least 10 yards.”

Chandler slumped in 1964 after his back-to-back great seasons. He missed more field goals than he made and totaled just 54 points. After the season, Chandler requested a similar travel allowance for 1965 that had been granted Agajanian in the past. Chandler wanted time during the week to be at home in Oklahoma to attend his insurance business. Instead he was traded to Green Bay.

The Giants kicking situation in the 1965 season was an unmitigated disaster. Four players combined to convert four field goals in 25 attempts – a 16% success rate that wouldn’t even be considered adequate in the 1920’s. The step New York took to rectify the situation was a bold one, and it changed pro football forever.

The Catalyst for Revolution

Pete Gogolak was already a player of significant renown. He was an innovative place kicker on the Buffalo Bills AFL championship teams in 1964 and 1965. He led the AFL in field goals in 1965 and converted nearly 63% of his field goals overall. What distinguished him though was his angular approach to the ball. He became known as the first “sidewinder.”

However, Gogolak was not the first sidewinder in football. There were a handful of college players with a soccer background (as did Gogolak) in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s who experimented with the style, but they were mostly regarded as an eccentric curiosity and none advanced to the pro level.

After playing out his option with the Bills, Gogolak became a free agent. The AFL teams had a gentleman’s agreement not to sign one another’s players, but there was no such agreement between the rival leagues themselves. The Giants were the first team to contact Gogolak, and they offered him a contract that more than doubled his previous season’s salary, while the Bills offered just a modest raise. “I signed with the Giants and made three times as much as I made with the Bills. I signed for $35,000. They gave me a four-year, no-cut contract. Then you know what happened. The AFL started calling NFL players and the war started, and basically a few months later the two leagues merged. So maybe I started something. I not only started the soccer-style kick, but maybe I started the merger.”

Gogolak’s contract was the highest salary ever paid to a kicking specialist at that time. Wellington Mara stated that Gogolak’s agent assured the Giants that Gogolak was indeed able to be signed without any complication. Mara said, “We honor contracts of other organizations just like we honor the ones in our own league. We would not have talked to Gogolak, or any other player, without his becoming a free agent.”

Outrage from the AFL was expected, but not all within the NFL were congratulating the Giants on their coup. The Bears influential owner George Halas carefully stated his thoughts: “Legally there’s no question that the Giants had the right to sign Gogolak. But I think it was a mistake in judgment because of what it’s leading to [inferring a salary-escalating competition between the leagues]. But I also think this can be corrected in the future.” When asked if a mutual agreement could be established between the leagues, Halas said, “I don’t know, but I think it’s the logical thing to anticipate.”

Contrary to popular belief, Gogolak was not the first player to change leagues. In 1961, end Willard Dewvall left the Bears and signed with the Houston Oilers, but that move received little attention as Dewvall was not a player of Gogolak’s stature. Also, a player leaving the established NFL to an upstart league was not a new phenomenon. Many NFL players jumped to the AAFC in the 1940’s and to the Canadian Football League (CFL) in the 1950’s during bidding wars. The 1960’s NFL was still dominated by owners who had survived the hardships of the Great Depression and World War II by being frugal. But this unprecedented transaction of the NFL taking a player from a rival league at a significantly higher salary implied an acknowledgement of legitimacy toward the AFL. A future movement toward integration had become inevitable.

Political and business implications aside, Gogolak’s contributions to the game on the field are no less important. He was clearly a different breed. During practices he was segregated from the rest of the squad, and used a soccer ball as well as a football during warm ups. As a pure specialist with no other positional responsibilities, he admitted he often felt like an outsider. “It’s the way it’s always been for me,” he said. Head coach Allie Sherman was unconcerned. “He knows what it takes to get ready, that’s good enough for me,” said Sherman.

Part of his routine was refining the “touch” he felt was required by his craft, rather than lifting weights and running drills as other kickers in the past had done. Gogolak differed from contemporary kickers physically as well. He had a small frame that some perceived as frail. They thought he might be snapped in half if he ever attempted to make a tackle. Plus nobody understood how a little guy like that would be able to kick a ball as far as a larger man like Lou Groza, who had been an All-Pro tackle for the Browns early in his career.

Initially, scouts and coaches were skeptical of Gogolak and those who soon followed his path. Many doubted that these smaller men would be able to hold up over the course of a season or meet the demands of kicking off and making long-range field goals. In the traditional straight-ahead kicking style, with the toe of the kicking foot strikes the ball, the velocity behind the launch comes from the strength of the kicking leg, specifically the quadriceps muscle. This in part explains why larger men were successful at straight-ahead place kicking. It required minimal mobility in the direct approach to the ball, and it maximized their power potential.

The sidewinder approach (today known as soccer-style) offers two differences that over time became recognized as advantages: surface area and angular momentum. Gogolak explained his sidewinder style as being analogous to swinging a golf club. The sidewinder contacts the ball with the instep of his kicking foot. This gives him more ability to control the initial trajectory of the ball as it leaves his foot, a desirable effect when kicking through the wind. He also is afforded more margin for error in the event of a mis-strike or a last second adjustment if there is an errant snap or unstable hold. This explains the sidewinders’ superior accuracy.

The greater range might initially seem like a paradox, but it too is grounded in physics. The power originates from the torque created at the hip socket. This is where the golf club analogy applies. As the sidewinder approaches the ball from an angle, his first step toward the ball is with his kicking leg. His second step is a long stride with his plant leg. As the plant foot is set, the hip of the kicking leg is fully opened (externally rotated) with the knee deeply bent and the heel of the kicking foot pulled back. As he swings the foot toward the ball, the hip closes as the knee straightens, creating tremendous angular (or rotational) momentum from the full weight of the leg directed at the ball. This phenomenon is termed foot velocity.

With the increased surface area of the instep contacting the ball, the impact creates more force being directed into the ball. More directional control also creates more potential power. More muscle mass would ultimately detract from a sidewinder’s kicking ability. A minimal amount of strength is required; mobility and flexibility are maximized with this style.

Superior kicking ability did not often translate to more wins for the Giants during Gogolak’s tenure. Gogolak has more games played than any other Giants kicker, is the Giants all-time leading scorer and is first in the categories of point-afters and field goals made. Yet, he has only two game-winning kicks to his credit. The Giants teams of his era ranged mostly between mediocre and terrible.

Regardless of the team’s performance, Gogolak’s impact rippled through pro football quickly. After his first season in New York, his brother Charlie Gogolak was signed by Washington and Jan Stenerud by Kansas City. The sidewinder style of place kicking had taken root and in less than 10 years the straight-ahead style would be rendered near obsolete, with only a few aged veterans lasting into the 1980’s. All the kickers coming up from college used the new approach and were highly effective.

Gogolak was inducted into the Army in 1967, but was granted dispensation to have the weekends during the season off duty to play for the Giants. Once out of the Army in 1969, New York experimented with him as a dual specialist, as Chandler once had, as both the punter and place kicker. Gogolak’s kicking accuracy declined. After a Week 2 loss in Detroit where Gogolak missed two field goals, he was relieved of punting duties and New York spent the year rotating four different players at punter.

Tom Dempsey, a straight-ahead kicker for New Orleans, kicked a 63-yard field goal at Tulane Stadium on the game’s final play for a 19-17 win over Detroit on November 8, 1970. His record was considered unbreakable for many years. It was not tied until 1998 and was eventually eclipsed by one yard in 2013.

In 1970, Gogolak broke Summerall’s team record for field goals in a season when he connected on 25 attempts. He also recorded his first game-winning field goal when he broke a 24-24 tie at RFK Stadium with 1:52 to play for a 27-24 win over the Redskins on November 29.

Pete Gogolak, New York Giants (September 19, 1970)

During the 1972 season, his running streak of 133 consecutive point-after conversions came to an end. It was a franchise record and the fourth longest streak in pro football at the time. He also set a team record with eight point-afters in a 62-10 win over Philadelphia at Yankee Stadium on November 26.

Gogolak had another game winner that season in Yankee Stadium against the Cardinals, but his most pressure-packed kick came the next year in a game the Giants did not win. It was also the franchise’s last appearance in Yankee Stadium.

New York’s defense yielded a touchdown to the Eagles and trailed 23-20 with 1:52 to play on September 23. The Giants quickly advanced from their 15-yard line to Philadelphia’s 11-yard line on four pass completions, and used their final time out in the process. Two incompletions preceded a pass caught at the six-yard line with the clock running and the team scrambling. Center Greg Larson told The New York Times, “When I got to the line there were 14 seconds left but the Philadelphia players were taking forever to get back.” Gogolak saw four seconds on the clock “and got scared,” he said, as he set. The 14-yard kick salvaged a tie as time expired [there was no overtime in regular season play until 1974]. “It was a short kick, but it was a pressure kick. It’s the first time I’ve ever kicked a field goal on the last play of a game.”

Gogolak received the ultimate acknowledgement from the NFL prior to his final season in 1974 – they adopted new rules in attempt to minimize the soccer style of kicking he brought to pro football. The goal posts were returned to their pre-1933 location on the end line. Now that the hash marks were lined up with the uprights, field goals were becoming too commonplace and it was deemed necessary by the rules committee that the degree of difficulty needed to be increased. This was also true for kickoffs, which were moved back from the 40-yard line to the 35 to reduce the number of touchbacks.

After a 1974 season where his percentages dipped, Gogolak was released by the Giants during the 1975 training camp in favor of the younger, and cheaper, George Hunt. Gogolak said the rule changes did not directly affect his on-field performance, and that he had opportunities to play for other teams. But he said if the Giants cut him, he would simply retire and pursue the next phase of his career, rather than continue football.

The straight-ahead style of place kicking officially came to a close when Mark Mosely retired from the Browns after the 1986 season. The last straight-ahead kicks in the NFL occurred on September 13, 1987 at RFK Stadium. The Redskins starting kicker Jess Atkinson was injured during a first quarter point-after attempt. He was relieved by punter Steve Cox, who sometimes substituted on kickoffs and long range field goals. Kicking straight ahead, Cox was three-for-three on point afters in the game and also added a 40-yard field goal.

Every field goal and point-after in the NFL has been made with the sidewinder approach ever since, including Dough Flutie’s drop kick point-after made on January 1, 2006. Flutie used a never before seen hybrid technique on the attempt. After receiving the snap, he used the traditional three-step approach to the point of the kick, but did so diagonally and booted the ball over the crossbar with his instep. It was the perfect blend of Thorpe and Gogolak. The kicking game, for one poignant moment in time, had come full circle.