24 years ago today = Wide Right

That kick was right at his distance limit on grass. Norwood was 1 for 5 of kicks over 40 yards. Which would be terrible for today's standards but average back then.

Side note: Beckham kicked a 46 yarder before the Pro Bowl. It would have been good from 55 and the goal posts were closer together. LOL!

Went looking for the video of the kick after reading this thread and came across this comment:

Quote:

CaptainAndMolly5 months ago (edited) Norwood is such a piece of shit. His fucking team put up that miracle drive and he chokes it away, and crushes the heart's of his teammates, and also the fans. He deserves no sympathy whatsoever. I remember watching this with my dad, and he said he would've broken Norwood's jaw is he ever saw him. Norwood is a choke artist cunt, and I wish he would commit suicide. He didn't care about the fucking fans, or his team.

Man, that's some deep anger right there.
Scott Norwood misses the fieldgoal of his career - ( New Window )

I was at my buddy's ap't, and we took runs darting back and forth into the foyer away from the TV because the tension was so high. We were such underdogs and OJ fought like a terrier in that game, when we still had an old fashioned Giants d.

A moment I'll never forget is when we were backed up near our own goal line, I think deep into the third quarter, Hostetler (we were without Simms, which made the spread larger) was scrambling in his own endzone under huge pressure, and Bruce Smith broke free as Hostetler swung to his left, toward the near side of the EZ, Smith swiped at the ball and managed to grab Hostetler's right wrist, but amazingly Hoss didn't fumble, the ball never budged, and Hoss broke free to avoid the fumble, the sack, the safety. I don't recall what ensued on the next down, but in a game that tight, it was a huuuggge play.

To me that was the biggest play of the game. Hostetler NOT fumbling. Had that been a Bills touchdown instead of a safety we lose that superbowl.

to admit, I thought the Giants were toast after the safety.

25 years ago, kickers who could consistently nail 45+ yard kicks were pretty rare. It was a different era. Nowadays, virtually every kicker in the league makes 50 yarders, but that used to be a helluva kick.

In comment 12111667 Geomon said:

Quote:

Went looking for the video of the kick after reading this thread and came across this comment: Quote: CaptainAndMolly5 months ago (edited) Norwood is such a piece of shit. His fucking team put up that miracle drive and he chokes it away, and crushes the heart's of his teammates, and also the fans. He deserves no sympathy whatsoever. I remember watching this with my dad, and he said he would've broken Norwood's jaw is he ever saw him. Norwood is a choke artist cunt, and I wish he would commit suicide. He didn't care about the fucking fans, or his team. Man, that's some deep anger right there. Scott Norwood misses the fieldgoal of his career - ( New Window )

And that's the edited version. I wonder what he really thinks.

with a bunch of friends who had no allegiance to either team (very common when I was in my late teens in California). Up to that point, one in particular was rooting pretty hard for the Bills because he liked Thurman Thomas' and Andre Reed's games -- a valid reason as any when you're an impartial watcher. But when it was time for Norwood's kick he goes, "Aw fuck that guy, I'm gonna laugh when he misses it." He explained how he hated Norwood's celebrations whenever he made a routine kick, and how he was certainly the sort who'd crumble under that kind of pressure.

Pretty savvy foresight for a guy who was 17 at the time.

I am a pessimist by nature, and nowhere is that more true than during Giants' games.

But for some reason I was oddly confident when Norwood lined up because, as mentioned above, he was out at the limits of his range.

I figured with that, and the fact that it was on natural grass, and the immense pressure of the situation, I was sure he'd "over-kick" it and duck hook it.

That confidence vanished in an instant when he put a very solid kick on the ball.

The lesson to me? Optimism is just stupid. *grin*

I think you could make an argument that, based on the quality of play from both teams, this was the best Super Bowl ever.

We saw the most physical, well-played back to back NFL games in history...The NFC championship game at Candlestick and then the SB.

instead of dropping back to pass he might have taken it to the house. I know they were trying to save time and all but we were running the dime defense at the time. Pretty much conceding the run. Watch their final drive and the two times they handed off to Thomas he gashed us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT0r8wBL4QU - ( New Window )

He was putting all his chips down that the Bills just couldn't bring themselves to totally commit to the running game, and he was right. He was daring Buffalo to run, and they just didn't want to take advantage.

In comment 12111781 Greg from LI said:

Quote:

He was putting all his chips down that the Bills just couldn't bring themselves to totally commit to the running game, and he was right. He was daring Buffalo to run, and they just didn't want to take advantage.

Don't sell short the game Erhardt called on offense. "Shorten the game..."

In comment 12111781 Greg from LI said:

Quote:

He was putting all his chips down that the Bills just couldn't bring themselves to totally commit to the running game, and he was right. He was daring Buffalo to run, and they just didn't want to take advantage.

That's why that defensive plan is in the HoF.

Absolutely correct. The Giants had the ball for 40 minutes.
Sensational game plan with OJ Anderson chalking up first downs by the handful.

What a difference 5 yards makes. Bahr's kick vs SF the week before was 42 yards. It was just inside the left upright. Good from 47? Probably not. Norwood from 47 was just right. Good from 42? Probably.

Quote:

I have to admit, I thought the Giants were toast after the safety.

Was not looking good. 12-3 and giving the ball back to that offense. Huge defensive stop there. Just looked it up, it was a 3 and out. 3 incomplete passes. Kelly and the Bills really were reluctant to take what the defense was giving. If they had started running earlier they might have won handily. Some cojones on Belichick's part to play it the way he did.

Watching with my Dad and I told him Norwood wouldn't make it and I was confident he wouldn't. My Dad decides he's going to run quick to the bathroom before the kick and almost missed it. I ran outside and screamed running around the neighborhood. Had the same feeling after 42.

I feel old

What a stressful exciting 2 weeks of NYG football that was...

enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeFgq2xOMxg - ( New Window )

86 is a special Super Bowl then you see the other three NYG Super Bowls and how great they each were.. The giants played in and won 4 of the greatest Super Bowl ever played. Amazing.

History is forgetting how great Super Bowl 25 was. Many NYG fans put 42 ahead, and I get that to an extent because 42 was so ridiculously dramatic but 25 was the best super bowl of all time in my eyes. No turnovers, so many swings, just an awesome 60 minute display of postseason football. Literally a perfect game. From a pure football stand point 25 stands alone and it isn't even close.

I agree you will never see a better two weeks of postseason football than NYG @ the stick for the NFC title and one week later in Tampa.

the statistics were all against him making that FG, which he had never made from that distance on grass.

The Bills should have ran another play to get closer

In comment 12112258 Matt in SGS said:

Quote:

enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeFgq2xOMxg - ( New Window )

this guy posted a bunch of old NFC FULL GAMES on youtube

but that's still my favorite!

Ditto for NFC Championship games

The fans still say the Giants got lucky. They just don't get that we forced them to play our game. We kept their offense off the field and that was the key to the game.

in our NYG section my heart was beating out of my chest. I couldnt tell he had missed immediately from where I was sitting so I looked at our bench for a reaction. Im sure I hugged a few strangers. I had Lynch's radio call as my answering machine (dinosaur tech) msg for a yr after that.

In comment 12111773 USAF NYG Fan said:

Quote:

instead of dropping back to pass he might have taken it to the house. I know they were trying to save time and all but we were running the dime defense at the time. Pretty much conceding the run. Watch their final drive and the two times they handed off to Thomas he gashed us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT0r8wBL4QU - ( New Window )

I thought for sure we were sunk after the run that took them to the 30.

As for kickers hitting those long kicks, I think that started to change in the 90s with Janikowski, Hanson. That's when I remember kickers starting to hit 45+ with regularity.

We didn't call time out to ice the kicker. I'm not sure that ever works anyhow.