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Worst regular season loss in the past 40 years- 1988 v Jets

Matt in SGS : 6/4/2015 10:06 am
As I was finishing up another game review, I was talking to a friend and he asked if I would do any Giants losses (I try to avoid it). That led to a discussion of the worst regular season losses since they've moved to the Meadowlands.

Now, there have been plenty to choose from (many involving the Eagles in particular). But for me, the worst has to have been the 1988 loss to the Jets.

Observe:

- The Giants rebounded from the freak LT blocked FG/ Clyde Simmons return for a TD in OT against the Eagles to win their next 3 games and set them up at 10-5 going into the Jets game.
- A Giants win and they win the NFC East at 11-5.
- A Giants loss and a Eagles loss to Dallas wins the NFC East for the Giants at 10-6 and the Eagles out at 9-7
- A Giants loss and an Eagles tie wins the NFC East for the Giants in at 10-6 vs. 9-6-1 for Philly.
- A Giants loss and an Eagles win give Philly the NFC East. However, if the 49ers, who at 10-5 beat the 9-6 Rams, the Giants clinch a Wild Card. Problem, the 49ers did not need this game, they had already clinched.
- The Giants were matched up with the Jets, who at 7-7-1 had nothing to play for other than to be a spoiler, but had done well the previous week, beating the Colts, 34-16 and essentially knocking them out of the playoffs.

So what happens?

- The Giants fall behind 13-0 by the second quarter
- Phil Simms is sacked 8 times by the Jets, including 3 from a former replacement player named Ken Rose
- The Jets would take a 20-7 lead in the 3rd quarter on a Freeman McNeil TD
- The Giants battle back on two Simms TD passes, including a 4th quarter TD to Lionel Manuel to give the Giants a 21-20 lead.
- However, the Jets would get a great kickoff return to near mid field and then drive down on the Giants, converting a 3rd and 3 to Mickey Shuler and with a backup safety, Tom Flynn on Al Toon because Perry Williams was hurt with a neck injury earlier, Ken O'Brien floated the ball over his head for a TD. Giants lose 27-21.

Not only to the Giants lose to the hated NY Jets. But the Eagles beat Dallas 23-7 to win the NFC East. And later that night, the 49ers would play their starters early and take a 3-0 lead. And then they would pull them, and by the 4th quarter would be down 38-13 in Candlestick, prompting Phil Simms to say the "laid down like dogs" to keep the Giants out of the playoffs.

In all, why this was the worst for me:

- It was the final game of the regular season. There was no more regrouping, no more hope. Everything that could go wrong went wrong and the Giants were out.
- It happened to the friggin Jets. For fans too young to remember this, if you recall how much of a pain in the ass Rex Ryan was with his "we're in charge of NY now", keep in mind, he never actually beat the Giants and the 2011 loss pretty much ended his run. But Rex always played to the Jets fanbase of mouth breathing idiots. Those same idiots had complete bragging rights in 1988 and there was nothing we as Giants fans could do but take it. Parcells even later said that this was tough for Wellington Mara because he wanted it against the Jets as well.
- 1988 was an open year for a Super Bowl. The 1980s was all about the dominant team rampaging to a title. Except for 1988. If the Giants had made it in, they would have had as good a chance to win it all as anyone because the talent was watered down. Remember, this was a team that was hot entering the Jets game, they seemed to be peaking at the right time.

I still get reminded of this by my Jets fan friends. Granted, it's much easier to take it with 3 more Super Bowl Titles.

Dishonorable mention-

- 1988 Giants vs. Eagles
- 1989 Giants vs. Eagles
- 2010 Giants vs. Eagles
- 1978 Giants vs. Eagles (notice a pattern)
- 2006 Giants @ Titans
- 1997 Giants vs Ravens
- 2009 Giants @ Saints
- 1995 Giants vs. Cowboys
1988 49ers  
Giants2012 : 6/4/2015 10:10 am : link
Has to be on that list.
one that has always burned my ass was 2009 against the Panthers  
Greg from LI : 6/4/2015 10:14 am : link
Last home game in Giants Stadium. A who's who of Giants greats in attendence. A playoff berth still in play. So what happened? Matt fucking Moore torched them in a 41-9 blowout that effectively ended their season. Matt Moore!!! And a mediocre Carolina team with nothing to play for.

Maybe not the worst, but one of the most embarrassing, at least.
Matt  
Eric from BBI : Admin : 6/4/2015 10:16 am : link
Has to be on the list:

1985 in Dallas. Giants are up 14-7 and driving for another TD when Too Tall bats Simms' pass and Jim Jeffcoat plucks it out of the air and scores. The Giants fell apart until late in the game, but it was too late.
Jim Jeffcoat had two TDs in his career  
Greg from LI : 6/4/2015 10:18 am : link
Both were against the Giants. The play Eric cited was, I believe, the first time I ever heard my dad yell an f-bomb :)
1988 & 1989  
YorkAveGiant : 6/4/2015 10:18 am : link
are 2 seasons where they really couldve done something. i agree, that loss was terrible and they followed it up in 89 with what i consider the worst playoff loss in the last 40 years. the 02 niner loss is right there for sure, but those Simms/LT/Banks etc teams shouldve won more than just 2.
Greg from LI  
Eric from BBI : Admin : 6/4/2015 10:20 am : link
And that '85 Giants team was so much better than the Cowboys. We gave them both games that year (the other being a fumbled center exchange when we had the game in hand).

We should have won the NFC East that year.
That's quite a rundown  
Go Terps : 6/4/2015 10:23 am : link
I was only 10, but I do remember watching that one and being pissed. I remember the TD to Toon.

I keep coming back to Dallas at the end of 1993.
My two most painful and regretful losses were this 1988 game  
truebluelarry : 6/4/2015 10:23 am : link
vs the jets and the other is the 1993 OT loss to Dallas.

Combine the fact that they were to hated rivals that carried significant repercussions.

The Giants controlled their own destiny in both games and failed to capitalize. In 1988 they missed the post season, and in 1993 they missed an opportunity on the #1 seed and first round bye.

Losing to Seattle  
Tuckrule : 6/4/2015 10:25 am : link
When feeley blew 3 kicks and Shockey celebrated like an idiot
Eric  
Matt in SGS : 6/4/2015 10:26 am : link
Agree. And the 1985 Monday Night game at Giants Stadium was also a heart breaker. They looked like they had control when Simms threw 3 TDs in the 3rd quarter (including a 70 yarder to George Adams), to take a 26-14 lead. But a missed extra point and a bunch of Rafael Septien FGs in a 30-29 loss.

And that was part of the back to back Simms passing for 400 yards and then 500 yards in the Cincinnati...both losses.
A game that really pisses me off still  
Chris684 : 6/4/2015 10:27 am : link
was 2001 when we had the Greatest Show on Turf BEAT in the dome and let it slip away.

A game that Strahan completely dominated from start to finish.

We went on to lose to the Eagles the next week in back to back 1 point losses, and then later in the season lose in Philly after almost converting the old hook and lateral.

That season was full of pain but we were probably so numb to it all b/c of 9/11.
RE: Losing to Seattle  
idol-mind : 6/4/2015 10:28 am : link
In comment 12313689 Tuckrule said:
Quote:
When feeley blew 3 kicks and Shockey celebrated like an idiot


That sucked at the time, but Giants fans could at least take solace that they stood toe to toe with the top team in the NFC and could have won.

What we didn't know at the time was that the loss cost the Giants a bye, and that bye might have given an injured Antonio Pierce enough time to heal so the team wouldn't look like crap in the playoffs.
This was my first game in person.  
ballanda : 6/4/2015 10:28 am : link
I was 10, and all I remember is some idiot in a Gastineau jersey standing up on the railing of the 1st row mezz, taunting Giants fans, and getting doused with food and beer. Ah the good old days.
The only good thing  
BIG FRED 1973 : 6/4/2015 10:29 am : link
about that 1988 jets game was me and my dad getting on NFL films and being on the giants highlights for the 1988 season other than that it was a disaster ...Leaving the stadium I was crying my eyes out and some jets fan chic started yelling at me ,…Cry me a river you loser lol …Even though that was a jets home game we had some bad home losses in 1988 .Week vs san fran was awful so was the rams game and the philly game in the pouring rain
.  
Chef : 6/4/2015 10:38 am : link
And then they would pull them, and by the 4th quarter would be down 38-13 in Candlestick, prompting Phil Simms to say the "laid down like dogs" to keep the Giants out of the playoffs.

True Phil, but you still have to do your job and beat the team in front of you
RE: Greg from LI  
Victor in CT : 6/4/2015 10:39 am : link
In comment 12313678 Eric from BBI said:
Quote:
And that '85 Giants team was so much better than the Cowboys. We gave them both games that year (the other being a fumbled center exchange when we had the game in hand).

We should have won the NFC East that year.


I was at that game. The Giants kicked their asses all night. What a long ride back to Long Island that was.
No question  
sb from NYT Forum : 6/4/2015 10:40 am : link
...that loss knocked a great Giants team out of the playoffs. Simms, LT, Banks, Bavaro, Pepper, Joe Morris all in their primes. Prevented the team from asserting themselves as a dynasty.
RE: .  
Matt in SGS : 6/4/2015 10:42 am : link
In comment 12313720 Chef said:
Quote:
And then they would pull them, and by the 4th quarter would be down 38-13 in Candlestick, prompting Phil Simms to say the "laid down like dogs" to keep the Giants out of the playoffs.

True Phil, but you still have to do your job and beat the team in front of you


If Kenny Hill doesn't drill Mark Collins, the Giants beat the 49ers and they don't need them anyway.
2002 OT loss to Titans bothers me  
Eli Wilson : 6/4/2015 10:45 am : link
Blew 12 point 4th quarter lead. For some reason Fassel decides to go for 2 point conversion early in the 4th, which we of course do not get. Can't score a TD on 1st and goal from the 1 late in the 4th and settle for a FG. Allowed an 80 yard TD drive with 2 minutes left. Blew a good kickoff return to start OT.

It was almost like a preview of our disaster against the 49ers in the playoffs later that year.

I literally destroyed my TV remote after that game, which is not something I ever did before or since.
Matt, all those games sucked, but for pure shock value, the Fumble  
Victor in CT : 6/4/2015 10:48 am : link
in '78 takes the cake. '88 was disappointing because it cost a playoff berth and we had to listen to the asshole Jet fans rejoice as though they actually won something. Idiots. I'll always love Simms for calling out the Niners for laying down.
Eli Wilson  
Tuckrule : 6/4/2015 10:49 am : link
Was that the game the whole stadium knew McNair would run it for the 2 point conversation and went untouched into the endzone
Why do we constantly want to ....  
Hades07 : 6/4/2015 10:58 am : link
...relive bad losses around here?
Honorable mention no one had brought up  
Greg from LI : 6/4/2015 10:58 am : link
2003 versus Dallas.
some others:  
Enzo : 6/4/2015 10:59 am : link
2012 vs Redskins: fluke TD off a RGIII fumble basically cost us the division
2006 vs. Titants: blow 21-0 second half lead to Vince Young of all people
2005 vs. Seahawks: Feely.
RE: some others:  
Enzo : 6/4/2015 11:01 am : link
In comment 12313774 Enzo said:
Quote:
2012 vs Redskins: fluke TD off a RGIII fumble basically cost us the division
2006 vs. Titans: blow 21-0 second half lead to Vince Young of all people
2005 vs. Seahawks: Feely.

duh, the OP already mentioned the Titans collapse.
Matt  
Marty866b : 6/4/2015 11:03 am : link
I was at that Jet game and that was one very tough loss. Everything was at stake but we were banged up in the secondary. I believe Collins was out also.
100% agree with  
bluepepper : 6/4/2015 11:04 am : link
Matt. This for me is by far the worst loss. Felt especially bad for Phil. The headlines the next day should have been "Simms Engineers Brilliant 4th Qtr Comeback" instead they were "Simm Whines about 49ers Resting Starters".

The Phil McConkey fumble always stuck in my craw. He was your basic good hands guy returner. Never a threat to break one, the only reason he was back there was not to fumble. And he coughs one up in a huge spot. Kind of like Calloway with the onside kick in 1997. It's one thing if an OBJ or Dave Meggett type muffs one but for these guys it's like a game manager Danny Kanell type QB throwing interceptions.
Tuckrule  
Eli Wilson : 6/4/2015 11:06 am : link
Yeah - that's the game
RE: A game that really pisses me off still  
Giants2012 : 6/4/2015 11:08 am : link
In comment 12313694 Chris684 said:
Quote:
was 2001 when we had the Greatest Show on Turf BEAT in the dome and let it slip away.

A game that Strahan completely dominated from start to finish.



Good call Chris. That one ticks me off too. I can't remember what happened but I recall some type of blown call by the ref or something. The Rams receivers didn't even allow the Giants to tackle them. They just caught the ball and hit the deck all day long. That was a very frustrating game.
RE: Eli Wilson  
Bobby Humphrey's Earpad : 6/4/2015 11:08 am : link
In comment 12313751 Tuckrule said:
Quote:
Was that the game the whole stadium knew McNair would run it for the 2 point conversation and went untouched into the endzone


YES, and I was in that corner of the stadium along with 80,000 other people screaming "QB draw."
I never forgave Jurevicius for that Rams game  
Greg from LI : 6/4/2015 11:09 am : link
.
RE: RE: A game that really pisses me off still  
TheEvilLurker : 6/4/2015 11:11 am : link
In comment 12313799 Giants2012 said:
Quote:
In comment 12313694 Chris684 said:


Quote:


was 2001 when we had the Greatest Show on Turf BEAT in the dome and let it slip away.

A game that Strahan completely dominated from start to finish.





Good call Chris. That one ticks me off too. I can't remember what happened but I recall some type of blown call by the ref or something. The Rams receivers didn't even allow the Giants to tackle them. They just caught the ball and hit the deck all day long. That was a very frustrating game.


Was that the "Tackle by the Helmet" call? I still remember that, as well as Dayne getting punched under the pile.
agreed  
djm : 6/4/2015 11:21 am : link
88 was the worst reg season loss ever. I was there that day. Awful.
RE: one that has always burned my ass was 2009 against the Panthers  
Giants4246 : 6/4/2015 11:23 am : link
In comment 12313663 Greg from LI said:
Quote:
Last home game in Giants Stadium. A who's who of Giants greats in attendence. A playoff berth still in play. So what happened? Matt fucking Moore torched them in a 41-9 blowout that effectively ended their season. Matt Moore!!! And a mediocre Carolina team with nothing to play for.

Maybe not the worst, but one of the most embarrassing, at least.


Brutal loss, if i recall correctly it was the week before in Minnesota where a brett favre led vikings team drilled the giants. 2 of the most putrid fucking games a team could possibly play.
RE: RE: one that has always burned my ass was 2009 against the Panthers  
Victor in CT : 6/4/2015 11:27 am : link
In comment 12313825 Giants4246 said:
Quote:
In comment 12313663 Greg from LI said:


Quote:


Last home game in Giants Stadium. A who's who of Giants greats in attendence. A playoff berth still in play. So what happened? Matt fucking Moore torched them in a 41-9 blowout that effectively ended their season. Matt Moore!!! And a mediocre Carolina team with nothing to play for.

Maybe not the worst, but one of the most embarrassing, at least.



Brutal loss, if i recall correctly it was the week before in Minnesota where a brett favre led vikings team drilled the giants. 2 of the most putrid fucking games a team could possibly play.


Total dog jobs by that team.
Indeed they did  
Greg from LI : 6/4/2015 11:31 am : link
The last two weeks of 2009, the Giants were outscored 85-16.
Simms really had a great year in 88  
djm : 6/4/2015 11:37 am : link
the running game wasn't nearly as effective as years prior or years after, 88 was the OL transition year. Only averaged 3.4 YPC that year. Simms really carried that offense -- Manuel and Baker combined for 1700 yards and 105 receptions. Bavaro was Bavaro. Simms deserved a better fate that 88 season. 21 - 11 TD to INT 3359 yards passing in only 15 games. In 88 that's a big time season.
2006 Titans was the worst for me,  
Big Blue '56 : 6/4/2015 11:37 am : link
but given that the '88 game directly impacted making the playoffs, that was worse given its significance, imo
2010 Eagles  
mattlawson : 6/4/2015 11:40 am : link
period....
I was there  
bluesince56 : 6/4/2015 11:45 am : link
Sick feeling leaving the Stadium as dopey Jets fans mocked us.
'88 also featured  
bluepepper : 6/4/2015 12:45 pm : link
the Eagles OT loss where we blocked a FG and they ran it in....haven't seen that one happen again. And the 49'er Montana-Rice last minute TD after the db's collided. Brutal year. We could have easily been 13-3 (though we also had a couple of crazy wins like the Atlanta game that Matt did a few months back).
RE: '88 also featured  
Big Al : 6/4/2015 1:07 pm : link
In comment 12313989 bluepepper said:
Quote:
the Eagles OT loss where we blocked a FG and they ran it in....haven't seen that one happen again. And the 49'er Montana-Rice last minute TD after the db's collided. Brutal year. We could have easily been 13-3 (though we also had a couple of crazy wins like the Atlanta game that Matt did a few months back).
That Rice TD won me my fantasy football pool that week and made me vow never to play fantasy football again.
Matt  
Eric from BBI : Admin : 6/4/2015 1:26 pm : link
probably because I was young and less scarred at that point, but those two Giants-Cowboys losses took a lot out of me that year.

But probably the worst overall season to me as a whole was 2006. Some of those losses were just mind-boggling. By the end of that season, I was shot.
RE: Honorable mention no one had brought up  
idol-mind : 6/4/2015 1:30 pm : link
In comment 12313771 Greg from LI said:
Quote:
2003 versus Dallas.


That was brutal at the time, but it takes the edge off knowing that the Giants were going nowhere that season and that without blowing that game they never land Eli in the draft.
RE: 2010 Eagles  
idol-mind : 6/4/2015 1:31 pm : link
In comment 12313855 mattlawson said:
Quote:
period....


I'm okay with that only because it directly led to the 2011 Super Bowl. And because it's the last game with any real significance that Andy Reid won with the Eagles.
1995 Giants Cowboys  
Big Al : 6/4/2015 1:49 pm : link
Red Cashion sucks. My all time least favorite Cowboys ass kissing referee Take your annoying showboating first down calls and phantom holding calls and go fuck yourself.
RE: Matt  
Big Blue '56 : 6/4/2015 1:55 pm : link
In comment 12314075 Eric from BBI said:
Quote:
probably because I was young and less scarred at that point, but those two Giants-Cowboys losses took a lot out of me that year.

But probably the worst overall season to me as a whole was 2006. Some of those losses were just mind-boggling. By the end of that season, I was shot.


Agreed about 2006 even though we brought the Eagles to that playoff OT in their house..It was very draining
those '85 Cowboy losses  
bluepepper : 6/4/2015 2:01 pm : link
were brutal. We were a much better team but they were still the Cowboys and Landry had them winning on fumes. Wondered if we would ever overtake them. Next season settled that.
Still Think 88 Jets Loss  
clatterbuck : 6/4/2015 2:21 pm : link
was one of Simms, greatest, guttiest games of his career. He put the team on his back in the 4th Q and should have had a great win. I'd put that game along side SB XXV and 4th and 17, in defining what kind of QB he was.
This thread depresses me...  
bradshaw44 : 6/4/2015 2:48 pm : link
Not sure why I opened it.
It was tough but there is one big factor that tempers the devestation  
DaveFromNewMexico : 6/5/2015 4:21 am : link
The team wasn't that great, Parcells has said on numerous occasions that particular team thought they were better they really were. Even with all the heartbreak that year they won a bunch of games they had no business winning. At Dallas, won on a safety that wasn't a safety, Both Washington Games especially the 2nd one, Both Detroit Games, especially the 2nd one The Atlanta Game, and finally The New Orleans Game, Offensive ineptitude that would make Joe Pisarcik blush.When I look back at all my Giant heartache, 88 is down there especially compared to the next year, '02, '08 and '10
88 was the worst loss  
Essex : 6/5/2015 6:09 am : link
Only thing that compared was 2010 Eagles and 93 Cowboys. We had no business hanging with the boys but Reeves playing for a tie will always bother me. If we win, I still doubt we go to the Super Bowl, but we would have had a much better shot at it.

The 1985 team was not beating the Bears no matter what we did against the Cowboys.
Didn't Parcells write or say that that '88 team was running on fumes?  
SanFranNowNCGiantsFan : 6/5/2015 6:53 am : link
And them missing the playoffs in '88 made them realize they had to get younger & replace some people. If that doesn't happen, maybe we don't win it all in '90.
early-mid-70s loss to the redskins/1970 loss to cowboys  
xtian : 6/5/2015 5:25 pm : link
that 88 jet game did pop in my mind first. but i'm going really old school. i remember these because of 2 horrible calls by the refs that changed the game.

1. not sure of the year, but the lousy giants were beating the heavily favored over-the-hill-gang redskins when ron johnson ran 10 yards for a 1st down. the redskins stopped him but he didn't go down. after 4 or 5 redskins pushed and carried johnson back to the line of scrimmage, lb chris hanburger stole the ball. i remember laughing, 'ha! good try ham-burger' but for some bizarre reason the refs ruled it a fumble. i couldn't believe i had seen such as obvious and bad call. completely changed the momentum of the game and the giants went on to lose. i researched it, i believe it was 1973, the giants were up 21-3 and lost 27-24.

1. 1970 the giants lose to dallas cowboys again on a momentum changing call. the refs ruled that a fran tarkenton to aaron thomas TD was out of bounds when in fact he was clearly inbounds. the refs mistakenly took the design lines which were straight and ran parallel to the endzone line to be the end of the endzone [they don't allow that kind of endzone design any more maybe even because of this game]. i researched it and the giants were up 10-0 and eventually lost 28-10, but that TD came when the giants were down 14-10 and would have put them ahead 17-14. instead gogolak misses the FG and then a few plays later wr lance rentzel throws a 58-yd TD to bob hayes and now the cowboys are up 21-10. hayes tacked on another TD from staubach. giants end up 9-5 one game behind the cowboys who won the division.
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