After a dismal 1992 that featured he who shall not be called by name, four different QB's play in one season, LT tear his Achilles Tendon and some of the worst football in Giants history. The coach and dumb defensive coordinator were let go and Dan Reeves came to town with a young Mike Nolan as his defensive coordinator. The offense featured the return of Phil Simms as the starting QB as Jeff Hostetler was allowed to leave via Free Agency for the Raiders.
New wide receivers Mark Jackson and Mike Sherrard were brought in and joined Ed McCaffery and Chris "Cab" Calloway and the offensive line paved the way for Rodney Hampton, Lewis Tillman and Dave Megget.
The defense featured many starters from Super Bowl 25 including LT, Mark Collins, Erik Howard, Myron Guyton, Greg Jackson and some new additions including Mike Fox, Keith Hamilton (92), Phillipi Sparks, Carlton Bailey and Michael Brooks.
The Giants got off to a great start defeating Dave Wannstedt's Chicago Bears. Wannstedt who turned down the Giants coaching job. LT had two sacks, Simms was 24/34 for 277 yards with TD passes to Jackson and FB Jarrod Bunch.
The team made quick work of the Bucs in week 2, 23-7 and defeated the Rams 20-10, going into their bye week 3-0.
A prime time loss to Buffalo in week 5 saw Hampton injure his knee as the team lost 17-14. The following week was the Phil Simms show as the Giants Thrashed Washington 41--7. Simms was 14 for 17 for 182 yards and three TD's and Megget threw a 42 yard half back pass to Sherrad.
Week 7 saw the Giants defeat the Eagles 21-10. This game was famous for two reasons. First Sherrard injured his hip as the turf monster got him on a 51 yard catch and run and that proved to be his last play of the season, changing the Giants passing game. The game also featured the first career sack of one Michael Strahan.
Week 8 was odd as the Giants had their second bye of the season as '93 featured each team having two byes. The Giants were 5-1.
After the bye, the Giants lost two straight to make their record 5-3. A 10-6 snooze fest to Boomer Esiason's NY Jets and a 31-9 tail kicking to the Cowboys in Texas stadium. This game featured the end of Steve DeOssie's NYG career and Sean Landetta's punting career with NYG.
The team recovered with a six game winning streak to bring their record to 11-3. First up was another matchup with the Redskins. Megget threw another TD pass, this time to Calloway as the Giants beat the Skins 20-6.
The next win was against the Eagles in a slow game, 7-3. Simms threw a 26 yard 4th Quarter pass to Jackson to seal the win. The next week was a home game against the Phoenix Cardinals which feature Brad Daluiso kicking a 54 yard FG to win the game 19-17 with seconds remaining. The game was also the last 300 yard passing game of Phil Simms career as he went 22 of 41 for 337 yards and one TD to Ed McCaffery.
A trip to Miami was up next against Don Shula's Dolphins. With Dan Marino out with an Achilles tear, back up Scott Mitchel had an injury and thus the Dolphions were led by future Giant QB coach Steve Deberg. The Giants won 19-14.
A 20-6 win vs Indianapolis sent the Giants to New Orleans for Monday night football. This game featured the first interception of Jessie Armstead's career, an LT sack, two TD's from Phil Simms and a 75 yard Punt return by Megget, after which he gave the football to a young disabled child in the front row. One unique note about this game, Dave Brown was elevated from the 3rd string QB to the 2 string QB and received some late playing time.
The Giants were in first place with an 11-3 record.
The Giants traveled west to play the Cardinals and were caught looking ahead to a week 18 match up with Dallas.
Losing 17-6, the Giants now had a home game with Dallas for the division title and home field throughout the playoffs as Jimmy Johnson's 11-4 Cowboys came to Giants Stadium to play the 11-4 Giants.
Emmitt Smith had a monster game after hurting his shoulder with 32 carries for 168 yards and caught 10 passes for 61 yards and Dallas's only TD. Rodney Hampton had 30 carries for 114 yards and 3 catches for 47 yards. Simms was 16 of 25 for 207 yards, A bonehead penalty by Brian Williams late in the game cost the Giants who ultimately lost in overtime 16-13. The game also featured LT's final sack at Giants stadium and the final sack of his Giants career.
The playoffs were next and a first round wild card game at a cold Giants stadium was next. Behind a fabulous performance by Rodney Hampton of 161 yards and 2 tds, Simms was efficient on a windy day going 17 of 26 for just 94 yards. The wind was fierce that day and WR Mark Jackson felt the wrath of Giants fans, failing to get out of bounds late in the 1st quarter when the Giants had a the wind at their back, and caused the quarter to end as the Giants were driving.
Sadly the promising season came to an end the next week in San Francisco as Ricky Waters rushed for 118 yards and 5 tds. A painful 44-3 loss ended the Giants season. This was the last game played by both LT and Phil Simms. Simms planed to come back but instead was cut by the Giants in June of '94.
I have always wondered what would have happened in '93 had Sherrard stayed healthy. Who knows.
Hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane.
I was upset with Reeves and his conservative play calling at the end of the Dallas game. That game should have never gone into OT; Bad breaks and playing not to lose cost the Giants a bye and who knows what may have been? I also remember pulling hard for Phil Simms to throw a TD pass because I wanted to witness him throw his 200th TD pass as a Giants QB. He never did, who knew then that he would not return in 1994 as the Giants QB. I'm pretty sure he ended up with 199 TD passes for his career. I also remember how many layers of clothing I had to wear for that Vikings game that following week because it had snowed and this Florida boy was no longer used to the cold and the elements.
Thanks for bringing back some great memories as it was the only time I ever attended back-to-back Giant games and as it turned out I would never make it back to attend another Giants game, at least now up there.
Season opener @ Bears- http://bigbluevcr.blogspot.com/2012/06/1993-giants-bears.html
@ Dolphins- http://bigbluevcr.blogspot.com/2013/11/1993-giants-dolphins.html
vs Cardinals- The Daluiso long FG to win http://bigbluevcr.blogspot.com/2015/07/1993-giants-vs-cardinals.html
vs. Vikings- Wild Card game. http://bigbluevcr.blogspot.com/2013/06/1993-giants-vs-vikings.html
Indeed and in that last game at the stadium the Cowpukes were still triple teaming LT...
I can remember the loss to Dallas with Emmit Smith and I believe his fake shoulder injury. I also remember feeling bad for LT and Simms losing their last game of their careers that way. By the time the Giants played in SF, they were physically shot.
Reeves the did his best to bring in e dry single horrid player he could from Denver.
I was at that Miami game. Made some $$ off of the Phin fans. They have pretty much sucked since. We have had some great years in between
Reeves the did his best to bring in e dry single horrid player he could from Denver.
I was at that Miami game. Made some $$ off of the Phin fans. They have pretty much sucked since. We have had some great years in between
I was at that Miami game as well with my Dad and younger brother, both gone now..Deberg was their QB after Marino was out with the achilles
Greg, I"m going to review that one next offseason. Meggett threw a long TD pass to Sherrard and Corey Miller had a crazy INT where he jumped up and picked off a screen pass. That was a fun game.
But, proof that a stopped watch is right twice a day, he ended the QB problem by committing to Simms.
But, proof that a stopped watch is right twice a day, he ended the QB problem by committing to Simms.
Victor,
To be fair, it wasn't just Reeves, the entire team knew it as well. There was an interview with Simms a little while back, and he mentioned during that last game against Dallas, he was talking to Bart Oates on the sidelines and said that the Giants needed to win and get home field advantage, because they only way they were going to win in the postseason is if they played at home in the cold/wind of Giants Stadium. They knew they couldn't win on the road. That Niners game was horrendous on every level.
3 head coaches in 23 years.
During the same period the Eagles have had 4.
The Cowboys have had 7.
The Redskins have had 9!
Greg, I"m going to review that one next offseason. Meggett threw a long TD pass to Sherrard and Corey Miller had a crazy INT where he jumped up and picked off a screen pass. That was a fun game.
I'm looking forward to it.
Video link - ( New Window )
WTF? The link is only a little more than an hour old@
Simms ended with 199 career TD passes, if Sherrard doesnt go down, he throws many more
Gordon's voice was perfect and equally dramatic....a great listen on WNEW which I did every week the Giants were not on local TV here.
The one thing Gordon wasn't good at: spotting where the ball was after a play.
But, proof that a stopped watch is right twice a day, he ended the QB problem by committing to Simms.
Not sure they rolled up on offense.
The defense was overwhelmed that day, and couldn't stop the Niners in any phase of the game. This Giants team wasn't winning a shootout, and the Niners were way more advanced on offense then we were.
The 1993 was a good team, but not a very good to terrific team IMO.
That approach also ruined Hampton's career. He is my all time favorite Giants RB (I only go back to the late 70s as a fan, and really more the 80s).
Some great blocking, esp. Calloway all the way down the field.
Jackson was solid for much of '93. Losing Sherrard hurt. Brooks was a very good ILB in '93 and '94. Bailey was never a Broncos. Horan sucked. Treadwill/Daluiso combo was fine. Tommy Maddox was a joke, but so was every other QB back then (Brown, Graham, Kanell)
I didn't like Jackson much either. Brooks was the only one who played well for them.
I didn't like Jackson much either. Brooks was the only one who played well for them.
ugh..don't remind me of that..cutting Ed McCaffery Po'd me at that time.