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Does Erik Howard's play receive enough recognition?

Eric from BBI : Admin : 6/28/2020 10:02 am
BigBlueVCR @BigBlueVCR

1 of the most underrated #NYGiants defenders in the Parcells championship runs was NT Erik Howard. He made the Pro Bowl in 1990 & in NFCC at SF made a key play splitting a double team & forcing a late fumble. Madden said it was the best play by a NT he's ever seen. #GiantsPride
https://twitter.com/BigBlueVCR/status/1277236207295094784 - ( New Window )
Howard was strong  
SGMen : 6/28/2020 10:08 am : link
We don't win a SB without him. That much I am pretty sure of as he was solid.

I think this year's team will have a strong DL. We need these guys to be "Howard 2.0" so to speak.
Erik Howard  
Jerry K : 6/28/2020 10:08 am : link
I’ve always felt he didn’t get enough credit.
Meh, I always  
section125 : 6/28/2020 10:08 am : link
thought Jim Burt was better. Yes, he had THE big play causing the fumble in the NFC Championship game. Why Madden thought that was the best play is beyond me. He made decent penetration and Roger Craig had a bad habit of fumbling with hard contact.
FWIW
Eric  
Jerry K : 6/28/2020 10:12 am : link
I remember Madden making that comment. Glad to hear it in that clip ... I was beginning to question my memory since it’s never in any of the highlights.
One of the best clutch plays in our 96 year history.  
Big Blue '56 : 6/28/2020 10:19 am : link
And agree, Jim Burt was better.
Of course a great play  
mittenedman : 6/28/2020 10:26 am : link
by Howard.

But something I just noticed from the reverse angle (never seen that before): Walsh has 2 blockers assigned to LT on this play. LT beats the TE, then big ol FB Tom Rathman has a clean shot & full of head of steam. Rathman bounces off LT like a fruit fly, who gets to the football and ends up recovering the fumble. If LT doesn't get there Craig has a great shot of recovering.

LT being LT.

2 great individual efforts beating double teams on the same play by Howard and Taylor.
The 1985-1991 teams had great depth. QB, RB, LB, D-line.  
Ivan15 : 6/28/2020 10:33 am : link
Even positions that didn’t have top talent had a lot of solid second level players. No real weaknesses.

Hard to do accumulate quality depth now.
I disagree - I thought Howard was better than Burt  
Greg from LI : 6/28/2020 10:48 am : link
Unfortunately, Howard wasn't 100% very often, having persistent back problems.
Burt left  
David B. : 6/28/2020 10:56 am : link
And the Giants D never missed a beat with Howard in there.
1986 RFK game  
bluepepper : 6/28/2020 11:51 am : link
Howard stepped in for injured Burt and no fall off to speak of. That's as a rookie. You'd have to be able to break down the film to see who was the better player overall between the two. I'd bet it's pretty close.
As painful as the Psarcik fumble was,  
Lurts : 6/28/2020 12:13 pm : link
given the time and place, against a great foe with the season on the line, Howard's strip of Craig led to ten times the joy.
It's on my top 5 plays list as a Giant fan.
Both Bill P and Bill B knew how to build deep rosters with loads  
Spider56 : 6/28/2020 12:54 pm : link
Of complementary players that could step up when needed. Vets like Everton Walls, Johnnie Cooks and OJA ... and young guys like Howard Cross and Myron Guyton as rookies ... all smart football players and well coached too.... hopefully JJ can master this skill as well.
Ive written this in several different threads on here  
mattnyg05 : 6/28/2020 1:23 pm : link
Howard is extremely underrated. I have watched a crap ton of old Giants games (thanks, YouTube!) and he was a fantastic player. Better than Burt when healthy.
Howard was pretty solid for a number of years  
LBH15 : 6/28/2020 1:24 pm : link
on defenses that had guys who got more media hype. I do give the nod to Jim Burt though as nobody went over 100 yards running on the Giants during his time.
I always marvel at that play when I re-watch that game.  
bceagle05 : 6/28/2020 1:32 pm : link
It was over. The Niners were just running out the clock. Roger Craig must still have nightmares.
Very Under-Rated Player  
M.S. : 6/28/2020 2:17 pm : link

That guy was a beast inside.

Big, strong, played low and played with fury!

Erik Howard every bit a GIANT!
RE: Of course a great play  
Matt M. : 6/28/2020 3:26 pm : link
In comment 14925745 mittenedman said:
Quote:
by Howard.

But something I just noticed from the reverse angle (never seen that before): Walsh has 2 blockers assigned to LT on this play. LT beats the TE, then big ol FB Tom Rathman has a clean shot & full of head of steam. Rathman bounces off LT like a fruit fly, who gets to the football and ends up recovering the fumble. If LT doesn't get there Craig has a great shot of recovering.

LT being LT.

2 great individual efforts beating double teams on the same play by Howard and Taylor.
2 guys double teamed and those are the two to combine for the play.
Probably not.  
St. Jimmy : 6/28/2020 3:32 pm : link
When I think of the Roger Craig fumble, I think of LT recovering it. You know who forced it, but the first thing to come to mind is who recovers it. Since the Giants won the game, I would even say Leonard Marshall's hit on Joe Montana is more celebrated than Howard's forced fumble. In the end, the fumble is what turned a lose into a win. It was getting late when that happened.
receive enough recognition?  
Torrag : 6/28/2020 5:15 pm : link
Yes. He was an above average player, not great.
One of the greatest and clutch plays in GIANTS history!  
Grey Pilgrim : 6/28/2020 5:41 pm : link
YES!
Howard and Dorsey  
Johnny5 : 6/28/2020 5:44 pm : link
Two of the biggest men I have ever seen in person. Just massive, MASSIVE dudes. I used to see Howard all the time in the neighborhood, walking his Pitbulls when I used to ride my bike around Mahwah. He lived right around the corner from my mother's house when she lived in Suffern. Absolutely gigantic person... lol
I thought Howard was better than Burt  
Optimus-NY : 6/29/2020 6:12 am : link
One of the strongest guys in the league, certainly stronger than Burt. Burt couldn't have made that play in the 90 Title Game.
Random Stat:  
mittenedman : 6/29/2020 8:41 am : link
Erik Howard was the Giants leading tackler in the 1990 Playoffs.
no it did not. everyone focused on LT running away with the ball  
Victor in CT : 6/29/2020 9:11 am : link
but Howard made the play. Madden was right, it was the best single example of NT play ever.
Erik Howard Play Was One of Top Two Or Three in Giants History  
Breaker : 6/29/2020 11:00 am : link
Stopping Niners in their quest for three peat was as important a game as any other given our rivalry and intense nature of our matchups. Parcells vs niners. Parcells always said that was his most satisfying win.
RE: Burt left  
x meadowlander : 6/29/2020 12:47 pm : link
In comment 14925765 David B. said:
Quote:
And the Giants D never missed a beat with Howard in there.
For a generation, Giants had solid DT's. Mendenhall, Archer, Bill Neill was excellent, Burt played much larger than his size, Howard was All Pro, Keith Hamilton was dynamite. The Parcell's/LT years, Giants ALWAYS had a great NT with that 3-4 D.
Erik Howard is one of my favorite all-time Giants  
LeonBright45 : 6/29/2020 6:07 pm : link
He was a better player than Burt. He was bigger, stronger, faster, and more versatile than Burt. Burt was a pure nose tackle who got by on tenacity and technique. Most of his "impact" plays were late hits and cheap shots like the one he put on Hostetler's knee. Erik Howard could play NT or DE in the 3-4 and he could play DT in 4 linemen sets like he did against the Bears in the 90' playoffs. He was also able to hold his own in a 2 man line like he did in the Super Bowl against the Bills, something that Jim Burt could've only dreamed of being able to handle like Howard did.
also....  
LeonBright45 : 6/29/2020 6:17 pm : link
Account for the size differentials between 86' and 90'

The 86' "Suburbanites" were all like 6-3 270 except for RT-Karl Nelson who played at 6-6 285. By 1990 the Giant O-linemen were all 300 pounders except for Center Bart Oates.

Jim Burt played at 6-1 260 while Erik Howard was 6-4 290 and while Howard made the play of the game Burt again could only make late hits and cheap shots.



Just give me half of those  
Carl in CT : 6/29/2020 10:02 pm : link
Players.
Just give me half of those  
Carl in CT : 6/29/2020 10:03 pm : link
Players.
RE: The 1985-1991 teams had great depth. QB, RB, LB, D-line.  
SGMen : 6/29/2020 10:10 pm : link
In comment 14925749 Ivan15 said:
Quote:
Even positions that didn’t have top talent had a lot of solid second level players. No real weaknesses.

Hard to do accumulate quality depth now.
Well said about depth.
I think Jim Burt's body of work overall was superior to E. Howard's.
RE: also....  
Angel Eyes : 6/30/2020 8:40 am : link
In comment 14926412 LeonBright45 said:
Quote:
Account for the size differentials between 86' and 90'

The 86' "Suburbanites" were all like 6-3 270 except for RT-Karl Nelson who played at 6-6 285. By 1990 the Giant O-linemen were all 300 pounders except for Center Bart Oates.

Jim Burt played at 6-1 260 while Erik Howard was 6-4 290 and while Howard made the play of the game Burt again could only make late hits and cheap shots.



I thought Howard was smaller, he’s listed in a couple places as 6-4, 275.
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