1973 New York Giants season
NFL team season
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The 1973 New York Giants season was the franchise's 49th season in the National Football League (NFL). The season saw the Giants attempting to improve on their 8–6 record from 1972. However, the Giants suffered one of the worst seasons in franchise history, finishing 2–11–1.
Yale Bowl (5 games)
| 1973 New York Giants season | |
|---|---|
| |
| General manager | Ray Walsh |
| Head coach | Alex Webster |
| Home stadium | Yankee Stadium (2 games), Yale Bowl (5 games) |
| Results | |
| Record | 2–11–1 |
| Division place | 5th NFC East |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | None |
The two wins were against the Houston Oilers and the St. Louis Cardinals while the tie was against archrival Philadelphia in week two. That was the last Giants game at Yankee Stadium, which underwent a multi-year renovation, requiring a temporary move to the Yale Bowl in Connecticut.[1] Palmer Stadium at Princeton University in New Jersey had also been considered.[2]
The Giants' two wins in 1973 equaled the second fewest the team had ever posted and it was their worst record since 1966 (1–12–1). To add injury to insult, former quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who was traded after the 1971 season,[3] led the Minnesota Vikings (12–2) to the NFC title; they defeated the Giants 31–7 in the Yale Bowl in the regular season finale.[4]
Fifth-year head coach Alex Webster, a longtime Giant running back, was forced to resign,[5] replaced in mid-January by Bill Arnsparger, the defensive coordinator of the two-time Super Bowl champion Miami Dolphins.[6][7]
The Giants were at the Yale Bowl again in 1974, moved to Shea Stadium in 1975 (co-tenant with the Jets, Mets, and Yankees), and to Giants Stadium in New Jersey in 1976.
Offseason
Draft
| 1973 New York Giants draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 40 | Brad Van Pelt * | Linebacker | Michigan State | |
| 3 | 69 | Rich Glover | Defensive tackle | Nebraska | |
| 5 | 119 | Leon McQuay | RB | Tampa | |
| 6 | 147 | Wade Brantley | DT | Troy State | |
| 7 | 172 | Rod Freeman | TE | Vanderbilt | |
| 8 | 198 | George Hasenohrl | DT | Ohio State | |
| 9 | 225 | Ty Paine | QB | Washington State | |
| 10 | 250 | Walter Love | DB | Westminster | |
| 11 | 275 | William Wideman | DT | North Carolina A&T | |
| 12 | 303 | Ron Lumpkin | DB | Arizona State | |
| 13 | 328 | Clifton Davis | RB | Alcorn A&M | |
| 14 | 353 | Brian Kelley | LB | Cal Lutheran | |
| 15 | 381 | Carl Schaukowitch | G | Penn State | |
| 16 | 406 | Ben Nitka | P | Colorado College | |
| 17 | 430 | John Billizon | DE | Grambling State | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Leo Gasienica | Quarterback | Rutgers |
Personnel
Staff / Coaches
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
Regular season
With Yankee Stadium undergoing refurbishment after the 1973 baseball season, the Giants played their final game there on September 23, against the Philadelphia Eagles, a 23–23 tie.[8] The Giants played their final five home games that season at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut.[9] On November 18, they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 24–13, their only victory ever recorded at Yale Bowl. They were winless in seven home games there in 1974, and moved to Shea Stadium for one season in 1975.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 16 | Houston Oilers | W 34–14 | 1–0 | Yankee Stadium | 57,979 | |
| 2 | September 23 | Philadelphia Eagles | T 23–23 | 1–0–1 | Yankee Stadium | 62,289 | |
| 3 | September 30 | at Cleveland Browns | L 10–12 | 1–1–1 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 76,065 | |
| 4 | October 7 | Green Bay Packers | L 14–16 | 1–2–1 | Yale Bowl | 70,050 | |
| 5 | October 14 | Washington Redskins | L 3–21 | 1–3–1 | Yale Bowl | 70,168 | |
| 6 | October 21 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 28–45 | 1–4–1 | Texas Stadium | 58,741 | |
| 7 | October 28 | at St. Louis Cardinals | L 27–35 | 1–5–1 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 47,589 | |
| 8 | November 4 | at Oakland Raiders | L 0–42 | 1–6–1 | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 51,200 | |
| 9 | November 11 | Dallas Cowboys | L 10–23 | 1–7–1 | Yale Bowl | 70,128 | |
| 10 | November 18 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 24–13 | 2–7–1 | Yale Bowl | 65,795 | |
| 11 | November 25 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 16–20 | 2–8–1 | Veterans Stadium | 63,086 | |
| 12 | December 2 | at Washington Redskins | L 24–27 | 2–9–1 | RFK Stadium | 53,590 | |
| 13 | December 10 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 6–40 | 2–10–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 73,328 | |
| 14 | December 16 | Minnesota Vikings | L 7–31 | 2–11–1 | Yale Bowl | 70,041 | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Standings
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Dallas Cowboys | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 6–2 | 8–3 | 382 | 203 | W3 |
| Washington Redskins | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 6–2 | 8–3 | 325 | 198 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5 | 8 | 1 | .393 | 3–4–1 | 3–7–1 | 310 | 393 | L1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4 | 9 | 1 | .321 | 3–5 | 4–7 | 286 | 365 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 2 | 11 | 1 | .179 | 1–6–1 | 1–9–1 | 226 | 362 | L4 |
| NFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Minnesota Vikings | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 6–0 | 10–1 | 296 | 168 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 6 | 7 | 1 | .464 | 3–2–1 | 6–4–1 | 271 | 247 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5 | 7 | 2 | .429 | 1–4–1 | 4–6–1 | 202 | 259 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 1–5 | 1–9 | 195 | 334 | L6 |
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Los Angeles Rams | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 5–1 | 9–2 | 388 | 178 | W6 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 4–2 | 7–4 | 318 | 224 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 2–4 | 4–7 | 262 | 319 | L2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 1–5 | 4–7 | 163 | 312 | L1 |