1991 New York Giants season
NFL team season
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The 1991 New York Giants season was the franchise's 67th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the first under head coach Ray Handley. The Giants entered the season as the defending Super Bowl champion but failed to qualify for the playoffs. They were the eighth team in NFL history to enter a season as the defending Super Bowl champion and miss the playoffs,[1] and became the first organization in NFL history to do so twice (the Giants missed out on the playoffs a season after winning Super Bowl XXI as well).
| 1991 New York Giants season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Wellington Mara Robert Tisch |
| General manager | George Young |
| Head coach | Ray Handley |
| Home stadium | Giants Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–8 |
| Division place | 4th NFC East |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | C Bart Oates |
The 1991 season marked the first season that the Mara family did not have total ownership of the Giants. Wellington Mara's nephew Tim, who had inherited the half-stake in the team that his grandfather and namesake had given to Tim's father Jack, decided that he no longer wanted to be involved with the team after 26 years, most of which had been spent feuding with his uncle over the team's operations. On February 2, 1991, shortly after Super Bowl XXV, Tim Mara announced he had sold his family's stake in the team to businessman Bob Tisch, the co-founder of Loews Corporation and former United States Postmaster General. Tisch did not take an active role in the operations of the team, instead choosing to focus on the team's finances; this enabled the Maras to keep control of the football side of the team and allowed Wellington Mara's son John to take a more active role with the Giants.[2]
The 1991 season also saw major changes to the Giants' coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Bill Belichick left the team to become the head coach of the Cleveland Browns shortly after the Super Bowl.[3] Head coach Bill Parcells retired in May and was replaced by the team's former running backs coach Ray Handley.[4]
During the Giants' previous season Phil Simms entered the year as the starter and started the first fourteen games of the season. In the course of that fourteenth game, where the Giants hosted the Buffalo Bills, Simms suffered a severe foot injury and backup Jeff Hostetler took over and led the Giants through the playoffs and to their Super Bowl victory over those same Bills.
Simms did recover from his injury and was expected to regain his starting position, but Handley decided to make Simms and Hostetler compete for the position. Handley made his decision prior to the Giants' week one matchup with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football and gave the starting job to Hostetler amid some controversy. Hostetler led the Giants to 6 wins in his eleven starts, but broke his back during a week 13 win against Tampa Bay. Simms returned to finish the game, but went 2–3 as Giants starter the remainder of the year and the Giants fell out of the playoffs.
Offseason
After the 1990 season, in which the Giants won the Super Bowl, the Giants lost several members of their coaching staff. In addition to Parcells and Belichick,[6] wide receivers coach Tom Coughlin took the head coaching position Boston College; he was said to have been the first choice to replace Parcells and would have done so had he not left the Giants.
NFL draft
| 1991 New York Giants draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Jarrod Bunch | RB | Michigan | |
| 2 | 55 | Kanavis McGhee | LB | Colorado | |
| 3 | 83 | Ed McCaffrey * | WR | Stanford | |
| 4 | 111 | Clarence Jones | T | Maryland | |
| 5 | 139 | Anthony Moss | LB | Florida State | |
| 6 | 167 | Corey Miller | LB | South Carolina | |
| 7 | 195 | Simmie Carter | DB | Southern Miss | |
| 8 | 223 | Lamar McGriggs | DB | Western Illinois | |
| 9 | 250 | Jerry Bouldin | WR | Mississippi State | |
| 10 | 278 | Luis Cristobal | G | Miami | |
| 11 | 306 | Ted Popson | TE | Portland State | |
| 12 | 334 | Larry Wanke | QB | John Carroll | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Roster
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 5 | Buffalo Bills | W 23–17 | 1–0 | Giants Stadium |
| 2 | August 10 | at Cleveland Browns | L 10–16 | 1–1 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium |
| 3 | August 17 | New York Jets | W 24–10 | 2–1 | Giants Stadium |
| 4 | August 24 | at New England Patriots | L 3–24 | 2–2 | Foxboro Stadium |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 2 | San Francisco 49ers | W 16–14 | 1–0 | Giants Stadium | Recap | ||
| 2 | September 8 | Los Angeles Rams | L 13–19 | 1–1 | Giants Stadium | Recap | ||
| 3 | September 15 | at Chicago Bears | L 17–20 | 1–2 | Soldier Field | Recap | ||
| 4 | September 22 | Cleveland Browns | W 13–10 | 2–2 | Giants Stadium | Recap | ||
| 5 | September 29 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 16–21 | 2–3 | Texas Stadium | Recap | ||
| 6 | October 6 | Phoenix Cardinals | W 20–9 | 3–3 | Giants Stadium | Recap | ||
| 7 | October 14 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 23–20 | 4–3 | Three Rivers Stadium | Recap | ||
| 8 | Bye | |||||||
| 9 | October 27 | Washington Redskins | L 13–17 | 4–4 | Giants Stadium | Recap | ||
| 10 | November 4 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 7–30 | 4–5 | Veterans Stadium | Recap | ||
| 11 | November 10 | at Phoenix Cardinals | W 21–14 | 5–5 | Sun Devil Stadium | Recap | ||
| 12 | November 17 | Dallas Cowboys | W 22–9 | 6–5 | Giants Stadium | Recap | ||
| 13 | November 24 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 21–14 | 7–5 | Tampa Stadium | Recap | ||
| 14 | December 1 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 24–27 | 7–6 | Riverfront Stadium | Recap | ||
| 15 | December 8 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 14–19 | 7–7 | Giants Stadium | Recap | ||
| 16 | December 15 | at Washington Redskins | L 17–34 | 7–8 | RFK Stadium | Recap | ||
| 17 | December 21 | Houston Oilers | W 24–20 | 8–8 | Giants Stadium | Recap | ||
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | ||||||||
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. San Francisco 49ers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Giants | 3 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: September 2
- Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Clear, 65 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 76,319
- Referee: Dale Hamer
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: vs. Los Angeles Rams
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 0 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| Giants | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: September 8
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Scattered clouds, 78 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 76,541
- Referee: Johnny Grier
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and John Madden
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Chicago Bears
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| Bears | 0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: September 15
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 82 °F (28 °C)
- Game attendance: 64,829
- Referee: Dick Hantak
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: vs. Cleveland Browns
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| Giants | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: September 22
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Scattered clouds, 61 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 75,891
- Referee: Tom White
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Todd Christensen
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 5: at Dallas Cowboys
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 16 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Date: September 29
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 64,010
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: vs. Phoenix Cardinals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| Giants | 14 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: October 6
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Light rain, 64 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 75,891
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: at Pittsburgh Steelers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 20 |
at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: October 14
- Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 47 °F (8 °C)
- Game attendance: 57,608
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the win, the Giants improved to 4-3. However, they would end up being the last team to win in Pittsburgh on Monday night until the 2025 Houston Texans as the rest of the league would have 23 game losing streak in Pittsburgh on Monday night.
Week 9: vs. Washington Redskins
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| Giants | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: October 27
- Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Scattered clouds, 64 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 76,627
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick and Joe Theismann
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Eagles | 0 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 30 |
at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 4
- Game time: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 42 °F (6 °C)
- Game attendance: 65,816
- Referee: Johnny Grier
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: at Phoenix Cardinals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
- Date: November 10
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/2:00 p.m. MST
- Game weather: Overcast, 74 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 50,048
- Referee: Gerry Austin
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Merlin Olsen
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12: vs. Dallas Cowboys
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| Giants | 6 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 22 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: November 17
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Partly sunny, 41 °F (5 °C)
- Game attendance: 76,410
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 13: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: November 24
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 60 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,698
- Referee: Dale Hamer
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: at Cincinnati Bengals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Bengals | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 27 |
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Date: December 1
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Overcast, 39 °F (4 °C)
- Game attendance: 45,063
- Referee: Howard Roe
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 15: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| Giants | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: December 8
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Overcast, 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 76,099
- Referee: Tom White
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 16: at Washington Redskins
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Redskins | 7 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
at RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.
- Date: December 15
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C)
- Game attendance: 54,722
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 17: vs. Houston Oilers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
| Giants | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: December 21
- Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 39 °F (4 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,421
- Referee: Larry Nemmers
- TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Paul Maguire
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standings
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (1) Washington Redskins | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 6–2 | 10–2 | 485 | 224 | L1 |
| (5) Dallas Cowboys | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–3 | 8–4 | 342 | 310 | W5 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–3 | 6–6 | 285 | 244 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–5 | 5–7 | 281 | 297 | W1 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–7 | 3–11 | 196 | 344 | L8 |