Editing New York Giants (section)

===Mara family era (1925–1990)===
On August 1, 1925, [[Timothy Mara]] and [[Will Gibson]] were granted a franchise by the NFL for their newly organized team in New York City — the New York Football Giants.<ref name=RRM58>Joseph T. Labrum (ed.), ''The National Football League Rules and Record Manual: 1958, 39th Season.'' Bala-Cynwyd<!--This is correct--->, PA: National Football League, 1958; p. 66.</ref> Cost of the franchise was $2,500.<ref name=RRM58 />

The [[1925 New York Giants season|Giants]] played their first game as an exhibition against All New Britain (which was not an NFL team) in [[New Britain, Connecticut]], on October 4.<ref name="hapmoran.org">[http://hapmoran.org/FirstGame/FirstGame.htm New York First Game & First Home Game Program] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726140849/http://hapmoran.org/FirstGame/FirstGame.htm |date=July 26, 2011}}, hapmoran.org. Retrieved February 14, 2011.</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1925/10/05/archives/new-york-pro-eleven-takes-opening-game-overwhelms-ducky-ponds-new.html New York Pro Eleven Takes Opening Game] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722100049/https://www.nytimes.com/1925/10/05/archives/new-york-pro-eleven-takes-opening-game-overwhelms-ducky-ponds-new.html |date=July 22, 2018 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', October 5, 1925. Retrieved March 16, 2007.</ref> They defeated New Britain 26–0 in front of a crowd of 10,000.<ref name="hapmoran.org"/> 

The New York Giants' first NFL game was a week later, on October 11, 1925, at the [[Cycledrome]] in [[Providence, Rhode Island]], in a 0 to 14 loss to the [[1925 Providence Steam Roller season|Providence Steam Roller]].<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/134222631/ "Steam Rollers Win From Giants, 14-0; Open Pro Football Season at Providence"], ''The Boston Globe'', October 12, 1925, p.8</ref><ref>[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/192510110prv.htm ProFootballReference.com]</ref> The Giants were successful in their first season, finishing in fourth place in a 20-team league with an 8–4-0 record.<ref name="dbf">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070409232314/http://www.databasefootball.com/teams/teampage.htm?tm=NYG&lg=nfl New York Giants (1925 – )]}}, databasefootball.com. Retrieved January 23, 2007.</ref><ref>Another report shows an earlier exhibition, a 3 to 0 win over the Newark Red Jackets on September 27, 1925 in [[Newark, New Jersey]] [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-central-new-jersey-home-news-benkert/159437752/ "Benkert Stars in Newark Game"], ''The Central New Jersey Home News'' (New Brunswick, New Jersey), September 28, 1925, p.12</ref>

====Earl Potteiger years (1927–1928)====

=====NFL champions (1927)=====
In its [[1927 NFL season|third season]], the [[1927 New York Giants season|team]] finished with the best record in the league at 11–1–1 and was awarded the NFL title.<ref name="NYG.comchamp">{{cite web |url=http://www.giants.com/history/ChampionshipGames.html |title=Championship games 1925–1949 |access-date=January 12, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060701144903/http://www.giants.com/history/ChampionshipGames.html |archive-date=July 1, 2006}}, giants.com. Retrieved January 12, 2007.</ref> After a disappointing [[1928 New York Giants season|fourth season]] ([[1928 NFL season|1928]]) owner [[Tim Mara]] bought the entire squad of the [[Detroit (1920s NFL teams)|Detroit Wolverines]], principally to acquire star quarterback [[Benny Friedman]], and merged the two teams under the Giants name.<ref name="r147">{{cite web | title=Did the New York Giants buy a whole team just to get their quarterback? | website=Los Angeles Times | date=2012-02-08 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/sports-now/story/2012-02-08/did-the-new-york-giants-buy-a-whole-team-just-to-get-their-quarterback | access-date=2024-08-17}}</ref>

In [[1930 NFL season|1930]], there were still many who questioned the quality of the professional game, claiming the college "amateurs" played with more intensity than professionals. In December 1930, the Giants played a team of [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]] All Stars at the [[Polo Grounds]] to raise money for the unemployed of New York City. It was also an opportunity to establish the skill and prestige of the pro game. [[Knute Rockne]] reassembled his [[Four Horsemen (football)|Four Horsemen]] along with the stars of his [[1924 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|1924 Championship squad]] and told them to score early, then defend. Rockne, like much of the public, thought little of pro football and expected an easy win.<ref name="Neft, Cohen, and Korch. pg. 83">Neft, Cohen, and Korch. pg. 83</ref> But from the beginning it was a one-way contest, with Friedman running for two Giant touchdowns and [[Hap Moran]] passing for another. Notre Dame failed to score. When it was all over, Coach Rockne told his team, "That was the greatest football machine I ever saw. I am glad none of you got hurt."<ref>[http://hapmoran.org/giantsnd/Giants_vs_Notre_Dame_page1.htm New York Giants vs. Notre Dame All Stars December 14, 1930] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726140844/http://hapmoran.org/giantsnd/Giants_vs_Notre_Dame_page1.htm |date=July 26, 2011 }}, hapmoran.org. Retrieved March 12, 2007.</ref> The game raised $100,000 for the homeless, and is often credited with establishing the legitimacy of the professional game for those who were critical.<ref name="Neft, Cohen, and Korch. pg. 83"/> It also was the last game the legendary Rockne ever coached; he was killed in an airplane crash on March 31, 1931.

====Steve Owen years (1931–1953)====
In a 16-year span from 1931 to 1947, the Giants qualified to play in the NFL championship game 8 times, winning twice.<ref name="NYG.comchamp" /> During this period the Giants were led by [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] coach [[Steve Owen (American football)|Steve Owen]], and Hall of Fame players [[Mel Hein]], [[Red Badgro]], and [[Tuffy Leemans]]. In [[1933 NFL season|1933]] the Giants faced the Chicago Bears in the [[1933 NFL Championship Game|championship game]] and were defeated 23–21.

[[File:Ny giants 1934.jpg|thumb|[[1934 New York Giants season|1934]] New York Giants team]]
[[File:Al Blozis.jpg|thumb|160px|[[Al Blozis]], Giants tackle, died in [[World War II]]. According to [[Mel Hein]], "If he hadn't been killed, he could have been the greatest tackle who ever played football."<ref>Thomas, Robert McG., Jr. [https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/26/sports/two-giants-were-heroes-far-from-playing-field.html "Two Giants Were Heroes Far From Playing Field"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811060131/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/26/sports/two-giants-were-heroes-far-from-playing-field.html |date=August 11, 2017 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', January 26, 1991. Retrieved September 25, 2009.</ref>]]

=====NFL champions (1934)=====
The famous "[[Sneakers Game]]" was played in this era where the Giants defeated the [[1934 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]] on an icy field in the [[1934 NFL Championship Game]], while wearing sneakers for better traction.<ref name="NYG.comchamp" /> The team would return to the [[1935 NFL Championship Game|championship game]] the following year but would fall to the Detroit Lions 26–7.

=====NFL champions (1938)=====
The Giants captured their [[NFL Championship Game, 1938|third NFL championship]] in [[1938 NFL season|1938]] with a 23–17 win over the [[1938 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]]. Both teams returned to the [[1939 NFL Championship Game|championship game]] the following year in [[1939 NFL season|1939]], with the Packers shutting out the Giants 27–0.

The period also featured the 1944 Giants, which are ranked as the #1 defensive team in NFL history, "...a truly awesome unit".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/content/the-100-stingiest-defenses-football-history/21990/ |title=The 100 Stingiest Defenses in Football History |access-date=February 7, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151114015519/http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/content/the-100-stingiest-defenses-football-history/21990/ |archive-date=November 14, 2015}}</ref> They gave up only 7.5 points per game (a record that still stands) and shut out five of their 10 opponents, though they lost 14–7 to the [[Green Bay Packers]] in the [[1944 NFL Championship Game]]. The Giants played the [[Detroit Lions]] to a scoreless tie on November 7, 1943.<ref>McDonough, W. et al. "75 Seasons: The Complete Story of the National Football League 1920–1995," Turner Publishing, Inc. and National Football League Properties, Atlanta, p. 86 (1994)</ref><ref>[[The Detroit Free Press]], November 8, 1943, p. 14</ref><ref>[[The New York Times]], November 8, 1943, p. 22</ref> To this day, no NFL game played since then has ended in a scoreless tie. The Giants were particularly successful from the latter half of the 1930s until the United States entry into [[World War II]].<ref name="NYG.comchamp" />

====Jim Lee Howell years (1954–1960)====

=====NFL champions (1956)=====
The Giants won their [[1956 NFL Championship Game|next championship]] in [[1956 NFL season|1956]], the first year the team began playing at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] in [[the Bronx]] [[Boroughs of New York City|borough]] of [[New York City]]. Aided by a number of future [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] players such as running back [[Frank Gifford]], linebacker [[Sam Huff]], and offensive tackle [[Roosevelt Brown]], as well as all-pro running back [[Alex Webster (American football)|Alex Webster]]. The Giants' 1956 championship team not only included players who would eventually find their way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but a Hall of Fame coaching staff, as well. Head coach [[Jim Lee Howell]]'s staff had [[Vince Lombardi]] coaching the offense and [[Tom Landry]] coaching the defense.<ref name="HistoryNYG">[http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/nyg/nygiants.html History of the New York Giants] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709062712/http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/nyg/nygiants.html |date=July 9, 2011 }}, sportsecyclopedia. Retrieved September 12, 2006.</ref> From 1958 to 1963, the Giants played in the NFL Championship Game five times, but failed to win.<ref name="NYG.comchamp"/> Most significantly, the Giants played the [[History of the Indianapolis Colts|Colts]] in the [[NFL Championship Game, 1958|1958 NFL Championship Game]], which is considered a [[Wiktionary:watershed|watershed]] event in the history of the NFL.<ref>Neft, Cohen, and Korch. pg. 272</ref> The game, which the Giants lost in overtime 23–17,<ref name="NYG.comchamp"/> is often called "The Greatest Game Ever Played" and is considered one of the most important events in furthering the NFL's popularity. The following year, they lost the championship to the Colts again, giving up a 9–7 fourth-quarter lead en route to a 31–16 loss.

[[File:Giffordrookiecard.jpg|thumb|[[Frank Gifford]], Giants halfback and wide receiver from 1952 to 1960 and again from 1962 to 1964, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977|287x287px]]
[[File:1969 Notre Dame - Army football Yankee Stadium.jpg|thumb|upright=1.05|The Giants played at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] (1956–1973) in [[the Bronx]]]]

====Allie Sherman years (1961–1968)====
Both the 1961 and 1962 championship game matched the Giants up against the Green Bay Packers, with the Giants losing both 37–0 and 16–7 respectively. In 1963, led by league MVP [[quarterback]] [[Y. A. Tittle]], who threw a then-NFL record 36 [[touchdown]] passes, the Giants advanced to the NFL Championship Game, where they lost to the Bears 14–10 for their third consecutive championship loss, as well as their fifth loss in the title game in 6 years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-chicagodays-1963nfl-story,0,2181510.story|title=The Chicago Bears wins the 1963 NFL Championship|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=October 14, 2010|first=Larry|last=Kart|archive-date=February 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209172909/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-chicagodays-1963nfl-story,0,2181510.story|url-status=live}}</ref>

From 1964 to 1978, the Giants registered only two winning seasons and no playoff appearances.<ref name="dbf"/> With players, such as Tittle and Gifford approaching their mid 30s, the team declined rapidly, finishing 2–10–2 in [[1964 NFL season|1964]].<ref name="dbf"/> They rebounded with a 7–7 record in [[1965 NFL season|1965]],<ref name="dbf"/> before compiling a league-worst 1–12–1 record,<ref name="NFL1966">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070408131428/http://www.databasefootball.com/leagues/leagueyear.htm?yr=1966&lg=NFL 1966 NFL Standings, Stats and Awards]}}, databasefootball.com. Retrieved March 17, 2007.</ref> and allowing more than 500 points on defense in [[1966 NFL season|1966]].<ref name="NFL1966"/> During the 1969 preseason, the [[1969 New York Giants season|Giants]] lost their first meeting with the [[1969 New York Jets season|New York Jets]], 37–14, in front of 70,874 fans at the [[Yale Bowl]] in [[New Haven, Connecticut]].<ref>Wallace, William M. [https://www.nytimes.com/1969/08/18/archives/jets-beat-giants-3714-namath-completes-14-of-16-passes-3-for-scores.html Jets Beat Giants, 37–14; Namath Completes 14 of 16 Passes, 3 for Scores; Battle Returns Punt For 86&nbsp;Yards 70,874 Fans See Jet Rookie Score in Yale Bowl – Mathis Tallies Two Touchdowns] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722095917/https://www.nytimes.com/1969/08/18/archives/jets-beat-giants-3714-namath-completes-14-of-16-passes-3-for-scores.html |date=July 22, 2018 }}, ''The New York Times'', August 18, 1969. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref> Following the game, Wellington Mara fired coach [[Allie Sherman]],<ref name="Allie">Weinraub, Bernard. [https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0B16FD3A5E1A7B93C1A81782D85F4D8685F9 Fans Show Mixed Emotions; Bad Trades Laid To Team's Pilot] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107035420/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0B16FD3A5E1A7B93C1A81782D85F4D8685F9 |date=November 7, 2013 }}, ''The New York Times'', September 13, 1969. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref> and replaced him with former Giants fullback Alex Webster.<ref>Whittingham. pg. 151</ref>

[[File:New York Giants (logo, 1975).png|thumb|upright|1975 logo (stylized with uppercase "NY")]]
In [[1967 NFL season|1967]], the team acquired quarterback [[Fran Tarkenton]] from the [[Minnesota Vikings]]. Despite having several respectable seasons with Tarkenton at quarterback, including a 7–7 finish in 1967 and 9–5 in [[1970 NFL season|1970]],<ref name="dbf"/> the Giants traded him back to the Vikings after a 4–10 finish in [[1971 NFL season|1971]].<ref name="Fran">[http://www.vikingupdate.com/history/historyprofiles/tarkenton.html Fran Tarkenton] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116031848/http://www.vikingupdate.com/history/historyprofiles/tarkenton.html |date=January 16, 2009}}, vikingupdate.com. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref> Tarkenton would go on to lead the Vikings to three [[Super Bowl]]s and earn a place in the Hall of Fame,<ref name="Fran"/> while the Giants suffered through one of the worst stretches in their history,<ref name="dbf"/> winning only 23 games from 1973 to 1979.<ref name="dbf"/> Before the 1976 season, the Giants tried to revive a weak offense by replacing retired RB [[Ron Johnson (running back)|Ron Johnson]] with future Hall of Fame fullback [[Larry Csonka]], but Csonka was often injured and ineffective during his 3 years in New York. The [[1977 NFL season|1977 season]] featured a roster which included three rookie quarterbacks.<ref>Katz, Michael. [https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/13/archives/giants-go-with-youth-and-cut-ramsey-mcvay-draws-a-line.html Giants Go With Youth and Cut Ramsey; McVay Draws a Line] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722185136/https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/13/archives/giants-go-with-youth-and-cut-ramsey-mcvay-draws-a-line.html |date=July 22, 2018 }}, ''The New York Times'', September 13, 1977. Retrieved March 21, 2007.</ref>

The Giants were allowed to play their home games at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut in 1973 and 1974, and at [[Shea Stadium]] (home of the [[New York Mets|Mets]] and Jets) in [[Queens, New York]] in 1975, due to the renovation of [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]]. They finally moved into their own dedicated state-of-the-art stadium in 1976,<ref name="HistoryNYG"/> when they moved into [[Giants Stadium]] at the [[Meadowlands Sports Complex|Meadowlands]] in [[East Rutherford, New Jersey]], located 5 miles west of New York City. One of the low points during this period was the play known as the "[[The Miracle at the Meadowlands|Miracle at the Meadowlands]]", which occurred in 1978.<ref name="Katz">Katz, Michael. [https://www.nytimes.com/1978/11/20/archives/20-seconds-left-as-eagles-win-jets-bow-todd-reinjured.html 20 Seconds Left As Eagles Win; Jets Bow; Todd Reinjured] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722100601/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/11/20/archives/20-seconds-left-as-eagles-win-jets-bow-todd-reinjured.html |date=July 22, 2018 }}, ''The New York Times'', November 20, 1978. Retrieved March 18, 2007.</ref> With the Giants trying to kill the clock and secure a win against the [[1978 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]],<ref name="Katz"/> [[offensive coordinator]], [[Bob Gibson (football coach)|Bob Gibson]], chose to call a running play. This resulted in "The Fumble" by QB [[Joe Pisarcik]] that was returned for a game-winning touchdown by the Eagles' [[Herman Edwards]].<ref name="Katz"/>

[[File:Opening Day at Giants Stadium, The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ, USA – September 16, 2007 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Giants Stadium]] was home to the Giants from 1976 to 2009.]]
The Giants' front office operations were complicated by a long-standing feud between Wellington Mara and his nephew, [[Timothy J. Mara|Tim Mara]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/21/sports/sports-of-the-times-the-feud-that-won-super-bowls.html |title=Sports Of The Times; The Feud That Won Super Bowls |work=The New York Times |date=February 21, 1991 |access-date=October 8, 2010 |first=George |last=Vecsey |archive-date=December 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220133954/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/21/sports/sports-of-the-times-the-feud-that-won-super-bowls.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Jack Mara had died in 1965, leaving his share of the club to his son Tim. Wellington and Tim's personal styles and their visions for the club clashed, and eventually they stopped talking to each other. [[NFL Commissioner]] [[Pete Rozelle]] intervened and appointed a neutral general manager, [[George Young (American football executive)|George Young]], allowing the club to operate more smoothly. The feud became moot on February 20, 1991, when Tim Mara sold his shares in the club to [[Preston Robert Tisch]].

In [[1979 NFL season|1979]], the Giants began the steps that would, in time, return them to the pinnacle of the NFL. These included the drafting of quarterback [[Phil Simms]] in [[1979 NFL draft|1979]], and linebacker [[Lawrence Taylor]] in [[1981 NFL draft|1981]].<ref name="HistoryNYG"/> In [[1981 NFL season|1981]], Taylor won the NFL's [[NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award|Defensive Rookie of the Year]] and [[NFL Defensive Player of the Year|Defensive Player of the Year]] awards and the Giants made the playoffs for the first time since 1963.<ref name="dbf"/><ref name="LT">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060501105834/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=TayloLaw01 Lawrence Taylor]}}, databasefootball.com. Retrieved February 20, 2007.</ref> One of the few bright spots during this time was the team's excellent linebackers, who were known as the [[Crunch Bunch]].<ref>Mifflin, Lawrie: [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DEFDB1238F932A2575AC0A964948260] ''The New York Times'', September 11, 1982-Scouting; Crunch Bunch</ref> After the [[1982 NFL Players Strike|strike-shortened]] [[1982 NFL season|1982 season]], in which they finished 4–5,<ref name="dbf"/> head coach [[Ray Perkins (wide receiver)|Ray Perkins]] resigned to succeed the legendary [[Bear Bryant]] as head coach at the [[Alabama Crimson Tide football|University of Alabama]]. In a change that would prove crucial in the coming years, he was replaced by the team's [[defensive coordinator]], [[Bill Parcells]].

====Bill Parcells years (1983–1990)====
In [[1983 New York Giants season|1983]], [[Bill Parcells]] was promoted to head coach from [[defensive coordinator]]. One of his first moves was to change his starting quarterback, sitting the injury-prone and struggling [[Phil Simms]] (who had missed the entire 1982 season with an injury) and electing instead to go with [[Scott Brunner]], who had gone 4–5 as the starter in place of Simms in the strike-shortened previous season. Parcells went as far as to demote Simms to the third-string position, promoting [[Jeff Rutledge]] over Simms to be Brunner's backup. Parcells later said the move was a mistake and one he "nearly paid for dearly" as [[1983 New York Giants season|the team finished with a 3–12–1 record]] and his job security was called into question.<ref name="dbf"/>

In the off-season the Giants released Brunner and named Simms the starter. The move paid off as the team won nine games and returned to the playoffs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1984 New York Giants Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyg/1984.htm |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> After beating the [[1984 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]] in the wild-card round, the Giants prepared for a showdown against the top-seeded [[1984 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wild Card - New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams - December 23rd, 1984 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198412230ram.htm |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> The 49ers defeated the Giants 21–10 in the divisional round.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers - December 29th, 1984 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198412290sfo.htm |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

=====Super Bowl XXI champions (1986)=====
[[File:Phil Simms Feb 2019 3 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Phil Simms]], Giants quarterback from 1979 to 1993, was named [[Super Bowl XXI]] most valuable player|206x206px]]
[[File:LT 2009.jpg|thumb|287x287px|[[Lawrence Taylor]], Giants linebacker from 1981 to 1993, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999]]
After 9–7 and 10–6 finishes in [[1984 NFL season|1984]] and [[1985 NFL season|1985]] respectively,<ref name="dbf"/> the [[1986 New York Giants season|Giants]] compiled a 14–2 record in [[1986 NFL season|1986]] led by league MVP and [[NFL Defensive Player of the Year|Defensive Player of the Year]] [[Lawrence Taylor]] and the [[Big Blue Wrecking Crew]] defense. As of 2023, this is the Giants' best regular season record since the NFL began playing 16-game seasons in 1978. After clinching the top seed in the NFC, the Giants defeated the [[1986 San Francisco 49ers season|49ers]] 49–3 in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.giants.com/juniorgiants/calendar/HolidayCalendar.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101055941/http://www.giants.com/juniorgiants/calendar/HolidayCalendar.asp |archive-date=January 1, 2011 |title=HolidayCalendar |publisher=Giants.com |date=April 28, 2004 |access-date=October 8, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the [[1986 Washington Redskins season|Redskins]] 17–0 in the NFC championship game, advancing to their first Super Bowl,<ref>{{cite news |last=Battista |first=Judy |url=http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/redskins/ |title=Redskins – The Fifth Down Blog |publisher=Fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com |access-date=October 8, 2010 |archive-date=July 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722034347/http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/redskins/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Super Bowl XXI]], against the [[1986 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]] at the [[Rose Bowl (stadium)|Rose Bowl]] in Pasadena. Led by MVP Simms who completed 22 of 25 passes for a Super Bowl record 88% [[completion percentage]], they defeated the Broncos 39–20,<ref name="NYG.comchamp2">{{cite web |url=http://www.giants.com/history/ChampionshipGames1950present.asp |title=Championship Games 1950–present |access-date=December 1, 2010 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070317040918/http://www.giants.com/history/ChampionshipGames1950present.asp |archive-date=March 17, 2007}}, giants.com. Retrieved January 12, 2007.</ref> to win their first championship since 1956. In addition to Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor, the team was led during this period by head coach [[Bill Parcells]], tight end [[Mark Bavaro]], running back [[Joe Morris (American football)|Joe Morris]], and [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] linebacker [[Harry Carson]].

The [[1987 New York Giants season|Giants]] struggled to a 6–9 record in the [[1987 NFL Players Strike|strike-marred]] [[1987 NFL season|1987 season]],<ref name="dbf"/> due largely to a decline in the running game, as Morris managed only 658 yards<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20071227075150/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=MORRIJOE02 Joe Morris]}}, databasefootball.com. Retrieved May 3, 2007.</ref> behind an injury-riddled offensive line.<ref name="Nelson">Neft, Cohen, and Korch. pg. 846</ref> The early portion of the [[1988 NFL season|1988 season]] was marred by a scandal involving Lawrence Taylor. Taylor had abused [[cocaine]] and was suspended for the first four games of the season for his second violation of the league's substance-abuse policy. Despite the controversy, the [[1988 New York Giants season|Giants]] finished 10–6, and Taylor recorded 15.5 sacks after his return from the suspension; however, the team missed the playoffs in their last game of the season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1988 New York Giants Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyg/1988.htm |access-date=2024-08-26 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> They surged to a 12–4 record in 1989, but lost to the [[1989 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]] in their opening playoff game when [[Flipper Anderson]] caught a 47-yard touchdown pass to give the Rams a 19–13 overtime win.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1989 New York Giants Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyg/1989.htm |access-date=2024-08-26 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants - January 7th, 1990 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199001070nyg.htm |access-date=2024-08-26 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

=====Super Bowl XXV champions (1990)=====
In [[1990 NFL season|1990]], [[1990 New York Giants season|the Giants went 13–3]] and, at the time, set an NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season (14).<ref>Neft, Cohen, and Korch. pg. 914</ref> They defeated the [[San Francisco 49ers]], who were attempting to win the [[Super Bowl]] for an unprecedented third straight year, 15–13 at [[San Francisco]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Fucillo |first=David |url=http://www.ninersnation.com/2009/7/3/936391/49ers-year-by-year-1990 |title=49ers' Year-by-Year: 1990 |publisher=Niners Nation |access-date=November 8, 2010 |date=July 3, 2009 |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714183619/http://www.ninersnation.com/2009/7/3/936391/49ers-year-by-year-1990 |url-status=live }}</ref> and then defeated the [[1990 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]] 20–19 in [[Super Bowl XXV]].<ref name="NYG.comchamp2"/>