1993 New York Giants season

Last updated

1993 New York Giants season
Head coach Dan Reeves
Home field Giants Stadium
Results
Record11–5
Division place2nd NFC East
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Vikings) 17–10
Lost Divisional Playoffs
(at 49ers) 3–44
Pro Bowlers
4

The 1993 New York Giants season was the franchise's 69th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the first under head coach Dan Reeves, who was hired by the Giants after being fired by the Denver Broncos in the off-season.

Contents

The Giants were looking to improve on their 6–10 mark from the previous year under former head coach Ray Handley and return to the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl XXV in January 1991. Under Reeves’ watch, the Giants did exactly that, finishing with an 11–5 record and qualifying for the playoffs as one of the three Wild Card teams in the NFC. They defeated the Minnesota Vikings at home 17–10, but were soundly defeated by the San Francisco 49ers 44–3 in the Divisional Playoffs.

After the season, star linebacker Lawrence Taylor announced his retirement from football. As Taylor was playing out his final season, another Giants defensive stalwart was entering the league; 1993 saw the debut of Texas Southern defensive end Michael Strahan in the team's lineup.

1993 was also the last season for veteran Giants quarterback Phil Simms; he was released following the season and after entertaining offers to continue his career, Simms elected to retire in 1994.

Offseason

There was some significant roster turnover from 1992. Among the departures were veteran linebackers Carl Banks, who joined the Washington Redskins, and Pepper Johnson, who joined the Cleveland Browns; defensive end Leonard Marshall, who joined the New York Jets; and Super Bowl XXV MVP Ottis Anderson, who retired.

Another major roster turnover move was at the quarterback position, which had been in flux since the end of the 1990 season. After Simms went down to an injury, Jeff Hostetler took over for him and led the Giants to their second Super Bowl victory. Handley had chosen Hostetler over Simms in 1991 to become the starter, but Simms eventually won the job back after Hostetler himself suffered an injury. Simms again assumed the position in 1992, but once again suffered a severe injury pressing Hostetler back into duty. Injuries also befell Hostetler, who recorded a winning record despite the team's 6-10 finish. When the season ended and Reeves took over, he chose Simms as his starter and Hostetler was released [1]

NFL Draft

1993 New York Giants draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
240 Michael Strahan  * †  DE Texas Southern
366 Marcus Buckley   LB Texas A&M
493 Greg Bishop   T Pacific
5123 Tommy Thigpen   LB North Carolina
6150 Scott Davis   G Iowa
7177 Todd Peterson   K Georgia
8207 Jessie Armstead  *  LB Miami (FL)
      Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

[2]

Undrafted Free Agents

1993 Undrafted Free Agents of note
PlayerPositionCollege
Hassan BaileyDefensive back Kansas
Walter BaileyDefensive back Washington
Willie Beamon Cornerback Northern Iowa
Steve BrannonDefensive end Hampton
Eric BruunPunter Purdue
Keith Crawford Wide receiver Howard Payne
Jamie CrysdaleCenter Cincinnati
Tico DuckettRunning back Michigan State
Brian FoxQuarterback Florida
Jerold JeffcoatDefensive tackle Temple
Brian Kozlowski Tight end UConn

Personnel

Staff

1993 New York Giants staff

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – Al Miller
  • Asst.strength and conditioning/ offensive quality control – Kerry Goode

[3]

Roster

1993 New York Giants roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

 Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

 Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserved

Rookies in italics
53 active, 4 reserved, 4 practice squad

Preseason

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenue
1August 7at Cincinnati Bengals W 27–161–0 Riverfront Stadium
2August 14 Pittsburgh Steelers L 17–231–1 Giants Stadium
3August 21 New York Jets W 14–132–1Giants Stadium
4August 28at Miami Dolphins L 17–232–2 Joe Robbie Stadium

Regular season

Simms started all 16 games in 1993, being one of only seven quarterbacks to do so, and led the Giants to a resurgent 11–5 season including a victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs. [4] However, Simms underwent shoulder surgery after the 1993 season to repair a torn labrum. The surgery was successful, and team doctor Russell F. Warren's prognosis for recovery was excellent, and Simms was expected to be ready in time for training camp. [5] However, later during that offseason, Simms was released by the Giants, and subsequently decided to retire. The Giants offense was coming off a sub-par 1992 season, so Dan Reeves and offensive coordinator George Henshaw added and adjusted schemes. The emphasis remained running the ball as the Full House and Power I formations were installed. Rodney Hampton and Phil Simms both made the pro bowl, each the driving force behind the offense. The Defense returned to its dominant ways; allowing an NFL-best 12.8 points per game, or 205 points all year. Lawrence Taylor would join Simms in retirement after the season, ending an era. The Giants finished the 1993 season first in overall defense and rushing offense.

The Giants played the Dolphins in Miami for the first time on December 5, only the fourth meeting between the clubs since the AFL-NFL merger. New York was scheduled to be the opponent for the Dolphins' first regular season game at Joe Robbie Stadium in 1987, but that game was cancelled by a players' strike.

The Giants qualified for the playoffs on December 12 with a win at Giants Stadium against the Colts, 35 years after the two teams met in "The Greatest Game Ever Played". However in week 18, the Cowboys and Giants met in the Meadowlands to conclude the regular season with huge stakes. The winner would win the NFC East and have home-field advantage as the NFC's #1 seed and have a week off, while the loser would have to play an extra week and host a wild card game against the Minnesota Vikings as the NFC's #4 seed. The Giants lost to the Cowboys 16–13 in overtime, making their road to the Super Bowl much harder.

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1 September 5at Chicago Bears W 26–201–0 Soldier Field Recap
2 September 12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 23–72–0 Giants Stadium Recap
3 September 19 Los Angeles Rams W 20–103–0Giants Stadium Recap
4 Bye
5 October 3at Buffalo Bills L 14–173–1 Rich Stadium Recap
6 October 10at Washington Redskins W 41–74–1 RFK Stadium Recap
7 October 17 Philadelphia Eagles W 21–105–1Giants Stadium Recap
8 Bye
9 October 31 New York Jets L 6–105–2Giants Stadium Recap
10 November 7at Dallas Cowboys L 9–315–3 Texas Stadium Recap
11 November 14 Washington Redskins W 20–66–3Giants Stadium Recap
12 November 21at Philadelphia Eagles W 7–37–3 Veterans Stadium Recap
13 November 28 Phoenix Cardinals W 19–178–3Giants Stadium Recap
14 December 5at Miami Dolphins W 19–149–3 Joe Robbie Stadium Recap
15 December 12 Indianapolis Colts W 20–610–3Giants Stadium Recap
16 December 20at New Orleans Saints W 24–1411–3 Louisiana Superdome Recap
17 December 26at Phoenix Cardinals L 6–1711–4 Sun Devil Stadium Recap
18 January 2, 1994 Dallas Cowboys L 13–16 (OT)11–5Giants Stadium Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Chicago Bears

Week 1: New York Giants at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Giants3671026
Bears0710320

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information

Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Buccaneers07007
Giants7103323

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

Week 3: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Week 3: Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Rams030710
Giants767020

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: September 19
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Scattered clouds, 65 °F (18 °C)
  • Game attendance: 76,213
  • Referee: Dale Hamer
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Randy Cross
Game information

Week 5: at Buffalo Bills

Week 5: New York Giants at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Giants0140014
Bills1000717

at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Week 6: at Washington Redskins

Week 6: New York Giants at Washington Redskins – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Giants72001441
Redskins07007

at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

  • Date: October 10
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 57 °F (14 °C)
  • Game attendance: 53,715
  • Referee: Red Cashion
  • TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Game information

Week 7: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Eagles030710
Giants0140721

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: October 17
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Overcast, 60 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 76,050
  • Referee: Bernie Kukar
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts
Game information

Week 9: vs. New York Jets

Week 9: New York Jets at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Jets037010
Giants33006

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

Week 10: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 10: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Giants06039
Cowboys10701431

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

  • Date: November 7
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 41 °F (5 °C)
  • Game attendance: 64,735
  • Referee: Dick Hantak
  • TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Game information

Week 11: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 11: Washington Redskins at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Redskins00336
Giants773320

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 14
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Overcast, 60 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 76,606
  • Referee: Bob McElwee
  • TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Game information

Week 12: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 12: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Giants00077
Eagles00303

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Date: November 21
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly sunny, 40 °F (4 °C)
  • Game attendance: 62,928
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Game information

Week 13: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 13: Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cardinals1007017
Giants337619

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 28
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Mostly sunny, 60 °F (16 °C)
  • Game attendance: 59,979
  • Referee: Tom White
  • TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts
Game information

Week 14: at Miami Dolphins

Week 14: New York Giants at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Giants773219
Dolphins700714

at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: December 5
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Scattered clouds, 74 °F (23 °C)
  • Game attendance: 72,161
  • Referee: Gary Lane
  • TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Game information

Week 15: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week 15: Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Colts06006
Giants760720

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: December 12
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Mostly sunny, 28 °F (−2 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,411
  • Referee: Larry Nemmers
  • TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui, Beasley Reece and O. J. Simpson
Game information

Week 16: at New Orleans Saints

Week 16: New York Giants at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Giants773724
Saints070714

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Game information

Week 17: at Phoenix Cardinals

Week 17: New York Giants at Phoenix Cardinals – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Giants33006
Cardinals0010717

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

  • Date: December 26
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/2:00 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: Overcast, 57 °F (14 °C)
  • Game attendance: 53,414
  • Referee: Bernie Kukar
  • TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Game information

Week 18: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 18: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter1234OTTotal
Cowboys31000316
Giants00103013

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: January 2
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 41 °F (5 °C)
  • Game attendance: 77,356
  • Referee: Jerry Markbreit
  • TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Game information

Standings

NFC East
WLTPCTPFPASTK
(1) Dallas Cowboys 1240.750376229W5
(4) New York Giants 1150.688288205L2
Philadelphia Eagles 880.500293315W3
Phoenix Cardinals 790.438326269W3
Washington Redskins 4120.250230345L2

Postseason

RoundDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
Wild Card January 9 Minnesota Vikings (5)W 17–101–0 Giants Stadium Recap
Divisional Round January 15at San Francisco 49ers (2)L 3–441–1 Candlestick Park Recap

Game summaries

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (5) Minnesota Vikings

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (5) Minnesota Vikings at (4) New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Vikings0100010
Giants3014017

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: January 9
  • Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 20 °F (−7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 75,089
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Game information

A howling, gusting wind dominated the game as both teams could only score with the wind. However, the Giants managed to score two touchdowns, both by running back Rodney Hampton in the third quarter, to pull ahead for good.

This was both the first playoff game and the first playoff win for the Giants since Super Bowl XXV.

NFC Divisional Round: at (2) San Francisco 49ers

NFC Divisional Round: (4) New York Giants at (2) San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Giants03003
49ers91414744

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

  • Date: January 15
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 49 °F (9 °C)
  • Game attendance: 67,143
  • Referee: Bernie Kukar
  • TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
Game information

49ers running back Ricky Watters rushed for 118 yards, caught 5 passes for 46 yards, and scored an NFL playoff record 5 touchdowns as San Francisco crushed the Giants, 44–3. This was the final NFL game for both Giants legends Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Smith, Timothy W. FOOTBALL; Giants Tell Simms That He's The Boss, The New York Times, June 16, 1993, accessed March 22, 2007.
  2. ↑ "New York Giants NFL Draft History". NFL.com. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  3. ↑ Litsky, Frank (February 9, 1993). "Giants Complete Coaching Staff". The New York Times . Retrieved April 3, 2010.
  4. ↑ 1993 New York Giants Archived 2008-12-28 at the Wayback Machine , databasefootball.com, accessed May 9, 2007.
  5. ↑ PRO FOOTBALL; Simms's Surgery Goes Well, The New York Times, March 2, 1994, accessed 2007-01-01.
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