9. 1985 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS at 8. 1990 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW YORK GIANTS
8. 1990 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW YORK GIANTS
Record: 13-3
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 15th
Def: 1st
1st NFC East
d. Bears Div Rnd 31-3
d. Niners NFC Title 15-13
d. Bills Super Bowl 20-19
HC Bill Parcells OC Ron Erhardt DC Bill Belichick
Giants Stadium: 50 degrees
Jim Gordon/Dick Lynch
Offense
QB Phil Simms 35 Moorehead St
RB Ottis Anderson 33 Miami
RB Maurice Carthon 29 Ark St
WR Stephen Baker 26 Fresno St
WR Mark Ingram 25 Mich St
TE Mark Bavaro 27 NDame
LT Eric Moore 25 Indiana
LG William Roberts 28 Ohio St
C Bart Oates 32 BYU
RG Bob Kratch 24 Iowa
RT Doug Riesenberg 25 Cal
Defense
LDE Eric Dorsey 26 NDame
NT Erik Howard 26 Wash St
RDE John Washington 27 Oklahoma St
LOLB Carl Banks 28 Mich St
LILB Steve DeOssie 28 BCollege
RILB Pepper Johnson 26 All Pro Ohio St
ROLB Lawrence Taylor 31 UNC
LCB Mark Collins 26 Cal St Fullerton
RCB Everson Walls 31 Grambling
SS Greg Jackson 24 LSU
FS Myron Guyton 23 EKentucky
K Matt Bahr 34 Penn St
P Sean Landetta 28 All Pro Towson
KR/PR Dave Meggett 24 Towson
It's the second of the Giants 4 Super Bowl Champs (we'll see the other two in region 16; every Super Bowl Champ is at least in a play in game, including this team, 10 are still to come, they are flooding the last two rounds). The '90 Giants knocked out the '90 Niners in the NFC Title game - and the '85 Niners fell to the eventual Super Bowl Champs - the '85 Giants, in the playoffs. Top defense in football - 26 year old Pepper Johnson is an All Pro, 31 year old LT had 10.5 sacks (Sean Landetta's 28, he was also an All Pro). There's a decision to make at QB, it was 29 year old Jeff Hostetler who was the winning QB in the Super Bowl - but he'll start on the bench, 35 year old Phil Simms had a solid season pre-injury, in 14 starts he had 16 scores and 4 picks. 33 year old Ottis Anderson ran for 11 TDs in 11 starts.
9. 1985 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Record: 10-6
Pythag: 12-4
Off: 5th
Def 2nd
2nd NFC West
lost WC Giants 17-3
HC Bill Walsh DC George Seifert
Offense
QB Joe Montana 29 NDame
RB Wendell Tyler 30 UCLA
RB Roger Craig 25 Nebraska
WR Dwight Clark 28 Clemson
WR Freddie Solomon 32 Tampa
TE Russ Francis 32 Oregon
LT Bubba Paris 25 Michigan
LG John Ayers 32 A&M
C Fred Quillan 29 Oregon
RG Randy Cross 31 UCLA
RT Keith Fahnhorst 33 Minn
Defense
LDE Jeff Stover 27 Oregon
NT Michael Carter 25 SMU
RDE Dwaine Board 29 NCA&T
LOLB Todd Shell 23 BYU
LILB Riki Ellison 25 USC
RILB Mike Walter 25 Oregon
ROLB Keena Turner 27 Purdue
LCB Ronnie Lott 26 USC
RCB Eric Wright 26 All Pro Missouri
SS Carlton Williamson 27 Pitt
FS Dwight Hicks 29 Michigan
K Ray Wersching 35 Cal
P Max Runager 29 S Carolina
KR Carl Monroe 25 Utah
PR Dana McLemore 25 Hawaii
The Niners stand alone with 10 teams currently headed to round 2 - if they win this one, they'll make it 11. 2nd in defense, 5th in offense. 26 year old Eric Wright is an All Pro, 26 year old Ronnie Lott had 6 picks. 21.5 combined sacks for 27 year old Jeff Stover, 29 year old Dwaine Board. 30 TDs and 13 picks for 29 year old Joe Montana. 25 year old Roger Craig had over 2000 yards from scrimmage and scored 15 times. 10 TDs for 28 year old Dwight Clark.
We get Walsh vs Parcells/Belichick - the Niners trying to get a little bit of payback for both the 1990 and 1985 squads - couple of top defenses going at it in this one, lets head to the Meadowlands for the kick.
1st Qtr
Niners start at the 25.
1/10 - Joe Montana quick strike to the rookie, Jerry Rice, for 12.
1/10 - Wendell Tyler buried in the backfield.
2/13 - Montana to Dwight Clark - 3 yards.
3/10 - Montana finds Roger Craig in space - Craig's got a step -- that's a 16 yard pickup and the Niners cross midfield.
The drive ends here - and Dave Meggett returns the punt back to the 47. Giants in good shape.
1/10 - 3 yards for Ottis Anderson.
2/7 - Anderson is stopped at the line.
3/8 - Phil Simms hits Mark Bavaro, sits down at the sticks, the Giants are at the Niner 44.
1/10 - A yard for Maurice Carthon.
2/9 - Ottis Anderson gets 4 - false start takes them back 5.
3/10 - Phil Simms finds Mark Ingram - 15 big yards it is a first down at the 29 yard line.
The drive ends - Michael Carter busts through the line and sacks Simms - Bahr FG puts the Giants on the board.
Niners at the 25 - they'll get a first down on a 16 yard Roger Craig gallup, but the drive ends - Giants at the 20. 2 plays net 2 yards and the quarter ends.
2nd Qtr: Giants 3 Niners 0
The Giants had the top defense in 1990, San Francisco the number 2 defense in 1985, we may see a rock fight here.
They don't pick it up - Niners take over at the 43; two plays later, Montana gets Picked Off by Pepper Johnson -- Johnson runs it back to the Niner 42 and New York is in business with a first down.
1/10 - 13 yards for Dave Meggett - Meggett scampers to the 29. Fred Dean sacks Simms - Bahr hits another FG and it is 6-0. This feels a lot like the 1990 NFC Championship.
Niners at the 29.
3 and out. Giants up 6-0 and starting at their own 40, another good Meggett return.
3 and out. Niners at the 23.
1/10 - A yard for Tyler.
2/9 - Montana 5 yards to Craig.
3/4 - Montana forced to run - he picks up 6 yards to the 35.
1/10 - Wendell Tyler busts one. 44 huge yards - plus a 5 yard bump on a facemask and the Niners are down to the Giants 16 yard line. Wendell Tyler finds a seam and goes for 44 yards, the Niners are in business.
1/10 - Craig gets a yard.
2/9 - Craig stopped at the line.
3/9 - Montana knifes in a ball to Rice, he's got a first down.
1/goal - Nothing for Tyler
2/goal - Montana -- Montana fires -- Russ Francis --- TOUCHDOWN 49ERS - Joe Montana 6 yard bullet to Russ Francis - we are at the 2 minute mark and the 49ers have taken the 7-6 lead.
Giants deep in their own end at the 9.
1/10 - Simms to Bavaro - fights for 12 yards.
1/10 - Simms to Howard Cross, he goes for 13, the Giants stop the clock with 1:42 to go in the half at their own 34.
1/10 - Simms to Mark Ingram - 16 yards, right on the sideline, he goes out of bounds at midfield, 1:15 left in the half.
1/10 - Simms just flinging it on this drive - 22 yards to Stephen Baker - New York stops the clock with a little more than a minute left at the Niner 28 yard line.
But -- that's where the drive dies - at the end of the half, Bahr hits his 3rd FG and it is 9-7.
3rd Qtr: Giants 9 49ers 7
This game feels like a battle between these two teams, tough, taut - physical - the 3 Bahr FGs tell this story.
Dave Meggett is really doing it today - takes the kick back to the 49er 40 yard line.
But -- there is no drive -- and Matt Bahr hits his 4th FG of the day to give New York the 12-7 lead.
Niners at the 34 - 3 and out, Leonard Marshall with the sack - after the punt, NY will take over at the 49er 37, Dave Meggett continues to put pressure on San Francisco.
3 and out -- and when Bahr....Misses....a 50 yard FG - the Niners regain possession at their own 40.
3 and out. New York's defense really controlling the line of scrimmage now.
Giants starting at the 19. 3 and out. Niners at the 29.
3 and out including a vicious LT sack of Montana. With a minute left in the quarter, the Giants have the ball at midfield.
2 plays net 5 yards and it's 3rd and 5 at the San Francisco 45 when the quarter ends.
4th Qtr: Giants 12 49ers 7
Doesn't feel like it should be this close - the Niners didn't get a first down in the quarter, the game has almost entirely been played on the 49er side of the field - New York unable to find the end zone. 3rd and 5.
They pick it up on an Ingram reverse, 13 yards to the Niner 32 -- but a Dwaine Board sack ends the drive, knocking New York out of FG range - after the punt, it's San Francisco ball at their own 12, 13 minutes left in the game.
1/10 - Montana to Tyler, 10 yards.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Roger Craig goes for 10 yards, Niners at the 32.
1/10 - Montana dumps to Francis, 3 yards.
2/7 - Incomplete
3/7 - Montana finds Clark, toe taps the sideline and he's got the first down at the Niner 43.
1/10 - Tyler gains 6
2/4 - Roger Craig goes for 11 yards and the 49ers are now at the Giants 40 yard line, 8 and a half minutes left.
But -- the drive ends with Lawrence Taylor's second sack - great Runager punt, with 6 and a half left, the Giants are at their own 10.
New York up 5, at their own 10. 6 and a half to play.
1/10 - Rodney Hampton gets nothing.
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Simms - Looking for --- Picked Off By Eric Wright! Picked Off by Eric Wright! Wright is down at the New York 17 yard line! Eric Wright intercepts Phil Simms and with 5 and a half minutes to go the 49ers are at the New York 17 yard line!
1/10 - Wendell Tyler bursts through to the 5 yard line! First and goal for San Francisco at the 5 yard line!
1/goal - Tyler again -- Wendell Tyler Goes Into the End Zone --- TOUCHDOWN 49ERS - San Francisco has the lead -- and when Montana finds Craig for the 2 point conversion the score is 15-12 San Francisco.
Big turn of events - the Wright pick - Tyler goes in - the Niners are up 15-12 with less than 5 to play.
Giants at the 27.
1/10 - Anderson gets 3.
2/7 - Hampton is stopped at the line.
3/8 - Simms finds Hampton -- Hampton just bulldozing his way to the first down - they are at their own 43.
1/10 - Anderson gets 1.
2/9 - Anderson gets 3.
3/6 - Hampton gets 2 yards - the Giants very conservative here, staying on the ground on that third and 6 - and we are at the 2 minute warning.
So - it's 4th and 4. Giants down 3 - at their own 49.
And they're gonna go for it -- this is it.
4/4 - George Seifert dials up the safety blitz and Carlton Williamson Sacks Simms! Williamson sacks Simms and with 1:51 left to go in the game - the Niners take over at the NY 44.
The Niners run 3 times, gain 5 yards - New York uses all 3 of its timeouts. The Niners punt - the Giants get one more shot - there's 1:12 left and the Giants are at their own 12.
Can Simms lead them down the field - no timeouts, they need a FG to force OT.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Fred Dean gets his second sack of the day - the Giants are backed up at the 5 - the clock is running, it's 3rd and 17.
3/17 - Simms -- Looking for Bavar --- Picked Off by Ronnie Lott! Picked off by Ronnie Lott! Picked off by Ronnie Lott and the San Francisco 49ers will be able to run out the clock - the 49ers have beaten the New York Giants and move their 11th team to Rnd 2.
Final: 49ers 15 Giants 12
24 combined first downs in this one - it's the Niners who survive the slugfest and advance.
Montana: 16 for 29 100 yds 1 TD 1 INT
Simms 8 for 24 109 yds 2 INT
Tyler: 13 carries, 76 yds TD
Anderson: 16 carries, 44 yds
Craig: 5 catches, 36 yds
Ingram: 2 catches, 32 yds
Dean/LT: 2 sacks
Bahr: 4 FGs
Player of the Game: Fred Dean
