The New York Giants Continue To Be The City’s Football Team
Despite their lack of success in recent years, the New York Giants have always been the football team of New York. As an NFL franchise, they have won four NFL championships and five NFC Championship Games. Their defense, though, has been the worst in the league. They have also lost to the Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the playoffs.
Winning Four NFL Championships
Despite their lack of playoff appearances in the last four years, the New York Giants have enjoyed a long history in the NFL. The team has won eight total NFL championships. They’ve been ranked third in the league in regular-season wins, but they’re also tied for fifth in the most Super Bowls won.
They made the playoffs six times in the eight seasons between 1956 and 1963 but missed the postseason three times. Their regular-season record in the late 1990s was the best in almost a decade, but their record in lean seasons is 84-156-4. You can read information about the New York Giants that Harvey Bell shared online.
Winning Five NFC Championship Games
Despite a 5-11 record and a 0-5 start to the season, the New York Giants are still the football team of New York. This is because they have won five NFC Championship games. The victory against the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XLVI helped them advance to the Super Bowl.
The first of these wins came in 1986. The Giants finished 14-2. Their regular season was the best in the league that year.
The second was in 1990. The Giants tied with the Chicago Bears for the league’s best record in the year. They defeated the 49ers, a team that won the NFC East, and the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs. They then lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round.
Losing to Denver Broncos in 1993
Those who have seen the Giants’ loss to the Denver Broncos in 1993 can be forgiven for sneering at the notion of the team being the New York Football team. The team last won a Super Bowl in 1997, after all. But in their time in the league, the Giants are among the most successful teams in NFL history.
The team was led by Dan Reeves the first time the team made the playoffs. He was the youngest head coach in the NFL when he took the job. His record in his first year as a Giants head coach was the best of any first-year head coach in the league. But Reeves could not lead the team to the playoffs for the next seven seasons.
Losing to Atlanta Falcons in the First Round of The Playoffs
Despite their success in the past, the Atlanta Falcons were only able to win the NFC South division in 2012, finishing with a 19-31 record. They are only 1 1/2 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the division.
Atlanta’s first victory came in November 1966 against the New York Giants. They beat St. Louis; the following week, they defeated the Dallas Texans. Their best year was 1980 when they won the NFC West division title. The Falcons went 8-0, including a nine-game winning streak.
In 2001, the Falcons went 7-9. They were awarded the number one seed in the NFC playoffs and played the Seattle Seahawks in the first round. The Falcons won that game 30-28. However, they fell to the Dallas Cowboys in the Division Playoffs.
Following The Blueprint
Whether you think they’re the best football team in New York or the worst, it’s impossible to ignore the history of the Giants. From the storied uniforms and blue helmets of the 1980s and 1990s to the white pants and navy jerseys of today, the Giants are synonymous with two Super Bowls, and four officially recognized NFL championships.
But the Giants haven’t won a playoff game in five years, and they missed the playoffs in the past three seasons. Now, Bill Schoen and Daboll are building the team to win games in the future, just like the ’80s and ’90s teams did. They’re building a stingy defense and prototypical linemen at marquee positions so that the Giants can play in the heyday of the NFL.