The Big Blue Wrecking Crew was the defense for the New York Giants during the 1980s that won two Super Bowl championships and three NFC East titles, the first in Super Bowl XXI in 1986 and the other in Super Bowl XXV in 1990 . A 3-4 defense , it was among the greatest NFL defenses of all time, and featured Lawrence Taylor as its star, considered by many to be the greatest defensive player in NFL history.
153-555: The New York Giants , while historically a successful franchise, suffered a long playoff drought lasting from 1964 after losing the 1963 NFL Championship to the Chicago Bears until 1981 when they clinched their first playoff berth in 17 seasons on the last day of the regular season by defeating the Dallas Cowboys with a game-winning field goal in overtime. The New York Giants of the 1970s struggled, posting losing records in 9 of
306-656: A Chevrolet dealership in Englewood, Colorado, and a Chrysler Jeep dealership in Greeley, Colorado. Elway acquired a Cadillac franchise from Sonic Automotive in 2014. In September 2008, Elway became the spokesperson for OpenSports.com. Elway had LASIK eye surgery and endorsed Icon LASIK in the Denver area in November 2008. Elway currently offers his commentary on the Broncos and
459-565: A 13–3 regular season record. The Giants defense brought more of the same in the playoffs , defeating the Bears easily in the divisional round 31–3 and holding the 49ers , who averaged 22.1 points per game in the regular season to only 13 points in the NFC Championship Game winning 15–13. Considered by many as one of the greatest games in NFL history it was an extremely physical contest, including
612-605: A 14–2 record. In the playoffs the Big Blue Wrecking Crew held the San Francisco 49ers , led by Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana to 3 points (and scored themselves on an interception return for a touchdown by Lawrence Taylor) to win 49–3 in the divisional round and shut out a powerful Washington Redskins offense that averaged 23 points per game during the regular season in the NFC Championship 17–0. Although
765-527: A 16-year span from 1931 to 1947, the Giants qualified to play in the NFL championship game 8 times, winning twice. During this period the Giants were led by Hall of Fame coach Steve Owen , and Hall of Fame players Mel Hein , Red Badgro , and Tuffy Leemans . In 1933 the Giants faced the Chicago Bears in the championship game and were defeated 23–21. The famous " Sneakers Game " was played in this era where
918-463: A 23-yard reception from halfback Steve Sewell on a halfback option play . With a porous defense unable to stop the Redskins offense, Elway was forced to take more risks on the offensive end. As a result, Elway's performance was rather disappointing: just 14 out of 38 completions for 257 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. Gilmore, who regretted not helping Elway win a Heisman ("Had we focused
1071-698: A 6–2 record and on a four-game winning streak that included a 26–3 road victory against the eventual NFC champion San Francisco 49ers . Following the arrival of Hurricane Sandy in the Northeastern United States, the Giants lost back-to-back games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals to fall to 6–4. Despite impressive blowout home victories over the Green Bay Packers , New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles ,
1224-644: A 7–7 record in 1965 , before compiling a league-worst 1–12–1 record, and allowing more than 500 points on defense in 1966 . During the 1969 preseason, the Giants lost their first meeting with the New York Jets , 37–14, in front of 70,874 fans at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut . Following the game, Wellington Mara fired coach Allie Sherman , and replaced him with former Giants fullback Alex Webster. In 1967 ,
1377-422: A 7–9 record, Fassel's first losing season as head coach. In 2000, the Giants were looking to make the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. The Giants started the season 7–2, but suffered back-to-back home losses to St. Louis and Detroit to make their record 7–4 and call their playoff prospects into question. At a press conference following the Giants' loss to Detroit, Fassel guaranteed that "this team
1530-433: A Super Bowl record 88% completion percentage , they defeated the Broncos 39–20, 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 , and Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson . The Giants struggled to a 6–9 record in the strike-marred 1987 season , due largely to
1683-469: A Super Bowl record before being broken by Tom Brady . He is one of only two players to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls (the other being Thurman Thomas ) and the only quarterback to do so, with 156 attempts. As of the 2017 NFL off-season, Elway held at least 33 Broncos franchise records, including: On August 8, 2004, Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . He
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#17328456355931836-474: A changing of the guard for the Giants. With the loss of longtime team staples such as Lawrence Taylor , Carl Banks and Phil Simms and the drafting of future Giants greats such as Jessie Armstead and Michael Strahan the team entered 1994 with a new and distinctive feel. The reign of the Big Blue Wrecking Crew was effectively over. Armstead and Strahan were two of the bulwarks of the Giant defense which carried
1989-468: A crowd of 10,000. The Giants were successful in their first season, finishing with an 8–4 record. In its third season , the team finished with the best record in the league at 11–1–1 and was awarded the NFL title. After a disappointing fourth season ( 1928 ) owner Tim Mara bought the entire squad of the Detroit Wolverines , principally to acquire star quarterback Benny Friedman , and merged
2142-452: A decline in the running game, as Morris managed only 658 yards behind an injury-riddled offensive line. The early portion of the 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 Giants finished 10–6, and Taylor recorded 15.5 sacks after his return from
2295-640: A five-game winning streak, beating the Chicago Bears , Houston Texans , Detroit Lions , Dallas Cowboys , and Seattle Seahawks . Before long, the Giants were 6–2 but lost two straight to division foes: to the Cowboys 33–20 at home, and to the Philadelphia Eagles on the road, putting the Giants in second place in the NFC East at 6–4. In first place was the Eagles, but at December 19 the two teams tied at 8–4, setting up
2448-492: A head coach or general manager after Josh McDaniels ' firing, saying, "I'm not interested in being a head coach. I'm not interested in being a general manager. I don't have that kind of experience to be able to pick those players day in and day out and such." On January 5, 2011, Elway was named general manager and executive vice president of football operations of the Broncos, with the final say in all football matters. In this capacity, he reported to team president Joe Ellis and
2601-566: A hit by Leonard Marshall on Joe Montana that symbolically ended his career as the quarterback of the 49ers (he would never win or reach another Super Bowl in a 49er uniform). The Giants would ultimately face the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV , perhaps the most impressive win of the season. In one of the most memorable Super Bowls of all time, the Giants held the Bills, the highest scoring team in
2754-498: A knee injury as a senior, he ended his high school career with 5,711 passing yards and 49 passing touchdowns, and was named to the Parade All America High School Football Team, along with future NFL stars, quarterback Dan Marino and running back Eric Dickerson . Known as a dual-threat quarterback , meaning he was accomplished at running and escaping pressure with an impressive passing ability, he
2907-488: A little more on what we were doing, we could have made things easier on John"), thought that the Broncos were, like their Stanford teams, overdependent on Elway: "when one player is head and shoulders better than the rest of the team ... people come to expect the star will always save the day". After recording an 8–8 record in 1988, Elway once again led his team to the Super Bowl after the 1989 season , with yet another win over
3060-497: A long-standing feud between Wellington Mara and his nephew, Tim Mara . 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 , allowing the club to operate more smoothly. The feud became moot on February 20, 1991, when Tim Mara sold his shares in
3213-564: A massive upset versus the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High for their first win of the season. However, during the Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Chargers , Odell Beckham Jr. fractured his ankle, an injury that ended his season. During the same game, the Giants also lost wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Dwayne Harris to season-ending injuries. The season
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#17328456355933366-411: A match for first place. The Giants were at home and led 24–3 over the Eagles at halftime. The score was 31–10 with 5:40 left in the game, but Michael Vick led the Eagles to three touchdown drives to tie the game up at 31 with 40 seconds left. After a Giants three-and-out, Matt Dodge punted the ball to DeSean Jackson , who returned it for a touchdown, concluding the Giants' epic collapse . The next game,
3519-494: A meeting with the San Francisco 49ers in Candlestick Park in the wild-card round. The Giants built up a sizable lead throughout the game, and led 38–14 with 4:27 left in the third quarter. However, San Francisco rallied to win the game by one point, with the final score of 39–38. After a dismal 2003 season in which the Giants finished with a 4–12 record, Jim Fassel was released by the Giants. His head coaching record with
3672-582: A month later became the head coach at Cal State-Northridge , a Division II program in Southern California . The family moved after John's freshman year at Pullman High School to the San Fernando Valley , where he played his final three years of football at Granada Hills High School in Granada Hills , under head coaches Jack Neumeier and Tom Richards. Despite missing five games with
3825-462: A month later. In the 1986 season , Elway led the Broncos to Super Bowl XXI , after defeating the Cleveland Browns on a famous possession at the end of the fourth quarter that became known as " The Drive ". In a span of 5 minutes and 2 seconds, Elway led his team 98 yards to tie the game with 37 seconds left in regulation. The Broncos won the game in overtime. Elway and the Broncos started out
3978-504: 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 . 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
4131-532: A player and one as an executive. Elway was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. Elway and his twin sister Jana were born on June 28, 1960, in Port Angeles, Washington , to Janet ( née Jordan) and Jack Elway , then the head coach at Port Angeles High School . The family of five included sister Lee Ann, a year older than the twins. They moved
4284-636: A record 148 victories, since surpassed by Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady for most wins by a starting quarterback . He finished his career with 774 rushing attempts, currently fourth in league history behind Cam Newton (934), Michael Vick (873), and Randall Cunningham (775). Elway's 3,407 rushing yards ranks seventh all-time among NFL QB's behind Cunningham, Vick, Newton, Steve Young , Fran Tarkenton , and Steve McNair . Elway threw 1,128 yards in his five Super Bowls, fourth most behind Tom Brady , Kurt Warner , and Joe Montana . His 76 Super Bowl pass completions rank fifth, and his 152 attempts were
4437-527: A record for most consecutive road wins in a single season with 10 (a streak which ended with a loss to the Cleveland Browns during week 6 of the 2008 season). The Patriots (18–0) entered the Super Bowl undefeated and were 12 point favorites going into game weekend. The Giants defeated the Patriots 17–14 in Super Bowl XLII , aided by the famous " Manning to Tyree " pass. On this famous play, Manning escaped
4590-559: A reporter pointed out that the Yankees were not based on the West Coast, Elway replied "They play baseball during the summertime". Jack Elway said that John "will never play for Irsay or Coach Kush". Worried that the Colts would waste their pick, team owner Robert Irsay began negotiating with the Denver Broncos before the draft. The Colts were interested in offensive lineman Chris Hinton , whom
4743-483: A season-high for the Giants. With the victory, the Giants advanced to the second round against the top-ranked Green Bay Packers 37–20. On January 15, 2012, the Giants defeated the Green Bay Packers 37–20. Eli Manning threw for 330 yards and 3 touchdowns, two of which to wide receiver Hakeem Nicks . This earned the Giants a spot in the NFC Championship Game on January 22, 2012, against the San Francisco 49ers . They won this game 20–17, in overtime, with Tynes scoring
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4896-584: 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. From 1964 to 1978, the Giants registered only two winning seasons and no playoff appearances. With players, such as Tittle and Gifford approaching their mid 30s, the team declined rapidly, finishing 2–10–2 in 1964 . They rebounded with
5049-548: Is also the second player to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls (running back Thurman Thomas was the first). On September 13, 1999, Elway's number 7 jersey was retired by the Denver Broncos during halftime of a Monday Night game against the Miami Dolphins ; that same night he was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame. Craig Morton , his direct predecessor in Denver, also wore number 7 and
5202-515: Is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 11 years with the Broncos in various front office positions, eventually being promoted to general manager . Elway, along with former backup quarterback and head coach Gary Kubiak , are the only individuals to be associated with all three of
5355-490: 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. 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
5508-694: Is going to the playoffs". The Giants responded, winning the rest of their regular season games to finish the season 12–4 and clinch the top seed in the NFC. In the divisional round, the Giants beat the Philadelphia Eagles 20–10 at home to qualify for the NFC Championship Game, in which they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 41–0. They advanced to play the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV . Though
5661-541: Is in the Ring of Fame alongside Elway. He was the first Broncos player to have the five-year waiting period waived. Also in 1999 he was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. Also in 1999, Elway was ranked number 16 on The Sporting News ' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the only player to have spent the majority of his career with the Broncos to make the list; Willie Brown , who began his career with
5814-591: 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 49ers 49–3 in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs and the Redskins 17–0 in the NFC championship game, advancing to their first Super Bowl, Super Bowl XXI , against the Denver Broncos at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Led by MVP Simms who completed 22 of 25 passes for
5967-471: The 1983 NFL draft , nicknamed the "Quarterback class of 1983". Elway was the first of six quarterbacks selected in the first round. Elway was wary of playing for the Colts, among the worst teams in the league at the time, and his father advised him against playing for head coach Frank Kush , who had a reputation as a harsh taskmaster. While Elway preferred football, his agent Marvin Demoff later stated that baseball
6120-437: The 1984 draft as producing any first-round quarterbacks. Accorsi announced Elway as the team's choice as soon as possible during the 15-minute window on draft day, surprising observers, but Kush already told Elway's family by phone that the Colts would pick him regardless of baseball. Elway that day reiterated his wish to not play for the Colts at a press conference, saying "As I stand here right now, I'm playing baseball". When
6273-581: The 1997 season , as Elway and Denver won their first Super Bowl title by defeating the Green Bay Packers 31–24 in Super Bowl XXXII . The Broncos repeated as champions the following season in Super Bowl XXXIII by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34–19. Elway was named MVP of that Super Bowl, which was the last game of his career, and in doing so Elway set a then-record five Super Bowl starts which
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6426-400: The 1999 Pro Bowl . On May 2, 1999, at age 38, Elway announced his retirement from professional football. Elway is regarded as one of the top quarterbacks to play the game. He has one of the best winning percentages in league history (148–82–1), and was tied for the second-most Pro Bowl selections for a quarterback (nine) at the time of his retirement. Elway played in 22 postseason games with
6579-462: The 2008 season with a record of 11–1, but lost three of their last four regular season games partially due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to wide receiver Plaxico Burress . However, the Giants still won the NFC East with a record of 12–4, and clinched the number one seed in the NFC after beating the Carolina Panthers for home-field advantage and a first-round bye. In the divisional round of
6732-536: The AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award . However, the Giants missed the playoffs for a third straight season, finishing with a 6–10 record. The 2015 season was another disappointing campaign, as the Giants showcased a struggling defense and several late-game collapses. The Giants finished the season with a 6–10 record and missed the playoffs. On January 14, 2016, the Giants announced that Ben McAdoo would become
6885-502: The College Football Hall of Fame . In 2007, Elway was ranked #15 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list. He passed for over 200 yards in 30 of his 42 collegiate games. Elway also excelled as a baseball player. He was selected by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 1981 Major League Baseball draft (52nd overall, six spots ahead of future Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn ), and received $ 150,000 for playing for
7038-586: The Detroit Lions to a scoreless tie on November 7, 1943. 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 . The Giants won their next championship in 1956 , the first year the team began playing at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City . Aided by
7191-617: The Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round, the Giants prepared for a showdown against the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers . The 49ers defeated the Giants 21–10 in the divisional round. After 9–7 and 10–6 finishes in 1984 and 1985 respectively, the Giants compiled a 14–2 record in 1986 led by league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Lawrence Taylor and the Big Blue Wrecking Crew defense. As of 2023, this
7344-640: The NFL Most Valuable Player Award . He went on to once again lead the Broncos to a victory over the Browns in the AFC title game, earning their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, this one against the Washington Redskins . The game started out very well for Denver, and they built up a 10–0 lead by the end of the first quarter. At the time, no team had overcome a 10–0 deficit in the Super Bowl. But in
7497-669: The New York metropolitan area . The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey , 5 miles (8 km) west of New York City . The stadium is shared with the New York Jets . The Giants are headquartered and practice at
7650-767: The Philadelphia Eagles is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating back to 1933, and has been called the best rivalry in the NFL in the 21st century. 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. Cost of the franchise was $ 2,500. The Giants played their first game as an away game against All New Britain in New Britain, Connecticut , on October 4, 1925. They defeated New Britain 26–0 in front of
7803-445: The Pro Football Hall of Fame . Due to the departure of Parcells, and the advancing age and departure of many of its stars, after the 1990 season the Giants defense entered a decline. After two seasons of mediocrity the Giants surged in 1993 , once again leading the NFL in scoring defense, but fell hard to the 49ers in the playoffs losing 44–3. While the defense would remain respectable the team never returned to their dominant ways and
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#17328456355937956-629: The Quest Diagnostics Training Center , also in the Meadowlands. The Giants were one of five teams that joined the NFL in 1925, and they are the only one of that group still existing, as well as the league's longest-established team in the Northeastern United States . The team ranks third among all NFL franchises with eight NFL championship titles : four in the pre– Super Bowl era (1927, 1934, 1938, 1956) and four since
8109-645: The San Diego Chargers 21–20 and the Philadelphia Eagles 40–17. The streak was broken with a 34–31 overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons . On Thanksgiving night, they lost to the Denver Broncos 26–6. The Giants next beat the division-leading Dallas Cowboys . A week later, with a record of 7–5, they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 45–38. On December 27, the Giants lost to the Carolina Panthers 41–9 in their final game at Giants Stadium, and were eliminated from playoff eligibility. The Giants finished
8262-466: The San Francisco 49ers , who were attempting to win the Super Bowl for an unprecedented third straight year, 15–13 at San Francisco and then defeated the Buffalo Bills 20–19 in Super Bowl XXV . Following the 1990 season, Parcells resigned as head coach and was replaced by the team's offensive-line coach Ray Handley . Handley served as coach for two disappointing seasons (1991 and 1992), which saw
8415-405: The Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut in 1973 and 1974, and at Shea Stadium (home of the Mets and Jets) in Queens, New York in 1975, due to the renovation of Yankee Stadium . They finally moved into their own dedicated state-of-the-art stadium in 1976, when they moved into Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey , located 5 miles west of New York City. One of
8568-449: The depth chart . Stanford was where the legend of the "Elway cross" began; after the freshman broke two players' fingers on the first day of practice, receivers began catching Elway's passes with their bodies instead of hands, leaving a cross on their chests from the ball's seams. Elway spent his freshman season as backup to future NFL quarterback Schonert, playing in nine games as the team went 5–5–1. After Schonert graduated, Elway became
8721-420: The playoffs , the Giants lost 23–11 to the Philadelphia Eagles at home. In 2009 , the Giants opened a new training complex, the Timex Performance Center, also located in the Meadowlands. After starting 5–0 in the 2009 season, New York lost to the likewise undefeated New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome 48–27, beginning a four-game losing streak, in which they lost to the Arizona Cardinals 24–17,
8874-493: The professional baseball team of the same name , the football team was incorporated as the "New York National League Football Company, Inc." in 1929 and then changed to " New York Football Giants , Inc." in 1937. While the baseball team moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season, the football team continues to legally use it as its corporate name, which the team is often referred to by fans and sportscasters alike. The team has also acquired several nicknames, including "Big Blue",
9027-456: The "G-Men", and the "Jints", an intentionally mangled contraction seen frequently in the New York Post and New York Daily News , originating from the baseball team when they were based in New York. In addition, the team as a whole is occasionally referred to as the " Big Blue Wrecking Crew ", even though this moniker primarily and originally refers to the Giants defensive unit during the 1980s and early-1990s. The team's heated rivalry with
9180-411: The 10 seasons from 1971 to 1980. The Giants fortunes began to shift in 1981 with the drafting of Lawrence Taylor, as well as the shrewd management of general manager George Young , and the leadership of linebacker coach, defensive coordinator and eventual head coach Bill Parcells . The personnel moves of Young and the hard-line attitude and aggressive coaching of Parcells would be the primary factors of
9333-428: The 2007 season, the NFL scheduled the Giants' road game against the Miami Dolphins on October 28 in London 's Wembley Stadium ; this was the first NFL regular season game to be played outside of North America . The Giants defeated the Dolphins, 13–10. The Giants finished 10–6 and became NFC Champions after defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Dallas Cowboys , and Green Bay Packers in the NFC Playoffs . They set
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#17328456355939486-439: The 2014 season. After losing in the divisional playoffs to the Indianapolis Colts, Elway dismissed John Fox , who won four divisional championships in his four years as Broncos head coach. Elway hired Gary Kubiak , his former backup quarterback and former Broncos offensive coordinator, as the new head coach for the 2015 season. Elway and Kubiak also brought back Wade Phillips , a former Broncos head coach, for his second stint as
9639-413: The 35-yard line, where Mark Harmon kicked what appeared to be the winning field goal. However, the clock had four seconds remaining, so Stanford had to kick off. What followed is now simply known as " The Play ", in which Cal players lateraled the ball, rugby -style, five times – two of them controversial – and scored a touchdown to win the game, 25–20. Elway was bitter about the game afterward, stating that
9792-495: The Arena Football League announced an indefinite suspension of operations. Elway was one of the 17 remaining franchise owners that voted to suspend operations indefinitely. Elway is the owner of four steakhouse restaurants , each named "Elway's": One is located in the upscale Cherry Creek shopping district, one in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in downtown Denver, one in Vail , and one in the Denver International Airport . Elway owned five auto dealerships, called John Elway Autos, in
9945-513: The Broncos but spent more of it with the Oakland Raiders , also made the list. In 2005, TSN published another special feature honoring the 50 Greatest Quarterbacks. Elway was ranked third behind Johnny Unitas and Joe Montana . Elway was named the greatest athlete wearing the #7 by Sports Illustrated . Pittsburgh Steelers ' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger , who grew up idolizing Elway and Joe Montana, wore number 7 in honor of Elway during his entire 18-year career. Elway ended his career with
10098-426: The Broncos chose as the fourth pick in the first round. On May 2, Irsay and Accorsi agreed to trade Elway for Hinton, backup quarterback Mark Herrmann , and a first-round pick in the 1984 draft, which turned into offensive lineman Ron Solt . The Colts' controversial relocation to Indianapolis the following year would later prove to somewhat vindicate Jack Elway's concerns, and the team would largely struggle until
10251-415: The Broncos defeated the Packers 31–24, winning their first Super Bowl, after three failed attempts for Elway (and four for the team). In the 1998 season , the Broncos repeated this feat and Elway was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII , throwing 336 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while also scoring a rushing touchdown in Denver's 34–19 win over the Atlanta Falcons . It was his last game, other than
10404-451: The Broncos ensuing possession, cutting their lead to 10–9. Then in the second half, the Giants scored 30 points and ended up winning the game 39–20. Still, Elway had an impressive performance, throwing 304 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while also leading Denver in rushing with 27 yards and a touchdown on the ground. In the 1987 season , Elway was selected to start in the American Football Conference 's (AFC) Pro Bowl team and won
10557-465: The Broncos' Super Bowl wins. Elway is widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the sport. At the time of his retirement in early 1999, Elway had the most victories by a starting quarterback and was statistically the second most prolific passer in NFL history. He was also a prolific rusher of the ball, being one of only two players to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls (the other being Thurman Thomas ) and
10710-402: The Broncos, 21 as a starter, and led the team to victory in 14 of them. In those games he threw 4,964 yards and 27 touchdowns, with 21 interceptions, while also rushing for 461 yards and 6 more scores. He is currently 9th all time in passing yards, 10th in passes completed, and 12th in passing touchdowns. His four total rushing touchdowns in his Super Bowl games are the most by a quarterback. He
10863-502: The Browns in the AFC championship game, going on to face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIV . However, this game ended even worse for the Broncos than their previous Super Bowl losses. San Francisco blew out Denver 55–10, the most lopsided score in Super Bowl history. Although Elway scored the only touchdown for his team on a three-yard run, his performance was abysmal: 10 out of 26 completions for 108 yards with no touchdown passes and two interceptions. But he didn't try to hide from
11016-473: The Colts did not wish to trade Elway to a team in the same division. The Los Angeles Raiders almost traded for Elway the day before the draft, but the Raiders could not complete a required trade with the Chicago Bears . With no successful trade before the draft, the Colts had to draft Elway and possibly trade him later. Team general manager Ernie Accorsi wanted Elway as, Accorsi later said, he did not foresee
11169-546: The Cowboys, 31–14 and clinched the NFC East title and the fourth seed in the playoffs. Wide receiver Victor Cruz finished the regular season with 1,536 receiving yards, breaking the Giants franchise record previously held by Amani Toomer . On January 8, 2012, in the first round of the playoffs, the Giants defeated the Atlanta Falcons 24–2. After giving up an early safety in the first half, quarterback Eli Manning threw for three consecutive touchdowns. Running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs combined for 172 yards rushing,
11322-676: The Denver Broncos and his official role with the club had ended. In 2024, Elway competed in season twelve of The Masked Singer as "Leaf Sheep" which was part vehicle and had DeMarcus Ware (who portrayed "Koala" in season eleven ) as his Mask Ambassador. He was the first of Group A to be eliminated in the season premiere. Elway married Janet Buchan, who attended Stanford University and competed on its swimming team, in 1984. They separated in 2002 and divorced in 2003. They have four children: Jessica, Jordan, Jack, and Juliana. Elway's twin sister, Jana, developed lung cancer and died at
11475-538: The Denver area. He sold them to AutoNation Inc. in 1997 for $ 82.5 million. In December 2006, Elway ended a nine-year licensing agreement with AutoNation, removing his name from Denver-area dealerships. At the time, Elway said the move could allow him to get back into the auto business under his own name. He still owns two Toyota Scion dealerships, one in Manhattan Beach, California and another in Ontario, California,
11628-459: The Giants defeated the Chicago Bears on an icy field in the 1934 NFL Championship Game , while wearing sneakers for better traction. The team would return to the championship game the following year but would fall to the Detroit Lions 26–7. The Giants captured their third NFL championship in 1938 with a 23–17 win over the Green Bay Packers . Both teams returned to the championship game
11781-411: The Giants did not allow more than 20 opposing points. The Giants began the season with a 10–0 record, smothering teams into submission by allowing only 11 points per game during that span. The Big Blue Wrecking Crew was in great form, accruing 23 interceptions , and on average only giving up 13.2 points per game and allowing 20 points or more in only 4 games (including the play-offs) leading the Giants to
11934-417: The Giants during this time was 58–53–1. In 2004, three years after their last Super Bowl appearance, Fassel was replaced by Tom Coughlin . Although Collins had several solid seasons as the Giants quarterback, he experienced his share of struggles. In 2004 , the Giants completed a draft day trade for University of Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning . Manning became the team's starting quarterback in
12087-409: The Giants fall from Super Bowl champions to an 8–8 record in 1991 and a 6–10 record in 1992. He was fired following the 1992 season , and replaced by former Denver Broncos ' coach Dan Reeves . In the early 1990s, Simms and Taylor, two of the stars of the 1980s, played out the last seasons of their careers with steadily declining production. The Giants experienced a resurgent season with Reeves at
12240-482: The Giants finished the season 9–7 and out of the playoffs. Quarterback Eli Manning , defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul , wide receiver Victor Cruz , and guard Chris Snee represented the Giants at the Pro Bowl . The 2013 season began with hope that the Giants could become the first team to play in the Super Bowl in their home stadium, as MetLife Stadium was scheduled to host Super Bowl XLVIII that February. However,
12393-690: The Giants in the lead. It was the third biggest upset by betting line in Super Bowl history (the Baltimore Colts were favored by 17 over the New York Jets in Super Bowl III , and the St. Louis Rams were favored by 14 over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI ). Co-owner John Mara described it as "the greatest victory in the history of this franchise, without question". The Giants began
12546-589: The Giants lost Kevin Boss , Steve Smith , Rich Seubert , Keith Bulluck , Derek Hagan , and Pro Bowl center Shaun O'Hara to free agency. However, the season also saw the emergence of second-year wide receiver Victor Cruz and second-year tight end Jake Ballard . The Giants opened their season with a 28–14 loss to the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field on the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks . However,
12699-455: The Giants lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers 45–17, and at 9–6, they faced the Redskins. They had to win and have the Packers lose in order to get into the playoffs. The Giants won 17–14, but the Packers beat the Bears 10–3, so the Giants missed out on the playoffs again, ending a collapse in which the Giants went 4–4 in their last eight games. During the 2011 preseason,
12852-408: The Giants secured a 6–2 record by the midpoint of the season, including road victories over the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots . The latter victory ended the Patriots' NFL record home-game winning streak, after a touchdown pass from Manning to Jake Ballard with 15 seconds left in the game. However, the Giants then suffered a four-game losing streak, including road losses against
13005-559: The Giants signed ex-Carolina Panthers quarterback Kerry Collins . Collins was the first-ever draft choice of the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995 and led the Panthers to the NFC Championship game in his second season. However, problems with alcohol, conflicts with his teammates, and questions about his character led to his release from the Panthers. The Giants finished the season with
13158-469: The Giants struggled to 5–11 and 6–10 records. Reeves was fired following the 1996 season . In 1997, the Giants named Jim Fassel , who had spent the previous season as offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals , as their 16th head coach. Fassel named Danny Kanell the team's starting quarterback. The Giants finished the 1997 season with a record of 10–5–1 and qualified for the playoffs for
13311-406: The Giants trailed at halftime. They are the only team in NFL history to have more than two second half, come-from-behind, Super Bowl victories (4). The Pittsburgh Steelers , who accomplished the feat in Super Bowl X and Super Bowl XIV , are the only other team to do it more than once. The Giants began the 2012 season with a home loss to the Dallas Cowboys , but rebounded to finish October with
13464-523: The Giants went into halftime down only 10–0, the Ravens dominated the second half. Their defense harassed Kerry Collins all game long, resulting in Collins completing only 15 of 39 passes for 112 yards and 4 interceptions. The Ravens won the game 34–7. After a disappointing 7–9 record in 2001, the Giants finished the 2002 season with a record of 10–6, qualifying for the playoffs as a wild card. This set up
13617-450: The Giants' playoff hopes took a massive hit when they lost the first six games of the season. They rebounded to win the next four games in a row to improve to 4–6, but lost a critical home game to the Dallas Cowboys on a last-minute field goal. They finished the season 7–9 and with a losing record for the first time since 2004. The Giants drafted rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the 2014 NFL draft , who would later go on to win
13770-409: The NFL season as a whole Friday mornings during the football season on 87.7 The Ticket in Denver. Elway is part of a national awareness campaign about Dupuytren's contracture , with which he was diagnosed in 2004. In December 2010, Elway expressed interest in working as the Broncos' top football executive after having dinner with Broncos owner Pat Bowlen . However, he stressed he did not wish to be
13923-430: The NFL single season record in sacks in 2001 , and running back Tiki Barber , who set a team record for rushing yards in a season in 2005. Barber retired at the end of the 2006 season. Going into 2007 , the Giants had made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. In 2007, the Giants became the third NFL franchise to win at least 600 games when they defeated the Atlanta Falcons 31–10 on Monday Night Football . For
14076-405: The NFL that year, averaging 26.8 points per game and scoring 44 and 51 points in the divisional round and AFC championship respectively, to a mere 19 points, winning 20–19 on a missed field goal as time expired. This game would be the pinnacle of Bill Belichick 's tenure as defensive coordinator; his game plan, a radical scheme designed to maximize punishment of the Bills receivers now resides in
14229-541: The Redskins posted a 12–4 record of their own in 1986 and made it to the NFC championship game the Giants still beat them 3 times in that season accounting for 3 of their 5 losses. While the Giants got off to a slow start in Super Bowl XXI , trailing the Denver Broncos led by another Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway 10–9 at halftime, they broke out in the second half reaching a 33–10 lead after scoring 24 unanswered points and set an NFL record by scoring 30 points in
14382-459: The Super Bowl against the New York Giants very well, building a 10–7 lead and then driving to the Giants 1-yard line in the second quarter. However, the Broncos lost five yards on their next three plays and came up empty after kicker Rich Karlis missed the field goal attempt. From that point on, the rest of the game went downhill for the Broncos. Elway was sacked in the end zone for a safety on
14535-431: The West Coast to explain the team trading him, Elway publicly threatened to join the Yankees full-time if the Colts did not trade him; Demoff wrote in his journal, published three decades later, that "he would be a garbage collector before he'd play for Baltimore." Elway's refusal to join the Colts was controversial – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw denounced him, stating "you should play baseball … he's not
14688-515: The Yankees' short season affiliate Oneonta Yankees in the New York–Penn League in the summer of 1982. Many scouts saw Elway as a good baseball player, but not as likely a star as in football. Yankees scout Gary Hughes believed, however, that if Elway concentrated on baseball "the sky was the limit … he would've been off the charts". Yankees owner George Steinbrenner —who aggressively sought Elway's services—reportedly planned to make him
14841-473: The Yankees' starting right fielder by 1985, which Elway—aware of Steinbrenner's opinion—later described as "a tremendous [and] exciting thought". Elway graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics , and is a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity . Already age 19 when he entered as a freshman, Elway did not use a redshirt year at Stanford. The Baltimore Colts had the first overall pick in
14994-523: The advent of the Super Bowl ( XXI (1986), XXV (1990), XLII (2007), and XLVI (2011)), along with more championship appearances than any other team, with 19 overall appearances. Their championship tally is surpassed only by the Green Bay Packers (13) and the Chicago Bears (9). Throughout their history, the Giants have featured 29 Hall of Fame players, including NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winners Mel Hein , Frank Gifford , Y. A. Tittle , and Lawrence Taylor . To distinguish themselves from
15147-401: The arrival of Peyton Manning during Elway's last season as a player. As one of the best quarterbacks drafted, Elway joined Denver as one of the most highly anticipated athletes in the history of the NFL. The local newspapers ran a section that was called "The Elway Watch". After Craig Morton retired after the 1982 season and Herrmann was traded, the press expected that Elway might become
15300-505: The ball. Stanford had a 20–23 record during his tenure. Elway's 24 touchdown passes in 1982 led the nation, and at the conclusion of his career, he held nearly every Pacific-10 record for passing and total offense. He won the Pac-10 Player of the Year honors in 1980 and 1982, was a unanimous All-American , and finished second in Heisman balloting as a senior. In 2000, Elway was enshrined in
15453-426: The club to Preston Robert Tisch . In 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 , and linebacker Lawrence Taylor in 1981 . In 1981 , Taylor won the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards and the Giants made the playoffs for the first time since 1963. One of
15606-422: The days of Giants defensive dominance were gone. Finally, after a somewhat personally disappointing and injury marred year Lawrence Taylor, who tore an Achilles tendon in November 1992 while chasing the Green Bay Packers ' Brett Favre , retired following the 1993 season, this along with the retirement of long time quarterback Phil Simms signaled the end of an era for the Giants . In many ways 1993 represented
15759-570: The few bright spots during this time was the team's excellent linebackers, who were known as the Crunch Bunch . After the strike-shortened 1982 season , in which they finished 4–5, head coach Ray Perkins resigned to succeed the legendary Bear Bryant as head coach at the 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 . In 1983 , Bill Parcells
15912-549: The firing. In 2010 , the Giants moved from Giants Stadium into MetLife Stadium , then known as the " New Meadowlands Stadium ". They won against the Carolina Panthers in the first game at New Meadowlands Stadium, but then lost to the Indianapolis Colts in the second "Manning Bowl", so-called due to Eli Manning's brother Peyton playing for the Colts. The Giants dropped one game to the Tennessee Titans before going on
16065-459: The first time in four years. However, they lost in the wild-card round to the Vikings at home. The following year , the Giants began the season 4–8 before rallying to finish the season 8–8. One of the notable games of that season was a win over the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos in week 15, giving the Broncos their first loss of the season after starting 13–0. Before the 1999 season ,
16218-437: The following week to make their record 7–7 with a Christmas Eve showdown against their crosstown rival New York Jets the following week. The Giants won, 29–14, and knocked the Eagles out of playoff contention, to set up a Week 17 home game against the Cowboys in which the winner would clinch the NFC East while the loser would be eliminated from playoff contention. The game was flexed into Sunday Night Football. The Giants defeated
16371-418: The following year in 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". 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
16524-527: The following year to southwestern Washington, where Jack was the junior college head football coach at Grays Harbor Community College in Aberdeen for five seasons. As a youth, Elway lived primarily in Missoula, Montana , and Pullman, Washington , when his father was an assistant coach at Montana and Washington State , respectively. In February 1976, Jack joined the staff at Palouse neighbor Idaho , but
16677-417: The foundation for Giants defensive dominance through the 1980s. The unit was anchored by Taylor, who NFL Network named the 3rd greatest player of all time and the best defensive player. The defensive coordinator of the Giants during this span was Bill Belichick , who would go on to coach the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl championships. The Giants drove me crazy. They gave me the most fits. They were
16830-429: The game-winning touchdown by falling into the end zone. The Patriots were allowing Bradshaw to get the touchdown so they would get the ball with some time remaining. When Eli Manning handed the ball to Bradshaw, he told him not to score. Bradshaw was about to fall down at the 1-yard line but his momentum carried him in, thus the "reluctant touchdown." As was the case in each of their four previous Super Bowl appearances,
16983-417: The grip of several Patriots defensive linemen, stepped up in the pocket, and heaved the ball down the middle of the field to a double-covered David Tyree . With Rodney Harrison , a Patriots defensive back, all over Tyree, David managed to hold on to the ball by holding it on his helmet until he fell to the ground. This catch set up a Manning to Plaxico Burress touchdown pass in the back of the end zone to put
17136-401: The helm in 1993 however, and Simms and Taylor ended their careers as members of a playoff team. The Giants initially struggled in the post Simms/Taylor era. After starting 3–7 in 1994 , the Giants won their final six games to finish 9–7 but missed the playoffs . Quarterback Dave Brown received heavy criticism throughout the season. Brown performed poorly the following two seasons, and
17289-419: The kind of guy you win championships with" – but many other NFL teams began negotiations with the Colts for the quarterback. One possibility was trading Elway for the San Francisco 49ers ' Joe Montana , whose team had a poor season in 1982 . Another was a trade with the San Diego Chargers , who were negotiating a new contract with starting quarterback Dan Fouts . The New England Patriots were interested, but
17442-469: The low points during this period was the play known as the " Miracle at the Meadowlands ", which occurred in 1978. With the Giants trying to kill the clock and secure a win against the Philadelphia Eagles , offensive coordinator , 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 . The Giants' front office operations were complicated by
17595-421: The media after the game or downplay his dismal performance. And when he was asked if he wanted to go back to the Super Bowl after three losses, he responded that he wanted to go back every year, even if his team kept losing. However, many doubted that he would win a Super Bowl in his career. It took Elway another eight years, but he eventually led his team back to the Super Bowl, following the 1997 season . During
17748-492: The middle of the 2004 season , taking over for Kurt Warner . During the three-year period from 2004 to 2006, Tom Coughlin's Giants compiled a 25–23 regular season record and two appearances in the wild-card round — both losses (to the Carolina Panthers in 2005 and to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2006.) and spawned intense media scrutiny concerning the direction of the team. During this period in their history, standout players included defensive end Michael Strahan , who set
17901-542: The most notable performances in sports and in NFL history, helping engineer a 98-yard, game-tying touchdown drive in the AFC Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns , a moment later dubbed " The Drive ". Following that game in Cleveland, Elway and the Broncos lost in Super Bowl XXI to the New York Giants . After two more Super Bowl losses, the Broncos entered a period of decline; however, that ended during
18054-455: The offense and Tom Landry coaching the defense. From 1958 to 1963, the Giants played in the NFL Championship Game five times, but failed to win. Most significantly, the Giants played the Colts in the 1958 NFL Championship Game , which is considered a watershed event in the history of the NFL. The game, which the Giants lost in overtime 23–17, is often called "The Greatest Game Ever Played" and
18207-571: The officials "ruined my last game as a college football player." Stanford athletics director Andy Geiger said the loss cost Elway the Heisman Trophy . Twenty years later, Elway came to terms with The Play, saying that "each year it gets a little funnier." Although Elway never led his team to a bowl game , he had an accomplished college career. In his four seasons (1979–1982) at Stanford, he completed 774 passes for 9,349 yards, 77 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions, while also scoring 5 touchdowns rushing
18360-435: The only quarterback to do so. While playing college football at Stanford , Elway set several career records for passing attempts and completions and also received unanimous All-American honors. He was the first selection in the 1983 NFL draft , famously known as the "quarterback class of 1983", where he was taken by the Baltimore Colts before being traded to the Denver Broncos. In January 1987, Elway embarked on one of
18513-506: The opposite of Buddy Ryan's Bears defense. They played that soft two-deep zone that didn't allow any big plays. You had to earn everything you got against the Giants. This defensive unit first truly came to the forefront during the 1986 season , and was among the most fearsome of all time, a beautiful example of the 3-4 defense . It featured a powerful defensive line, with George Martin and Leonard Marshall at defensive end, and Jim Burt at nose tackle. The linebacker corps for this team
18666-456: The preseason American Bowl game in Mexico City , Elway ruptured his right (throwing arm) biceps tendon . It was treated non-surgically, and he returned to play 19 days later, and the team advanced to Super Bowl XXXII , Elway's fourth, where they faced the Green Bay Packers , the defending champions . Despite Elway completing only 11 of 22 passes, throwing no touchdowns and one interception,
18819-417: The pro game. Knute Rockne reassembled his Four Horsemen along with the stars of his 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. 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
18972-470: The resurgent San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints and home losses to the Eagles and the then-undefeated Green Bay Packers , to make their record 6–6 entering December. The Giants broke their losing streak with a tightly contested 37–34 road victory over the Cowboys on December 11 with Jason Pierre-Paul blocking a last second field goal attempt, but lost at home to the Washington Redskins
19125-497: The rise of the Giants in the 1980s. Additionally, the drafting of Taylor began the era of perhaps the greatest linebacker corps in NFL history: the Crunch Bunch . The Crunch Bunch was an impressive group of linebackers, including future Hall of Famers Harry Carson and Lawrence Taylor as well as five-time Pro Bowler Brad Van Pelt and Brian Kelley . As a unit they totaled 24 Pro Bowl selections and though they only played together for three seasons from 1981 through 1983 it set
19278-507: The same draft. In 1979, Elway enrolled at Stanford University , where he played for the Stanford Cardinal football and baseball teams. Rod Gilmore recalled that the football team expected Elway to be a backup quarterback for three years before starting, like Turk Schonert and Steve Dils . After seeing the new player in preseason practice Babe Laufenberg and another backup transferred, knowing that Elway would be above them on
19431-415: The season 8–8. Following the season, the Giants fired first-year defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan , and replaced him with the former Buffalo Bills interim head coach, Perry Fewell . The Giants defense finished 13th overall under Sheridan, giving up 324.9 yards per game, and the final two losses of the season against Carolina and Minnesota , in which the Giants gave up 85 points, ultimately led to
19584-425: The second half, before surrendering 10 points in “garbage time” to ultimately win 39–20. The Giants enjoyed a good stretch of defensive dominance in the 1980s led by the Big Blue Wrecking Crew, which finally peaked in the 1990 season . Though the 1986 Giants are among the greatest defenses of all time, the 1990 Giants rivaled them in ferocity and their sheer will to dominate opposing teams. For 10 games straight,
19737-401: The second quarter, the Redskins suddenly stormed back with a record 35 points, and ended up winning Super Bowl XXII 42–10. Elway did have a few highlights. His 56-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Nattiel after just 1:57 had elapsed in the game set a record for the fastest touchdown in Super Bowl history, at the time. He also became the first quarterback to catch a pass in the Super Bowl, recording
19890-547: The starting quarterback as a sophomore, threw 27 touchdown passes (2nd in the NCAA), and led the team to a 6–4 record heading into the final week of the season. In the Big Game against a 2–8 California team, Stanford was upset 28–23, dropping them to 6–5 and costing them a chance to play in a bowl game. In 1981, Elway had another fine season, ranking 7th in the NCAA with 20 touchdown passes, but
20043-415: The starting quarterback during the 1983 season . He debuted for the Broncos in the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium , and was sacked for the first time in his NFL career at the hands of linebacker and fellow Hall of Famer Jack Lambert . In his first game, Elway was relieved by veteran quarterback Steve DeBerg , who led the Broncos to a victory. Elway's second game
20196-504: The state of Colorado. Elway tested positive for COVID-19 in November 2020, and returned to the team on November 12. Following the 2020 season, Elway announced that he would step down as general manager but continue to serve as the Broncos' president of football operations. He was succeeded as general manager by George Paton . In February 2022, Elway took on a new position as an outside consultant that reports directly to Paton. As of April 2023, Elway had no contractual affiliation with
20349-461: The suspension; however, the team missed the playoffs in their last game of the season. They surged to a 12–4 record in 1989, but lost to the 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. In 1990 , the Giants went 13–3 and, at the time, set an NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season (14). They defeated
20502-517: 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 , the Giants traded him back to the Vikings after a 4–10 finish in 1971 . Tarkenton would go on to lead the Vikings to three Super Bowls and earn a place in the Hall of Fame, while the Giants suffered through one of
20655-450: The team finished the year with a dismal 4–7 record. In his senior season in 1982 , Stanford was 5–5 and needed to win its final game, The Big Game against Cal, to secure an invitation to the Hall of Fame Classic bowl game . With two minutes remaining in the game, Stanford was down 19–17 and had 4th-and-17 on their own 13-yard line. Elway completed a 29-yard pass and drove the ball downfield to
20808-474: The team to Super Bowl XXXV in 2000 . The table below summarizes the more important defensive stats for the New York Giants defense from 1984 to 1993. Source: These lists represent the starting lineups for the 1986 team and the 1990 team for their respective Super Bowl appearances. Source: Source: New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in
20961-475: The team's defensive coordinator. Elway won a third Super Bowl as part of the Broncos franchise, on February 7, 2016, when Denver defeated the Carolina Panthers 24–10 in Super Bowl 50 . This gave him his first Super Bowl win as Executive VP/GM, to go along with the two he won as the team's quarterback. In 2017, Elway received the Mizel Institute Award for his philanthropic contributions to Denver and
21114-408: The team's head coach. He replaced Tom Coughlin, who had resigned the previous week. The Giants turned it around in 2016 with an 11–5 record, ending their five-year playoff drought. The Giants later lost to the Green Bay Packers 38–13 in the wild-card round. After having high expectations due to their 11–5 record in 2016, the Giants had an unexpected 0–5 start to the 2017 season , before pulling
21267-425: 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 the team finished with a 3–12–1 record and his job security was called into question. 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. After beating
21420-467: The two teams under the Giants name. In 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 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
21573-425: The winning field goal as he did four years earlier in the same game against the Packers. The New York Giants won Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots with a score of 21–17. The winning touchdown was preceded by a 38-yard reception by receiver Mario Manningham . As in Super Bowl XLII , Eli Manning was Super Bowl MVP, defeating the Patriots for a second time in the Super Bowl. Ahmad Bradshaw scored
21726-495: The worst stretches in their history, winning only 23 games from 1973 to 1979. Before the 1976 season, the Giants tried to revive a weak offense by replacing retired RB 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 season featured a roster which included three rookie quarterbacks. The Giants were allowed to play their home games at
21879-497: Was "a true option" for him at the time. The possibility gave Elway leverage in negotiations with the Colts. Elway told the Colts in December 1982 that he did not want to play for the team, and later told the Colts that he wanted to play on the West Coast or for the Dallas Cowboys or Miami Dolphins . After unsuccessfully attempting to negotiate a private agreement with the Colts in which Elway would cite his alleged desire to remain on
22032-400: 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." 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. It also was the last game the legendary Rockne ever coached; he was killed in an airplane crash on March 31, 1931. In
22185-438: Was also marred by the suspensions of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins . The Giants finished the 2017 season with a 3–13 record, the second-worst in the league. This was also the first time since 1983 in which the Giants finished the regular season with three or less wins, and their worst record since the 16 game season was adopted in the NFL. John Elway John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960)
22338-464: Was also on the road at Baltimore , and was spirited by his rejection of the franchise. In what would turn out to be Elway's only professional game in Baltimore, Elway was again relieved in a close game by DeBerg, who led the Broncos to another win. In early October, DeBerg was named the starter by third-year head coach Dan Reeves for the remainder of the season, but a shoulder injury brought Elway back
22491-478: Was amongst the top recruited high school players in the country, receiving numerous scholarships . One of those offers was from his father, who became the head coach at San Jose State following the 1978 season. Also an accomplished baseball player, Elway was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 18th round of the 1979 Major League Baseball draft . The Royals also selected Marino in the fourth round of
22644-452: Was broken in February 2015 when Tom Brady of the New England Patriots started Super Bowl XLIX . After his retirement as a player, Elway served as general manager and executive vice president of football operations of the Broncos, which won four division titles, two AFC Championships, and Super Bowl 50 during his tenure, making Elway a three-time Super Bowl Champion with the Broncos - two as
22797-599: Was elected in his first year of eligibility. He was presented by his eldest daughter Jessica. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. Elway was co-owner of the Arena Football team Colorado Crush from their inception in 2002 until the cancellation of the Arena Football League after the 2008 season . In February 2007, Elway was elected chairman of the AFL's executive committee. On August 4, 2009,
22950-482: Was just released by the Indianapolis Colts . In four seasons from 2012 to 2015, the Broncos won four division titles, two AFC Championships, and reached Super Bowl XLVIII where they were soundly defeated 43–8 by the Seattle Seahawks despite holding the regular season's top offense. Elway responded to the Super Bowl loss by signing defensive end DeMarcus Ware , cornerback Aqib Talib , and safety T. J. Ward for
23103-410: 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
23256-404: Was relentless, featuring Lawrence Taylor as the " Jack ", Gary Reasons as the " Will ", Harry Carson as the " Mike " and Carl Banks as the " Sam ". This front 7 formed what is among the greatest rushing defenses of all time, giving up merely 80.2 rushing yards per game. Additionally, the team accrued 59 sacks , 24 interceptions , and only gave up 14.8 points per game powering the Giants to
23409-425: Was the immediate supervisor for the head coach of the team. General manager Brian Xanders was actually retained, but served mostly in an advisory role to Elway. Xanders left the team after the 2011 season, and Elway assumed the role of general manager which gave him complete control over the football side of the Broncos operation. Under Elway's management, the team signed free agent quarterback Peyton Manning , who
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