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It's no question that the New York Giants are one of the most successful teams in the NFL. The franchise is one of the oldest teams in the league and also owns the record for most championship appearances, which has allowed them to earn a handful of trophies both in the pre-Super Bowl and the Super Bowl eras.
The team has also was home to numerous Hall of Famers as well as a few league MVPs, led by the legendary Lawrence Taylor, who was in the forefront of one of the best, if not the best, New York Giants team in franchise history.
The 1986 New York Giants gave birth to the “Big Blue Wrecking Crew,” with a fearsome defensive front which featured Taylor as well as other defensive powerhouses like George Martin, Leonard Marshall and Jim Burt. These big names, along with the rest of the Giants' defense were in a league of their own tallying a total of 59 sacks and 24 interceptions while only giving up 14.8 points and just 80.2 rushing yards per game. This defensive lineup for the Giants would go on to be known as one of the greatest defenses of all time.
Behind their seemingly unbreakable defensive line, the NFC East powerhouse marched their way to a league-best 14-2 regular season record. Leading the way for their offense was quarterback Phil Simms who, along with tight end Mike Bavaro, powered the squad after a couple of tough losses early in the season to an incredible nine-game winning streak heading into the playoffs.
The up-and-coming Giants continued their streak in the playoffs as they beat the San Francisco 49ers in the first round, 49-3. The “Big Blue Wrecking Crew” showed up in a big way and held 49ers star quarterback Joe Montana to a measly three-point performance, highlighted by a Lawrence Taylor touchdown from an interception return.
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New York's defense continue to stamp their class as they shut out the offensive powerhouse of the Washington Redskins, who came in to the NFC Championship game averaging 23 points per game. Washington didn't have an answer to the New York's defense and had to bow out of the playoffs in an embarrassing 17-0 defeat.
After their 11th-straight win, the Giants were headed to Super Bowl XXI to face another Hall of Fame quarterback in John Elway and his Denver Broncos. A strong start form Denver saw them leading the Giants 10-9 at halftime.
New York head coach Bill Parcels seemingly woke up a sleeping giant at halftime as his team broke out and scored 24 unanswered points in the second half. The Giants would go on to set the record for most points in the second half of a Super Bowl by scoring a total of 30 points and were eventually crowned champions with a 39-20 win.
Simms was named the game's MVP after leading the way for the Giants with three touchdown passes and a total of 268 passing yards. The Giants also brought out their “Gatorade Shower” ritual which has transformed into a fixture in the NFL that persists to this day.
