# 1984 New York Giants season

The 1984 New York Giants season was the franchise's 60th season in the National Football League (NFL). With a 9–7 record, the Giants finished in a tie for second in the National Football Conference East Division and qualified for the playoffs. In the Wild Card round, New York traveled to Anaheim Stadium and defeated the Los Angeles Rams 16–13 to advance to the Divisional round.
Instead of traveling across the country back to New York, the Giants spent the week in Fresno, California. The team used the facilities at Fresno State to prepare for the San Francisco 49ers. In spite of this the Giants still lost to the 49ers 21–10.

## Offseason
### NFL Draft

1984 New York Giants draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 3 | Carl Banks * | LB | Michigan State |
| 1 | 27 | William Roberts * | G | Ohio State |
| 3 | 59 | Jeff Hostetler * | QB | West Virginia |
| 4 | 105 | Gary Reasons | LB | Northwestern State |
| 7 | 171 | Lionel Manuel | WR | Pacific |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

## Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 2 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 28–27 | 1–0 | Giants Stadium | 71,520 |
| 2 | September 9 | Dallas Cowboys | W 28–7 | 2–0 | Giants Stadium | 75,921 |
| 3 | September 16 | at Washington Redskins | L 14–30 | 2–1 | RFK Stadium | 52,997 |
| 4 | September 23 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 17–14 | 3–1 | Giants Stadium | 72,650 |
| 5 | September 30 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 12–33 | 3–2 | Anaheim Stadium | 53,417 |
| 6 | October 8 | San Francisco 49ers | L 10–31 | 3–3 | Giants Stadium | 76,112 |
| 7 | October 14 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 19–7 | 4–3 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 50,268 |
| 8 | October 21 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 10–24 | 4–4 | Veterans Stadium | 64,677 |
| 9 | October 28 | Washington Redskins | W 37–13 | 5–4 | Giants Stadium | 76,192 |
| 10 | November 4 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 19–7 | 6–4 | Texas Stadium | 60,235 |
| 11 | November 11 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 17–20 | 6–5 | Tampa Stadium | 46,534 |
| 12 | November 18 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 16–10 | 7–5 | Giants Stadium | 73,428 |
| 13 | November 25 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 28–27 | 8–5 | Giants Stadium | 74,383 |
| 14 | December 2 | at New York Jets | W 20–10 | 9–5 | Giants Stadium | 74,975 |
| 15 | December 9 | at St. Louis Cardinals | L 21–31 | 9–6 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 49,973 |
| 16 | December 15 | New Orleans Saints | L 3–10 | 9–7 | Giants Stadium | 63,739 |

### Game summaries
#### Week 1 vs. Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 3 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 27 |
| Giants | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
at Giants Stadium • East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: September 2
* Game time: 1:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 70 °F (21.1 °C) • Wind 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
* Game attendance: 71,520
* Referee: Pat Haggerty
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information :
Eagles
Ron Jaworski 19/33, 266 Yds, TD
Andre Hardy 6 Rush, 25 Yds
Mike Quick 8 Rec, 147 Yds, TD
Giants
Phil Simms 23/30, 409 Yds, 4 TD
Butch Woolfolk 9 Rush, 39 Yds
Byron Williams 5 Rec, 167 Yds, TD :
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | PHI | NYG |
| 1 | | | | | Eagles | 47-yard field goal by Paul McFadden | 3 | 0 |
| 1 | | | | | Giants | Zeke Mowatt 24-yard touchdown reception from Phil Simms, Ali Haji-Sheikh kick good | 3 | 7 |
| 2 | | | | | Eagles | 41-yard field goal by Paul McFadden | 6 | 7 |
| 2 | | | | | Giants | Byron Williams 65-yard touchdown reception from Phil Simms, Ali Haji-Sheikh kick good | 6 | 14 |
| 2 | | | | | Giants | Bobby Johnson 35-yard touchdown reception from Phil Simms, Ali Haji-Sheikh kick good | 6 | 21 |
| 3 | | | | | Eagles | Wilbert Montgomery 4-yard touchdown run, Paul McFadden kick good | 13 | 21 |
| 3 | | | | | Eagles | Mike Quick 14-yard touchdown reception from Ron Jaworski, Paul McFadden kick good | 20 | 21 |
| 4 | | | | | Giants | Bobby Johnson 16-yard touchdown reception from Phil Simms, Ali Haji-Sheikh kick good | 20 | 28 |
| 4 | | | | | Eagles | Fumble recovered in end zone by Rich Kraynak for touchdown, Paul McFadden kick good | 27 | 28 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 27 | 28 |

### Week 2

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cowboys (1–1) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Giants (2–0) | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
at The Meadowlands
* Date: Sunday, September 9, 1984
* Game time: 1:00pm(ET)
* Game weather: 66 degrees, relative humidity 69%, wind 13 mph
* Game attendance: 75,921
* Referee: Jerry Seeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Jack Buck (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator)
* Pro-Football-Reference.com

#### Week 6 (Monday, October 8, 1984): vs San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers (6–0) | 21 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 31 |
| Giants (3–3) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Giants Stadium • East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: October 8, 1984
* Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); wind 12
* Game attendance: 76,112
* Referee: Red Cashion
* TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford (play-by-play), Don Meredith (color commentator) and O. J. Simpson (color commentator)
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 15/24, 207 Yds, 3 TDs |
| SF | Rushing | Wendell Tyler | 14 CAR, 101 YDS |
| SF | Receiving | Roger Craig | 7 REC, 95 YDS, 1 TD |
| NYG | Passing | Phil Simms | 24/43, 290 Yds, 2 INTs |
| NYG | Rushing | Rob Carpenter | 11 CAR, 45 YDS |
| NYG | Receiving | Lionel Manuel | 5 REC, 78 YDS |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | SF | NYG |
| 1 | 12:28 | | | | 49ers | Tyler 59-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 1 | 8:42 | | | | 49ers | Frank 1-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 14 | 0 |
| 1 | 7:27 | — | — | — | 49ers | McLemore 79-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Wersching kick good | 21 | 0 |
| 1 | 1:49 | | | | Giants | 20-yard field goal by Haji-Sheikh | 21 | 3 |
| 2 | 3:49 | | | | 49ers | Craig 8-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 28 | 3 |
| 3 | 9:14 | | | | 49ers | 37-yard field goal by Wersching | 31 | 3 |
| 4 | 1:17 | | | | Giants | Woolfolk 2-yard touchdown run, Haji-Sheikh kick good | 31 | 10 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 31 | 10 |
* Point spread: 49ers by 3
* Over/Under: 44.0 (under)
* Time of Game:
| 49ers | Game Statistics | Giants |
| 18 | First downs | 23 |
| 32–167 | Rushes–yards | 23–113 |
| 218 | Passing yards | 303 |
| 16–27–0 | Passes | 25–44–2 |
| 1–1 | Sacked–yards | 4–27 |
| 217 | Net passing yards | 276 |
| 384 | Total yards | 389 |
| 123 | Return yards | 142 |
| 5–39.0 | Punts | 5–42.4 |
| 1–0 | Fumbles–lost | 0–0 |
| 7–40 | Penalties–yards | 3–20 |
| 28:08 | Time of Possession | 31:52 |

#### Week 10 (Sunday, November 4, 1984): at Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants (6–4) | 6 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 19 |
| Cowboys (6–4) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Texas Stadium • Irving, Texas
* Date: November 4, 1984
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), relative humidity 78%, wind 15 mph
* Game attendance: 60,235
* Referee: Gene Barth
* TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play) and John Madden (color commentator)
| Team | Category |
| NYG | Passing |
| NYG | Rushing |
| NYG | Receiving |
| DAL | Passing |
| DAL | Rushing |
| DAL | Receiving |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NYG | DAL |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 19 | 7 |
* Point spread:
* Over/Under:
* Time of Game:
* Game Statistics
* First downs
* Rushes–yards
* Passing yards
* Passes
* Sacked–yards
* Net passing yards
* Total yards
* Return yards
* Punts
* Fumbles–lost
* Penalties–yards
* Time of possession

### Week 13 vs. Kansas City

* TV Network: NBC
* Announcers: Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy
The Giants made a late comeback to defeat the Chiefs 28–27. Rob Carpenter helped their cause with two 1-yard touchdown runs. The Chiefs were leading 27–14 and were led by Bill Kenney, who threw three touchdown passes. The Giants then rallied; first came a five-play drive that ended with Phil Simms hitting Bobby Johnson with a 22-yard touchdown pass with 7:30 left. Then the Giants took the lead with an 80-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Zeke Mowatt with 2:22 left.

## Playoffs

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| Wild Card | December 23 | at Los Angeles Rams (4) | W 16–13 | 1–0 | Anaheim Stadium | 67,037 |
| Divisional | December 29 | at San Francisco 49ers (1) | L 10–21 | 1–1 | Candlestick Park | 60,303 |

### Game summaries
#### NFC Divisional Playoffs (Saturday, December 29, 1984): at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants (10–8) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 49ers (16–1) | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
at Candlestick Park • San Francisco, California
* Date: December 29, 1984
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C); wind 9
* Game attendance: 60,303
* Referee: Gene Barth
* TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall (play-by-play), John Madden (color commentator) and Irv Cross (sideline reporter)
* Pro-Football-Reference.com
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| NYG | Passing | Phil Simms | 25/44, 218 YDS, 2 INTs |
| NYG | Rushing | Joe Morris | 17 CAR, 46 YDS |
| NYG | Receiving | Zeke Mowatt | 5 REC, 49 YDS |
| SF | Passing | Joe Montana | 25/39, 309 YDS, 3 TDs, 3 INTs |
| SF | Rushing | Joe Montana | 3 CAR, 63 YDS |
| SF | Receiving | Dwight Clark | 9 REC, 112 YDS, 1 TD |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NYG | SF |
| 1 | 11:55 | | | | 49ers | Clark 21-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1 | 8:12 | | | | 49ers | Francis 9-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 0 | 14 |
| 2 | 11:34 | | | | Giants | 46-yard field goal by Haji-Sheikh | 3 | 14 |
| 2 | 6:41 | — | — | — | Giants | Interception returned 14 yards for touchdown by Carson, Haji-Sheikh kick good | 10 | 14 |
| 2 | 4:09 | | | | 49ers | Solomon 29-yard touchdown reception from Montana, Wersching kick good | 10 | 21 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 10 | 21 |
* Point spread: 49ers by 12
* Over/Under: 41.0 (under)
* Time of Game:
| Giants | Game Statistics | 49ers |
| 18 | First downs | 22 |
| 25–87 | Rushes–yards | 28–131 |
| 218 | Passing yards | 309 |
| 25–44–2 | Passes | 25–39–3 |
| 6–45 | Sacked–yards | 4–28 |
| 173 | Net passing yards | 281 |
| 260 | Total yards | 412 |
| 178 | Return yards | 97 |
| 6–37.7 | Punts | 5–42.0 |
| 2–1 | Fumbles–lost | 0–0 |
| 2–25 | Penalties–yards | 5–29 |
| 31:29 | Time of Possession | 28:31 |

### Standings

NFC East :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Washington Redskins$^{(2)}$ | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–3 | 8–4 | 426 | 310 | W4 |
| New York Giants$^{(5)}$ | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–3 | 7–7 | 299 | 301 | L2 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–3 | 6–6 | 423 | 345 | L1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–5 | 7–5 | 308 | 308 | L2 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6 | 9 | 1 | .406 | 2–6 | 3–8–1 | 278 | 320 | L1 |