The Giants on this week in 1986, faced the hated 49ers and Joe Montana in the Divisional Playoffs after a bye week.  The Giants entered this game as three point favorites, which we all know means the game was equal except it was being played in Giants Stadium.  This game was anything but equal.

Early in this game with the 49ers backed up in their own end, Jerry Rice caught a slant pass from Montana and was running free through the Giants secondary.  At about the 15 yard line of the Giants his knee hit the ball and he fumbled.  After a scramble, the Giants recovered the fumble, and never looked back.

In the second quarter Jim Burt delivered one of the most vicious blows in the history of the NFL on Montana and knocked him out of the game.  He almost knocked him out of the stadium. Burt Destroys Montana  On the play Lawrence Taylor intercepted the attempted Montana pass and returned it for a TD.  The Giants scored 21 points in both the 2nd and third quarters.  The Giants defense held the 49ers to just 29 yards rushing, and 184 total yards, with a 2 of 14 third down conversion rate.  The Giants on the other hand rushed for 216 yards.  The final was 49-3.

The Giants now looked forward to playing the Washington Redskins one more time, this time with a trip to Pasadena and the Super Bowl on the line.

Mark Bavaro was the original tough guy of the New York Giants.  He was a true, blue collar player who worked hard everyday, and in his own words said he did it in honor of the fans.  Bavaro made many big catches in his injury shortened career, but this one in San Francisco on a Monday Night awoke the entire offense for the rest of the regular season and on to a Super Bowl victory.  With the Giants trailing 17-0 at halftime, and having no success on the ground, ( As a matter of fact the Giants rushed for a total of 13 yards on 19 carries that night. ) Phil Simms took over in the second half and never looked back.  After the amazing Bavaro play, Simms hit Joe Morris for a 17 yard TD, followed that with a 34 yard TD pass to Stacy Robinson, and then hit Robinson again at the one to set up an Otis Anderson TD run….All in the third quarter.  The Giants had erased the 17 point deficit, and took the lead 21-17. From there the defense took their cue, and shut down Joe Montana and the 49ers. (more…)