Ranking the 5 best plays in NY Giants regular season history

Throughout the history of the NFL, we have seen some pretty incredible plays be made from every team. However, one squad that stands out among the rest as having some truly ridiculous moments in their playing days has to be the NY Giants.

Maybe we're biased, but when looking at some of the best plays in the Giants' history, it's hard to find another team that compares to them. Not only are these plays incredibly fun to watch, but some have even inspired an entire generation of football players. In terms of the regular season, here's the five best, ranked, on our list:

5. Michael Strahan's game-winning pick-six against the Eagles

Funny enough, out of the four interceptions Michael Strahan snagged in his 15-year career, he returned two of them for touchdowns. However, his game-winning pick against the Eagles has become iconic. While the game itself wasn't the most exciting considering how bad the Eagles were and mediocre New York had become, the final play of the game made it memorable for all Giants fans.

After a Kent Graham pass to Pete Mitchell to tie the game 17 with 2:43 left, this game went into overtime. However, it didn't take very long for the Giants to come out victorious in this one. While their offensive drive didn't pan out, their defense got the job done. Enter Strahan:

Not only did Strahan grab the interception, but he proceeded to run it back 44 yards for a game-winning touchdown. With all the incredible plays the Eagles have had against the Giants, it's only right that New York gave them a taste of their own medicine. Doug Pederson, now the coach of the Jaguars, tried to make something happen, but Strahan had other ideas. What a play.

4. Mark Bavaro simply couldn't be stopped

The 1986 season was iconic for the Giants not only because of their Super Bowl victory, but because of this play as well. The Giants' Week 13 victory over the 49ers was insane in itself. However, Mark Bavaro's absolutely ridiculous catch and run will forever live in the memory of Giants fans around the world.

After trailing 17-0 at halftime. The Giants would go on to score 21 unanswered in the third and take the game in a demanding fashion. New York simply wanted it more and nothing showcases it more than Bavaro's run:

This play helped inspire the Giants to win this game, as well as showcasing that they were simply the better team than San Fran at the time. The definition of a staple win for a Super Bowl team - full of iconic moments while taking down a juggernaut team at the time.

It may not be a game-winning touchdown, or something every NFL fan will remember. However, for Giants fans, this is one of the most important plays in team history. Without it, who knows if the Giants would have gone on to win the Super Bowl that year.

3. Victor Cruz's insane 99-yard touchdown on Christmas Eve

Similar to Bavaro's catch-and-run, Victor Cruz managed to make an iconic play in the same season the Giants won a Super Bowl. This time, however, things were not so easy for the Giants on their championship quest. Prior to their Christmas Eve game against the Jets, the Giants had lost five of their last six. Entering the Week 16 matchup, the Giants were in desperate need of a win if they wanted to make the playoffs.

Late in the second quarter, with the Giants down 7-3, New York found themselves on their own one-yard line on 3rd and 10. If they didn't get a first, or a safety happened, then it could have been a completely different ball game. Instead, Cruz got the ball in his hands, created magic and would not be denied:

Not only did this play give the Giants the lead, but all the momentum was theirs as well. The Giants would go on to win both this game, and the Super Bowl. Cruz is a Giants legend. While the end of his career was haunted by injuries, the incredible plays he recorded were a thing of beauty.

2. Lawrence Taylor's 97-yard game-winning pick-six on Thanksgiving

It's always a blast when the Giants play on Thanksgiving. However, this time around, New York found themselves stuck in a low-scoring affair with the Lions. Late in the fourth quarter, though, Lawrence Taylor broke the floodgates wide open by making a 97-yard pick-six look easy. The best part about this? This wasn't even the only iconic play Lawrence made on Thanksgiving.

Earlier in the game, Taylor made his epic one-handed sack on Lions quarterback Gary Danielson. The way Taylor makes Danielson look like a little child in this play makes us laugh every time. Despite this, the pick-six is just special. We already knew LT was unreal when he won Defensive Player of the Year in his rookie season. However, for him to be making plays like this in just his second year is absurd:

Taylor is responsible for several incredible moments on the field. However, in the history of the Giants this may be his best. Who would've thought that the greatest defensive player ever would be able to make such a ridiculous play happen? LT is the GOAT on defense, no doubt about that.

1. Odell Beckham's impossible one-handed catch

This may be the most iconic play the NFL has seen in the last 50 years, especially in the regular season. The Giants may have lost this game, but the play Odell Beckham Jr. was able to record will never be replicated. Not only did this play showcase his incredible abilities, but it also inspired an entire generation of football players. At the time, every kid wanted to be like Beckham.

Beckham was already in the middle of an elite rookie season. However, this play made everyone know just how special he was going to be. The Giants were up 7-3 at the start of the second on Dallas' 43-yard line. Eli Manning faked the run and launched a missile to Beckham who despite being held badly by Brandon Carr, made an impossible catch:

This was Beckham's second touchdown of the game. While the Giants would go on to lose in heartbreaking fashion, this play will never be forgotten by anyone. The level of difficulty on this catch is just ridiculous. We'll never see another play like this recorded at MetLife Stadium.

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