With 164 regular season wins since 2000, there was a lot to sort through when deciding the top 10 New York Giants games of the 21st century. The Giants have been an anomaly for much of the past 20 years. They were almost never seen as one of the NFL’s elite teams, but they are one of only four franchises with multiple Super Bowl wins this century.
Those 2007 and 2011 Super Bowl seasons were obvious starting points, but what about ultimately meaningless games that were thrilling at the time? The final list is a combination of historical and entertainment value.
Criteria
- Was the game a championship, or did it lead to a championship?
- How exciting was the game at the time?
- How significant was the game in team history?
Only wins were considered, and no more than two games from any one season were selected.
10. 2020 Week 13 at Seattle Seahawks
Date: 12/6/20
Location: Lumen Field, Seattle
Score: Giants 17, Seahawks 12
Recency bias? Probably. But for a franchise that had not won a meaningful game in nearly five years, this game was absolutely electrifying.
After an 0-5 start to the season, the Giants arrived in Seattle on a three-game win steak and with a legitimate chance to win a wide-open NFC East. The Seahawks were 10.5-point favorites with a perfect home record. Colt McCoy, starting at quarterback for the injured Daniel Jones, had not won a game since 2014.
The Giants defense, though, was relentless, sacking Russell Wilson five times and stopping a potential game-winning drive with one minute left on the clock. A pair of third-quarter rushing touchdowns from Alfred Morris were enough to give the Giants a victory.
A questionable Eagles loss in Week 17 would keep New York out of the playoffs, but this game proved that Head Coach Joe Judge was different from his failed predecessors. All of the optimism surrounding the team heading into 2021 stems from this win.
9. 2008 Week 13 at Washington
Date: 11/30/08
Location: FedEx Field, Maryland
Score: Giants 23, Washington 7
As tacky as it may seem, the Giants’ recent history can be divided into two eras: before and after Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg.
The 2008 Giants team was arguably the best in franchise history. They were 10-1 heading into Week 13 and were well-positioned to win their second consecutive Super Bowl. Head Coach Tom Coughlin later agreed that “we were the best team in the NFL at the time of the shooting.”
That all changed on November 28, when a self-inflicted gun wound ended Plaxico Buress’ Giants career and sent the team into a funk they did not recover from. New York dropped three of their last four games and lost to the Eagles in the first round of the playoffs.
Their Week 13 win over Washington earns a place on this list by virtue of being the last game played by a truly great team. No Giants win since has been as dominant.
8. 2016 Week 14 vs Dallas Cowboys
Date: 12/11/16
Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
Score: Giants 10, Cowboys 7
The nine years since New York’s last Super Bowl have been mostly forgettable, but the Giants did return to the playoffs once with an 11-5 2016 season.
Dallas and rookie quarterback Dak Prescott entered the game as an 11-1 juggernaut, with their lone loss coming against the Giants in Week 1. But with a stunning defensive performance, led by Janoris Jenkins’ interception and forced fumble, New York set themselves up to clinch a wild card spot in a season sweep of their rivals.
The Cowboys took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but New York’s stifling defense held them scoreless the rest of the way. The Giants stagnant offense looked like it might blow the game until a 61-yard catch-and-run by Odell Beckham Jr. in the third quarter gave them the touchdown they needed.
That offensive futility would later lead to a first round playoff exit against the Packers. However, the thrilling regular season makes this one of the top 10 New York Giants games in recent memory.
7. 2005 Week 7 vs Denver Broncos
Date: 10/23/05
Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford
Score: Giants 24, Broncos 23
Halfway through the 2005 season, no one was sure what to make of Eli Manning. The young quarterback finished his rookie year with a horrendous 55.4 passer rating and had shown little improvement so far in his sophomore campaign.
Down 23-17 with three minutes left to play, the home crowd grew restless with another loss seemingly imminent.
Manning had other plans. Starting at his own 17-yard line, he completed eight passes on a game-winning drive that culminated in a short touchdown catch by Amani Toomer with two seconds remaining on the clock.
Manning was never a statistically impressive quarterback. His poise in the biggest moments was what made him a legend. This was not his first fourth-quarter comeback, but it was the moment New York realized they had a truly special talent under center.
6. 2000 NFC Championship Game vs Minnesota Vikings
Date: 1/14/01
Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford
Score: Giants 41, Vikings 0
41-0. The sixth-biggest blowout in playoff history and the most lopsided NFC Championship game ever.
Despite a 12-4 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Giants were underdogs in this game. All they did was total 518 yards of offense to Minnesota’s 114 and hold the ball for 42 minutes. Kerry Collins threw five touchdown passes and the defense caused five turnovers.
Though a Super Bowl loss to Baltimore two weeks later keeps this win from ranking higher on the list of top 10 New York Giants games, it’s the defining moment of the era between Phil Simms and Eli Manning.
Featured image courtesy of Brad Penner/USA Today.
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