1990: Division Rivals Knock Giants & 49ers From Ranks of Unbeaten

Ten games into the 1990 NFL season, both the defending-champion San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants were sporting perfect 10-0 records. With the teams scheduled to meet in San Francisco the next week, speculation was rampant that it could be a showdown of unbeaten teams for supremacy in the NFC. But first they each had to face fierce division rivals on November 25.

In the case of the Giants, coached by Bill Parcells, it meant traveling to Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium to take on Buddy Ryan’s Eagles. The Giants had been successful with a conservative offense that rarely turned the ball over, in combination with a solid defense. The Eagles played in the style of the brash Ryan, aggressive on defense while dependent upon the flashy skills of QB Randall Cunningham (pictured above) on offense. They had gotten off to a slow start in ’90, going 1-3 to begin the season (including an opening-game loss to New York at Giants Stadium), but had won their last four games prior to hosting the Giants and were 6-4 overall.

The first half was closely fought. New York scored initially on a 15-yard pass from QB Phil Simms to WR Mark Ingram and the Eagles responded as Cunningham connected with WR Fred Barnett for a 49-yard TD. In the second quarter, Cunningham capped a drive of over nine minutes by leaping into the end zone for a touchdown from a yard out. TE Mark Bavaro caught a four-yard scoring pass from Simms, but the extra point was missed and the Eagles led by the slender margin of 14-13 at halftime.

Roger Ruzek kicked a 39-yard field goal to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 17-13 in the third quarter, but in a span of 22 seconds in the fourth quarter the Eagles essentially put the game away. First, Cunningham passed to WR Calvin Williams for a six-yard touchdown. Then, LB Seth Joyner deflected a Simms pass that was intercepted by MLB Byron Evans, who ran untouched for a 23-yard TD. That provided the final score of 31-13 as the Eagles toppled the Giants.

The Eagles controlled the ball for over 38 minutes and rolled up the most yards against the Giants thus far with 405. The Giants, who typically ran the ball 60 percent of the time, were forced to throw 40 passes. Phil Simms, who had only been intercepted twice in the previous ten games, was picked off twice by the Eagles and completed only 17 of his passes.

Randall Cunningham passed for 229 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions, and ran for 66 yards on 9 carries with a TD. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. RB Keith Byars caught 8 passes for 128 yards.

It was the first regular season loss for the Giants in 14 games dating back to December 1989, and the Eagles had beaten them then. It also delayed the Giants from clinching the NFC East title.

Meanwhile, at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, the 49ers ran into trouble against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams, under Head Coach John Robinson, were having a poor season and came into the game at 3-7 and hardly seemed a match for the two-time defending league champions that had won a record-tying 18 straight games. Under Head Coach George Seifert, the 49ers were known for their passing offense, led by QB Joe Montana and WR Jerry Rice.

However, in the wind and rain at Candlestick Park, the Rams forced four turnovers in the first half and took a 21-7 lead. RB Cleveland Gary accounted for the first two TDs of the game, first on a 22-yard option pass from FB Buford McGee and then on a 10-yard run in the second quarter. The 49ers scored on a five-yard pass from Montana to WR John Taylor, but McGee ran for a six-yard touchdown to provide the 14-point margin at the half.

It appeared that the 49ers might pull off a successful comeback in the third quarter. Montana threw a screen pass to RB Harry Sydney that was good for a 23-yard touchdown. Mike Cofer booted a 42-yard field goal before the period was over that pulled the Niners to within 21-17.

But on San Francisco’s next possession, Montana was intercepted by Rams SS Vince Newsome and LA went 90 yards in 17 plays to score a game-clinching touchdown as Gary ran in from a yard out. The final score was 28-17.

The Rams outgained the 49ers, 350 yards to 291, and turned the ball over twice, as compared to a total of six times by the Niners. Joe Montana threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted three times. Jerry Rice caught 7 passes for 72 yards, but gave up one of the fumbles.


Meanwhile, WR Willie “Flipper” Anderson caught 8 passes for 149 yards and Cleveland Gary (pictured at left) ran for 68 yards on 24 carries and caught three passes for 27 yards while scoring three touchdowns. QB Jim Everett was successful on 16 of 27 passes for 224 yards with one picked off.

The 49ers won the showdown against the Giants the next week, stripped of the glamour of being a battle of unbeatens, by a low score of 7-3. San Francisco lost once more in the regular season to finish atop the NFC West at 14-2. New York ended up winning the NFC East at 13-3. The two teams met in the NFC Championship game, where the Giants prevailed and went on to win the Super Bowl over Buffalo.

The Eagles lost their next two games after upsetting the Giants, and ended up in second place in the NFC East at 10-6. They qualified for the playoffs as a wild card team, but lost to the Redskins in the first round, costing Ryan his job. For the Rams, the upset of the 49ers was the high point of an otherwise dismal year. They defeated the Browns the next week, but lost their last four games to finish at 5-11 for third place in the NFC West.

1990: Bills Score 20 Points in 1:33 to Beat Broncos

Both the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos had won two of their first three games of the 1990 season prior to meeting at Rich Stadium on September 30. The host Bills, under Head Coach Marv Levy, had won the AFC East title the previous two years, although with only a 9-7 record in ’89. The talented club had been mired in controversy in 1989, and had underachieved. Denver, coached by Dan Reeves for the preceding nine seasons, was the defending AFC champion, although the Broncos had been badly beaten in the Super Bowl by the 49ers.

The Broncos scored on the first possession of the game, going 80 yards in 12 plays with RB Bobby Humphrey running for a touchdown from a yard out. The teams traded fumbles, but there was no further scoring in the opening period.

The Bills blocked a 49-yard field goal attempt by David Treadwell early in the second quarter, but came up empty when Scott Norwood’s 47-yard attempt hit the right upright and bounced away. In their next possession, Bills QB Jim Kelly was intercepted by FS Steve Atwater, giving Denver good field position at the Buffalo 30 yard line. The Broncos capitalized as QB John Elway completed a 25-yard pass to WR Vance Johnson and two plays later RB Steve Sewell scored on another short touchdown run. Buffalo finally got on the board just before the end of the half on a 37-yard field goal by Norwood, but it was Denver leading comfortably by 14-3 at the intermission.

Buffalo got a break in the third quarter when DE Bruce Smith sacked Elway, forcing a fumble that LB Darryl Talley recovered for the Bills at the Denver 10. After Kelly was sacked for a two-yard loss, RB Don Smith ran for a 12-yard touchdown, but the extra point attempt failed. However, the Broncos extended their lead to 21-9 later in the period after a fumbled handoff to RB Thurman Thomas gave Denver the ball on the Buffalo 19. Following an Elway pass and a penalty on Bills LB Shane Conlan for a late hit, RB Sammy Winder ran for a three-yard touchdown.

With Denver seemingly in control in the fourth quarter, the game took a dramatic twist. The Broncos appeared set to score again, having driven to the Buffalo six yard line, but Treadwell’s field goal attempt was blocked by CB Nate Odomes – LB Cornelius Bennett (pictured at top) picked up the loose ball at the 20 and returned it for an 80-yard touchdown. Instead of being down 24-9, the Bills had cut the Denver margin to 21-16.

On the second play of Denver’s ensuing possession, an Elway pass was deflected at the line by DE Leon Seals and intercepted by safety Leonard Smith, who returned it 39 yards for another Buffalo TD. While Norwood missed the extra point attempt, the Bills had gone from being down by 12 points to up by one at 22-21. And it wasn’t over.

An illegal block on the kickoff return by the Broncos put the ball on the Denver five yard line. On the first play, Elway fumbled the snap and Cornelius Bennett recovered at the two. It took just one play for RB Kenneth Davis to run for a two-yard touchdown; this time the PAT attempt was successful and the Buffalo lead was now 29-21. The Bills had scored a total of 20 points in just 1:33 of playing time.

The shaken Broncos had to punt on their next possession after Bruce Smith again sacked Elway, this time for a ten-yard loss on a third-and-12 play. Buffalo moved into Denver territory, but Norwood’s 48-yard field goal attempt was wide to the right.


Now with under four minutes remaining, it looked as though the Broncos were finished when Elway threw three straight incompletions, but on fourth-and-ten he connected with WR Ricky Nattiel for a 20-yard gain to midfield. Suddenly, Elway was passing Denver downfield with four more completions that included a seven-yard TD to Nattiel - with the successful conversion, Buffalo’s lead was narrowed to one point. However, the onside kick was recovered by the Bills who were then able to run out the clock. The final score was 29-28 in favor of Buffalo.

It was a stunning win for the Bills, who were outgained by the Broncos, 410 yards to 197. Buffalo gained just 64 yards on the ground, to Denver’s 208. Bobby Humphrey (pictured above right) had an outstanding day running the ball, gaining 177 yards on 34 carries with one TD. John Elway completed 15 of 28 passes for 221 yards with a touchdown, but also with two interceptions (part of five overall turnovers by the Broncos). Ricky Nattiel was the club’s leading receiver with four catches for 62 yards and the TD.

Buffalo’s offensive performance was not strong. Reflecting the low rushing total, Thurman Thomas gained just 36 yards on 13 attempts – he caught four passes for 25 more yards. WR James Lofton also caught four passes, and led the Bills with 57 receiving yards. Jim Kelly completed 18 of 34 passes for 167 yards with no TDs and one interception.


The big defensive plays – including the one on special teams – made the difference in the outcome. Bruce Smith (pictured at left), with five tackles in addition to the two key sacks and the forced fumble, was recognized as the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Week, although there were several other members of the unit who played significant roles in the dramatic win.

The Bills won their next six games and 10 of 12 to finish the regular season at 13-3, winning a third straight AFC East title and this time advancing to the Super Bowl where they lost to the New York Giants by one point - the previous year’s underachievers broke through to a higher level, even if they fell short of the pinnacle. Denver, meanwhile, went in the opposite direction, losing 9 of the remaining 12 contests to end up at 5-11 and at the bottom of the AFC West.

1991: Giants Dethrone Two-Time Champion 49ers for NFC Title

For most of the 1990 season, it seemed as though the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants were mirroring each other while on a collision course for supremacy in the NFC. Both teams started out with 10-0 records. A week before they were due to square off at Candlestick Park, both lost for the first time, and to division rivals in each instance – the 49ers falling 28-17 to the Rams and the Giants by 31-13 at Philadelphia. San Francisco won the ensuing matchup, 7-3.

The 49ers, under second-year Head Coach George Seifert, had won the previous two Super Bowls and looked poised to join the Packers as winners of three straight NFL titles. They ended the ’90 regular season with a league-best 14-2 record, coasting to first place in the NFC West, and defeated Washington in the Divisional playoff round. To be sure, weaknesses were beginning to show due to wear and tear as safety Ronnie Lott missed five games and RB Roger Craig limped through a sub-par season. Still, QB Joe Montana and WR Jerry Rice, who led the league with 100 pass receptions, 1502 receiving yards, and 13 touchdown catches, provided plenty of heroics on offense.

The Giants, coached by Bill Parcells, ended the regular season with several question marks. Their conservative, ball-control offense, led by QB Phil Simms, suffered only 14 turnovers. The defense, featuring LB Lawrence Taylor (pictured at bottom), was top-ranked in the NFL and also had solid performances from LB Pepper Johnson, NT Erik Howard, and veteran CB Everson Walls. However, the team lost three of its last six games and Simms and starting RB Rodney Hampton were eliminated from the postseason by injuries. To be sure, the Giants still won the NFC East with a 13-3 record, and they crushed the Bears in the Divisional playoff. But they were dependent upon unproven backup QB Jeff Hostetler, operating an offense rendered even more conservative, and 33-year-old RB Ottis Anderson (pictured at top).


There were 65,750 on hand at Candlestick Park on January 20, 1991 for the NFC Championship game. The first half ended at 6-6 with both teams booting two field goals apiece – from 47 and 35 yards by San Francisco’s Mike Cofer and 28 and 42 yards by veteran placekicker Matt Bahr (pictured at right).

The 49ers finally scored a touchdown in the third quarter as Montana connected with WR John Taylor on a 61-yard play. Bahr narrowed the margin to 13-9 with a 46-yard field goal late in the same period.

Montana was knocked out of the game with a broken finger after being sacked with under ten minutes remaining in the game. Meanwhile, the Giants utilized a fake punt that turned into a 30-yard run by LB Gary Reasons, setting up a fourth field goal by Bahr from 38 yards that made it a one-point contest.

49ers backup QB Steve Young kept the ball on the ground, throwing just one pass, and it was almost enough. But with 2:36 remaining, Lawrence Taylor recovered a fumble by Craig. It was the only turnover of the game, and a costly one. Hostetler, completing two key passes, moved the Giants 33 yards in six plays into field goal range. With time running out, Bahr kicked his fifth field goal, from 42 yards, and the Giants were the winners by a 15-13 margin.


In the defensive struggle, New York won the battle for ball control, keeping the offense on the field for 39 minutes and outrushing the 49ers, 152 yards to 39. Even with San Francisco’s superior air attack, the Giants had the upper hand in total yards with 311 to 240. Jeff Hostetler (pictured at left) performed capably, completing 15 of 27 passes for 176 yards and, most importantly, not throwing any interceptions. Ottis Anderson was the top rusher with 67 yards on 20 carries. WR Mark Ingram and TE Mark Bavaro each caught five passes, with Ingram gaining the most yards (82, to the tight end’s 54). Matt Bahr, in his first season with the Giants after nine years in Cleveland, made five of his six field goal attempts, which were crucial.

Before having to leave the game, Joe Montana completed 18 of 26 passes for 190 yards and a TD with none picked off. Thanks to the long touchdown, John Taylor had the most receiving yards with 75 on two receptions, while Jerry Rice had the most catches with 5, but for just 54 yards. The weak rushing attack was led by Roger Craig, with 26 yards on 8 attempts.

New York went on to defeat Buffalo in a closely-fought Super Bowl that was decided by one point. However, Coach Parcells left in the offseason and the Giants slumped under his successor, Ray Handley. The 49ers missed the playoffs in ’91 despite a 10-6 record, but rebounded to make the playoffs in each of the following six seasons with one Super Bowl victory mixed in.