Ask any Giants fan, and they’ll tell you—this team feels further from a Super Bowl than ever. The struggles of the past few years bring back haunting memories of the franchise’s “wilderness years” in the 1970s. Back then, it took an intervention from NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, who appointed George Young as general manager, to pull the Giants out of their misery and set them on a path to success.
That decision paid off in a big way. Since 1986, the Giants have become one of the NFL’s storied franchises. They’ve made five Super Bowl appearances and etched their name into history with iconic moments. They remain the only team to win a Super Bowl in four straight decades—1986, 1990, 2007, and 2011—delivering some of the most unforgettable plays the game has ever seen.
Now, let’s relive the magic. Here are the top five plays in Giants Super Bowl history.
Top 5 Plays in Giants Super Bowl History
#5 – Ottis Anderson’s Game-Sealing TD (Super Bowl XXV, 1990 Season)
- Context: There is no famous “wide right!” call without Ottis Anderson scoring a one-yard touchdown in the third quarter to give the Giants the lead for good. Super Bowl XXV was an all-time, instant classic- a common theme in Giants Super Bowl victories. The Bill Parcells era Giants were known for their defensive and running game. They leaned on their strengths to hold the high-powered Jim Kelly-led Bills offense to just 19 points to win their second Super Bowl in five seasons.
- The Play: Anderson’s one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave the Giants a 17-12 lead. It capped off a nine-minute and 29-second drive to start the second half the longest drive in Super Bowl history.
- Impact: Put the Giants ahead for good and secured Anderson’s Super Bowl MVP award.
1986: Super Bowl Week- @OJAnderson24 was acquired midseason by #NYGiants & he was an insurance policy for Morris. But Joe stayed healthy & OJ was little used. Parcells put him in at the end for a ceremonial TD. Little did we know OJ would be back in a Super Bowl #Giants100 pic.twitter.com/PM5B66Voqr
— BigBlueVCR (@BigBlueVCR) February 3, 2025
#4 – Phil Simms’ Precision Passing (Super Bowl XXI, 1986 Season)
- Context: This isn’t a singular play, but arguably the best performance of any individual player in Giants Super Bowl history. Quarterback Phil Simms set a Super Bowl record with an 88% completion percentage and threw three touchdowns and 268 yards in a 39-20 victory over John Elway and the Broncos. It was the franchise’s first Super Bowl and officially marked the end of the “wilderness era” that haunted the Mara family in the 1970s.
- The Play: Not one play but Simms’ record-setting 88% completion rate (22-of-25, three touchdowns).
- Impact: First near-perfect quarterback performance in a Super Bowl, cementing Simms’ MVP status and legacy with the Giants.
This Day In 1987: The New York Giants beat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI.
Disney pays Giants QB Phil Simms $75,000 to be the first to say “I’m going to Disney World!” pic.twitter.com/B1YaoK4b6O
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 25, 2025
#3 – Plaxico Burress’ Game-Winning TD (Super Bowl XLII, 2007 Season)
- Context: I’m willing to bet you’ll read this in Joe Buck’s voice: “Manning lobs one. Burress, alone. Touchdown, New York!” 17 years later, and it still gives Giants fans the chills. This was the first time I’ve ever seen my father cry. Here were the Giants, the little Giants, coming in as 12-point underdogs against what was the greatest team in NFL history in the 19-0 New England Patriots and they just took a 17-14 lead with just 35 seconds remaining. Eli Manning crawled his way out of his brother’s shadow and threw the most important touchdown pass of his career.
- The Play: Eli Manning finds Burress wide open in the end zone for the go-ahead score. It was a routine slant-and-go route. Manning recognized the cover zero blitz at the line of scrimmage and correctly predicted that there’d be no safety help in the deep flat. From there, it was a routine lob to the back shoulder for the six-foot-four Plaxico Burress who holds a unique place in Giants history. But boy, did the ball stay in the air forever.
- Impact: The touchdown with 35 seconds left sealed one of the greatest upsets in sports history as the Giants knocked off the undefeated Patriots to win Super Bowl 42.
Waiting for the results of the election is very similar to waiting for the ball to land in the hands of Plaxico Burress to win Super Bowl 42.
“Let’s get this thing caught it could only get worse the longer that ball hangs in the air” — Eli pic.twitter.com/LLVTj8yJBH— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik) November 4, 2020
#2 – Mario Manningham’s Sideline Catch (Super Bowl XLVI, 2011 Season)
- Context: Manning’s legacy drive and legacy game. It was an eerily familiar situation for Eli Manning and the Giants offense: down by one score to the Patriots late in the Super Bowl.
- The Play: With 3:46 remaining in the game, Manning kickstarted the drive by tossing one of the most beautiful sideline throws to Mario Manningham in NFL history. Manning threaded the needle between two Patriots defenders as Manningham’s toes just grazed the edge of the green before being shoved out of bounds. Manning and Manningham connected two more times on that drive as the Giants beat the Patriots for the second time in four years, 21-17. This was the second time I’ve seen my dad cry.
- Impact: Sparked the game-winning drive, proving Eli’s clutch gene again. An argument can be made that this is the best play in the Giants’ Super Bowl history, all luck aside. Manning stepped into a dangerous throw and placed it in the only spot where his receiver could make a play.
8️⃣2️⃣ days until Giants football with #82 Mario Manningham catching the best throw in Super Bowl history! pic.twitter.com/TkSudWHkTK
— Talkin’ Giants (@TalkinGiants) June 18, 2024
#1 – David Tyree’s Helmet Catch (Super Bowl XLII, 2007 Season)
- Context: The Manningham throw was textbook accuracy and rapport between quarterback and receiver. The helmet catch? Well, there might have been some black magic involved. Randy Moss just caught a touchdown from Tom Brady to put the Patriots up 14-10 late in the fourth quarter. Out trots Eli Manning as Michael Strahan paces the sideline screaming “17-14. That’s the final score. Believe it and it will happen!” What happens next?
- The Play: Manning and the Giants faced a third-five from their own 44 and the play breaks down. A perfect season and an unproven quarterback both literally in the Patriots’ defender’s grasp, but Eli Manning wriggles free and heaves a prayer to the middle of the field to unknown backup receiver David Tyree. As he lunges in the air, Tyree pins the ball to his helmet with Rodney Harrison shoving him to the ground for one of the most miraculous plays in Super Bowl History.
- Impact: Extended the game-winning drive and remains one of the most iconic plays in NFL history. This might be the only timeline where Manning escapes three pass rushers and Tyree comes down with the catch. Thankfully it happened because without it, the Patriots wouldn’t have that one giant loss.
Happy birthday to the greatest play in football history. See you in canton, 10. #nyg #Giants100 #nfl #Superbowl #NFL https://t.co/AW6ZB0al5l
— Joe Freer (@jfreer0711) February 3, 2025
Conclusion
The NFL’s and Giants’ histories are forever tangled because of legends like Eli Manning, Lawrence Taylor, and Phil Simms. These five plays, and several others, are reasons why Big Blue is one of the league’s storied franchises. Until the Giants return to the Super Bowl, fans can relive the clutch moments that are responsible for some of the best memories in their lives.
Honorable Mentions
Chase Blackburn’s Interception (Super Bowl XLVI, 2011 Season)
Scott Norwood’s Missed Field Goal (Super Bowl XXV, 1990 Season)
Mark Bavaro’s Tough Catch and Run (Super Bowl XXI, 1986 Season)
Main Image: Chris Pedota / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
