1980 New York Giants season
1980 New York Giants season | |
---|---|
Owner | Timothy J. Mara Wellington Mara |
General manager | George Young |
Head coach | Ray Perkins |
Home field | Giants Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 4–12 |
Division place | 5th NFC East |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Pro Bowlers | LB Brad Van Pelt P Dave Jennings |
The 1980 New York Giants season was the franchise's 56th season in the National Football League.[1] The Giants finished in last place in the National Football Conference East Division with a 4–12 record.[2]
In the 1980 NFL draft, the Giants selected defensive back Mark Haynes with their first-round pick, which was eighth overall.[3] New York won its opening game of the season against the St. Louis Cardinals, 41–35, behind a five-touchdown performance by quarterback Phil Simms. Four of those touchdown passes were to Earnest Gray, who set a single-game franchise record for touchdown receptions.[4] The Giants lost the following game to Washington by two points, the start of an eight-game losing streak. A Week 10 win over the Dallas Cowboys snapped the streak; a subsequent win over the Green Bay Packers was followed by a pair of defeats.[5] A shoulder injury caused Simms to miss the last three games of the season. Scott Brunner took over as the starting quarterback for those games, during which the Giants went 1–2.[6]
Simms threw for 2,321 yards in his 13 appearances, and had 15 touchdown passes and 19 interceptions. Brunner threw for four touchdowns and had six interceptions. New York's leading rusher was Billy Taylor, who ran for 580 yards and four touchdowns. Gray had a team-leading 10 touchdown receptions during the season, and caught 52 passes for 777 yards. On defense, Mike Dennis led the Giants with five interceptions.[2] Two Giants players, Dave Jennings and Brad Van Pelt, were selected for the 1981 Pro Bowl.[7]
Offseason
[edit]NFL Draft
[edit]1980 New York Giants draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | Mark Haynes * | Cornerback | Colorado | |
3 | 64 | Myron Lapka | Nose tackle | USC | |
4 | 90 | Danny Pittman | Wide receiver | Wyoming | |
5 | 118 | Tony Blount | Defensive back | Virginia | |
6 | 145 | Scott Brunner | Quarterback | Delaware | |
7 | 179 | Bud Hebert | Defensive back | Oklahoma | |
7 | 181 | Chris Linnin | Defensive end | Washington | |
8 | 200 | Ken Harris | Running back | Alabama | |
9 | 229 | Otis Wonsley | Running back | Alcorn State | |
10 | 256 | Joe Sanford | Tackle | Washington | |
11 | 285 | Steve Bernish | Defensive end | South Carolina | |
12 | 312 | Mike Lansford | Kicker | Washington | |
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
Personnel
[edit]Staff
[edit]
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
|
Roster
[edit]Schedule
[edit]Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 7 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 41–35 | 1–0 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 49,122 |
2 | September 14 | Washington Redskins | L 21–23 | 1–1 | Giants Stadium | 73,343 |
3 | September 22 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 3–35 | 1–2 | Veterans Stadium | 70,767 |
4 | September 28 | Los Angeles Rams | L 7–28 | 1–3 | Giants Stadium | 73,414 |
5 | October 5 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 3–24 | 1–4 | Texas Stadium | 59,126 |
6 | October 12 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 16–31 | 1–5 | Giants Stadium | 71,051 |
7 | October 19 | at San Diego Chargers | L 7–44 | 1–6 | San Diego Stadium | 50,397 |
8 | October 26 | Denver Broncos | L 9–14 | 1–7 | Giants Stadium | 67,598 |
9 | November 2 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 13–30 | 1–8 | Tampa Stadium | 68,256 |
10 | November 9 | Dallas Cowboys | W 38–35 | 2–8 | Giants Stadium | 68,343 |
11 | November 16 | Green Bay Packers | W 27–21 | 3–8 | Giants Stadium | 76,609 |
12 | November 23 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 0–12 | 3–9 | Candlestick Park | 38,574 |
13 | November 30 | St. Louis Cardinals | L 7–23 | 3–10 | Giants Stadium | 65,852 |
14 | December 7 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 27–21 | 4–10 | Kingdome | 51,617 |
15 | December 13 | at Washington Redskins | L 13–16 | 4–11 | RFK Stadium | 44,443 |
16 | December 21 | Oakland Raiders | L 17–33 | 4–12 | Giants Stadium | 61,287 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Season summary
[edit]Week 1: at St. Louis Cardinals
[edit]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
- Phil Simms 16/31, 280 Yds[9]
- Earnest Gray 9 Rec, 174 Yds[9]
Week 10 vs Cowboys
[edit]Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cowboys | 7 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 35 |
Giants | 7 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 38 |
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: November 9
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C)
- Game attendance: 68,343
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Roger Staubach
- Box Score
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
- Giants' first win against Dallas since 1974[10]
Standings
[edit]NFC East | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Philadelphia Eagles(2) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 384 | 222 | L1 |
Dallas Cowboys(4) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 454 | 311 | W1 |
Washington Redskins | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–4 | 5–7 | 261 | 293 | W3 |
St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–6 | 4–10 | 299 | 350 | L2 |
New York Giants | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–6 | 3–9 | 249 | 425 | L2 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "New York Giants Franchise Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
- ^ a b "1980 New York Giants". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
- ^ "1980 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ Whittingham, Richard (2005). Illustrated History of the New York Giants. Chicago: Triumph Books. p. 191. ISBN 1-57243-641-7.
- ^ "1980 New York Giants Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ Whittingham, pp. 191–192.
- ^ "1980 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ "1980 New York Giants Draftees". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
- ^ a b "New York Giants at St. Louis Cardinals – September 7th, 1980". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ "All Matchups, New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 8, 2022.