In this second installment, Carl thinks back to his youth as a Giants fan growing up and remembering one of the worst losses he ever saw.
Heartbreak.
Can you really be heartbroken as a sports fan at the age of six? Probably not. So maybe there is a little hyperbole in the preceding statement.
But why is this game still vividly in my head nearly 19 years later?
I should have escaped it by now, but I have always remembered that day. When I was able to rewatch the game years later, it ate away at me even more.
As I look ahead to the big game on Sunday against the Eagles, I needed to go back into my past to relive an old playoff memory that still irks me.
Date: January 7, 1990
Site: Giants Stadium
Game: NFC Divisional Playoffs between the 12-4 Giants and the 11-5 Los Angeles Rams.
Football had just became a part of my life on a serious level just two months before when on a near blizzard day in Denver at old Mile High Stadium, Gary Reasons leaped into the air to meet Broncos running back Bobby Humphrey and take him down on a fourth-and-goal play at the one yard line.
From that day, I was “in”.
The Giants went on to have a great season and received a first round bye. However, the NFL at this point only had five playoff teams instead of the six that exist today. Also, NFL playoff rules dictated that two teams from the same division could not play in the second round of the playoffs. It was a complete break for the number one seed San Francisco 49ers. This eliminated them from playing the mediocre Minnesota Vikings and instead brought the Rams, who beat the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in old Veterans Stadium to set up this match.
It was odd that the Rams matched up well with the Giants in the past. Jim Everett usually resembled a bumbling quarterback at times, would mysteriously turn into Johnny Unitas against the New York defense. No one really had an explanation as to why this was.
The year before, Los Angeles came into Giants Stadium and ran up and down the field en route to a 45-31 victory. In 1989, the two teams met in November in Anaheim, the Rams defeated the Giants 31-10. Dominating them like no one else had done that season. By winning in Philly on Wild Card Weekend, the rematch would take place in the Meadowlands with the Rams not having any fear Big Blue.
In the first half, the Giants were completely controlling Jim Everett and the Rams offensive attack to the tune of a 6-0 lead just before halftime.
It should not have been as close.
However, as Phil Simms was looking to drive the offense to more points, he threw an errant pass that was deflected by Jerry Gray and intercepted by cornerback Michael Stewart at midfield who brought the ball to the Giants 20 yard line. On the very next play, Everett found Flipper Anderson for a touchdown to give the Rams a 7-6 lead at the break.
For all of the success the team had for the first 29 minutes of the game. That one instant lapse washed away everything.
The Giants regained the lead in the third quarter when Ottis “O.J” Anderson ran it in from two yards out to take a 13-6 lead. Yet, as the game was unfolding, it was easy to spot that Simms was not playing well. His passes were missing targets (and wind was not a factor) and he looked sluggish.
Los Angeles lived in Giants territory for most of the second half, but turned away by the defense. The Rams finally answered in the fourth quarter with two field goals from Mike Lansford to even the game at 13 with just over three minutes left. Another Giants drive was stalled by the Rams defense to force overtime.
The toss was won by the Rams and they looked to go for the knock out. Everett sent Anderson deep over the middle and Giants cornerback Sheldon White had excellent coverage, as the pass was incomplete. However, the referee (Bernie Kukar) saw fit to call pass interference on the play. To this day, it is still one of the most egregious calls in the history of postseason football. Watch the clip here at the 0:34 mark. White trailed Anderson and never touched him on the play as Anderson fell to the turf. There was no foul, yet it was called.
Had I been a lot older, it may have been cause for a riot.
Two plays later, Anderson was lined up the top of the formation to the right with Mark Collins defending him. Collins got a jam in at the line of scrimmage, but it was not good enough. Anderson got past him and was free. Everett found him in stride and Flipper was going into the end zone, out of sight going straight through the tunnel and sending the Rams to the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers.
It was a bitter defeat to take.
Since that game, both Simms and head coach Bill Parcells always say that it was the worst game they ever played and coached, because to a man, they all felt as if their team was built specifically to beat that 49ers team in Candlestick Park the next week.
Though the Giants would get that opportunity the next year and eventually won Super Bowl XXV, the playoff game against the Rams in The Meadowlands from 1989 has still been tough to digest as a fan.
Mention the name “Flipper Anderson” and any fan will likely look down and shake their head in disgust. It was a lost chance at potential Super Bowl glory.
As I look to this Sunday, these Giants are 12-4 facing an opponent that does not fear them and matches up well. In playoff games, mysterious and fluky things happen at sudden moments to turn games around. Without that interception in the first half, there is no doubt the Giants would have likely won handily.
Come Sunday, it is the Giants task to make sure that history does not repeat itself.
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