1996 New York Giants season

1996 New York Giants season
1996 New York Giants season
Head coach	Dan Reeves
Home field	Giants Stadium
Results
Record	6–10
Division place	5th NFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	2 DE Michael Strahan; LB Jessie Armstead;
	← 1995; Giants seasons; 1997 →;

The 1996 New York Giants season was the franchise's 72nd season in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth and final under head coach Dan Reeves. The team was looking to improve on its 5-11 finish from the year before.^[1]^[2]

In the 1996 NFL draft, the Giants selected defensive end Cedric Jones with the fifth overall pick.^[3] The Giants' first game of the season was at home against the Buffalo Bills, and resulted in a 23–20 loss in overtime. After being shut out by the Dallas Cowboys, New York fell to 0–3 with a 31–10 defeat to the Washington Redskins.^[2] Against the New York Jets, the Giants earned their first victory of the season; a 15–10 win over the Minnesota Vikings left them with a 2–3 record heading into their bye week. The team then lost four of its next six games.^[2] After defeating the Cowboys, the Giants' record entering December stood at 5–7.^[4] They ended the season by losing three of their last four games. With a 6–10 record, the Giants finished in last place in the National Football Conference East Division.^[2] After the season, the Giants fired Reeves and hired Jim Fassel as his replacement.^[5]

Quarterback Dave Brown started all 16 games for the Giants in 1996, throwing for 12 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. New York's leading running back was Rodney Hampton, who had 254 carries for 827 yards. Wide receivers Chris Calloway and Thomas Lewis led the Giants with four touchdowns and 53 receptions each; Calloway had a team-high 739 receiving yards.^[2] Defensively, Chad Bratzke and Michael Strahan had the most sacks among Giants players with five apiece, while Jason Sehorn had five interceptions to lead the team.^[2]

Offseason

NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1996 New York Giants draft
1	5	Cedric Jones	DE	Oklahoma
2	34	Amani Toomer	WR	Michigan
3	66	Roman Oben	T	Louisville
4	130	Danny Kanell	QB	Florida State
6	171	Doug Colman	LB	Nebraska
6	182	Scott Galyon	LB	Tennessee
7	214	Conrad Hamilton	CB	Eastern New Mexico
Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

^[6]

Personnel

Staff

1996 New York Giants staff

Head coaches

Head coach – Dan Reeves

Offensive coaches

Offensive coordinator – George Henshaw
Quarterbacks – Steve DeBerg
Running backs – George Sefcik
Wide receivers – Dick Rehbein
Tight ends – James Daniel
Offensive line – Pete Mangurian

Defensive coaches

Defensive coordinator – Mike Nolan
Defensive line – Earl Leggett
Linebackers – Don Blackmon
Defensive backs – Zaven Yaralian

Special teams coaches

Special teams – Joe DeCamillis

Strength and conditioning

Strength and conditioning – Al Miller
Asst. strength and conditioning – Kerry Goode

Roster

**1996 New York Giants roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 17 Dave Brown 13 Danny Kanell 8 Stan White Running backs (RB) 45 Gary Downs 27 Rodney Hampton 33 Robert Walker 30 Charles Way FB 28 Tyrone Wheatley KR Wide receivers (WR) 86 Kevin Alexander 80 Chris Calloway 88 Lawrence Dawsey 81 Thomas Lewis PR 12 Arthur Marshall PR Tight ends (TE) 87 Howard Cross 85 Brian Kozlowski 84 Aaron Pierce 83 Brian Saxton		Offensive linemen (OL) 78 Greg Bishop T 62 Scott Davis G 74 Scott Gragg T 72 Roman Oben T 66 Jerry Reynolds T 67 Adam Schreiber C 61 Lance Smith G 65 Ron Stone G 59 Brian Williams C 73 Rob Zatechka G Defensive linemen (DL) 93 Ray Agnew DT 77 Chad Bratzke DE 95 Darnell Gilliard DT 75 Keith Hamilton DT 97 Robert Harris DT 79 Bernard Holsey DT 94 Cedric Jones DE 92 Michael Strahan DE		Linebackers (LB) 98 Jessie Armstead OLB 55 Marcus Buckley OLB 58 Doug Colman MLB 52 Scott Galyon MLB 57 Corey Miller OLB 91 Coleman Rudolph OLB 90 Corey Widmer MLB Defensive backs (DB) 37 Jesse Campbell SS 24 Maurice Douglass CB/S 43 Percy Ellsworth FS 41 Conrad Hamilton CB 23 Thomas Randolph CB 31 Jason Sehorn CB 22 Phillippi Sparks CB 29 Tito Wooten FS 47 Rodney Young SS Special teams 3 Brad Daluiso K 2 Mike Horan P	Practice squad 26 Jeremy Burkett RB 10 Olindo Mare K Reserve 21 Willie Beamon CB (IR) 82 Omar Douglas WR (IR) 96 Jamal Duff DE (IR) 20 Keith Elias RB (IR) 70 Ramon Okoli DT (IR) 54 Ben Talley LB (IR) 89 Amani Toomer WR (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 7 reserve, 2 practice squad

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue
1	August 2	at Jacksonville Jaguars	W 24–17	1–0	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
2	August 10	Baltimore Ravens	L 27–37	1–1	Giants Stadium
3	August 17	at New York Jets	L 6–13	2–1	Giants Stadium
4	August 23	Carolina Panthers	L 7–34	2–2	Giants Stadium

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 1	Buffalo Bills	L 20–23 (OT)	0–1	Giants Stadium	Recap
2	September 8	at Dallas Cowboys	L 0–27	0–2	Texas Stadium	Recap
3	September 15	Washington Redskins	L 10–31	0–3	Giants Stadium	Recap
4	September 22	at New York Jets	W 13–6	1–3	Giants Stadium	Recap
5	September 29	Minnesota Vikings	W 15–10	2–3	Giants Stadium	Recap
6	Bye
7	October 13	Philadelphia Eagles	L 10–19	2–4	Giants Stadium	Recap
8	October 20	at Washington Redskins	L 21–31	2–5	RFK Stadium	Recap
9	October 27	at Detroit Lions	W 35–7	3–5	Pontiac Silverdome	Recap
10	November 3	Arizona Cardinals	W 16–8	4–5	Giants Stadium	Recap
11	November 10	at Carolina Panthers	L 17–27	4–6	Ericsson Stadium	Recap
12	November 17	at Arizona Cardinals	L 23–31	4–7	Sun Devil Stadium	Recap
13	November 24	Dallas Cowboys	W 20–6	5–7	Giants Stadium	Recap
14	December 1	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 0–24	5–8	Veterans Stadium	Recap
15	December 8	at Miami Dolphins	W 17–7	6–8	Pro Player Stadium	Recap
16	December 15	New Orleans Saints	L 3–17	6–9	Giants Stadium	Recap
17	December 21	New England Patriots	L 22–23	6–10	Giants Stadium	Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 1: Buffalo Bills at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Bills	0	7	10	3	3	23
Giants	3	14	3	0	0	20

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: September 1
Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy, 72 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 74,218
Referee: Gary Lane
TV announcers (TNT): Verne Lundquist, Pat Haden and Ernie Johnson

Game information

First quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 22-yard field goal, 8:27. Giants 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:49.

Second quarter

NYG – Amani Toomer 87-yard punt return (Brad Daluiso kick), 10:14. Giants 10–0.
NYG – Charles Way 37-yard pass from Dave Brown (Brad Daluiso kick), 7:27. Giants 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:50.
BUF – Thurman Thomas 1-yard run (Steve Christie kick), 3:14. Giants 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:13.

Third quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 34-yard field goal, 9:49. Giants 20–7. Drive: 4 plays, −3 yards, 1:11.
BUF – Steve Christie 28-yard field goal, 6:30. Giants 20–10. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 3:19.
BUF – Andre Reed 60-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Steve Christie kick), 4:45. Giants 20–17. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:05.

Fourth quarter

BUF – Steve Christie 39-yard field goal, 7:14. Tied 20–20. Drive: 13 plays, 54 yards, 5:00.

Overtime

BUF – Steve Christie 34-yard field goal, 4:52. Bills 23–20. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 3:49.

Top passers

BUF – Jim Kelly – 24/41, 313 yards, TD, INT
NYG – Dave Brown – 11/27, 169 yards, TD

Top rushers

BUF – Thurman Thomas – 32 rushes, 97 yards, TD
NYG – Rodney Hampton – 18 rushes, 50 yards

Top receivers

BUF – Andre Reed – 5 receptions, 138 yards, TD
NYG – Charles Way – 4 receptions, 78 yards, TD

Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 2: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	0	0	0	0
Cowboys	14	7	3	3	27

at Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas

Date: September 8
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT/3:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 91 °F (33 °C)
Game attendance: 63,069
Referee: Ron Blum
TV announcers (Fox): Pat Summerall and John Madden

Game information

First quarter

DAL – Deion Sanders 8-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Chris Boniol kick), 8:00. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 2:42.
DAL – Kevin Williams 19-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Chris Boniol kick), 1:23. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 4:55.

Second quarter

DAL – Emmitt Smith 5-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Chris Boniol kick), 0:02. Cowboys 21–0. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 1:52.

Third quarter

DAL – Chris Boniol 23-yard field goal, 2:44. Cowboys 24–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:03.

Fourth quarter

DAL – Chris Boniol 29-yard field goal, 10:20. Cowboys 27–0. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 5:19.

Top passers

NYG – Dave Brown – 10/19, 55 yards, INT
DAL – Troy Aikman – 19/27, 228 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

NYG – Rodney Hampton – 15 rushes, 44 yards
DAL – Emmitt Smith – 24 rushes, 82 yards

Top receivers

NYG – Chris Calloway – 2 receptions, 15 yards
DAL – Kevin Williams – 6 receptions, 86 yards, TD

Week 3: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 3: Washington Redskins at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	3	14	0	14	31
Giants	0	7	3	0	10

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: September 15
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy, 73 °F (23 °C)
Game attendance: 71,693
Referee: Tom White
TV announcers (Fox): Pat Summerall and John Madden

Game information

First quarter

WAS – Scott Blanton 36-yard field goal, 3:48. Redskins 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:33.

Second quarter

WAS – Marc Logan 3-yard run (Scott Blanton kick), 11:28. Redskins 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 2:52.
WAS – Scott Galbraith 30-yard pass from Gus Frerotte (Scott Blanton kick), 3:41. Redskins 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:38.
NYG – Aaron Pierce 7-yard pass from Dave Brown (Brad Daluiso kick), 0:56. Redskins 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 2:45.

Third quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 19-yard field goal, 3:50. Redskins 17–10. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 5:23.

Fourth quarter

WAS – Terry Allen 7-yard run (Scott Blanton kick), 14:56. Redskins 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 3:54.
WAS – Stephen Davis 39-yard run (Scott Blanton kick), 1:27. Redskins 31–10. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 3:41.

Top passers

WAS – Gus Frerotte – 15/23, 197 yards, TD, INT
NYG – Dave Brown – 17/31, 201 yards, TD, 4 INT

Top rushers

WAS – Terry Allen – 27 rushes, 146 yards, TD
NYG – Rodney Hampton – 9 rushes, 58 yards

Top receivers

WAS – Jamie Asher – 2 receptions, 49 yards
NYG – Chris Calloway – 5 receptions, 72 yards

Week 4: at New York Jets

Week 4: New York Giants at New York Jets – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	7	0	6	13
Jets	3	0	3	0	6

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: September 22
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Light rain, 63 °F (17 °C)
Game attendance: 58,339
Referee: Johnny Grier
TV announcers (FOX): Mike Breen and Bill Maas

Game information

First quarter

NYJ – Nick Lowery 46-yard field goal, 6:09. Jets 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 6:00.

Second quarter

NYG – Chris Calloway 17-yard pass from Dave Brown (Brad Daluiso kick), 4:38. Giants 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:36.

Third quarter

NYJ – Nick Lowery 39-yard field goal, 7:26. Giants 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 32 yards, 5:14.

Fourth quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 20-yard field goal, 13:04. Giants 10–6. Drive: 6 plays, 13 yards, 2:40.
NYG – Brad Daluiso 20-yard field goal, 4:35. Giants 13–6. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 4:37.

Top passers

NYG – Dave Brown – 9/13, 111 yards, TD
NYJ – Neil O'Donnell – 22/38, 149 yards, INT

Top rushers

NYG – Rodney Hampton – 27 rushes, 81 yards
NYJ – Adrian Murrell – 11 rushes, 41 yards

Top receivers

NYG – Chris Calloway – 3 receptions, 53 yards, TD
NYJ – Jeff Graham – 5 receptions, 49 yards

Both New York teams were seeking to rebound from 0–3 starts to the season.^[7] The Jets got on the scoreboard first with Nick Lowery kicking a 46-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Giants responded with Chris Calloway catching a 17-yard touchdown pass from Dave Brown. In the third quarter, the Jets cut the Giants' lead to one point thanks to a 39-yard field goal, once again coming from Lowery. The Giants increased the lead in the fourth quarter thanks to two 20-yard field goals from Brad Daluiso, helping them secure their first win of the season by a score of 13–6.^[8]

Week 5: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week 5: Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	7	0	3	10
Giants	3	3	6	3	15

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: September 29
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy, 61 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 70,970
Referee: Jerry Markbreit
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and Matt Millen

Game information

First quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 25-yard field goal, 6:28. Giants 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 67 yards, 8:32.

Second quarter

MIN – David Palmer 69-yard punt return (Scott Sisson kick), 14:21. Vikings 7–3.
NYG – Brad Daluiso 27-yard field goal, 11:56. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 5 plays, 33 yards, 2:25.

Third quarter

NYG – Aaron Pierce 1-yard run (pass failed), 2:53. Giants 12–7. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 6:18.

Fourth quarter

MIN – Scott Sisson 28-yard field goal, 13:27. Giants 12–10. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:26.
NYG – Brad Daluiso 18-yard field goal, 7:39. Giants 15–10. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:48.

Top passers

MIN – Warren Moon – 13/25, 143 yards, INT
NYG – Dave Brown – 18/29, 167 yards

Top rushers

MIN – Robert Smith – 17 rushes, 86 yards
NYG – Rodney Hampton – 24 rushes, 82 yards

Top receivers

MIN – Jake Reed – 3 receptions, 60 yards
NYG – Aaron Pierce – 3 receptions, 45 yards

Week 7: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	3	3	13	19
Giants	3	7	0	0	10

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: October 13
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 62 °F (17 °C)
Game attendance: 72,729
Referee: Red Cashion
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and Matt Millen

Game information

First quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 39-yard field goal, 6:08. Giants 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 31 yards, 4:55.

Second quarter

PHI – Gary Anderson 39-yard field goal, 11:41. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:55.
NYG – Amani Toomer 65-yard punt return (Brad Daluiso kick), 6:42. Giants 10–3.

Third quarter

PHI – Gary Anderson 46-yard field goal, 3:27. Giants 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 25 yards, 2:28.

Fourth quarter

PHI – Gary Anderson 45-yard field goal, 14:01. Giants 10–9. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 3:27.
PHI – Gary Anderson 29-yard field goal, 2:12. Eagles 12–10. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 5:53.
PHI – William Thomas 23-yard fumble return (Gary Anderson kick), 1:51. Eagles 19–10.

Top passers

PHI – Ty Detmer – 18/33, 170 yards
NYG – Dave Brown – 11/25, 105 yards, INT

Top rushers

PHI – Ricky Watters – 27 rushes, 110 yards
NYG – Rodney Hampton – 17 rushes, 60 yards

Top receivers

PHI – Irving Fryar – 6 receptions, 73 yards
NYG – Chris Calloway – 3 receptions, 44 yards

Week 8: at Washington Redskins

Week 8: New York Giants at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	0	14	7	21
Redskins	7	21	0	3	31

at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

Date: October 20
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Partly sunny, 50 °F (10 °C)
Game attendance: 52,684
Referee: Dick Hantak
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and Matt Millen

Game information

First quarter

WAS – Terry Allen 2-yard run (Scott Blanton kick), 10:54. Redskins 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4:06.

Second quarter

WAS – Terry Allen 1-yard run (Scott Blanton kick), 14:14. Redskins 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:26.
WAS – Terry Allen 2-yard run (Scott Blanton kick), 3:57. Redskins 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:25.
WAS – Darrell Green 68-yard interception return (Scott Blanton kick), 3:00. Redskins 28–0.

Third quarter

NYG – Thomas Lewis 31-yard pass from Dave Brown (Brad Daluiso kick), 9:40. Redskins 28–7. Drive: 10 plays, 91 yards, 5:20.
NYG – Chris Calloway 13-yard pass from Dave Brown (Brad Daluiso kick), 5:39. Redskins 28–14. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 2:48.

Fourth quarter

NYG – Tyrone Wheatley 1-yard run (Brad Daluiso kick), 6:35. Redskins 28–21. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:48.
WAS – Scott Blanton 45-yard field goal, 2:33. Redskins 31–21. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:02.

Top passers

NYG – Dave Brown – 26/43, 298 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
WAS – Gus Frerotte – 14/24, 207 yards, INT

Top rushers

NYG – Tyrone Wheatley – 11 rushes, 54 yards, TD
WAS – Terry Allen – 28 rushes, 89 yards, 3 TD

Top receivers

NYG – Thomas Lewis – 9 receptions, 125 yards, TD
WAS – Henry Ellard – 5 receptions, 119 yards

Week 9: at Detroit Lions

Week 9: New York Giants at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	2	23	0	10	35
Lions	7	0	0	0	7

at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan

Date: October 27
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
Game attendance: 63,501
Referee: Ed Hochuli
TV announcers (Fox): Mike Breen and Bill Maas

Game information

First quarter

DET – Scott Mitchell 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 11:42. Lions 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:18.
NYG – Punt blocked by Tito Wooten out of bounds in end zone for a safety, 5:53. Lions 7–2.

Second quarter

NYG – Chris Calloway 24-yard pass from Tyrone Wheatley (run failed), 10:17. Giants 8–7. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 2:04.
NYG – Brad Daluiso 38-yard field goal, 7:59. Giants 11–7. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:23.
NYG – Maurice Douglass 32-yard interception return (Brad Daluiso kick), 6:49. Giants 18–7.
NYG – Thomas Lewis 23-yard pass from Dave Brown (Brad Daluiso kick), 5:23. Giants 25–7. Drive: 1 play, 23 yards, 0:07.

Third quarter

No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 32-yard field goal, 8:36. Giants 28–7. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 3:44.
NYG – Ray Agnew 34-yard interception return (Brad Daluiso kick), 2:03. Giants 35–7.

Top passers

NYG – Dave Brown – 15/27, 221 yards, TD, INT
DET – Don Majkowski – 11/28, 126 yards, 2 INT

Top rushers

NYG – Rodney Hampton – 27 rushes, 76 yards
DET – Barry Sanders – 16 rushes, 47 yards

Top receivers

NYG – Chris Calloway – 4 receptions, 92 yards, TD
DET – Brett Perriman – 8 receptions, 88 yards

Week 10: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 10: Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	0	8	8
Giants	3	0	3	10	16

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: November 3
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 43 °F (6 °C)
Game attendance: 68,262
Referee: Bob McElwee
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Harlan and Jerry Glanville

Game information

First quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 31-yard field goal, 9:07. Giants 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 5:53.

Second quarter

No scoring plays.

Third quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 32-yard field goal, 2:00. Giants 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 2:58.

Fourth quarter

NYG – Thomas Lewis 24-yard pass from Danny Kanell (Brad Daluiso kick), 8:34. Giants 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:10.
NYG – Brad Daluiso 45-yard field goal, 5:30. Giants 16–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:54.
ARI – Frank Sanders 7-yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Boomer Esiason run), 0:40. Giants 16–8. Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards, 2:59.

Top passers

ARI – Boomer Esiason – 20/40, 196 yards, TD, 2 INT
NYG – Danny Kanell – 14/27, 128 yards, TD

Top rushers

ARI – LeShon Johnson – 10 rushes, 29 yards
NYG – Rodney Hampton – 24 rushes, 94 yards

Top receivers

ARI – Frank Sanders – 5 receptions, 61 yards, TD
NYG – Thomas Lewis – 7 receptions, 77 yards, TD

Week 11: at Carolina Panthers

Week 11: New York Giants at Carolina Pantherss – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	14	0	3	0	17
Panthers	7	3	10	7	27

at Ericcson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: November 10
Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C)
Game attendance: 70,298
Referee: Larry Nemmers
TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann and Mark Malone

Game information

First quarter

CAR – Raghib Ismail 35-yard run (John Kasay kick), 11:25. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:35.
NYG – Chris Calloway 13-yard pass from Dave Brown (Brad Daluiso kick), 7:16. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:09.
NYG – Thomas Lewis 23-yard pass from Dave Brown (Brad Daluiso kick), 2:05. Giants 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:21.

Second quarter

CAR – John Kasay 42-yard field goal, 7:28. Giants 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 2:42.

Third quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 22-yard field goal, 9:57. Giants 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:03.
CAR – Anthony Johnson 1-yard run (John Kasay kick), 5:26. Tied 17–17. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:50.
CAR – John Kasay 28-yard field goal, 2:49. Panthers 20–17. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:34.

Fourth quarter

CAR – Howard Griffith 17-yard pass from Kerry Collins (John Kasay kick), 11:36. Panthers 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 4:07.

Top passers

NYG – Dave Brown – 15/31, 223 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
CAR – Kerry Collins – 19/33, 202 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

NYG – Rodney Hampton – 19 rushes, 73 yards
CAR – Anthony Johnson – 23 rushes, 67 yards, TD

Top receivers

NYG – Chris Calloway – 7 receptions, 95 yards, TD
CAR – Wesley Walls – 6 receptions, 73 yards

Week 12: at Arizona Cardinals

Week 12: New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	6	7	10	23
Cardinals	14	7	7	3	31

at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona

Date: November 17
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/2:00 p.m. MST
Game weather: Mostly sunny, 70 °F (21 °C)
Game attendance: 34,924
Referee: Jerry Markbreit
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Harlan and Jerry Glanville

Game information

First quarter

ARI – Rob Moore 18-yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Kevin Butler kick), 9:27. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 38 yards, 1:17.
ARI – Cedric Smith 1-yard run (Kevin Butler kick), 5:56. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 2:02.

Second quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 25-yard field goal, 14:27. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 6:29.
ARI – Frank Sanders 2-yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Kevin Butler kick), 10:36. Cardinals 21–3. Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 3:51.
NYG – Brad Daluiso 22-yard field goal, 1:56. Cardinals 21–6. Drive: 16 plays, 88 yards, 8:40.

Third quarter

NYG – Tyrone Wheatley 4-yard pass from Dave Brown (Brad Daluiso kick), 6:33. Cardinals 21–13. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards, 1:32.
ARI – LeShon Johnson 1-yard run (Kevin Butler kick), 0:38. Cardinals 28–13. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:55.

Fourth quarter

NYG – Tyrone Wheatley 9-yard pass from Dave Brown (Brad Daluiso kick), 9:56. Cardinals 28–20. Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 0:55.
ARI – Kevin Butler 18-yard field goal, 4:26. Cardinals 31–20. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 2:47.
NYG – Brad Daluiso 27-yard field goal, 1:25. Cardinals 31–23. Drive: 16 plays, 59 yards, 3:01.

Top passers

NYG – Dave Brown – 22/41, 262 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
ARI – Boomer Esiason – 18/27, 260 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

NYG – Tyrone Wheatley – 13 rushes, 50 yards
ARI – LeShon Johnson – 17 rushes, 48 yards, TD

Top receivers

NYG – Chris Calloway – 6 receptions, 95 yards
ARI – LeShon Johnson – 2 receptions, 50 yards

Week 13: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 13: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	0	0	3	6
Giants	0	13	0	7	20

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: November 24
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Overcast, 44 °F (7 °C)
Game attendance: 77,081
Referee: Tom White
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and Matt Millen

Game information

First quarter

DAL – Chris Boniol 31-yard field goal, 4:30. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 85 yards, 7:31.

Second quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 45-yard field goal, 10:28. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 4:47.
NYG – Brad Daluiso 46-yard field goal, 4:57. Giants 6–3. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 3:12.
NYG – Tito Wooten 54-yard fumble return (Brad Daluiso kick), 1:53. Giants 13–3.

Third quarter

No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

DAL – Chris Boniol 37-yard field goal, 11:43. Giants 13–6. Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 3:24.
NYG – Brian Kozlowski 4-yard pass from Dave Brown (Brad Daluiso kick), 6:01. Giants 20–6. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 5:42.

Top passers

DAL – Troy Aikman – 28/39, 280 yards, 2 INT
NYG – Dave Brown – 12/18, 110 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

DAL – Emmitt Smith – 11 rushes, 18 yards
NYG – Tyrone Wheatley – 21 rushes, 69 yards

Top receivers

DAL – Michael Irvin – 6 receptions, 77 yards
NYG – Chris Calloway – 4 receptions, 48 yards

Week 14: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 14: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	0	0	0	0
Eagles	10	14	0	0	24

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Date: December 1
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Rain, 60 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 51,468
Referee: Howard Roe
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Harlan and Jerry Glanville

Game information

First quarter

PHI – Gary Anderson 44-yard field goal, 8:07. Eagles 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:36.
PHI – Jason Dunn 14-yard pass from Ty Detmer (Gary Anderson kick), 2:46. Eagles 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 3:24.

Second quarter

PHI – Irving Fryar 19-yard pass from Ty Detmer (Gary Anderson kick), 12:51. Eagles 17–0. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:45.
PHI – Chris Jones 2-yard pass from Ty Detmer (Gary Anderson kick), 0:28. Eagles 24–0. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 7:57.

Third quarter

No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays.

Top passers

NYG – Danny Kanell – 4/13, 47 yards
PHI – Ty Detmer – 25/33, 284 yards, 3 TD, INT

Top rushers

NYG – Tyrone Wheatley – 9 rushes, 39 yards
PHI – Ricky Watters – 29 rushes, 104 yards

Top receivers

NYG – Chris Calloway – 2 receptions, 26 yards
PHI – Ricky Watters – 6 receptions, 77 yards

Week 15: at Miami Dolphins

Week 15: New York Giants at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	7	7	3	0	17
Dolphins	7	0	0	0	7

at Pro Player Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Date: December 8
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Mostly sunny, 73 °F (23 °C)
Game attendance: 63,889
Referee: Bernie Kukar
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and Matt Millen

Game information

First quarter

NYG – Rodney Hampton 4-yard run (Brad Daluiso kick), 8:52. Giants 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:08.
MIA – Robert Wilson 3-yard pass from Dan Marino (Joe Nedney kick), 0:36. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:42.

Second quarter

NYG – Howard Cross 1-yard pass from Dave Brown (Brad Daluiso kick), 1:15. Giants 14–7. Drive: 16 plays, 78 yards, 9:13.

Third quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 37-yard field goal, 1:38. Giants 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 13 yards, 2:49.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays.

Top passers

NYG – Dave Brown – 21/28, 169 yards, TD
MIA – Dan Marino – 16/30, 209 yards, TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

NYG – Rodney Hampton – 20 rushes, 60 yards, TD
MIA – Karim Abdul-Jabbar – 17 rushes, 96 yards

Top receivers

NYG – Charles Way – 6 receptions, 56 yards
MIA – Fred Barnett – 4 receptions, 139 yards

Week 16: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 16: New Orleans Saints at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	7	0	10	17
Giants	0	0	3	0	3

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: December 15
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Light rain, 42 °F (6 °C)
Game attendance: 52,530
Referee: Johnny Grier
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and Matt Millen

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays.

Second quarter

NO – Lorenzo Neal 1-yard run (Doug Brien kick), 10:23. Saints 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:32.

Third quarter

NYG – Brad Daluiso 30-yard field goal, 8:10. Saints 7–3. Drive: 4 plays, −3 yards, 1:22.

Fourth quarter

NO – Doug Brien 51-yard field goal, 8:59. Saints 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:57.
NO – Mario Bates 22-yard run (Doug Brien kick), 3:47. Saints 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 63 yards, 3:26.

Top passers

NO – Jim Everett – 12/22, 106 yards, INT
NYG – Danny Kanell – 5/20, 52 yards, INT

Top rushers

NO – Mario Bates – 32 rushes, 129 yards, TD
NYG – Gary Downs – 7 rushes, 42 yards

Top receivers

NO – Earnest Hunter – 3 receptions, 35 yards
NYG – Lawrence Dawsey – 2 receptions, 29 yards

Week 17: vs. New England Patriots

Week 17: New England Patriots at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	0	0	3	20	23
Giants	2	20	0	0	22

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: December 21
Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: Mostly sunny, 24 °F (−4 °C)
Game attendance: 65,387
Referee: Walt Coleman
TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire, Phil Simms and Jim Gray

Game information

First quarter

NYG – Intentional grounding penalty on Drew Bledsoe enforced in end zone for a safety, 0:10. Giants 2–0.

Second quarter

NYG – Charles Way 1-yard run (Brad Daluiso kick), 12:28. Giants 9–0. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:42.
NYG – Brad Daluiso 30-yard field goal, 6:27. Giants 12–0. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:07.
NYG – Brad Daluiso 27-yard field goal, 3:00. Giants 15–0. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:40.
NYG – Jason Sehorn 23-yard interception return (Brad Daluiso kick), 2:45. Giants 22–0.

Third quarter

NE – Adam Vinatieri 40-yard field goal, 4:12. Giants 22–3. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:04.

Fourth quarter

NE – Terry Glenn 26-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (Adam Vinatieri kick), 12:20. Patriots 22–10. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 4:04.
NE – Dave Meggett 60-yard punt return (Adam Vinatieri kick), 11:09. Giants 22–17.
NE – Ben Coates 13-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (pass failed), 1:23. Patriots 23–22. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:45.

Top passers

NE – Drew Bledsoe – 31/47, 301 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
NYG – Dave Brown – 14/34, 215 yards, INT

Top rushers

NE – Dave Meggett – 7 rushes, 20 yards
NYG – Gary Downs – 22 rushes, 52 yards

Top receivers

NE – Terry Glenn – 8 receptions, 124 yards, TD
NYG – Thomas Lewis – 5 receptions, 84 yards

Standings

NFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
⁽³⁾ Dallas Cowboys	10	6	0	.625	286	250	L1
⁽⁵⁾ Philadelphia Eagles	9	7	0	.625	363	341	L13
Washington Redskins	9	7	0	.563	364	312	W1
Arizona Cardinals	7	9	0	.438	300	397	L1
New York Giants	6	10	0	.375	242	297	L2

References

^ "New York Giants Franchise Encyclopedia". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "1996 New York Giants". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on April 23, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
^ "1996 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
^ Whittingham, Richard (2005). Illustrated History of the New York Giants. Chicago: Triumph Books. p. 277. ISBN 1-57243-641-7.
^ Whittingham, pp. 277–278.
^ "New York Giants NFL Draft History". National Football League. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
^ Sandomir, Richard (September 17, 1996). "Jets and Giants with a Mellow Tone". The New York Times. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
^ "New York Giants at New York Jets – September 22nd, 1996". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved February 7, 2024.

[1] "New York Giants Franchise Encyclopedia". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 14, 2018.

[pfr-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "1996 New York Giants". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on April 23, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.

[3] "1996 NFL Draft". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 14, 2018.

[4] Whittingham, Richard (2005). Illustrated History of the New York Giants. Chicago: Triumph Books. p. 277. ISBN 1-57243-641-7.

[5] Whittingham, pp. 277–278.

[6] "New York Giants NFL Draft History". National Football League. Retrieved April 4, 2010.

[7] Sandomir, Richard (September 17, 1996). "Jets and Giants with a Mellow Tone". The New York Times. Retrieved February 7, 2024.

[8] "New York Giants at New York Jets – September 22nd, 1996". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved February 7, 2024.

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1996 New York Giants season

Contents

Offseason

NFL draft

Personnel

Staff

Roster

Preseason

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 3: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 4: at New York Jets

Week 5: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week 7: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 8: at Washington Redskins

Week 9: at Detroit Lions

Week 10: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 11: at Carolina Panthers

Week 12: at Arizona Cardinals

Week 13: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 14: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 15: at Miami Dolphins

Week 16: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 17: vs. New England Patriots

Standings

See also

References