Pasadena Is Land of Giants, 39-20

Pasadena Is Land of Giants, 39-20

By Gary Pomerantz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 26, 1987; Page D1

PASADENA, Calif., Jan. 25 — The New York Giants won their first world title in 30 years today and it only made sense that quarterback Phil Simms was the man to shepherd them out of football desolation.

These Giants put the squeeze on Denver's Broncos, 39-20, in Super Bowl XXI before 101,063 at the Rose Bowl. Simms played the maestro as he threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Simms completed 22 of 25 throws for a Super Bowl record 88 percent completion rate and won the game's most valuable player award.

Then again, it just had to be Simms. After all, who better than the 30-year-old oft-maligned veteran to take to the top a franchise that has been chided and taunted during decades of mediocrity? This is the team that has clanked along over the years with quarterbacks named Jerry Golsteyn, Joe Pisarcik and Randy Johnson.

"This ought to dispel any myth about Phil Simms because he was absolutely magnificent today," said Giants Coach Bill Parcells. "That was about as good as a quarterback has every played."

Before the game, Giants guard Chris Godfrey had said: "If Phil Simms plays great today, he'll be immortalized by Giants fans. They'll forget Y.A. Tittle."

Time will tell on that one. As for Simms, who completed all 10 second-half passes for 165 yards, he said: "The only thing that bothered me all week was that everybody ignored our passing game . . . (The third quarter) was like playing golf where you know every putt will go in."

This time, Denver quarterback John Elway — this game's other quarterback — didn't pull any wizardry in the final two minutes. By that time, his team trailed by 19 points and he had stood on the sideline, like some orange-and-white buoy washed out to sea.

When the Broncos (13-6) reflect on this game, they will look with pain to the third quarter, when they were worn down by the Giants, gimmicked into frustration, outgained by 163 yards to two and, above all, outscored 17-0. Their undersized offensive line seemed to quietly recede, and Simms picked apart their defense.

Perhaps, above all, the Broncos will realize that even a most resourceful quarterback such as Elway can't win Super Bowls alone. The Broncos absolutely couldn't run on the Giants: Their four running backs netted 25 yards on 13 carries. So bad was the running game, Denver didn't even attempt a run in the second half until midway through the fourth quarter (their 15th offensive play of the half).

Elway finished 22 of 37 for 304 yards, with one touchdown and an interception. By game's end, his 187-yard first half majesty seemed like the distant past.

The Broncos also will look with pain at how the Giants defense held them scoreless on a second-quarter drive that reached first and goal from the New York 1-yard line; and at how Rich Karlis, who made 17 of 18 field goal tries inside 40 yards this season and missed from 23 yards and 34 yards in a second-quarter misadventure that stole the fire Denver and limited its lead to 10-9.

"That's the way my business goes," said Karlis. "Hero one week and in the cellar the next. It's an emotional business. I feel really down."

Denver Coach Dan Reeves said "I thought we should have scored about 10 more points in the first half. We knew going into the ball game that if we don't take advantage of every opportunity we had we would be in tough shape."

The Giants reeled in their first title since 1956 in part becuase of a pair of sneaky third-quarter gimmick plays: first, on fourth and one from their 46, the Giants broke from punt formation with punter Sean Landeta going in motion right and blocking back Jeff Rutledge — their backup quarterback — moving behind center to take the snap.

The Broncos, leading by 10-3 at the time, weren't fooled and had their short-yardage defense in place (with the exception of returner Gerald Willhite in for a safety). After a long count, Rutledge drove over right guard for one yard and a first down. Simms then led the Giants to a game-swaying touchdown, a 13-yard pass to all-pro tight end Mark Bavaro.

"We were just trying to win the game," Parcells said. "This game is not for faint-hearted people. We were trying to make the plays, and our guys have made it every time all season."

The Giants, a franchise purchased in 1925 for $500 by a bookmaker named Tim Mara, had a unique cast of heroes today. There was Phil McConkey, the ball-of-fire former Navy standout, who helped set up 10 third-quarter points with a 25-yard punt return and a 44-yard reception off a flea-flicker play, to the Denver 1. When McConkey caught a six-yard touchdown pass that had deflected off Bavaro early in the fourth quarter, the ghosts of Giants past had vanished for good.

"It seemed like all year some big play stimulated us," McConkey said. "In the San Francisco game, it was Mark Bavaro carrying five or six guys on his back. In the first Denver game, it was George Martin running for the touchdown. If it was me in this game, that's great."

There was also defensive end Martin, who sacked Elway for a safety to pull the Giants within 10-9 at the half. And Bavaro, who caught four passes, including a 13-yard touchdown.

"People can say, 'The Giants are no good,'" said linebacker Lawrence Taylor, "but I have the Super Bowl ring now to show that for at least one time, the Giants are the best in the world."

At the outset, Elway led the Broncos 45 yards on eight plays. He scrambled for 10 yards, then hit wideout Mark Jackson for 24 yards. The drive stalled, but Karlis entered to convert a 48-yard field goal. The Broncos led, 3-0.

After Simms countered with a six-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zeke Mowatt, Elway again scrambled Giants' morale. He connected on three consecutive passes, including a nine-yard screen play to running back Sammy Winder.

The Giants' all-pro linebackers then made their first impact of the game — a negative one for the Giants. Harry Carson was penalized (12 yards) for a late hit out of bounds on Winder. Taylor then angrily picked up the yellow flag and tossed it. Another penalty, tacking on six more yards.

The Broncos took a first down at the Giants' 6. From shotgun formation three plays later, Elway stunned the Giants by running, on a third and goal from the 4, a quarterback draw right up the middle. He wasn't touched until his dive landed him in the end zone, giving Denver a 10-7 lead with 2:06 left in the first quarter.

The Giants turned on the burners in the third quarter, though. McConkey said the 17-0 third-quarter explosion today reminded him of the Giants-49ers game of Week 13. That was the last time the Giants trailed at halftime. Their 21-point third quarter then erased a 17-0 halftime deficit. The 21-17 final was just another remarkable brick in the Giants' wall.

Simms was the man who orchestrated the third quarter blowout. The 10-9 halftime margin represented the closest halftime score in Super Bowl history.

The second bit of Giants' skulduggery came late in the third quarter. The Giants led by 19-10 and, facing second and six from the Denver 45, Simms handed off to running back Joe Morris (67 yards rushing). Morris ran toward the line of scrimmage, turned and pitched back to Simms.

Simms looked downfield. He hit McConkey, and said later: "I didn't even hit the right guy. [Primary target] Bobby Johnson was wide open for a touchdown and I didn't see him."

As it was, the completion to McConkey was a 44-yard play, to the Giants 1. McConkey did a somersault upon being tackled. He might as well have done a backflip when Morris scored the 26-10 touchdown on the next play with 24 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

"I didn't feel ignored this week," Simms said. "Like I said, when you think of the Denver Broncos, you think of John Elway. When you think of the New York Giants, you don't think of Simms."

Maybe you will now. By game's end, nose tackle Jim Burt was back in the stands, hugging and being hugged. Carson, meanwhile, had long since accomplished one of his most important roles on the team: the Gatorade drenching of Parcells.

"I just told everybody," said Simms, "I got it today."

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