Giants vs. 49ers: A Rivalry Renewed

1981 NFC Divisional Playoff

Both teams ended long
playoff droughts in 1981. The 49ers would ride the arm of quarterback
Joe Montana to victory. Montana threw for 304 yards on the day in
leading The Niners to a 38-24 victory. The 49ers would go on to win The
Super Bowl.

1984 NFC Divisional Playoff

Joe Montana once again
threw for over 300 yards, but this wasn’t a high scoring affair. The
defenses dominated the day, especially The 49er defense that did not
permit an offensive touchdown by The Giants en route to a 21-10 victory.

1985 NFC Wild Card

For the first time since 1962 The
Giants were hosting a playoff game. The defenses once again were the
main attraction as Big Blue won 17-3.

1986 Week 13

The
Giants and Niners staged an epic battle on Monday Night Football in San
Francisco. The Giants won the game by a score of 21-17. The game will
mostly be remembered for one play. Giant tight end Mark Bavaro drug
several 49er defenders, including safety Ronnie Lott 20 yards before he
was finally stopped.

1986 NFC Divisional Playoff

The Giants were the class
of The NFC for ’86. The Giants dominated The 49ers in every facet of the
game for a 49-3 victory. During the game, Giant defensive tackle Jim
Burt put a vicious hit on Joe Montana that knocked him out of the game.
The Giants rode this momentum all the way to a Super Bowl Championship.

1990 NFC Championship

These two teams met in the
regular season with The 49ers pulling out a 7-3 victory. San Francisco
was looking to become the first team in The Super Bowl era to win three
consecutive championships. The 49ers were favored going into the game,
but it turned out to be an old-fashioned slugfest. Giant defensive end
Leonard Marshall put a hit on Joe Montana that I felt on my living room
couch. The hit by Marshall not only knocked Montana out of the game, but
The Hall of Fame quarterback did not play again until the end of 1992.
In the fourth quarter The Giants went for a fake punt and were
successful. Linebacker Gary Reasons ran the ball for a 30-yard gain on
the fake punt to set up a field goal to make the score 13-12 San
Francisco. The 49ers were on the verge of icing the game when defensive
tackle Erik Howard forced a fumble by 49er running back Roger Craig
which was recovered by linebacker Lawrence Taylor. Matt Bahr kicked the
game winning 42-yard field goal as time expired sending The Giants to
The Super Bowl and ending the reign of The 49ers.

1993 Divisional Playoff

The Giants never stood a
chance in this game as it was a long afternoon in San Francisco for Big
Blue. Running back Ricky Waters ran through The Giant defense all day as
he scored 5 touchdowns in a 44-3 rout by The Niners. This was the last
game for Giant quarterback Phil Simms and Hall of Fame linebacker
Lawrence Taylor.

2002 NFC Wild Card

In one of the wildest games in NFL
history, The 49ers were able to erase a 24-point deficit in the third
quarter and win the game by a score of 39-38. Early in the game, The
49ers did not have an answer for Giant quarterback Kerry Collins who was
able to find tight end Jeremy Shockey at will. The 49ers won when the
referees missed a pass interference call by 49er defensive end Chike
Okeafor on Giant offensive lineman Rich Seubert on a broken play that
was the result of a botched field goal by The Giants.