1981 New York Giants season

1981 New York Giants season
OwnerTimothy J. Mara
Wellington Mara
General managerGeorge Young
Head coachRay Perkins
Home fieldGiants Stadium
Results
Record9–7
Division place3rd NFC East
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs
(at Eagles) 27–21
Lost Divisional Playoffs
(at 49ers) 24–38
Pro BowlersLB Lawrence Taylor
LB Harry Carson

The 1981 New York Giants season was the franchise's 57th season in the National Football League. The Giants qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 18 years with a 9–7 record,[1] which placed them third in the National Football Conference East Division.[2] The Giants qualified for the postseason thanks to an overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the last game of the season, coupled with a loss by the Green Bay Packers.[3] In the Wild Card playoffs, the Giants defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27–21 in Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium. New York's season ended with a 38–24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional round.[2] The 49ers would go on to win Super Bowl XVI.[4]

  1. ^ "New York Giants Franchise Encyclopedia". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on April 29, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "1981 New York Giants". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
  3. ^ Whittingham, Richard (2005). Illustrated History of the New York Giants. Chicago: Triumph Books. pp. 195–196. ISBN 978-1-57243-641-1.
  4. ^ Massa, Mike (January 10, 2020). "49ers' playoff history as the top seed in the NFC". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 4, 2020.