The 1986 New York Giants Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bill Parcells

Bill Parcells, born in New Jersey, replaced Ray Perkins as the head coach of the New York Giants to begin the 1983 season. In 1986, Parcells led Big Blue to a regular season record of 14-2 and then a 3-0 mark in postseason play, culminating in a Super Bowl victory. Parcells became well known for his tough, no-nonsense style of leadership.

He developed a close bond with Giants' quarterback Phil Simms. Bill Belichick was defensive coordinator for the '86 Giants and would later become the head coach for the New England Patriots.

In 1986, Dan Reeves was the head coach of the Denver Broncos.

Answer: 56

Lawrence Taylor ("L.T.") is one of the greatest players in Giants' history. Taylor's quickness, speed, and hitting ability made him one of the best linebackers in the NFL. He wore uniform number 56, a number that the Giants would eventually retire. In 1986, Taylor recorded 20.5 quarterback sacks and was named the MVP of the 1986 NFL regular season. Jim Burt wore uniform number 64 for the Giants, Gary Reasons was number 55, and Carl Banks wore uniform number 58 for Big Blue.

Answer: Harry Carson

The Giants had an extremely successful draft in 1986. Eric Dorsey (DE), Erik Howard (NT), Mark Collins (DB), Pepper Johnson (LB), and Greg Lasker (DB) all made significant contributions to Big Blue's defensive unit. Harry Carson, however, had already established himself as a savvy veteran middle linebacker by the time the 1986 season began. Carson, a star at South Carolina State, joined the Giants in 1976. Carson, number 53, would play for New York until his retirement following the 1988 season. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Answer: Seattle Seahawks

The New York Giants lost the opening game of the 1986 season to the Dallas Cowboys, 31-28. In Week Seven, the Giants fell to the Seattle Seahawks, 17-12, at the Seattle Kingdome. It would be the second and the final time that the Giants would lose a game during the '86 campaign. Quarterback Phil Simms was sacked numerous times and also threw four interceptions in the loss.

The following week, the Giants returned home to defeat the Redskins, a victory which started them on their way to an eventual Super Bowl triumph.

Answer: Washington Redskins

After a terrific record of 14-2 in the regular season, the New York Giants entered the playoffs as the top seed in the NFC. On January 4, 1987, Big Blue defeated Bill Walsh's San Francisco 49ers, 49-3, to advance to the NFC title match against Coach Joe Gibbs and the Washington Redskins.

The title game was played in the Meadowlands on January 11, 1987, in brutal conditions- a strong wind made forward passes virtually impossible to complete. The Giants used their strong defense and running attack to forge a 17-0 victory against the Redskins.

The Super Bowl in Pasadena, California, would be the next step. In 1986, Mike Ditka coached the Bears, and Jerry Burns was the Vikings' head coach.

Answer: Mark Bavaro

Mark Bavaro was nicknamed "Rambo" because he was strong, intense and skilled, just like the Sylvester Stallone character in the movies. Number 89 joined the Giants in 1985, and he quickly established himself as one of the best tight ends in the NFL. The soft spoken Bavaro let his actions on the field do his talking in 1986.

He caught 66 passes for 1001 yards and 4 touchdowns. Stacy Robinson (#81) and Phil McConkey (#80) were wide receivers for the Giants, and Tony Galbreath (#30) played at the fullback position.

Answer: Texas

Raul Allegre, born in Mexico, played for the Texas Longhorns and then began his pro career with the Colts in 1983. Allegre joined the Giants in 1986 and stayed with them until 1991. In 1986, the placekicker made 24 of 32 field goals and booted 33 PATs.

In the 1987 Super Bowl, Allegre kicked a field goal and had 5 PATs for 8 total points. Oklahoma's nickname is the Sooners, Texas A & M is known as the Aggies, and Southern Methodist's nickname is the Mustangs.

Answer: Zeke Mowatt

Zeke Mowatt, number 84, was a tight end on the 1986 Giants team. He became the first New York Giant ever to score points in a Super Bowl game when he caught a 9-yard pass from Phil Simms in the first quarter of Super Bowl XXI. During the regular season, Mowatt had scored only two touchdowns for Big Blue. Joe Morris (#20), Lee Rousson (#22) and Ottis Anderson (#24) were running backs for the Giants.

Answer: He rushed for a first down on a fake punt

Jeff Rutledge, number 17, was a backup quarterback to Phil Simms on the 1986 Giants. Early in the third quarter, with the Giants trailing 10-9, New York appeared to be stopped near midfield by the Broncos' defensive unit. However, the Giants' coaching staff decided to gamble. Rutledge took the snap on fourth down in a fake punt formation and rushed forward to get a key first down.

The Giants, led by first-string QB Phil Simms, then proceeded to drive down the field to score the go-ahead touchdown, a lead the Giants never relinquished.

Answer: Phil Simms

Phil Simms played a spectacular game in Super Bowl XXI against Denver. He completed 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Simms was named the Most Valuable Player of the game. George Martin, a defensive lineman, contributed to the victory by recording a safety against Broncos' quarterback John Elway. Linebacker Carl Banks also had a tremendous game, registering 10 unassisted tackles against Denver.