| 1977 New York Giants season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Owner | Wellington Mara Timothy J. Mara |
| Head coach | John McVay |
| Home stadium | Giants Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–9 |
| Division place | T-4thNFC East |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | LBBrad Van Pelt |
The1977 New York Giants season was thefranchise's 53rd season in theNational Football League (NFL).[1] TheGiants had a 5–9 record in 1977 and finished in a tie for last place with thePhiladelphia Eagles.[2][3]
The Giants selecteddefensive endGary Jeter in the1977 NFL draft with the fifth overall pick.[4] Before theseason, the Giants signed quarterbackJoe Pisarcik, who won the starting position to replaceCraig Morton, whom they had traded to theDenver Broncos. New York won their opening game of the year against theWashington Redskins, prevailing 20–17 on afield goal byJoe Danelo in the final seconds.[5] After losses in their next three games, victories over theSan Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins evened the Giants’ record at 3–3. Afterwards, New York lost six of their last eight games.[2] With a season-ending 12–9 defeat by theChicago Bears in overtime,[6] the team concluded the year at 5–9.[2]
Offensively, New York's season total of 181 points was lower than all but four of the 27 other NFL teams.[6] Pisarcik started 11 of the Giants' 14 games in 1977 and threw for 1,346 yards, but had 14 passes intercepted and only four touchdowns.Bobby Hammond led the Giants in rushing with 154 carries for 577 yards.Doug Kotar andLarry Csonka also rushed for more than 450 yards each.[2] The team's leading receiver statistically wasJimmy Robinson, who caught 22 passes for 422 yards and three touchdowns.Gary Shirk was the only other Giants player with multiple touchdown catches, whileJohnny Perkins was second behind Robinson with 20 receptions. On defense,cornerbackBill Bryant led New York with three interceptions.[2] For the second consecutive season,linebackerBrad Van Pelt was the only Giant to make the Pro Bowl.[7]
| 1977 New York Giants draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Gary Jeter | DE | USC | |
| 2 | 32 | Johnny Perkins | WR | Abilene Christian | |
| 4 | 88 | Mike Vaughan | T | Oklahoma | |
| 5 | 117 | Randy Dean | QB | Northwestern | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least onePro Bowl during career | |||||
| Quarterbacks(QB) Running backs(RB) Wide receivers(WR) Tight ends(TE) | Offensive linemen(OL) | Linebackers(LB) Defensive backs(DB) Special teams(ST) | Reserve
|
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 18 | Washington Redskins | W 20–17 | 1–0 | 76,086 |
| 2 | September 25 | atDallas Cowboys | L 21–41 | 1–1 | 64,215 |
| 3 | October 2 | atAtlanta Falcons | L 3–17 | 1–2 | 46,374 |
| 4 | October 9 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 10–28 | 1–3 | 48,824 |
| 5 | October 16 | San Francisco 49ers | W 20–17 | 2–3 | 70,366 |
| 6 | October 23 | atWashington Redskins | W 17–6 | 3–3 | 53,903 |
| 7 | October 31 | atSt. Louis Cardinals | L 0–28 | 3–4 | 50,323 |
| 8 | November 6 | Dallas Cowboys | L 10–24 | 3–5 | 74,532 |
| 9 | November 13 | atTampa Bay Buccaneers | W 10–0 | 4–5 | 46,518 |
| 10 | November 20 | Cleveland Browns | L 7–21 | 4–6 | 72,576 |
| 11 | November 27 | atCincinnati Bengals | L 13–30 | 4–7 | 32,705 |
| 12 | December 4 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 27–7 | 5–7 | 71,826 |
| 13 | December 11 | atPhiladelphia Eagles | L 14–17 | 5–8 | 47,731 |
| 14 | December 18 | Chicago Bears | L 9–12 (OT) | 5–9 | 50,152 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are inbold text.
Atlanta Falcons quarterbackScott Hunter set upMonroe Eley's one-yard plunge early in the second period with an 18-yard bootleg and backup quarterbackKim McQuilken led an 80-yard scoring drive in the final period to give the Falcons a 17–3 win over the Giants.[8]
Joe Pisarcik's 37-yard touchdown pass to tight endGary Shirk and a pair of field goals by Joe Danelo helped give New York a narrow 20–17 victory, their first in four games. 49ers quarterbackJim Plunkett started a San Francisco rally. Touchdowns byWilbur Jackson on a one-yard run and wide receiverGene Washington on a 47-yard pass made the game close.[9]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Giants | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| Redskins | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1 | WSH | Mark Moseley 35 yard field goal | Redskins 3–0 | |
| 2 | WSH | Mark Moseley 45 yard field goal | Redskins 6–0 | |
| 3 | NYG | Doug Kotar 17 yard run (Joe Danelo kick) | Giants 7–6 | |
| 4 | NYG | Jimmy Robinson 23 yard pass fromJoe Pisarcik (Joe Danelo kick) | Giants 14–6 | |
| 4 | NYG | Joe Danelo 20 yard field goal | Giants 17–6 | |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bears | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| Giants | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Dallas Cowboys(1) | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 7–1 | 11–1 | 345 | 212 | W4 |
| Washington Redskins | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 4–4 | 8–4 | 196 | 189 | W3 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 272 | 287 | L4 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 2–6 | 4–8 | 220 | 207 | W2 |
| New York Giants | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 3–5 | 5–7 | 181 | 265 | L2 |
| NFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Minnesota Vikings(3) | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 6–1 | 8–4 | 231 | 227 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears(4) | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 6–1 | 8–4 | 255 | 253 | W6 |
| Detroit Lions | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 2–5 | 4–8 | 183 | 252 | L1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 2–5 | 4–7 | 134 | 219 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 12 | 0 | .143 | 0–4 | 2–11 | 103 | 223 | W2 |
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Los Angeles Rams(2) | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 302 | 146 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 179 | 129 | W1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 3–3 | 5–7 | 220 | 260 | L3 |
| New Orleans Saints | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 2–4 | 3–9 | 232 | 336 | L4 |
