NFL Unforgettable Moments: Super Bowl XXV

Every year, as we come towards the beginning of football season we start to consider the times that felt almost unreal to us. The crazy moments, the ones that had us hanging onto the edge of our seats. 

We consider the NFL odds, and who might go home with the Super Bowl trophy this season, but we know it is unpredictable, sometimes underdogs can win in an unexpected turn of events. 

The Super Bowl XXV is a perfect example of this happening. 

If you’re under 30, you may have heard of this, but won’t remember it. It was a game that showed everyone proof that underdogs can beat the favorites sometimes, and sometimes it can be a win that no one sees coming. 

So… what happened? Let’s recap that game from 1991. 

What Were The Chances?

The game was held on the 27th January 1991, it was a game between the New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills. The Bills were favorites, and the Giants were underdogs, by 7 points, exactly. 

By some miracle they managed to find a way to beat the Bills 20-19. 

Norwood tried to give the Bills a win, and his 47-yard field goal is famous to this day for having sailed wide to the right. This followed for the Bills to have their upset win. 

The game amazingly features 2 of the most powerful stars in the defense of this time, Bruce Smith and Lawrence Taylor, who were both legends in their positions. 

But, what were the chances of the game going this way? Very slim indeed. The Bills had been driving a pretty strong game, and the Giants were slacking a bit. Sure, the Giants had a recent Super Bowl win from Super Bowl XXI, but this game they were trailing a bit. 

Let’s take a look at what exactly happened in this game. 

The 1st Quarter

The two teams had very different strategies and this was evident from the get go. The Giants forced the Bills to punt during the opening drive, and then went on to consume 6:15 off the clock, marching a total of 58 yards in 10 plays. 

In a play in which Bahr scored a 28-yarder, New York ran 5 plays rushing, and 5 plays passing. 

But, the Bills hit back hard, making a 5-play 66-yarder taking 1:23 from the clock. 

They then forced the Giants to punt, and their offensive tactics started to work in their favor. They then played 12 plays and made an 80-yarder, taking 4:27 from the clock. 

By the time the 2nd quarter came around they were at 10-3 in the lead.

The 2nd Quarter

The 2nd quarter came about, and Tuten made a 43-yard kick, pinning the Giants against their own 7-yard mark. 

The second down came around and Smith sacked Hostetler in the end zone, which pumped up the Bills lead against the Giants. On this Smith could have forced a fumble, but he didn’t. He did hold the ball away from Smith though, which meant only 2 points ended up being surrendered. 

The Giants did get the ball at their 13-yard line, with 3:43 left on the clock, and New York abandoned their strategy for long drives and chose a quick-strike tactic instead. 

This was a good play as Hostetler led then 87-yard for a 14-yarder ending in a touchdown. This cut their deficit down to 12-10. 

The 3rd Quarter

The Giants were opening in the 3rd, and they carried on as planned. They drove 75 yards in a total of 14 plays, scoring on Andersons 1-yarder, which put them in the lead. This drive ended up taking a record of 9:29 off the clock, and wrapped up 4 conversions in the 3rd down. 

The highlight of this was an incredible 14-yard pass to Ingram on the 3rd for 13 yards. He caught the ball and broke through 5 tackles by the Bills to get the first down and keep going. At this point the Bills had gone nearly 2 real-time hours since they had the ball in their possession. 

However, once the Giants had forced the Bills to punt, they drove to their 35-yard mark, but at 4th and 2, Anderson was tackled at a loss.

The 4th Quarter

Buffalo eventually advanced, regaining a lead at 19-17, but as the Bill scored, so did the Giants. It got really intense in the last 3 minutes of play, however. 

The Bills forced New York to punt, and they took the ball to the 10-yard mark. 

The Bill’s final possession saw the team charge down the field with short passes, scrambles and runs. They attempted a 47-yard play. Then Norwood’s kick sailed right, with less than a yard outside of the goalpost. Then, the Giants took what they wanted. 

They ran the clock out to take home the game. 

This game is best noted for the incredible feats of both teams. They literally played back and forth for the entire game, keeping things intense and no one having any idea who would win.