1974 New York Giants season

1974New York Giantsseason
1974New York Giantsseason
Owner	Timothy J. Mara,; Wellington Mara
Head coach	Bill Arnsparger
Home field	Yale Bowl
Results
Record	2–12
Division place	5thNFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	None
	←1973; Giants seasons; 1975→;

The1974 New York Giants seasonwas thefranchise's 50th seasonin theNational Football League.TheGiantsfinished in last place in theNational Football Conference East Divisionwith a 2–12 record, the team's worst since1966.^[1]^[2]

The Giants’ home venue in 1974 was theYale BowlinNew Haven, Connecticut,^[3]and they were winless at home in seven games. They won only one of twelve games at the Yale Bowl in1973and 1974. The Giants played atShea StadiuminQueensin1975and openedGiants StadiuminNew Jerseyin October1976.^[3]^[4]

The 1974 Giants hold the distinction of being the first team to lose a regular season game in overtime.^[5]In week nine, the 2–6 Giants welcomed the cross-town rivalJetsto the Yale Bowl. With the Giants leading 20–13 in the fourth quarter,Joe Namathfaked a handoff toEmerson Boozer,then ran into the end zone for a touchdown which tied the score at 20–20, forcing overtime;^[6]previously, a game between thePittsburgh SteelersandDenver Broncoshad ended in a 35–35 tie.^[5]The Giants were denied a game-winning score whenPete Gogolakmissed a 42-yard field goal attempt, despite protests from Gogolak that he had made the kick. The Jets subsequently won 26–20 on a five-yard pass from Namath to Boozer after 6:53 of play in the extra period.^[6]

Offseason

Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1974 New York Giants draft
1	3	John Hicks	Guard	Ohio State
2	28	Tom Mullen	Guard	Southwest Missouri State
3	55	Rick Dvorak	Defensive tackle	Wichita State
4	80	Carl Summerell	Quarterback	East Carolina
5	107	Don Clune	Wide receiver	Penn
5	119	Clyde Powers	Defensive back	Oklahoma
6	132	Jim Pietrzak	Center	Eastern Michigan
7	159	Marty Woolbright	Tight end	South Carolina
8	184	Ezil Bibbs	Defensive end	Grambling State
9	211	Jim Rathje	Running back	Northern Michigan
10	236	Ray Rhodes	Defensive back	Tulsa
11	263	Bobby Brooks	Defensive back	Bishop
12	288	Jimmy Sims	Linebacker	USC
13	315	Dennis Colvin	Tackle	Southwest Texas State
14	340	Mike Hayes	Tackle	Virginia State
15	367	Larry Jones	Wingback	Northeast Missouri State
16	392	Buddy Brown	Guard	Alabama	Signed withBirmingham Americans(WFL)
17	419	Steve Crosby	Running back	Fort Hays State
Made roster

^[7]

Roster

**1974 New York Giants roster**
Quarterbacks(QB) 12Jim Del Gaizo 15Craig Morton 19Carl Summerell Running backs(RB) 26Joe Dawkins 30Ron Johnson 44Doug Kotar 25Leon McQuay Wide receivers(WR) 88Don Clune 84Walker Gillette 27Bob Grim 85Don Herrmann 82Ray Rhodes Tight ends(TE) 87John Strada 38Bob Tucker		Offensive linemen(OL) 61Karl ChandlerC 62Dick EnderleG 74John HicksG 52John HillC 70Bob HylandC 73Tom MullenG 63Doug Van HornT 69Willie YoungT Defensive linemen(DL) 66Rick DvorakDT 81Jack GregoryDE 72George HasenohrlDT 78Roy HiltonDE 75Larry JacobsonDT 64John MendenhallDT 91Gary PettigrewDT		Linebackers(LB) 67Ron Hornsby 56Pat Hughes 55Brian Kelley 57Andy Selfridge 54Bill Singletary 10Brad Van Pelt Defensive backs(DB) 37Bobby BrooksCB 24Chuck CristSS 29Honor Jackson 43Spider LockhartFS 39Clyde PowersSS 18Eldridge SmallCB 20Jim StienkeCB Special teams 3Pete GogolakK 13Dave JenningsP				Rookies in italics

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 15	Washington Redskins	L10–13	0–1	Yale Bowl	49,849	Recap
2	September 22	New England Patriots	L20–28	0–2	Yale Bowl	44,082	Recap
3	September 29	atDallas Cowboys	W14–6	1–2	Texas Stadium	45,841	Recap
4	October 6	Atlanta Falcons	L7–14	1–3	Yale Bowl	42,379	Recap
5	October 13	atPhiladelphia Eagles	L7–35	1–4	Veterans Stadium	64,801	Recap
6	October 20	atWashington Redskins	L3–24	1–5	RFK Stadium	53,879	Recap
7	October 27	Dallas Cowboys	L7–21	1–6	Yale Bowl	57,381	Recap
8	November 3	atKansas City Chiefs	W33–27	2–6	Arrowhead Stadium	61,437	Recap
9	November 10	New York Jets	L20–26 (OT)	2–7	Yale Bowl	64,327	Recap
10	November 17	atDetroit Lions	L19–20	2–8	Tiger Stadium	40,431	Recap
11	November 24	St. Louis Cardinals	L21–23	2–9	Yale Bowl	40,615	Recap
12	December 1	atChicago Bears	L13–16	2–10	Soldier Field	18,802	Recap
13	December 8	Philadelphia Eagles	L7–20	2–11	Yale Bowl	21,170	Recap
14	December 15	atSt. Louis Cardinals	L14–26	2–12	Busch Memorial Stadium	47,414	Recap

Intra-division opponents are inboldtext.

Game summaries

Week 3 at Cowboys

New York Giants (1–1) at Dallas Cowboys (1–1)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	14	0	0	14
Cowboys	0	0	0	6	6

atTexas Stadium•Irving, Texas

Date:September 29
Game time:2:00 p.m.
Game weather:64 °F (18 °C) • Wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
Game attendance:45,841^[8]
Box Score

Game information

Giants

Norm Snead
11/17, 128 Yds, TD
Joe Dawkins
9 Rush, 51 Yds
Bob Grim
1 Rec, 50 Yds

Cowboys

Roger Staubach
20/37, 256 Yds, TD, 3 INT
Robert Newhouse
12 Rush, 47 Yds
Drew Pearson
6 Rec, 116 Yds

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	NYG	DAL
2					Giants	Doug Kotar2-yard touchdown run,Pete Gogolakkick good	7	0
4					Giants	Joe Dawkins14-yard touchdown reception fromNorm Snead,Pete Gogolak kick good	14	0
4					Cowboys	Bob Hayes35-yard touchdown reception fromRoger Staubach,Mac Percivalkick no good	14	6
"TOP" =time of possession.For other American football terms, seeGlossary of American football.							14	6

Week 9 vs Jets

Week Nine: New York Jets (1–7) at New York Giants (2–6)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Jets	7	3	3	7	6	26
Giants	3	10	7	0	0	20

atYale Bowl,New Haven, Connecticut

Date:November 10, 1974
Game time:1:00 p.m.EST
Game weather:50 °F (10 °C)
Game attendance:64,327^[9]
Box Score

Game information

First quarter

NYJ –David Knight19-yard pass fromJoe Namath(Pat Leahykick).Jets 7–0.Drive:
NYG –Pete Gogolak26-yard field goal.Jets 7–3.Drive:

Second quarter

NYG –Bob Tucker2-yard pass fromCraig Morton(Pete Gogolak kick).Giants 10–7.Drive:
NYJ – Pat Leahy 34-yard field goal.Tie 10–10.Drive:
NYG – Pete Gogolak 22-yard field goal.Giants 13–10.Drive:

Third quarter

NYJ – Pat Leahy 22-yard field goal.Tie 13–13.Drive:
NYG –Bob Grim12-yard pass from Craig Morton (Pete Gogolak kick).Giants 20–13.Drive:

Fourth quarter

NYJ – Joe Namath 3-yard run (Pat Leahy kick).Tie 20–20.Drive:

Overtime

NYJ –Emerson Boozer5-yard pass from Joe Namath.Jets 26–20.Drive:

Top passers

NYJ –Joe Namath– 20/31, 236 yards, 2 TD
NYG –Craig Morton– 21/32, 237 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

NYJ – Robert Burns – 21 rushes, 101 yards
NYG –Joe Dawkins– 11 rushes, 49 yards

Top receivers

NYJ –Rich Caster– 3 receptions, 68 yards
NYG –Walker Gillette– 5 receptions, 83 yards

Week 11 vs Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals (8–2) at New York Giants (2–8)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	6	0	7	10	23
Giants	0	7	7	7	21

atYale Bowl•New Haven, Connecticut

Date:November 24
Game time:1:00 p.m.
Game weather:45 °F (7 °C) • Wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
Game attendance:40,615^[9]
Box Score

Game information

Cardinals

Jim Hart
25/42, 259 Yds, 2 TD
Terry Metcalf
15 Rush, 48 Yds
Mel Gray
5 Rec, 102 Yds, TD

Giants

Craig Morton
21/35, 257 Yds, 2 TD, INT
Joe Dawkins
12 Rush, 65 Yds
Bob Tucker
5 Rec, 69 Yds, TD

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	STL	NYG
1					Cardinals	36-yard field goal byJim Bakken	3	0
2					Cardinals	32-yard field goal by Jim Bakken	6	0
2					Giants	Ron Johnson2-yard touchdown run,Pete Gogolakkick good	6	7
3					Giants	Bob Tucker29-yard touchdown reception fromCraig Morton,Pete Gogolak kick good	6	14
3					Cardinals	Earl Thomas16-yard touchdown reception fromJim Hart,Jim Bakken kick good	13	14
4					Cardinals	Mel Gray45-yard touchdown reception from Jim Hart, Jim Bakken kick good	20	14
4					Giants	Walker Gillette17-yard touchdown reception from Craig Morton, Pete Gogolak kick good	20	21
4					Cardinals	36-yard field goal by Jim Bakken	23	21
"TOP" =time of possession.For other American football terms, seeGlossary of American football.							23	21

Standings

NFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
St. Louis Cardinals	10	4	0	.714	7–1	8–3	285	218	W1
Washington Redskins	10	4	0	.714	5–3	8–3	320	196	W2
Dallas Cowboys	8	6	0	.571	4–4	6–5	297	235	L1
Philadelphia Eagles	7	7	0	.500	3–5	5–6	242	217	W3
New York Giants	2	12	0	.143	1–7	1–10	195	299	L6

NFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Minnesota Vikings	10	4	0	.714	4–2	8–3	310	195	W3
Detroit Lions	7	7	0	.500	3–3	6–5	256	270	L1
Green Bay Packers	6	8	0	.429	3–3	4–7	210	206	L3
Chicago Bears	4	10	0	.286	2–4	4–7	152	279	L2

NFC West
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Los Angeles Rams	10	4	0	.714	5–1	7–3	263	181	W1
San Francisco 49ers	6	8	0	.429	4–2	6–5	226	236	W2
New Orleans Saints	5	9	0	.357	3–3	5–6	166	263	L1
Atlanta Falcons	3	11	0	.214	0–6	3–8	111	271	W1

References

^"1974 New York Giants".Pro Football Reference.Archivedfrom the original on May 1, 2009.RetrievedMay 8,2009.
^"New York Giants Franchise Encyclopedia".Pro Football Reference.Archivedfrom the original on April 29, 2009.RetrievedMay 8,2009.
^^a ^bMalafronte, Chip (October 8, 2012)."New Haven 200: New York Giants called Yale Bowl home from 1973–74".New Haven Register.RetrievedOctober 22,2014.
^Canavan, Tom (January 1, 2010)."Giants Stadium was symbol of sports in New Jersey".The Seattle Times.RetrievedOctober 24,2014.
^^a ^b"NFL's First Experiment With OT".Pro Football Hall of Fame.RetrievedOctober 20,2020.
^^a ^bGross, Andrew (September 6, 2018)."Giants vs. Jets at Yale Bowl: Namath's bootleg a keepsake".Newsday.RetrievedOctober 20,2020.
^"1974 New York Giants Draftees".Pro Football Reference.RetrievedFebruary 13,2022.
^75 Cowboys.Dallas Cowboys.1975. p. 72. Archived fromthe originalon January 29, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 19,2021.
^^a ^b"The Yale Bowl and the Giants".Newsday.September 5, 2018.RetrievedJanuary 26,2019.

[1] "1974 New York Giants".Pro Football Reference.Archivedfrom the original on May 1, 2009.RetrievedMay 8,2009.

[2] "New York Giants Franchise Encyclopedia".Pro Football Reference.Archivedfrom the original on April 29, 2009.RetrievedMay 8,2009.

[home-3] Malafronte, Chip (October 8, 2012)."New Haven 200: New York Giants called Yale Bowl home from 1973–74".New Haven Register.RetrievedOctober 22,2014.

[4] Canavan, Tom (January 1, 2010)."Giants Stadium was symbol of sports in New Jersey".The Seattle Times.RetrievedOctober 24,2014.

[OT-5] "NFL's First Experiment With OT".Pro Football Hall of Fame.RetrievedOctober 20,2020.

[keepsake-6] Gross, Andrew (September 6, 2018)."Giants vs. Jets at Yale Bowl: Namath's bootleg a keepsake".Newsday.RetrievedOctober 20,2020.

[7] "1974 New York Giants Draftees".Pro Football Reference.RetrievedFebruary 13,2022.

[8] 75 Cowboys.Dallas Cowboys.1975. p. 72. Archived fromthe originalon January 29, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 19,2021.

[Yale-9] "The Yale Bowl and the Giants".Newsday.September 5, 2018.RetrievedJanuary 26,2019.

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1974 New York Giants season

Contents

Offseason

Draft

Roster

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 3 at Cowboys

Week 9 vs Jets

Week 11 vs Cardinals

Standings

See also

References

1974New York Giantsseason

Owner	Timothy J. Mara, Wellington Mara
Head coach	Bill Arnsparger
Home field	Yale Bowl
Results
Record	2–12
Division place	5thNFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	None
←1973 Giants seasons 1975→