The 2001 season was the New York Giants' 77th in the National Football League (NFL) and the fifth under head coach Jim Fassel. They were returning as Super Bowl runners-up from the 2000 season, after losing Super Bowl XXXV to the Baltimore Ravens. The Giants tried to improve on their 12–4 record from the previous year, instead they finished 7–9 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1999. However, Michael Strahan was named Defensive Player of the Year for the 2001 season. He broke the NFL single season sack record with 22.5, surpassing Mark Gastineau's total of 22, by sacking Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers at Giants Stadium in the final regular-season game. Following the season, defensive coordinator John Fox left to become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, a team he would take to the Super Bowl just two years later.
Offseason Additions SubtractionsK Morten Andersen (Falcons) K Brad Daluiso (Raiders)DE Kenny Holmes (Titans) DE Cedric Jones (Rams) DT Christian Peter (Colts) P Brad Maynard (Bears) TE Pete Mitchell (Lions) LB Pete Monty (Vikings) LB Ryan Phillips (Colts)
NFL draft
NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, , p. 23
Undrafted free agents
+ 2001 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeMarcellus RiversTEOklahoma StateBrady McDonnellTEColoradoRich SeubertGWestern IllinoisLance LegreeDTNotre DameClayton WhiteLBNC State
Staff 2001 New York Giants staff Front office President, co-CEO – Wellington Mara Chairman, co-CEO – Preston Robert Tisch General manager – Ernie Accorsi
Head coaches Head coach – Jim Fassel
Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Sean Payton Running backs – Eric Studesville Wide receivers – Jimmy Robinson Tight ends – Mike Pope Offensive assistant – Jay Robertson Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – John Fox Defensive quality control – Dave Brazil Defensive line – Denny Marcin Linebackers – Tom Olivadotti Secondary – Johnnie Lynn
Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Fred von Appen Strength and conditioning – John Dunn Assistant strength and conditioning – Craig Stoddard
Roster
Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 at New England Patriots L 0–14 0–1 Foxboro Stadium Recap 2 Jacksonville Jaguars W 27–5 1–1 Giants Stadium Recap 3 New York Jets L 14–17 1–2 Giants Stadium Recap 4 at Baltimore Ravens L 9–38 1–3 PSINet Stadium Recap
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 at Denver Broncos L 20–31 0–1 Invesco Field at Mile High Recap 2 September 23 at Kansas City Chiefs W 13–3 1–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap 3 September 30 New Orleans Saints W 21–13 2–1 Giants Stadium Recap 4 October 7 Washington Redskins W 23–9 3–1 Giants Stadium Recap 5 October 14 at St. Louis Rams L 14–15 3–2 Trans World Dome Recap 6 Philadelphia Eagles L 9–10 3–3 Giants Stadium Recap 7 October 28 at Washington Redskins L 21–35 3–4 FedExField Recap 8 November 4 Dallas Cowboys W 27–24 (OT) 4–4 Giants Stadium Recap 9 November 11 at Arizona Cardinals W 17–10 5–4 Sun Devil Stadium Recap 10 at Minnesota Vikings L 16–28 5–5 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Recap 11 November 25 Oakland Raiders L 10–28 5–6 Giants Stadium Recap 12 Bye 13 December 9 at Dallas Cowboys L 13–20 5–7 Texas Stadium Recap 14 Arizona Cardinals W 17–13 6–7 Giants Stadium Recap 15 December 23 Seattle Seahawks W 27–24 7–7 Giants Stadium Recap 16 December 30 at Philadelphia Eagles L 21–24 7–8 Veterans Stadium Recap 17 January 6 Green Bay Packers L 25–34 7–9 Giants Stadium Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries Week 1: at Denver Broncos
The Giants began their NFC title defense on Monday Night Football in the first game at the Denver Broncos' new stadium, Invesco Field at Mile High (now known as Empower Field at Mile High). The Broncos opened the scoring with quarterback Brian Griese finding tight end Patrick Hape for a 1-yard touchdown to make the score 7–0. The teams then went back and forth, with Kerry Collins hitting Amani Toomer for two touchdown passes (one from 43 yards and the other from 11 yards), while Griese threw another touchdown to Ed McCaffrey. However, in the third quarter Griese threw his third touchdown of the day with a 25-yard strike to Rod Smith to give the Broncos a lead they would not relinquish. A 9-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter by running back Mike Anderson clinched the game.
While Kerry Collins went 19 of 34 for 258 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions, the Giants defense allowed 473 yards of total offense and failed to register a sack or force a turnover.
Week of Sunday, September 16: no games
After the Monday night loss in Denver, the Giants returned to Newark International Airport around 6 a.m. EDT on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, less than three hours before hijackers ran passenger jets into the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, causing them to collapse. Another aircraft, United Airlines Flight 93, had been at the gate next to the team charter before crashing in Pennsylvania en route to attack the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. In the aftermath of the attacks, co-owner Wellington Mara advocated for postponement of the following week's games, including the Giants' home opener with the Green Bay Packers. According to current team president John Mara, many fans were still awaiting word on family members who worked in the towers, and his father regretted the NFL holding games only two days after President John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963. Week 2's games would ultimately be rescheduled as the regular season finale.
Week 2: at Kansas City Chiefs
The first game the Giants played after 9/11, and the first game either New York City team played after the attacks, was an interconference game at Kansas City. Chiefs players joined Giants players before the game to honor those who had lost their lives and those who had been seriously impacted by the crisis.
When the two teams got back to football, what ensued was a sloppy and low-scoring game. Running back Ron Dayne scored the game's only touchdown with a 7-yard run in the second quarter, and the Giants led 13–0 at the half. Kerry Collins reversed his performance from his last game with no touchdowns and 3 interceptions, but the Chiefs failed to turn any of his turnovers into points. The Giants finally clinched the game with a 13-play drive that took up the remaining 7:21 of the clock.
Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints
The Giants' home opener of the 2001 season came against New Orleans. It was the first NFL game held in the New York City metropolitan area after 9/11.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Giants opened the scoring in the second quarter with Ron Dayne running in for a 6-yard touchdown. Tiki Barber added his first touchdown of the year on their next drive, a 14-yard run which made the score 14–3 at the half. In the fourth quarter, Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Willie Jackson to make the score 14–10, but the Giants answered with Kerry Collins finding Joe Jurevicius for a 46-yard touchdown to make it 21–10 with 6:05 to go. Saints kicker John Carney kicked a 30-yard field goal to narrow the score to 21–13 with 4:36 remaining, then Collins lost a fumble to give the Saints the ball back at their own 30-yard line with 3:17 to go. Brooks drove the Saints to the 9-yard line with 15 seconds left. After spiking the ball, two incomplete passes brought up 4th and Goal from the 9-yard line on the final play of the game. Brooks completed a pass to Jackson for what appeared to be a touchdown, but the officials ruled that Jackson had committed pass interference in order to make the catch, and the game ended.
The Giants won despite being outgained 330–253. Ron Dayne ran for 111 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown while Michael Strahan registered his first three sacks of his record-breaking season.\
Week 4: vs. Washington Redskins
With the Giants hosting a Washington team that had been blasted by their first three opponents by a combined score of 112–16, this game had all the makings of an easy win. However, the score was tied at 9–9 at the end of three quarters with Giants kicker Morten Andersen and Washington kicker Brett Conway trading three field goals apiece. In the fourth quarter, the Giants finally took over. With 12:59 to go, Kerry Collins found tight end Dan Campbell for a 1-yard touchdown pass to give the Giants the lead. Then with 2:57 to go, Jason Sehorn intercepted a Tony Banks pass and returned it 34 yards for the game-clinching score.
The two teams combined for a whopping 9 turnovers, with the Giants committing 4 and Washington committing 5. However, the Giants also held Washington to just 181 yards of total offense.
Amani Toomer led the offense with 7 receptions for 97 yards, while Jason Sehorn intercepted two passes including the aforementioned touchdown. Due to an injury by Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne's disappointing play, reserve running back Damon Washington received considerable playing time in the second half and contributed a career-high 90 yards rushing.\
Week 5: at St. Louis Rams
The Giants then went on the road for a nationally televised day game against the 4–0 Rams. The Greatest Show on Turf had outscored their opponents 127–53 in their first four games and were favored by 10.5 points to win.
To the surprise of many, the Giants' defense held the Rams in check, holding them to a season-low 15 points. They forced 4 turnovers while also sacking Kurt Warner 6 times. Michael Strahan had a dominant game with 4 sacks of Warner.
The Giants opened the game with an 80-yard drive that ended with a Ron Dayne 4-yard touchdown run. The Rams answered with three Jeff Wilkins field goals, the last one of which came as time expired in the first half to give St. Louis a 9–7 lead heading into the locker room. After a scoreless fourth quarter, the Giants capitalized off a Marshall Faulk fumble with Kerry Collins finding Ike Hilliard for a 25-yard touchdown to make the score 14–9 with 13:33 remaining. However, after three quarters of great defense, the team could not hold when it mattered most. The Rams went on a 77-yard drive and advanced to the Giants' 1-yard line after a Sam Garnes pass interference penalty, on a play where Kurt Warner was temporarily knocked out of the game with an injury. Backup Jamie Martin entered the game for one play, which was a 1-yard touchdown run by Trung Canidate to give the Rams a 15–14 lead with 4:17 to go. After a three-and-out, the Giants forced a three-and-out to give their offense one more chance to win the game with 1:51 to go. However, Collins was intercepted by defensive end Grant Wistrom to finally clinch the game for the Rams.
Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The Giants' next game was a loss to the division-rival Eagles in a Monday Night game. The Giants dominated the first half, but failed to get in the end zone despite two goal-to-go situations and were forced to settle for three Morten Andersen field goals and a 9–0 halftime lead. With 1:52 remaining, Donovan McNabb threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to James Thrash, and the ensuing extra point gave the Eagles their first lead of the night, 10–9. On the next drive, Kerry Collins was sacked and forced to fumble by Jeremiah Trotter, and the Eagles recovered the ball to clinch the game.
Week 7: at Washington Redskins
After two losses by a point each, the Giants were expected to get back on track at Washington, in a game originally scheduled for 8:30 p.m. before a conflict arose with the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the 2001 World Series as a result of MLB's rescheduling following the September 11 terrorist attacks, necessitating a move to 4:05 p.m. However, they faced a completely different team than the one they beat in Week 4.