January 13 is a memorable date in Giants history. They won two pivotal playoff games on this date:
They beat Chicago Bears, 31-3, in 1991 to advance to Conference Championship Game and, in 2008, they stunned the Dallas Cowboys, 21-17, also to advance to Conference Championship Game.
In 1990, the Giants went 13-3 and gained the second overall seed in the NFC Playoffs and hosted the Chicago Bears in the Divisional round. Chicago was still coached by Mike Ditka, but they were a far cry from the team that ran the table in 1985, shutting out the Giants, 21-0, in the NFC Divisional Playoffs en route to a Super Bowl victory.
This time around it was different. The Giants dominated the Bears with a suffocating defense that held star running back Neal Anderson to just 19 yards on 12 carries. Quarterback Jeff Hostetler, who took over for Phil Simms (foot) in December, tossed two touchdowns and ran for another.
The Giants would then nip the San Francisco 49ers, 15-13, in the NFC Championship Game to advance to Super Bowl XXV, where they topped the Buffalo Bills, 20-19, when Bills’ kicker Scott Norwood’s 47-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right.
In 2008, the 10-6 Giants finished second in the NFC East to the 13-3 Dallas Cowboys, who were the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs. The Giants grabbed a wildcard berth and as the fifth seed, traveled to Tampa Bay to play the fourth-seeded Buccaneers. The Giants had little trouble winning that game, breezing to a 24-14 victory.
From there, they went to Dallas to play a Cowboys team that had beaten them twice during the season. Dallas was widely expected to win the game and oddsmakers made them a seven-point favorite.
The Giants had other ideas. Although the Cowboys held the football for over 36 minutes and outgunned the Giants, 336-223, on the afternoon, the Giants played clutch football gaining a 21-17 advantage easy in the fourth quarter and then preserving it when R.W. McQuarters intercepted a Tony Romo pass in the end zone with nine seconds remaining.
The next week the Giants would go on to defeat the Packers in sub zero weather in Green Bay in overtime to advance to Super Bowl XLII where the undefeated New England Patriots were waiting. You know the rest.
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