In January 1991 I was in 8th grade, we were about to liberate Kuwait and bomb Iraq, Seinfeld’s 2nd season had just started and we were a two weeks away from Whitney Houston blowing the doors off Tampa Stadium singing the “Star Spangled Banner” for Super Bowl XXV.
One of the top NFL games that season was the NFC Championship game between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco. Â The 49ers were the favorites to win, led by Joe Montana, Roger Craig and Jerry Rice. Â The Giants had a great defense but a boring ball control offense. Â In 1991, defense won championships and it was the Giants defense that gave them the upset victory, by knocking Joe Montana out of the game and causing a fumble as the 49ers were running out the clock. Â The Giants won the game a few minutes later with a field goal. Â The win in San Francisco propelled the Giants to the Super Bowl where they defeated the Buffalo Bills.
21 years later, we are right back to that NFC championship game. Â The players are different but the stakes are the same. Â No one will confuse Alex Smith with Joe Montana, but some might think the Giants defense is just as good as the 1991 model, and they are probably right. Â For those wanting to take a trip down memory lane, here is a YouTube clip of the game highlights:
