2004 New York Giants season
Encyclopedia
The 2004 NFL season
was the 80th season for the New York Giants
. After starting the season 5–2, the Giants finished 6–10, 2nd in the NFC East.
was hired to replace Jim Fassel
, who was fired following the conclusion of the 2003 season.
selected Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning
with the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Manning, however, refused to play in San Diego, and the New York Giants, who had selected North Carolina State quarterback Phillip Rivers with their first pick of the draft (the #4 overall pick) were able to trade Rivers (along with other compensation) to the Chargers, in return for the highly-touted Manning. The Giants also selected former Boston College offensive guard Chris Snee
, Auburn linebacker Reggie Torbor
, and strong safety Gibril Wilson
. All four of these picks would start at least once during the season, and remain with the Giants for at least four seasons.
, the season began with veteran quarterback and former league MVP Kurt Warner
as the starter. After a season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Warner and the Giants enjoyed surprising success, starting a four-game winning streak that included road victories over the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. Following a Halloween rout of the Minnesota Vikings, 34–14, the Giants were 5–2, trailing the then-undefeated Philadelphia Eagles by just two games.
The high-water mark of the Giants season came on November 7, when the Giants led the Chicago Bears 14–0 at the end of the first quarter. Over the rest of the game, though, the Giants turned the ball over five times, allowed the Bears to score 28 unanswered points (20 in the second quarter) and lost by a score of 28–21. After another loss, this time on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, Giants coach Tom Coughlin decided to replace Warner with Manning. The decision did not show immediate success, as the Giants turned the ball over ten times in the next four games, scoring a total of 37 points.
Close losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals followed, dropping the Giants to 5–10. The season did end with a glimmer of hope, however, as the Giants rallied from a 16–7 fourth quarter deficit to end the season with a 28–24 victory over the arch-rival Dallas Cowboys. Manning threw two fourth quarter touchdown passes, and Tiki Barber scored the game winner.
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
was the 80th season for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After starting the season 5–2, the Giants finished 6–10, 2nd in the NFC East.
Offseason
Former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Tom CoughlinTom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin is an American football coach who is currently head coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League . Coughlin has led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995–2002 and...
was hired to replace Jim Fassel
Jim Fassel
-Professional:-Personal life:Before the 2003 NFL season, Fassel was reunited with a son, John Mathieson, whom he and his wife Kitty gave up for adoption in 1969. The couple was unmarried when he was born....
, who was fired following the conclusion of the 2003 season.
NFL draft
The San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
selected Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
with the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Manning, however, refused to play in San Diego, and the New York Giants, who had selected North Carolina State quarterback Phillip Rivers with their first pick of the draft (the #4 overall pick) were able to trade Rivers (along with other compensation) to the Chargers, in return for the highly-touted Manning. The Giants also selected former Boston College offensive guard Chris Snee
Chris Snee
Christopher Snee is an American football guard for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College....
, Auburn linebacker Reggie Torbor
Reggie Torbor
Reggie Jermaine Torbor is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Auburn.Torbor has also played for the Miami Dolphins...
, and strong safety Gibril Wilson
Gibril Wilson
Gibril Donald Wilson is an American football safety for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee.Wilson earned a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII...
. All four of these picks would start at least once during the season, and remain with the Giants for at least four seasons.
| Round | Player | Position | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philip Rivers Philip Rivers Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college... (traded to Chargers) |
Quarterback | NC State North Carolina State University North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution... |
Regular season
Although the Giants had traded for Eli ManningEli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
, the season began with veteran quarterback and former league MVP Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
as the starter. After a season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Warner and the Giants enjoyed surprising success, starting a four-game winning streak that included road victories over the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. Following a Halloween rout of the Minnesota Vikings, 34–14, the Giants were 5–2, trailing the then-undefeated Philadelphia Eagles by just two games.
The high-water mark of the Giants season came on November 7, when the Giants led the Chicago Bears 14–0 at the end of the first quarter. Over the rest of the game, though, the Giants turned the ball over five times, allowed the Bears to score 28 unanswered points (20 in the second quarter) and lost by a score of 28–21. After another loss, this time on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, Giants coach Tom Coughlin decided to replace Warner with Manning. The decision did not show immediate success, as the Giants turned the ball over ten times in the next four games, scoring a total of 37 points.
Close losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals followed, dropping the Giants to 5–10. The season did end with a glimmer of hope, however, as the Giants rallied from a 16–7 fourth quarter deficit to end the season with a 28–24 victory over the arch-rival Dallas Cowboys. Manning threw two fourth quarter touchdown passes, and Tiki Barber scored the game winner.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 12, 2004 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 31–17 | |
| 2 | September 19, 2004 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 20–14 | |
| 3 | September 26, 2004 | Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 27–10 | |
| 4 | October 3, 2004 | at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 14–7 | |
| 5 | October 10, 2004 | at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
W 26–10 | |
| 6 | Bye | |||
| 7 | October 24, 2004 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
L 28–13 | |
| 8 | October 31, 2004 | at Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
W 34–13 | |
| 9 | November 7, 2004 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 28–21 | |
| 10 | November 14, 2004 | at Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 17–14 | |
| 11 | November 21, 2004 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 14–10 | |
| 12 | November 28, 2004 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 27–6 | |
| 13 | December 5, 2004 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
L 31–7 | |
| 14 | December 12, 2004 | at Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his... |
L 37–14 | |
| 15 | December 18, 2004 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 33–30 | |
| 16 | December 26, 2004 | at Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
L 23–22 | |
| 17 | January 2, 2005 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
W 28–24 | |