Giants take closest Super Bowl
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from January 1991.
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Controlling the ball on touchdown drives at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second, the Giants won the closest Super Bowl in history as Norwood's attempt sailed wide right. "Every swing of the leg is critical and this one didn't work out," Norwood said. "You don't get a second chance on a kick like that."
But the game was really won by New York's ball control offense, which moved the ball 87-yards to a touchdown just before the half to cut a 12-3 deficit to 12-10, then held the ball for nearly 10 minutes to start the second half to take a 17-12 lead.
The Giants had the ball for 40:33, leaving the Buffalo offense on the field for only 19:27.
One hero of a game in which the lead changed hands four times was 33-year Ottis Anderson, who picked the most important game of his career for his first 100-yard game this season - 21 carries for 102 yards. He went in from the one for a touchdown to cap the third-quarter drive.
"In 1987, I was nominated for the 'Where-is-he-now' trophy," said Anderson, who, after an outstanding career in St. Louis, was obtained to back up Joe Morris on the Giants' last Super Bowl team. "No one gave me a chance in hell."
Another was Jeff Hostetler, the backup quarterback who completed 20 of 32 for 222 yards and a 14-yard touchdown pass to Stephen Baker.
It was the seventh straight win by the National Football Conference in the Super Bowl. It was also a victory for the New York defense against an offense that had scored 97 points in two playoff games.
The Giants executed their game plan - control the ball. They drove 58 yards in 11 plays and ran 6:15 off the clock to set up Bahr's 28-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Buffalo tied it 1:23 later on Norwood's 23-yard field goal. The score was set up by a 61-yard pass from Jim Kelly to Lofton, who caught the ball after it was tipped into the air by Perry Williams. The Bills later drove 80 yards in 12 plays to score the game's first touchdown on Don Smith's 1-yard run 2:30 into the quarter.
After the Bills punted from midfield, the Giants took over at their own 6.
One play later, Hostetler dropped back to pass, stumbled over Anderson's foot and was sacked by Bruce Smith in the end zone for a safety that made it 12-3.
