PRO FOOTBALL : Giants Begin Anew With Old Standbys : NFC: New York beats Chicago, 26-20, behind the play of Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor.
CHICAGO — It was like old times for the New York Giants, with Phil Simms leading a decisive touchdown drive and Lawrence Taylor clinching the game by forcing a fumble.
Simms’ one-yard touchdown pass to Jarrod Bunch with 1:07 to play gave the Giants a 26-20 victory Sunday over the Chicago Bears.
It made Dan Reeves’ coaching debut with the Giants a success and spoiled Dave Wannstedt’s first game as coach of the Bears.
“The final drive was great,†said Simms, who completed 24 of 34 passes for 277 yards. “Nobody panicked. We were relaxed and the line was great when I needed protection.â€
Kevin Butler’s 34-yard field goal with 3:07 left gave the Bears a 20-19 lead before the Giants mounted their winning drive.
The Bears got the ball back with time for a drive, but Taylor slapped the ball out of quarterback Jim Harbaugh’s hand and recovered the fumble. Taylor, returning from a career-threatening Achilles’ tendon injury, had two sacks, two knockdowns and applied pressure throughout the game.
“I can’t say it was spectacular,†Taylor said of the fumble recovery. “I made a move on the tackle and Harbaugh just bobbled the ball.â€
The Giants, after trailing by 17-9, rallied to take a 19-17 lead before the Bears launched their go-ahead drive on passes of 25 and 15 yards from Harbaugh to Tom Waddle.
Wannstedt said the Bears were in position to win the game many times.
“There were a lot of situations and a lot of plays in the game . . . not one particular guy . . . not one particular play that would have given us an opportunity,†he said. “We did not get it done. We have to learn to win games in those situations and they don’t happen by just talking about it.â€
Go beyond the scoreboard
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