Which was the worst New York Giants season ever? Revisiting the franchise's history

The New York Giants are a proud franchise with an illustrious history in the NFL. The Giants are four-time Super Bowl champions, having won the Lombardi trophy in 1986, 1990, 2007 and 2011. They are, by far, the more prosperous New York team and also won four NFL Championships before the AFL-NFL merger.

However, despite the Giants being an iconic franchise, they, too, have seen some dark days. In this article, we look back on the worst season in New York Giants history, the 1966 season.

We will highlight what went wrong that season and why such a historic franchise won a solitary game. So, without further ado, let's get to it.

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How bad was the 1966 New York Giants season?

The 1966 New York Giants team was dreadful; they were so bad that they finished in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 1–12–1 record. The conference's worst record came just a season after the Giants finished the 1965 season with a 7–7. The 1–12–1 form went down in team infamy.

The 1966 New York Giants were not good; the franchise surrendered the most points in NFL history in a 14-game season. They attained this infamous feat by allowing a staggering 501 points in 14 games or an average of 35.8 points per game. Interestingly, the next most points allowed by the Giants came in the 2019 season when they allowed 451, which was in 16 games.

The franchise let opponents score over 30 points in eight of 14 games and gave up over 50 points thrice. They remain the only team in NFL history to give up 500 points in a 14-game season.

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The aftermath

Following the completion of the 1966 NFL season, the New York Giants traded in Fran Tarkenton from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Giants' first and second-round selections in the 1967 NFL draft, a first-round selection in 1968 and a third-round selection in 1969.

This trade ensured that the Giants would have a legitimate franchise QB heading into their comeback season. Thanks to this trade and improved performances from their roster, the Giants improved their regular season record to 7-7 in 1967.

They finished second in the NFL Century Conference, behind the 9-5 Cleveland Browns. Wide receiver Homer Jones broke the team's record for most receiving yards in a year (1,209).

The Giants kept improving after the 1967 season, becoming one of the league's best teams in the 1980s. They have since won five more NFC Conference Championships, eight NFC East Division championships and four Super Bowl championships. The team has come a long way since the dark days of 1966.