New York Giants Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells was always quick to tell the media that fans would appreciate his quarterback much more down the line than they did during his playing days: "They'll look at the new guy and say, 'He ain't no Phil Simms!'"
It's nearly 40 years later, and the NFL has yet to find a quarterback who could match what Simms did when he authored the most efficient passing game in Super Bowl history and led the Giants to a dominant 39-20 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI on Jan. 25, 1987.
Simms finished 22 of 25 for 268 yards and three touchdowns. His 82.1 completion percentage and 150.9 passer rating remain untouched.
He was named the game's MVP when Disney World began its tradition of producing a post-game TV ad featuring the star of the day, as they celebrated on the field and proclaimed, "I'm going to Disney World!"
New York Giants quarterback (11) Phil Simms
Sep 13, 1992; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Giants quarterback (11) Phil Simms in action against the Dallas Cowboys at Giants Stadium. | RVR Photos-Imagn Images
The Giants trailed at halftime, 10-9, but Simms fired a string of a then-Super Bowl record 10 consecutive completions and led the offense on four straight scoring drives to leave no doubt about the outcome.
Simms didn't need to be nearly as perfect in the playoffs as the Giants (14-2) rolled through a 49-3 rout over the San Francisco 49ers (in which he fired a franchise postseason-record four TD passes) and a 17-0 shutout over the Washington Redskins.
However, he authored some significant moments to lift the Giants into the postseason, specifically during a four-game stretch inside their season-ending nine-game winning streak.
In Week 11, Simms connected with Bobby Johnson on a 4th-and-17 with 1:12 left to set up Raul Allegre's game-winning field goal at Minnesota. It was a perfect 22-yard completion inside the right sideline in front of cornerback Issiac Holt.
In Week 12, Simms tossed a 46-yard pass to Phil McConkey with 28 seconds remaining to put Allegre in position for another game-winner against Denver.
In Week 13, Simms threw for a season-high 388 yards on 27-of-38 passing, highlighted by two third-quarter scoring strikes, in a dramatic second-half rally to win at San Francisco.
In Week 14, Simms tied a season-high with three touchdown passes, going 15-of-29 for 265 yards, in winning a first-place battle at Washington.
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