| Team: | New York Giants |
| Year: | 1980 |
| Record: | 4–12 |
| Stadium: | Giants Stadium |
| Playoffs: | Did not qualify |
| Shortnavlink: | Giants seasons |
The 1980 New York Giants season was the franchise's 56th season in the National Football League.[1] The Giants finished in last place in the National Football Conference East Division with a 4–12 record.[2]
In the 1980 NFL draft, the Giants selected defensive back Mark Haynes with their first-round pick, which was eighth overall.[3] New York won its opening game of the season against the St. Louis Cardinals, 41–35, behind a five-touchdown performance by quarterback Phil Simms. Four of those touchdown passes were to Earnest Gray, who set a single-game franchise record for touchdown receptions.[4] The Giants lost the following game to Washington by two points, the start of an eight-game losing streak. A Week 10 win over the Dallas Cowboys snapped the streak; a subsequent win over the Green Bay Packers was followed by a pair of defeats.[5] A shoulder injury caused Simms to miss the last three games of the season. Scott Brunner took over as the starting quarterback for those games, during which the Giants went 1–2.[6]
Simms threw for 2,321 yards in his 13 appearances, and had 15 touchdown passes and 19 interceptions. Brunner threw for four touchdowns and had six interceptions. New York's leading rusher was Billy Taylor, who ran for 580 yards and four touchdowns. Gray had a team-leading 10 touchdown receptions during the season, and caught 52 passes for 777 yards. On defense, Mike Dennis led the Giants with five interceptions.[2] Two Giants players, Dave Jennings and Brad Van Pelt, were selected for the 1981 Pro Bowl.[7]
See also: 1980 NFL draft.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 41–35 | 1–0 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 49,122 | |
| 2 | September 14 | Washington Redskins | L 21–23 | 1–1 | Giants Stadium | 73,343 | |
| 3 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 3–35 | 1–2 | Veterans Stadium | 70,767 | ||
| 4 | September 28 | Los Angeles Rams | L 7–28 | 1–3 | Giants Stadium | 73,414 | |
| 5 | October 5 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 3–24 | 1–4 | Texas Stadium | 59,126 | |
| 6 | October 12 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 16–31 | 1–5 | Giants Stadium | 71,051 | |
| 7 | October 19 | at San Diego Chargers | L 7–44 | 1–6 | San Diego Stadium | 50,397 | |
| 8 | October 26 | Denver Broncos | L 9–14 | 1–7 | Giants Stadium | 67,598 | |
| 9 | November 2 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 13–30 | 1–8 | Tampa Stadium | 68,256 | |
| 10 | November 9 | Dallas Cowboys | W 38–35 | 2–8 | Giants Stadium | 68,343 | |
| 11 | November 16 | Green Bay Packers | W 27–21 | 3–8 | Giants Stadium | 76,609 | |
| 12 | November 23 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 0–12 | 3–9 | Candlestick Park | 38,574 | |
| 13 | November 30 | St. Louis Cardinals | L 7–23 | 3–10 | Giants Stadium | 65,852 | |
| 14 | December 7 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 27–21 | 4–10 | Kingdome | 51,617 | |
| 15 | at Washington Redskins | L 13–16 | 4–11 | RFK Stadium | 44,443 | ||
| 16 | December 21 | Oakland Raiders | L 17–33 | 4–12 | Giants Stadium | 61,287 |