2001 New York Giants: Strahan Sacks the NFL

2001 New York Giants: Strahan Sacks the NFL

2001 New York Giants: Strahan Sacks the NFL

Michael Strahan started his career in 1993. He had one sack and three tackles in his entire rookie season. He played in 9 games – none of which he started. For the next three seasons, the future Hall of Fame defensive end recorded 17 sacks total. After a few years under his belt, Strahan broke out to become one of the NFL’s leading pass rushers in 1997. He recorded 44 sacks in four seasons. Strahan’s strength and talent was undeniable, but his next feat proved to be other-worldly.

Strahan had a slow start to the 2001 season. In the opening two games played on the road, Strahan failed to record a single sack. He broke out of his early season slump in a big way during the Giants’ opening home game against the New Orleans Saints. Strahan sacked Saints’ quarterback, Aaron Brooks, three times. He also forced two fumbles. Ron Dayne ran for 111 yards and a touchdown in the Giants’ 21-13 victory.

Two weeks later, Strahan recorded four sacks in a loss to the St. Louis Rams. The Giants defense held the high-scoring offense led by Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk to 15 points. They also forced four turnovers, but the Giants offense couldn’t muster more than 14 points against an excellent Rams defense. The loss to the Rams began a three game losing streak for the Giants.

The Giants were 3-4 after Week 7, but Strahan had already collected 12.5 sacks. Less than halfway through the season and Strahan was on pace to beat Mark Gastineau’s sack record of 22. It was a mark the New York Jets’ Gastineau set in 1982.

Teams took notice of Strahan’s ability to disrupt offenses. They began to adjust their blocking to add more protection on Strahan’s side. Strahan slowed his pace recording only two sacks in the four games before the Giants’ bye in Week 12. Five games remained and Strahan was 7.5 sacks away from tying Gastineau’s mark.

Strahan failed to record multiple sacks in the next three games. His total stood at 17 sacks with two games remaining. It looked as though Gastineau’s record would stand at least one more year.

The Giants travelled to meet their division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, for a Week 16 matchup. The Eagles were on their way to the NFC title game in 2001 when they faced off against the 7-7 Giants. The Eagles finished the year as the second highest scoring team in the NFL. They were led by their dynamic quarterback, Donovan McNabb. McNabb was a mobile quarterback, but the Giants were able to sack him four times. Michael Strahan was credited with 3.5 sacks in the game that the Giants lost 24-21 thanks to a last second field goal.

Strahan’s 3.5 sack performance in Week 16 against the Eagles put him 0.5 a sack short of tying Gastineau’s record. The Giants had one game remaining. Strahan only needed one sack to break the record and he would need to do it against one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game, Brett Favre.

Throughout the game it looked like Strahan was a fraction of a second late in getting his record-breaking sack. It seemed Favre’s quick release would ensure the record would not change hands that year. Then with less than three minutes remaining in the game, Strahan broke free of his blocker. Favre faked the handoff and rolled right in Strahan’s path. Favre had nowhere to go and Strahan made history.

The Giants lost to the Packers, finished the year 7-9 and failed to make the playoffs. But Strahan’s sack record made it one of the most memorable seasons in franchise history. Strahan was named Defensive Player of the Year for the 2001 season. It was an honor he would earn again in 2003. In 2007, Strahan increased his sack total to 133.5, surpassing Giants’ great Lawrence Taylor for the franchise record. The Giants would go on to win the Super Bowl that year – in Strahan’s final season.