1987 Super Bowl XXI

About Pasadena, California: Residents of Pasadena were no strangers to hosting large football games as they had hosted many college games in their beloved Rose Bowl. However, this year they would host the biggest football game of them all Super Bowl 21. Thousands of fans would be there in person along with millions around the world watching via TV to see the New York Giants take on the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI.

Ticket Sales / Attendance: There were 101,603 people in attendance at the game in and it is estimated that another 87.1 million more excited fans watched from their homes or other Superbowl parties around the world while tuning into CBS. The ratings the game for the game on this network were 45.8.

Team Pre-Season Stats: The New York Giants under head coach Bill Parcels were ready for the start of the 1986-87 season after getting shut out in last years NFC Divisional Playoff by Chicago. Phil Simms and Joe Morris were back to lead the offence and 5 time Pro-Bowler Lawrence Taylor would once again lead the defence as the Giants were ready to make a title run.

After missing the playoffs the previous season the Denver Broncos were looking forward to a new season a chance to contend for a playoff spot. Head coach Dan Reeves would once again have quarterback John Elway leading the offence and if they could get a good effort from the defence they could seriously contend this season.

Team Roster: Key players on the Broncos roster included QB John Elway, RB Sammy Winder, WR Mark Jackson, TE Orson Mobley, OL Keith Bishop, DL Rulon James, and DB Dennis Smith.

The notable players for the Giants included QB Phil Simms, RB Joe Morris, WR Bobby Johnson, TE Mark Bavaro, OL Brad Benson, LM Lawrence Taylor, LB Carl Banks, and DL Jim Burt.

Game Highlights: Denver opened the scoring with a record 48 yard field goal from kicker Rich Karlis. However, the Giants responded with a 78 yard drive that was completed with a 6 yard touchdown pass from Phil Simms to Zeke Mowatt to give New York a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. Denver added a touchdown of its own as John Elways ran for a 4 yard touchdown and giving the Broncos the lead once again. New York added 2 points for a safety just before halftime to bring the score to 10-9 which was the closest game at halftime in Super Bowl history.

The third quarter was a different story as the Giants took control of the game. They added 4 touchdowns and a field goal to score 30 points in the 2nd half and 10 total points in the 2nd half was not enough for Denver. The Giants rolled to a 39-20 win and a Superbowl championship.

Game MVP: The MVP of the 21st Super Bowl was Giants quarterback Phil Simms. Simms completed 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns. His perfect passing in the second half included 10 complete passes in a row helped him and the Giants to win their first championship under coach Bill Parcels.

Half Time Show: The halftime show was presented by Disney and was a "Salute to Hollywood's 100th Anniversary" and featured Southern California area high school drill teams and dancers.

Commercials: The average cost for a 30 second commercial during the 21st Superbowl was $600,000. As usual there was a variety of commercials including several by McDonalds, Merryl Lynch, and Michelin. It also featured a movie preview for the new Stallone movie Over The Top.

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