Giants Quarterbacks in the '70s

The 1970s wasn't kind to the New York Giants football franchise and, accordingly, many of its starting quarterbacks found mixed results on the gridiron. Fran Tarkenton and Phil Simms bookended the decade, but only die-hard fans may remember the other starters who led this storied franchise into battle.

  1. Fran Tarkenton

    • NFL Hall of Fame inductee Fran Tarkenton started at quarterback for the Giants in 1970 and 1971, leading them to the 1970 playoffs and posting a 13-14 record for the team in the 1970s. Originally taken in the third round of the 1961 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings, Tarkenton was traded back to the Vikings after the 1971 season.

    Norm Snead

    • Norm Snead started his career as the Giants quarterback on the right foot, leading the team to an 8-5 record as a starter and leading the league by completing 60.3 percent of his passes. Over the next year and a half, Snead faltered, winning only two games and leading the NFL in interceptions in 1973.

    Craig Morton

    • Craig Morton took over for Snead halfway through the 1974 season and went 1-6 as the starter. Over the next two seasons his record was 7-19 and he never completed more than 54 percent of his passes in a season.

    Joe Pisarcik

    • Joe Pisarcik started at quarterback for the Giants in the 1977 and 1978 seasons, posting an 8-15 record. He also started four games in 1979, losing all four, before getting benched. For his Giants career, Pisarcik completed less than 45 percent of his passes and threw for 18 touchdowns and 43 interceptions.

    Phil Simms

    • Phil Simms, the Giants all-time leading passer, started 11 games as a rookie in 1979, going 6-5. While he didn't put up gaudy numbers, completing just 50 percent of his passes and throwing more interceptions than touchdowns, Simms would help lead the Giants back to respectability in the 1980s, finishing with a 95-64 record as a starting quarterback.