It was like old times for the New York Giants, with Phil Simms leading a decisive touchdown drive and Lawrence Taylor clinching the game by forcing a fumble.
Simms' 1-yard touchdown pass to Jarrod Bunch with 1:07 to play - coming on the heels of a 25-yard pass interference penalty - led the Giants to a 26-20 victory Sunday over the Chicago Bears.It made Dan Reeves' coaching debut with the Giants a success and spoiled Dave Wannstedt's first game with the Bears.
Kevin Butler's 34-yard field with 3:07 to play gave the Bears a 20-19 lead before the Giants put on their winning drive.
Simms hit Mike Sherrard with a 38-yard pass to the Chicago 27 before Anthony Blaylock was called for pass interference against Mark Jackson.
"The final drive was great," said Simms, who completed 24 of 34 passes for 277 yards. "Nobody panicked. We were relaxed and the line was great when I needed protection."
"When it came down to crunch time, Phil made an awful lot of big plays," Reeves said. "The `Old-Timers' still have got it in them."
The Bears got the ball back with time for a drive, but Taylor slapped the ball out of quarterback Jim Harbaugh's hand and recovered the fumble. Taylor, coming back from a career-threatening Achilles tendon injury, had two sacks, two knockdowns and applied pressure throughout the game.
"I can't say it was spectacular," Taylor said of the fumble recovery. "I made a move on the tackle and Harbaugh just bobbled the ball."
The Giants, after trailing 17-9, rallied to take a 19-17 lead before the Bears launched their go-ahead drive on passes of 25 and 15 yards from Harbaugh to Tom Waddle.
The Bears took a 14-9 lead early in the third quarter when rookie Myron Baker blocked a Sean Landeta punt and returned it the final 5 yards for a touchdown.