The 1996 New York Giants season was the franchise's 72nd season in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth and final under head coach Dan Reeves. The team was looking to improve on its 5-11 finish from the year before. In the 1996 NFL draft, the Giants selected defensive end Cedric Jones with the fifth overall pick. The Giants' first game of the season was at home against the Buffalo Bills, and resulted in a 23–20 loss in overtime. After being shut out by the Dallas Cowboys, New York fell to 0–3 with a 31–10 defeat to the Washington Redskins. Against the New York Jets, the Giants earned their first victory of the season; a 15–10 win over the Minnesota Vikings left them with a 2–3 record heading into their bye week. The team then lost four of its next six games. After defeating the Cowboys, the Giants' record entering December stood at 5–7. They ended the season by losing three of their last four games. With a 6–10 record, the Giants finished in last place in the National Football Conference East Division. After the season, the Giants fired Reeves and hired Jim Fassel as his replacement. Quarterback Dave Brown started all 16 games for the Giants in 1996, throwing for 12 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. New York's leading running back was Rodney Hampton, who had 254 carries for 827 yards. Wide receivers Chris Calloway and Thomas Lewis led the Giants with four touchdowns and 53 receptions each; Calloway had a team-high 739 receiving yards. Defensively, Chad Bratzke and Michael Strahan had the most sacks among Giants players with five apiece, while Jason Sehorn had five interceptions to lead the team.

Offseason

NFL draft

Personnel

Staff

Roster

Preseason

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys

Week 3: vs. Washington Redskins

Week 4: at New York Jets

Both New York teams were seeking to rebound from 0–3 starts to the season. The Jets got on the scoreboard first with Nick Lowery kicking a 46-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Giants responded with Chris Calloway catching a 17-yard touchdown pass from Dave Brown. In the third quarter, the Jets cut the Giants' lead to one point thanks to a 39-yard field goal, once again coming from Lowery. The Giants increased the lead in the fourth quarter thanks to two 20-yard field goals from Brad Daluiso, helping them secure their first win of the season by a score of 13–6.

Week 5: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week 7: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 8: at Washington Redskins

Week 9: at Detroit Lions

Week 10: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 11: at Carolina Panthers

Week 12: at Arizona Cardinals

Week 13: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 14: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 15: at Miami Dolphins

Week 16: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 17: vs. New England Patriots

Standings