The Giants’ offense has produced rushing, passing and total yardage numbers unprecedented in franchise history under Kevin Gilbride, who is in his sixth full season as the team’s offensive coordinator.
In 2011, the Giants gained a franchise-record 6,161 yards in 2011, breaking the mark of 6,085 set in 2010. Those are the only 6,000-yard seasons in Giants history.
The Giants shattered another record with 4,734 net passing yards. The former mark of 4,019 was set in 2009. Those are the only 4,000-yard passing seasons in Giants history. The Giants were fifth in the NFL with 295.9 passing yards a game, their highest ranking since the 1984 team finished fifth. In 2011, the Giants had at least 200 passing yards in every game for the first time in their history. They set another franchise mark with 359 pass completions. The Giants led the NFL with 18 completions of 40 or more yards in 2011.
The Giants had 331 first downs for the second season in a row, which is the third-highest total in franchise history. They had 216 passing first downs, shattering the former team record of 198, set in 1984.
The Giants scored 47 touchdowns in the regular season, the sixth-highest total in team history.
In their four-game postseason run, which culminated in a 21-17 victory over New England in Super Bowl XLVI, the Giants averaged 25.5 points and 402.5 yards, higher figures than their regular season averages of 24.6 points and 385.1 yards.
The 2012 season is Gilbride’s 38th in coaching and 23rd in the National Football League. Gilbride, then the quarterbacks coach, assumed play-calling duties from former coordinator John Hufnagel prior to the 2006 regular season finale in Washington.
With Gilbride devising game plans and calling plays, the Giants’ offense has consistently been among the most productive in the NFL. The unit was ranked seventh, eighth, fifth and eighth, respectively, in the last four seasons, the first time it placed in the top eight in four consecutive seasons since 1967-70, when the team ranked, in order, third, fifth, sixth and fifth.
In 2010, the Giants gained 6,085 yards, the first 6,000-yard season in their history. The previous record was 5,884 yards in 1985. The Giants scored 48 touchdowns – every one of them by the offense - which was tied for the third-highest total in team history. They scored 57 touchdowns in 1963, 49 in 1962 and 1967 and 48 in 1985.
The Giants led the league by averaging 6.57 yards on first down. The team’s 62.9 completion percentage was a team record, besting the 62.4 percentage set in 2009. The Giants’ 3,885 net passing yards were the third-highest total in team history.
The Giants had 80 scrimmage plays of 20 or more yards (58 passes, 22 runs), tying them with the Philadelphia Eagles for the highest total in the NFL. Their 14 touchdown passes of 20-plus yards led the league.
Gilbride’s unit was also productive on the ground, where the Giants were one of only two teams with a pair of backs who rushed for more than 800 yards apiece in Ahmad Bradshaw (1,235 yards) and Brandon Jacobs (823). The only other team to have two 800-yard rushers was Kansas City, with Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones.
In 2009, the Giants scored 402 points after scoring 425 in 2008, the first time in franchise history they scored at least 400 points in consecutive seasons. The Giants gained 5,856 yards, then the second-highest total in franchise history. In addition, they set a team record with 4,019 net passing yards, the first 4,000-yard season in team history. The old record of 3,951 was set in 2002. The Giants had 62 pass plays of 20 or more yards, which left them tied for fifth in the NFL.
In 2008, three years before setting the passing yardage record, the Giants rushed for NFL-leading and franchise record numbers of 2,518 yards and 5.0 yards per carry. The previous records were 2,451 yards in 1985 and 4.7 yards an attempt in 2005 and 2006. The Giants rushed for 301 yards in an overtime victory over Carolina on Dec. 21, the fifth-highest total in team history and their highest total in 49 years.
That season, Jacobs rushed for 1,089 yards and Derrick Ward ran for 1,025 to become the fourth pair of backs from the same team – and the fifth set of teammates – to run for at least 1,000 yards in the same season.
Gilbride has worked closely with Eli Manning throughout the quarterback’s outstanding career. In the 2011 regular season, Manning set Giants records for pass attempts (589), completions (359) and yards (4,933). The yardage total was the fourth-highest in the NFL this season and the sixth-highest in league history. Manning is the only quarterback in Giants history with three 4,000-yard seasons.
Manning’s 29 touchdown passes were the second-highest total of his career (he had 31 in 2010) and his 16 interceptions were nine fewer than he threw the previous season. His passer rating of 92.9 was the second highest of his career (he had a 93.1 rating in 2009). Manning threw an NFL-record 15 fourth-quarter touchdown passes in 2011. The previous record of 14 was set by Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas in 1959 and tied by Peyton Manning (2002).
In the postseason, Manning completed 65 percent of his passes and threw for nine touchdowns and only one interception.
Manning has thrown for at least 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in seven consecutive seasons, the fifth-longest such streak in NFL history. Manning and New Orleans’ Drew Brees are the only quarterbacks to throw for at least 3,000 yards and at least 20 touchdown passes every season from 2005-11.
Gilbride designed the attack and called the plays when the Giants won four games in the 2007 and 2011 postseasons and won Super Bowls XLII and XLVI. The Giants are the first team to twice win four games in a single postseason.
Gilbride joined the Giants as the team’s quarterbacks coach on Jan. 26, 2004. He was reunited with Tom Coughlin, for whom he worked as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first offensive coordinator in 1995-96. Gilbride has also coordinated offenses for the Houston Oilers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills.
As quarterbacks coach, Gilbride was at the forefront of the development of Manning, the No. 1 selection in the 2004 NFL Draft. In 2005, under Gilbride’s guidance, Manning led the Giants to the NFC East title while throwing 557 passes, the third-highest total in the league and the second-highest total in team history. Manning’s 294 completions tied for ninth in the NFL and was then fourth on the Giants’ single-season list. His 3,762 yards were fifth in the NFL. Manning threw 24 touchdown passes, the most by a Giant since Fran Tarkenton had 29 in 1967.
In 2006, Gilbride’s last season as quarterbacks coach, Manning completed 301 passes to become just the second quarterback in franchise history to top 300 completions in a season. Manning threw 24 touchdown passes, matching his 2005 total and leaving him tied for fourth in the NFL. Manning became the first Giants quarterback to throw at least 20 touchdown passes in consecutive seasons since Phil Simms did it three years in a row from 1984-86.
Manning’s development under Gilbride became evident in the latter part of the quarterback’s rookie season. In the final three games of the year, Manning completed 53-of-87 passes (61 percent) for 527 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. In the season-ending victory over Dallas, Manning threw three touchdown passes and led a 66-yard drive in the final two minutes for the winning score.
Prior to joining the Giants, Gilbride spent two years as the Bills’ offensive coordinator. In his first season in Buffalo, the Bills set seven offensive team records, including most net passing yards (3,995). Quarterback Drew Bledsoe set 10 team records. That year, Buffalo had the fifth-best passing offense in the NFL and was 11th overall while averaging 23.7 points, 22.2 first downs, and 349.4 yards per game. That offense featured the franchise’s first 4,000-yard passer in Bledsoe, two 1,200-yard receivers (Eric Moulds and Peerless Price) and a 1,400-yard rusher (Travis Henry).
Gilbride entered the NFL as the quarterbacks coach of the Oilers in 1989. He was promoted to offensive coordinator from 1990-93 and then to assistant head coach/offense in 1994. Houston ranked first in the NFL in passing yards every season from 1990-93. The Oilers also topped the league in total offense in 1990 and were second in 1991, third in 1992 and second in 1993.
Gilbride’s first stint with Coughlin began in 1995, when Gilbride took over as the offensive coordinator of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars. The following year, the Jaguars led the NFL with 259.7 passing yards per game and were second in total offense with 360.2 yards per contest, a performance that helped Jacksonville advance to the AFC Championship Game in just its second year of existence.
After two years in Jacksonville, Gilbride was named the 10th head coach in San Diego Chargers history on Jan. 19, 1997 and posted a 6-16 record over the course of the 1997-98 seasons. He spent the 1999 and 2000 seasons as offensive coordinator with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2001, Gilbride was an analyst with ESPN.
Prior to joining the NFL, Gilbride spent two seasons (1985-86) in the Canadian Football League as an assistant with the Ottawa Rough Riders.
Gilbride began his career as the linebackers coach at Idaho State in 1974-75. He held the same position at Tufts University in 1976-77. Gilbride was the defensive coordinator at American International and the head coach at his alma mater, Southern Connecticut State University, from 1980-84. He compiled a 35-14-2 record and a .706 winning percentage that is the best in school history.
Gilbride was born in New Haven, Conn., and earned a degree in physical education from Southern Connecticut State, where he also played quarterback and tight end. He received his master’s in athletic administration from Idaho State. He and his wife, Deborah, have three children - daughters Kelly and Kristen and son, Kevin. Kelly is a 1998 graduate of Harvard University, Kristen graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1999. Kevin graduated from the University of Hawaii in 2003 and is currently the Giants’ wide receivers coach.
