In 1986, the division winners in the AFC were New England in the East, Cleveland in the Central, and Denver in the West, with the Wild-Cards going to New York and Kansas City. In the NFC, it was New York in the East, Chicago in the Central, and San Francisco in the West, with the Wild-Cards going to Washington and Los Angeles. In the Wild-Card games, the Jets dominated the Chiefs 35-16 in the AFC, and the Redskins took care of the Rams 19-7. In the AFC Divisional Playoffs, the Browns would win a thriller over the Jets in two overtimes 23-20, while the Broncos would win a tight one in Denver, 22-17 over the Patriots. In the NFC, the Redskins would defeat the Bears 27-13, and the Giants would lower the boom on the 49ers 49-3. In the conference championship games, it is best remembered for "The Drive" in Cleveland and Denver sports lore when the Broncos drove 98 yards in 15 plays to tie the game with 37 seconds left in regulation and Denver kicker Rich Karlis kicked the game-winning 33-yard field goal 5:38 into overtime, as the Broncos
would prevail 23-20. In the NFC, the Giants would continue their domination by shutting out the Redskins 17-0, setting up the match-upfor Super Bowl XXI. The Giants defeated the Broncos by the score of 39–20, winning their first ever Super Bowl, and their first NFL title since 1956. The game was played on January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The game was tight in the first half, with the Broncos holding a 10–9 halftime lead, the narrowest margin in Super Bowl history. The only score in the second quarter, however, was Giants defensive end George Martin's sack of Elway in the end zone for a safety. This began New York's run of scoring 26 unanswered points through the third and fourth quarters. The Giants also posted a Super Bowl record 30 points in the second half, and limited the Broncos to only 2 net yards in the third quarter. Simms, who was named the Super Bowl MVP, finished the game with 22 of 25
passes completed for 268 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 25 rushing yards on 3 carries. His 22 out of 25 (88%) completion percentage not only broke a Super Bowl record, but also set an NFL postseason record that lasted for 21 years.