Jordan Raanan and Brady Henderson Oct 2, 2023, 11:30pm ET6 minutes read
The Seahawks force a fumble, then Geno hits Metcalf for a TD
After the Seahawks recover a fumble, Geno Smith sends DK Metcalf in the end zone for a touchdown.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ. – The Seattle Seahawks defense shined as they defeated the New York Giants 24-3 at MetLife Stadium on Monday night. Giants QB Daniel Jones turned the ball over three times and was sacked 10 times.
All was not well for the Seahawks, as safety Jamal Adams was sidelined early in the first quarter after being evaluated for a concussion. It was his first game back since he tore a tendon in his left quadriceps in the opening game of last season.
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Seattle Seahawks
This season marks the 10th anniversary of the Seahawks team that won Super Bowl XLVIII in 2013, a feat that seems more than a decade ago given the suspect defense Seattle has been playing of late.
But on Monday night, in the same stadium where they won their only Lombardi Trophy, the Seahawks turned back the clock with a dominant defensive performance reminiscent of their 43-8 win over the Denver Broncos.
Eleven sacks. Three takeaways plus a pair of turnovers on downs. A defensive touchdown. Only one field goal is allowed.
Eat your heart out, Legion of Boom.
Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, the high-flying rookie cornerback whose aggressive style would have suited the LOB, helped turn a close game into a resounding win for Seattle with a 97-yard pick-six in the third quarter.
The Seahawks are 3-1 despite a lengthy injury list and appeared to avoid another serious injury when Geno Smith briefly left the game after suffering a knee injury. Teams typically don’t like byes in Week 5, but the Seahawks aren’t going to complain about that right now.
Buy on Breakthrough Performance: This was already apparent before his pick-six as Witherspoon’s breakthrough. He had a sack of Jones on a blitz and was credited with another sack on a reverse pass. His touchdown came at a crucial time, as the Giants were knocking on the door of a score that could have cut Seattle’s lead to three points. The Seahawks were second-string left to right after taking Witherspoon fifth overall in place of Jalen Carter, who would have filled their biggest need. But in addition to their concerns about Carter off the field, they also thought Witherspoon was the better player. Time will tell, of course, but Witherspoon’s immense talent is starting to shine after a slow start.
Promising trend: Eleven sacks is an extremely promising development for Seattle’s pass rush. It had been inconsistent in the first three games before exploding against the Giants. The 11 sacks tied a franchise record and more than doubled their total (five) before Monday night’s game. Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Witherspoon and Uchenna Nwosu each had two sacks. According to ESPN Stats & Information, this is the first time since 1987 that a team has had four players with multiple sacks in a game. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Seahawks have generated an NFL-high 46 pressures over the last two games. They had more than 20 pressures in both games, the first time in consecutive games since ESPN began tracking pressures in 2009.
QB breakdown: Smith hadn’t missed a snap in his first 21 games as the Seahawks’ starter until he suffered a knee injury during a tackle on the sideline in the second quarter. He returned to start the second half and went 13 of 20 for 110 yards and a touchdown. Drew Lock went 2-of-6 for 63 yards in relief, including tight end Noah Fant’s 51-yard catch-and-run that set up a Walker III touchdown.
Worrying trend: Adams’ highly anticipated return lasted nine games. He went down on the first possession after straining his knee on his helmet and was ruled out with a concussion. Adams can’t catch a break. Entering Monday night, he has missed 28 of a possible 53 regular-season games since Seattle acquired him in the blockbuster trade with the Jets in 2020. Also on Monday night, the Seahawks lost guards Damien Lewis (ankle) and Phil Haynes (calf). to injuries. Nose tackle Jarran Reed (shin) is also gone. –Brady Henderson
Next game: at the Cincinnati Bengals (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, October 15)
AP Photo/Adam Hunger
New York Giants
The Giants offense is a mess. Jones has returned to his old turnover form. The result is that the Giants’ season is quickly over with just four ugly games left in the season. Jones lost a fumble and threw two interceptions – one of which was returned 97 yards for a touchdown when the game was still within reach. Not that he received much help. The offensive line was a disaster, allowing 11 sacks. The Giants’ special teams called six penalties. That was bad. As the season comes to a close, the Giants have something to do on deck with away games at Miami and Buffalo. Things could get worse before they get better.
QB breakdown: Jones completed 27 of 34 passes for 203 yards and 2 interceptions. This is not the quarterback everyone saw in the first season under coach Brian Daboll last season. Sure, Jones is under constant pressure, but he’s not playing well either. Both can be true. The three turnovers were all due to Jones. He has now played six to four games this season. Did the Giants make a mistake giving Jones that $160 million deal? This was the third time in four games that he played poorly. New York needs a lot more or this season will spiral out of control.
Worrying trend: The Giants were outscored 77-9 in the first half of games this season. To say they struggled in the first half would be an understatement. The Giants have yet to score a first-half touchdown in four games. They only made field goals of 44, 55 and 57 yards. Their margin of minus-68 points in the first half is the fourth-worst for a team in four games in the Super Bowl era. This after the Giants talked all week about finding ways to start faster. It didn’t work again.
Stunning NFL Next Gen Stats: The Seahawks finished Fants expected 19.8 yards after the catch just short. That’s what Fant expected after his 51-yard catch left him 15.34 yards from the nearest defender late in the second quarter. But thanks to missed tackles on the sideline by inside linebacker Bobby Okereke and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, Fant got a lot more. Fant gained 46 yards after the catch on the play and was eventually thrown to the ground at the 1-yard line. Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III scored on the very next play. The Giants’ poor tackling troubled them again. – Jordan Raanan
Next game: at Miami Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)