6 takeaways from Seattle’s 24-3 win over Giants
The Seattle Seahawks bullied the New York Giants to the tune of 24-3 in their own building. Once again, the Seahawks are leaving MetLife Stadium – the site of their Super Bowl XLVIII victory – winners. The Giants made it into Seattle territory only three times, managing to score one measly field goal for their efforts.
As for the Seahawks, it wasn’t necessarily a clean game from start to finish, but they managed to walk away with a much-needed victory. Seattle remains ahead of the Los Angeles Rams in the standings, and keep pace with the undefeated San Francisco 49ers.
For such a dominant win, there’s plenty to takeaway for the Seahawks.
Devon Witherspoon is HIM
During his first two games, rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon made it look like the Seahawks made a great choice at No. 5 overall in the 2023 NFL draft. But on Monday night, Witherspoon made the case Seattle hit a home run with the pick. In front of a prime time audience (in New York, no less) Witherspoon might have cemented his Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Witherspoon was a force of nature. He recorded seven total tackles, sacked Daniel Jones twice, hit him a third time, and returned a 97-yard interception all the way back to the game-sealing score to go up 21-3. Witherspoon might be single handily putting the BOOM back into the Seahawks secondary.
Seahawks pass rush was a terror
Each week, the Seahawks defense continues to improve, especially the pass rush. In Weeks 1 and 2, Seattle hardly made opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable. Life was shown against the Panthers in Week 3, but on Monday night they were committing outright assault on Daniel Jones.
The Seahawks brought Jones down with eleven sacks, which set a record for Monday Night Football. Four Seattle defenders recorded two sacks each.
I know the Giants defensive line is a mess, but bad offensive lines doesn’t always guarantee a strong performance from the Seahawks pass rush. But under the lights of prime time, they put forth their best performance in years.
Injuries continue to mount
It’s only Week 4 and the injury bug hasn’t just bitten Seattle, its sunk its teeth in the Seahawks. In his first game since Week 1 last year – 385 days ago – Jamal Adams couldn’t even last one quarter, as he suffered an unfortunate concussion when Daniel Jones’ knee hit his head.
Geno Smith missed time in the second quarter, but was able to return. Unfortunately, Phil Haynes was ruled out, Damien Lewis was carted off with an ankle injury, and Jarran Reed left the game as well. We will update when we get more information on these players, but the Seahawks are quite literally limping into their Week 5 bye.
Third down is an issue... still
Third down is becoming a considerable Achilles Heel for the Seahawks offense. Once more, Seattle struggled to extend drives once they were faced with third down. On Monday, the Seahawks were a mere 3-for-12 on third down, and a shocking 0-2 on fourth down. Granted, the second came when the contest was already decided.
Seattle is going to have to emphasize fixing this issue during their bye week. In between ice bath sessions, of course.
Offensive line remains stout
Despite the mounting injuries – especially along the offensive line – Seattle’s front men continue to perform well. This unit has been battered relentlessly, but the makeshift Seahawks offensive line kept quarterbacks Geno Smith and Drew Lock mostly clean, only allowing two sacks – both coming from Kayvon Thibodeaux, the No. 5 overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft.
They also paved the way for 121 Seahawks rushing yards on 23 total carries, and a rushing touchdown. Incredible depth, coaching, and game planning to put this line in the best possible situations.
Drew Lock handles business in limited action
The Seahawks traded for Drew Lock in 2022 and brought him back as a free agent in the 2023 offseason. This team has faith in the former Denver Bronco, and we got to see a tantalizing flash of why they do. Lock finished only 2-for-6 passing for 63 yards, but did connect with Noah Fant for a 51-yard pass, avoiding pressure, which did lead to a 1-yard touchdown run.
Geno Smith is unquestionably the No. 1 quarterback and gives Seattle their best chance to win. But it looks like they have a legitimate backup with Lock should he need to come in a pinch.
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