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Week 5 Game Recap: Seattle Seahawks 6, New York Giants 44
What you need to know
| Seattle Seahawks |
Matt Hasselbeck struggled to the tune of 105 yards and an interception, while only completing 11 of his 21 attempts. The Giants pass rush was predictably in Hasselbeck's face all day, forcing a bad looking interception, and numerous other inaccurate throws. Though his top two targets both returned for this game, he had little time to look downfield.
Bobby Engram picked up where he left off last season, catching eight passes for 61 yards on 12 targets. The chemistry he and Matt Hasselbeck have is undeniable, and with the passing game looking short more often than not, Engram was generally the key target. Deion Branch also started, but left in the second quarter with what's being reported as a heel injury.
Though the Seahawks got down big early, they were still able to get Julius Jones 17 carries that he took for 61 yards. With Maurice Morris inactive for this game, Jones was the primary ball carrier again, but his longest run on the day was eight yards.
| New York Giants |
As a team, the Giants rushed for 254 yards on 36 carries, cutting through the Seahawks defense in a dominant performance. Brandon Jacobs led the way with 136 yards rushing and two touchdowns on only 15 carries, and his physical upright style got him into the defensive secondary for long gains of 44 and 38. The Giants offensive line did a great job opening up big holes for all three of their running backs.
Eli Manning started the game seven for seven, and finished with 267 yards and two touchdowns while completing 76 percent of his 25 attempts. Even without his top target, Manning looked composed in finding eight different receivers on the day. The running game opened up the pass, as Eli completed four balls for over 20 yards in the first quarter. Otherwise he did a good job taking what the defense gave him, and deferring to the running game.
Starting for suspended Plaxico Burress, Domenik Hixon caught four passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half. Though the Giants had the game in hand early and went away from the pass later, Hixon was a big part of the passing game while the Giants were still throwing the ball. He was also used on an end-around that went for 15 yards. He caught all of his targets, and seemed to replace Burress in the deep passing game.
What you ought to know
| QB Matt Hasselbeck, Pass: 11 - 21 - 105 - 0 TD / 1 INT |
Though his top two receiving options both returned for this game, it wasn't nearly enough to offset the fierce Giants pass rush. Hasselbeck didn't have a lot of time to look downfield, instead preferring short passes over the middle to Bobby Engram for much of the game. He finished the day completing just over 50 percent of his 21 attempts, for 105 yards, while throwing an ugly interception into double coverage. On Seattle's first drive he was tackled and stayed down for a few minutes with what appeared to be a knee injury, but he returned to the game their next possession.
| QB Seneca Wallace, Pass: 3 - 6 - 20 - 0 TD / 0 INT |
With the Giants blowing them out, Seneca Wallace entered the game late in the third quarter. He completed half of his six attempts for 20 yards, as the Seahawks seemed content just ending the game with short passes and runs up the middle.
| RB Julius Jones, Rush: 17 - 61 - 0, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (1 targets) |
Julius Jones started the game, and carried the ball 17 times for 61 yards. He looked somewhat tentative to take the ball up the middle, instead preferring to kick it outside on many plays. He did not show a lot of big play ability, as the Giants held him to a long of eight yards. Even with Maurice Morris out, it was telling that T.J. Duckett was not a part of the gameplan before the very end. Jones caught his only target for 13 yards.
| RB T.J. Duckett, Rush: 4 - 14 - 0 |
Duckett did not see his first carry until the fourth quarter, where he had four for 14 yards. Even with Maurice Morris inactive for this game, Duckett was not a part of the gameplan. Although the Seahawks never got close enough to the goal line, to see if he would have got the carries there.
| RB Maurice Morris |
Morris was inactive with a knee injury.
| WR Bobby Engram, Rec: 8 - 61 - 0 (12 targets) |
Returning to the lineup, Engram was the Seahawks passing game once Deion Branch went down with an injury. He garnered 12 targets and eight receptions for 61 yards. With the Giants pass rush giving Matt Hasselbeck problems, he seemed content looking to Engram over the middle on short routes for much of the game. In three receiver sets, Engram played the slot as usual. He didn't appear affected by his shoulder injury
| WR Deion Branch, Rec: 3 - 31 - 0 (6 targets) |
Making his first start since going down with a knee injury last season, Branch came out looking good bringing in Matt Hasselbeck's first pass of the game for 17 yards. He was targeted deep once where Hasselbeck put it right on his hands in the endzone, but Branch couldn't come down with it. He left in the second quarter though with what has been reported as a heel injury. To that point he had caught three of his six targets for 31 yards. He did not return to the game.
| WR Keary Colbert, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (4 targets) |
Colbert saw more action once Deion Branch left the game, but was only able to haul in one of his four targets for ten yards.
| WR Billy McMullen (4 targets) |
McMullen played in three receiver sets to start the game, and was targeted four times, twice on third downs. He did not catch a pass.
| TE John Carlson |
It appeared as though Carlson was used more in the blocking game with the Giants pass rush causing problems. He was at times able to get out and run routes, but he did not attract Matt Hasselbeck's attention for any targets. It's likely no coincidence with Bobby Engram making his return to the team.
| PK Olindo Mare 2 - 2 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 6 points |
Mare hit both of his field goals, the longest being from 30 yards out.
| SEA Rush Defense |
In a word, pathetic. The Giants ran all over the Seahawks to the tune of 254 yards on 36 carries; an average of 7.1 yards per carry. The Giants offensive line pushed around Seattle's front seven, opening up big holes for all of New York's running backs. Brandon Jacobs had carries of 44 and 37, both of which he went nearly untouched on. Derrick Ward had one for 21 yards, and Ahmad Bradshaw another for 32. They simply gave up too many big plays, even allowing a 15 yard end around to Domenik Hixon in the first quarter.
| SEA Pass Defense |
The Giants didn't have a lot of trouble passing either, although much of the yardage was setup by the run on play actions. Still, even without Plaxico Burress, Eli Manning was able to find his receivers down the field on numerous occasions in the first half. He completed 76 percent of his passes, and though their run defense was mainly to blame, Seattle's pass defense didn't do them any favors either. Overall this was a terrible performance by Seattle, especially when you consider Burress wasn't available.
| QB Eli Manning, Pass: 19 - 25 - 267 - 2 TD / 0 INT |
Manning completed 19 of 25 passes for 267 yards, and two touchdowns. His first touchdown came on a nicely thrown deep ball down the left side that found Domenik Hixon a few steps behind his defender for a 32 yard play. He ended the first half having completed seven of seven passes, four of which went longer than 20 yards. After that the offense tightened up only taking what the defense gave them, and ran the ball right through the Seattle defense.
| QB David Carr, Pass: 1 - 1 - 5 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 |
Carr entered the game in mop up duty, and orchestrated a touchdown scoring drive that was mainly setup by Ahmad Bradshaw's running, and a defensive pass interference call on a deep Mario Manningham pass. His only completion on the game was a five yard touchdown to Sinorice Moss.
| RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 15 - 136 - 2, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) |
Brandon Jacobs set the tone early in the game, breaking his second carry for 44 yards down the left side. Later in the third quarter he broke another one for 38 yards where he went untouched up the middle. He finished the game with 136 yards on only 15 carries, and two short touchdowns. His brute physicality overmatched the Seahawk front seven on numerous occasions. He caught his only target for nine yards on a play where he broke a number of tackles after a short grab.
| RB Ahmad Bradshaw, Rush: 11 - 65 - 0 |
Ahmad Bradshaw didn't enter the game until it was well in hand, mid way through the fourth quarter. He did manage to carry the ball 11 times for 65 yards, showing great elusiveness and enough power to make him difficult to take down. In a close game though, you get the feeling that Jacobs and Ward are the primary options, with Bradshaw being used more on special teams.
| RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 7 - 40 - 0, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (2 targets) |
Ward entered the game late in the first quarter, and seems to be rotated in for Brandon Jacobs on about every third drive. He broke one up the middle for 21 yards through a big hole, and finished with 40 yards on seven carries. Had the game not been over early, he likely would have gotten much of the playing time that went to Ahmad Bradshaw. He caught both of his targets for ten yards.
| WR Domenik Hixon, Rush: 1 - 15 - 0, Rec: 4 - 102 - 1 (4 targets) |
Hixon started for the suspended Plaxico Burress, and made a splash early catching two deep passes in the first quarter, one of which went for a 32 yard touchdown. He finished the first half with 102 yards and hauled in all of his four targets. The Giants went away from the pass in the second half, and they rotated in more backup receivers, so he didn't have any catches after that.
| WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 4 - 64 - 0 (5 targets) |
Amani Toomer made a couple of big plays in the first quarter; receptions of 22 and 29, both setting up touchdowns. He finished the day with four receptions and 64 yards, and was targeted once in the endzone, on an overthrow by Eli Manning.
| WR Sinorice Moss, Rec: 4 - 45 - 2 (6 targets) |
Sinorice Moss saw his first extended action of the year, and capitalized on it bringing in two touchdowns. One was on a 23 yard play over the middle where Eli Manning found him wide open between the safeties. His second score came off David Carr's only completion of the game, it was for five yards. He finished the game catching four of his six targets, for 45 yards.
| WR Steve Smith, Rec: 2 - 27 - 0 (3 targets) |
Steve Smith played in the slot on three receiver sets, and caught two of his three targets for 27 yards. The Giants did not pass much in the second half, instead preferring to stick with the run.
| WR Mario Manningham, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) |
Manningham finally made the game day roster, and came off the bench to catch his first NFL pass for six yards. On his biggest play of the day he was targeted deep down the right sideline by David Carr for a 35 yard gain, but he was ruled out of bounds. He did draw a defensive pass interference penalty though, that lead to a Giants touchdown.
| WR Plaxico Burress |
Plaxico Burress was suspended for the Giants week five game by the team.
| TE Kevin Boss, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (3 targets) |
Kevin Boss made his largest contribution in blocking for a dominant running game. He was not seen running many routes, though he did get targeted three times. He caught two of them for nine yards.
| PK John Carney 3 - 3 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 14 points |
Carney made good on all three of his field goals, the longest being from 35. He also converted all of his five converts.
| NYG Rush Defense |
The Giants allowed 74 yards on 22 carries for an average of 3.4 per carry. Julius Jones seemed quick to bounce it outside as there wasn't a lot of room up the middle. Even then, the longest gain they gave up on the day was eight, so they did a great job of containing Seattle's running game.
| NYG Pass Defense |
The Giants pass rush is still one of the strengths of the team, even after losing their two starting defensive ends from last season. Though they only sacked Matt Hasselbeck twice, he was constantly pressured throughout the game. Justin Tuck has turned into a premier pass rushing talent, and forced Matt Hasselbeck into throwing an interception in the third quarter. This unit will make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks all season.
