Giants at Seahawks: Preview and Prediction

Preseason NFL projections are kind of like Slip ‘N Slides; they’re fun to play with in August, but come October they’re basically useless. Sunday’s game between the 6-1 New York Giants and the 4-3 Seattle Seahawks is testimony of this. Before the season, both of these teams were thought to be NFC doormats. The Giants were coming off a four-win season and starting an assumed rebuild with a new general manager and coach. The Seahawks had just traded their longtime franchise quarterback Russell Wilson and appeared poised to take an intentional step back from playoff competition.

Now, nearly two months into the season, New York holds the second-best record in the NFL and Seattle holds first place in the NFC West. There are myriad reasons for why these teams have exceeded expectations, but the biggest factor for both has been improbably strong quarterback play. After a shaky first couple of weeks, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has consistently delivered clean, efficient, and clutch performances to spearhead multiple come-from-behind victories. Jones leads the league with five game-winning drives this season. He ranks sixth in ESPN’s QBR. He was also just named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for last Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has been an even greater surprise. After six seasons as strictly a backup, Smith finally got another chance to start once Wilson left Seattle via trade. At 32-years old, Smith is showing he probably should’ve been starting all along. He currently leads the NFL with a 73.5 completion percentage. He’s thrown 11 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions while averaging 8.0 yards per pass attempt. All things considered, he’s probably been the NFC’s best quarterback this season. Sunday’s game will not only be a matchup of improbably good teams, but improbably good quarterbacks, as well.

Jones and Smith have benefited from balanced offenses, too, as both New York and Seattle rank top-ten in rushing yards.

This will be Big Blue’s last game before their Week 9 bye, so a win here would be extra satisfying as that victorious feeling will last twice as long. Plus, a 7-1 record heading into the second half of the season would put the Giants in great postion to earn their first playoff berth since 2016.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Sunday’s game, followed by a prediction for the final score.

Where and When

Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington on Sunday at 4:25pm EST/1:25pm PST

Injuries (Players on Injured Reserve Not Listed)

New York: WR Kenny Golladay (Questionable), OT Tyre Phillips (Questionable), DL Leonard Williams (Questionable), OLB Oshane Ximines (Questionable), OG Ben Bredeson (Questionable), CB Jason Pinnock (Questionable), CB Cordale Flott (Questionable), OT Evan Neal (Questionable)

Seattle: DT Al Woods (Questionable), DK Metcalf (Questionable), OG Phil Haynes (Questionable), LB Nick Bellore (Questionable), DE Darrell Taylor (Questionable), WR Penny Hart (Questionable), S Ryan Neal (Questionable), DT Poona Ford (Questionable)

Most Concerning Matchup: CB Tariq Woolen vs. WR Darius Slayton

The futility of preseason projections applies to individual players as much as teams. Slayton was seen as a candidate to get cut throughout training camp, and was eventually forced to take a pay decrease to stay on Big Blue’s 53-man roster. Now, entering Week 8, Slayton has re-emerged as New York’s top outside receiver. He’s started the last two games, and is coming off a 58-yard, one-touchdown performance. With the Giants trading 2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney to the Kansas City Chiefs just yesterday, Slayton will have to keep and improve upon his prominence in the offense.

Slayton could have a surprisingly difficult matchup this week against Woolen, who’s making a strong case to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year. The fifth-round pick was seen as a raw, athletic project in the draft, but has played shockingly well early on. He already has four interceptions on the season, including one returned for a touchdown. Woolen’s early resume goes beyond ball production, too. He’s holding opposing quarterbacks to a 53.3 completion percentage and a 46.1 passer rating when targeted. His elite speed and length could prove troublesome for a downfield receiver like Slayton.

Most Promising Matchup: DT Dexter Lawrence vs. C Austin Blythe

A major theme for this Giants season has been young players finally realizing their potential. Jones, Saquon Barkley, Andrew Thomas, and Julian Love have all been good examples of this. But there’s been no better example than Lawrence, who has blossomed into a dominant force in his fourth year. He already has four sacks on the season and has been consistently disruptive as a nose tackle in coordinator Wink Martindale’s 3-4 defense.

Lawrence will have a tasty matchup this week against Blythe. The veteran center is in his first season with Seattle after being a reserve player in Kansas City last year. He’s earned a very poor 50.8 grade from Pro Football Focus this season, and his days of being a regular starter should probably be behind him. The Iowa product is undersized, so a 340-pound athlete like Lawrence could prove too much to handle. Along with fellow tackle Leonard WIlliams, Lawrence should be able to win the line of scrimmage for New York’s defense.

Keys to Victory

This is a rare game in which both teams’ strengths align with the other teams’ weaknesses. The Giants rank second in rushing yards per game; the Seahawks rank 29th in rushing yards allowed per game. The Seahawks rank 10th in rushing yards per game, the Giants rank 28th in rushing yards allowed per game. This game could come down to which team will better assert their identity as a ground-based attack.

With star receiver DK Metcalf likely sidelined in this one, the Giants can place top corner Adoree’ Jackson on Tyler Lockett and devout greater resources to stopping the run. Asking Smith to win through the air without other dangerous weapons may be the approach for the Giants’ defense.

Final Score Prediction: Seahawks 28 – Giants 24

The Giants haven’t ridden a wave of luck to their 6-1 record, but they’ve certainly been operating with some pretty slim margins. New York has enough ancillary factors going against them (i.e, a west coast road game in a difficult stadium against a surging opponent) that this could be the week that margin dissipates. This game is a coin flip, but we’ll hand the advantage to the home team with the en fuego quarterback.

– Ryan Cuneo is the Managing Editor of Full Press Giants. He covers the New York Giants. Like and follow on Follow @ryan_cuneo Follow @FullPressGiants and Facebook.