In a matchup between the 5-3 Seattle Seahawks and a reeling 3-5 Giants squad, the game was much closer than expected. The score was tied at 17-17 heading into the fourth quarter, and that's when the Seahawks exploded for 21 points to pull away for a 38-17 win.
Giants vs. Seahawks final score: 3 things we learned from a tough Seahawks win over the Giants, 38-17
In a game that was much tighter than the final score would indicate, the Seahawks kept pace among the NFC’s best with a big win over the New York Giants, 38-17.
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Seattle leaned heavily on its rushing attack this week, after facing some criticism for getting away from it earlier this season. Marshawn Lynch went full Beast Mode, rushing for 140 yards on 21 carries, and scoring four times. Russell Wilson added another 107 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown of his own with the Giants defense thoroughly confused by their ground game.
The Giants’ struggles were compounded by a pair of turnovers from Eli Manning. He fumbled the ball once and threw an interception. Seattle was able to turn Manning’s fourth-quarter pick into a touchdown, which gave them a lead they would not surrender.
Here’s what we learned in this one.
1.) Marshawn Lynch is the best running back in the NFL.
Here’s what happens if you try to tackle Marshawn Lynch:
In the best day rushing for a Seattle running back since Shaun Alexander played in front of the 12th Man, and in the best single-game rushing day in the NFL so far this season, Marshawn Lynch and Christine Michael simply ran over Jason Pierre-Paul and the Giants defensive line. They had absolutely no answer. The Giants allowed more yards on the ground than they had since 1978. They allowed Lynch to accrue four touchdowns and 140 yards on the ground. Even quarterback Russell Wilson got into the act, with more than 100 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Giants allowed more than 400 yards for the fourth straight game, and the Seahawks had their first game with more than 500 yards of offense since 2007. The Giants defense is broken, and it doesn't get easier: the Giants will welcome the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys over the next two weeks.
In contrast, the Seahawks' rush defense was stingy, especially against a Giants squad without a real running back threat. Rashad Jennings didn't travel with the team, so the bulk of the yards went to Andre Williams and Michael Cox. Neither had over 50 yards rushing, and Cox left the game in the 4th quarter with an ankle injury.
If the Seahawks can rely on their rushing attack and limit mistakes, they could make some major playoff noise. But the real test will be in two weeks, when they welcome the division-leading Arizona Cardinals to Seattle.
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2.) Odell Beckham, Jr. is the real deal.
Sure, the Seahawks’ secondary isn’t the terrifying hellbeast that it was in 2013, but they’re still sixth in pass defense -- and they’re still incredibly tough at home. But don’t tell that to rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., who had a fantastic day going up against cornerback Richard Sherman. He had two huge catches in the first half that led to a Giants touchdown:
Beckham, Jr. finished with 108 yards on the day in just his fifth NFL game. Sure, it was in a loss, but he’s clearly one of the standouts from the 2014 Draft.
3.) There were a lot of turnovers.
In a wet and slippery game in Seattle, both teams had trouble keeping a handle on the ball. The Seahawks had three turnovers, with two interceptions off of Russell Wilson and a fumble, and the Giants turned over the ball twice (a pick and a fumble by Eli Manning that resulted in this face). But it seemed like the ball spent a lot of time on the ground:
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