Seahawks Find Their Groove in Second Half and Take Down Giants 24–7
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Three thoughts from the Seahawks 24–7 win against the Giants.
1. The only thing people will be talking about after Seattle’s win is how Doug Baldwin shoved Tom Cable, the Seahawks’ assistant head coach/offensive line coach on the sideline in the second quarter. Based on CBS’s cameras, which captured the incident, it appeared as though Baldwin was yelling on the sideline in the direction of head coach Pete Carroll and QB Russell Wilson. At that point, the Seahawks offense was struggling mightily, entering halftime trailing 7–3.
But Baldwin came into the second half strong, scoring on a 22-yard pass in the third quarter to give the Seahawks their first lead of the game, and the team didn’t look back. Baldwin finished the game with nine catches for 92 yards and that one touchdown.
2. If you want evidence of how bad the Seahawks offense can look at times, look no further than this sequence of plays from the end of the first quarter into beginning of the second. The Seahawks ran nine plays from inside the 10-yard line, and came away with zero points:
• Short pass complete to Tyler Locket, no gain
• Pass incomplete to Jimmy Graham, New York called for roughing the passer
• Eddie Lacy rush for three yards
• Lacy stuffed for minus three yards
• Timeout, Seattle
• Incomplete pass to Paul Richardson, New York called for pass interference
• Short pass complete to Tre Madden for one yard
• Endzone jump ball to Jimmy Graham, incomplete
• Thomas Rawls rushes for one yard
• Graham drops touchdown pass
3. The Seahawks pulled away in the fourth quarter thanks in part to their defense. Jarran Reed sacked Eli Manning and forced a fumble, which Frank Clark fell on, and on the very next play, the Seahawks went for a jugular with a trick play. Wilson tossed the ball to the running back J.D. McKissic, who then lateraled the ball back across the field to Wilson, who launched a 38-yard pass down the field. Richardson and Landon Collins both leapt at the same, and though Richardson got his hands on the ball first, Collins was wrestling for it as they came down. The officials ruled that it was a simultaneous reception, and the tie went to the offense, and so the Seahawks jumped ahead 17–7.
The play was reminiscent of the controversial ‘Fail Mary’ play from a 2012 game between the Seahawks and the Packers, a call that was also ruled in Seattle’s favor. Had Collins made the play, the Giants might’ve had a chance to tie the game. Instead, their season is all but over, if it wasn’t already before.
