Seahawks At Giants

[News Bot]

When: Sunday, 10 a.m. PDT, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Records: Seahawks 1-3; Giants 3-1
TV: KCPQ/13, with Thom Brenneman, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Radio: 710 ESPN and 97.3 FM, with Steve Raible, Warren Moon and Jen Mueller
The rest of the West: 49ers (3-1) vs. Tampa Bay; Cardinals (1-3) at Minnesota; Rams (0-4), bye
Matchup microscope
Seahawks DEs Chris Clemons and Raheem Brock vs. Giants QB Eli Manning: This is actually the Seahawks’ entire defense vs. Manning, who is on a roll with a 105.6 passer rating and eight TD passes compared to two interceptions. In his past two games against the Seahawks, Manning has been even better – with a 130.5 rating while completing 40 of 57 passes for 557 yards with five TDs and no interceptions. The best way to disrupt the Giants’ 13th-ranked passing game is to disrupt Manning. That, of course, starts with Clemons and Brock being able to pressure the Giants’ QB off the edges. Neither had a sack last week, and that needs to change this week.
One to watch
Seahawks CB Brandon Browner vs. Giants WR Hakeem Nicks: In his first four NFL games, Browner has matched up against the 49ers’ Michael Crabtree, the Steelers’ Mike Wallace, the Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald and the Falcons’ Julio Jones. As coach Pete Carroll put it last week, “Every week it’s monster players.” This week, it’s Nicks, who caught 10 passes for 162 yards in the Giants’ come-from-behind win at Arizona last week. Nicks leads the Giants with 24 receptions, and 14 of his catches have produced first downs. The Giants will move Nicks around, flanking or splitting him to either side and also lining him up in the slot. But when matched against Nick, Browner needs to win those matchups.
Fun to watch
The Seahawks run defense vs. Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw and maybe Brandon Jacobs: The 264-pound Jacobs has averaged 8.3 yards in his previous matchups against the Seahawks, including a 136-yard, two-TD performance the last time the teams met on this site – Oct. 5, 2008. But he’s listed as doubtful with a knee injury and this Seahawks’ run defense is not that Seahawks’ run defense. In fact, only three players remain from that unit that gave up 254 rushing yards to the Giants: DT Brandon Mebane, LB Leroy Hill and CB Marcus Trufant. This season, the Seahawks’ run defense ranks 14th in the league and has yet to yield a 100-yard rusher. Bradshaw is the Giants’ leading rusher. He’s not as big as Jacobs, but is just as tough to bring down.
One tough task
Seahawks LT Russell Okung vs. Giants DE Osi Umenyiora: Seahawks QB Tarvaris Jackson has not been sacked in the past six quarters, after being sacked 14 times in the first 2½ games. Umenyiora returned last week after sitting out the first three games with a knee injury, and he had two sacks and a forced fumble. The Seahawks’ passing game is visibly – and statistically – better when the line keeps Jackson “clean,” but Okung will have his hands full in trying to get that done on Sunday.
Worth noting
The Giants are 6-1 against the Seahawks in the Meadowlands, but this will be the first time the Seahawks have played at the new stadium that opened last season. … The Giants have outscored their opponents 36-14 in the fourth quarter, a plus-22 margin that ranks third in the league behind the Lions (plus-51) and Falcons (plus-22). … The Seahawks have been outscored 53-10 in the second quarter and 67-13 in the first half. … FS Earl Thomas leads the Seahawks with 26 tackles, while FS Antrel Rolle leads the Giants with 29. … Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul has 4½ sacks to rank fourth in the league; and the Giants have 12, which ties for the third-highest total in the league. … The Giants are plus-4 in turnover ratio, the Seahawks minus-4. … The Giants and Seahawks rank 1-3 in the NFC in scoring percentage in the red zone. The Giants are at .900 (10 possessions, eight TDs, one field goal); the Seahawks at .875 (eight possessions, five TDs, two field goals). … They also rank 1-2 in the conference in average gain allowed on first downs. The Seahawks are at 4.32 yards; the Giants 4.89.

Source: Seahawks.com