Just one week ago, fans and analysts alike had written the New York Giants off against the Seattle Seahawks in week 13.
However, nobody expected the Giants to dominate Seattle away, securing a 17-12 victory with backup quarterback Colt McCoy Under Center. McCoy finished the contest with 105 yards and a touchdown, but it was the defense that stepped up and played lights out to stifle one of the best offenses in the NFL.
Five takeaways in the New York Giants’ big win over Seattle:
1.) The running game was stellar
The Seattle Seahawks had the third-best run defense in the NFL regarding yards per game entering Week 13. They only allowed 89.3 yards per contest before the Giants trampled them for 190 yards on the ground, including 135 yards from backup running back Wayne Gallman.
On 16 carries, Gallman averaged 8.4 yards per carry and had a long of 60 yards. In fact, he was a major reason the Giants managed to secure the win, as Seattle couldn’t keep up with his straight-line ability and the dominance from the offensive line in the trenches.
The Giants have now rushed for 140+ yards in four straight games, establishing themselves as one of the best running offenses in the NFL.
2.) Leonard Williams is a MAN
When they needed him most, New York Giants’ interior defender Leonard Williams stepped up to the plate. He finished the contest with three total tackles, 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits. Going into the contest, he had 6.0 sacks on the season, needing just one more to tie his personal best of seven. Well, he smashed his record and now has 8.5 sacks on a year and a new personal best.
With Williams in a contract year, he possibly played the best game of his life against Seattle. Credit where it is due, good job Dave Gettleman.
3.) Colt McCoy didn’t lose the game for the Giants
In a contest where the New York Giants were supposed to lose without quarterback Daniel Jones, backup Colt McCoy stepped to the plate. While he didn’t have the most mesmerizing performance, he didn’t beat the Giants either.
Often times, backups will throw interceptions and turn the ball over, but McCoy showed solid awareness in the pocket and tucked the ball when defenders came too close. He finished with a 32.3 QBR and 67.4 quarterback rating, but overall, he did just enough to lead the Giants down the field and put 17 points on the board, thanks to a dominant run game.
4.) Patrick Graham is a GOD
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham displayed pure genius against Seattle. He managed to extract value from rookies like Carter Coughlin, Nicks Lalos, Tae Crowder, Darnay Holmes, and Cam Brown.
Everybody contributed on defense in this win, as Graham managed to scheme pressure on nearly every play against Russell Wilson.
Utilizing a quarterback spy, Wilson was unable to pick up yards on the ground, and the secondary did a phenomenal job holding him to 263 yards and one touchdown. With Seattle’s offense averaging over 30 points per game, the Giants’ defense showed that they deserve to be a top 10 if not top 5 unit in the NFL. Thanks to Graham, the Giants have revitalized a unit that was a complete mess in 2019.
5.) Wayne Gallman needs to start
As stated before, running back, Wayne Gallman had a phenomenal performance, totaling 135 yards on the ground.
While he didn’t record a touchdown after securing scores in five consecutive games, he allowed Alfred Morris to poach two. Nonetheless, Gallman was a massive reason the Giants escaped with a win against Seattle, despite a last-minute push that resulted in an incompletion on 4th-and-18.