1. Inoffensive
Like most 1-3 teams, the Seahawks have holes everywhere and seem vastly inferior on paper. And like most struggling teams, Seattle lacks offensive firepower to keep up with the elite teams. So, it’s up to Eli Manning and Co. to jump on the Seahawks early and not let up. Problem is, the Giants have started every game fast, but then seem to lose interest halfway through, making for exciting — if unnecessary — comebacks. Should Big Blue again start fast as they have all season, they should continue to pour it on and not have to rely upon late-game heroics for the third-straight game.
2. Bound to run
The Giants’ running game has sputtered some this year. Ahmad Bradshaw is averaging only 57 yards per game, while Brandon Jacobs is at a paltry 29 yards per game. Look for them to try and get it kick-started Sunday. That’s a tall task though, as Seattle is only allowing 3.2 yards per carry and have a defensive front four that averages 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds. As well as Manning has been playing, the Giants don’t want to be one-dimensional and force the passing game to do all the work.
3. On the (defensive) line
As recently as two weeks ago, the Giants were one of the premiere run defenses — ranking third in the NFL. But back-to-back weeks of being gashed by the likes of LeSean McCoy (128 yards) and Beanie Wells (138 yards) have seen Big Blue’s per-game average rise to 117 yards allowed per game. A lot of that has been due to New York’s penchant of playing a lot more nickel defense (five defensive backs) than their usual 4-3 base defense. That also means there’s one less linebacker on the field (strongside linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka is usually the odd-man out), which means there’s more room to operate. How well Seattle takes advantage of that with their two-headed rotation of Marshawn Lynch and Leon Washington will go a long way in deciding if the Seahawks can keep pace.
Follow Giants beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.
