Growing up will be a major theme for the Seattle Seahawks. As the team transitions further away from the Russell Wilson era, the Seahawks have brought a lot of new faces on board. Seattle has the most rookies on its roster of any NFL team.

What having such a youth infusion does is bring big potential. It also brings the potential for a large learning curve. After a disappointing season-opening performance, the Seahawks have been on the upswing. Seattle has won two straight.

Now, the Seahawks have another good opportunity to win against the befuddled New York Giants. The Giants were a nice turnaround story last season. New York was able to surprise many by earning a Wild Card spot and upsetting the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs.

But this season hasn’t seen the momentum carry forward. The Giants have played a tough schedule out of the gate and were tripped up by the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. New York hopes beating Seattle can turn the tide.

 

Seahawks Turn Series Around

 

Playing the Giants, either at home or on the road, used to be something Seattle would dread. The Seahawks and Giants played seven times between 1976 and 1999. New York won five of those seven matchups. Recent history has seen the series tilt in the other direction.

Seattle has won five of the past six meetings to even the series at 10 wins apiece. The Seahawks beat the Giants in their meeting last season. The Giants are 1-point home favorites in a game looked at as a coin toss.

 

Pound the Rock

Seattle likely wasn’t expecting such an intense battle from the Carolina Panthers last week. The Panthers were missing several starters on defense and their star quarterback. Still, Carolina continued to make life difficult for Seattle.

The Seahawks’ offense turned to second-year running back Kenneth Walker to provide them with life. Walker was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after accruing 156 yards of total offense for Seattle. He was nearly as effective through the air, catching three passes for 59 yards, as he was on the ground, rushing for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

It was an important moment for the entire offense, which had produced lackluster results on the ground the week before. Walke only averaged 2.53 yards per carry in Seattle’s overtime win over Detroit.

 

Saquon’s Status Still Uncertain

 

The New York Giants offense hasn’t been good this season. Even when Saquon Barkley was healthy in the season opener, the Giants have had a hard time moving the football. While the Giants would have preferred to have their star running back against the 49ers last week, they erred on the side of caution by resting him.

Barkley is still day-to-day for the game against Seattle with a high-ankle sprain he suffered in New York’s Week 2 win over Arizona. Without Barkley, New York’s already middling running game got significantly worse. Matt Breida led the team with a team-high 17 yards on four carries.

 

Seattle Defense Will Get A Boost

 

The Seahawks made waves in 2020 when they acquired safety Jamal Adams from the Jets. Adams was a perfect fit for Seattle’s defensive thinking, as they used him like a hybrid safety/linebacker to help diversify their pass rush. But after a triceps tear to open 2022, Adams hasn’t played a snap.

That streak will end against the Giants. Adams’ return to the lineup is something Seattle coach Pete Carroll hopes will stabilize a secondary that has been tormented this season. Adams set a record for the most sacks by a safety in 2020 when he recorded 9.5. 

Staying healthy will be Adams’ key concern. He has only been available for 25 of Seattle’s 53 games since he came over in a trade, according to recent sports updates. Getting Adams back into the lineup will provide another jolt of energy for the Seahawks.

 

Giants’ Defense is Too Kind

 

Opponents don’t have to fear the New York Giants’ defense being too disruptive to their plans. There isn’t much the Giants have done this season to be much of a nuisance to the opposing team. New York hasn’t forced a turnover during its first three games.

While not creating extra possession for the offensive isn’t ideal, the Giants could have made up for that by making it hard to move the ball. New York hasn’t done that either. The Giants have the fourth-worst run defense in the league and are fifth-worst team in the league in stopping teams on third downs.

 

Smith’s Decision-Making Has Allowed Him to Flourish

 

Seattle quarterback Geno Smith is working on showing that his strong showing last year was no mistake. Smith has completed 68.9 percent of his passes this season. Against Carolina last week, Black sports news shows Smith was able to put up 296 passing yards with a touchdown to help Seattle pick up a win.

While Smith may never lead Seattle to a Super Bowl, the Seahawks seem to have been smart to move on from former star quarterback Russell Wilson when they did. Wilson has struggled to find success in Denver and may never be the same player he was.

 

New York Offensive Line Struggling to Keep Up

The Giants will be happy to get two offensive linemen back in the fold. Andrew Thomas and Ben Bredeson are both coming back into the lineup for New York. The Giants will be happy to have them both back, as Shane Lemieux struggled while making a start at left guard last week.

John Michael Schmitz, Marcus McKethan, and Evan Neal will also make the start for New York. The Giants have already shuffled the offensive line around a lot this season. New York tried to start Mark Glowinski in Week 1, but he struggled against Dallas and ended up getting benched. 

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