Gameday grades: Week 7 Seahawks vs Giants
By Andy Larkin
The Seahawks improved to 4-2 on the season with a win over the hapless Giants at Met Life Stadium on Sunday.
The final score was 24-7, but to understand the full story we’ll need to look at this week’s grade book.
Defensive Line: (B+)
Seattle’s defensive line was pretty solid again this week. Though they were only able to sack Eli Manning just once, they got six hits on the QB and forced a fumble. Let’s face it, the Giants offense isn’t much of a threat these days given what they’ve lost to injury. Even so the defense was sound and it starts with the guys up front.
Aside from getting some hits on Manning, the d-line also anchored down the Giants ground game, surrendering just 46 yards rushing.
Jarran Reed deserves some praise for his seven tackles.
Linebackers: (A)
I’ve got to give KJ Wright some love here. He made his presence felt with eleven tackles. He simply wasn’t having any part of letting the Giants move the ball.
Overall the linebackers were sound. It is incredible how these guys simply don’t miss tackles. If you are Seahawks fan you need to realize how incredibly spoiled you are with these bruisers in the middle.
Defensive Backs: (A)
I don’t care who he’s throwing to, if you hold Eli Manning to 134 yards passing and a QBR of 15.7 (according to ESPN.com) you get an automatic A.
The secondary was not about to let the Giants win the game throwing the ball. I thought Shaq Griffin turned in a nice game. The rookie continues to improve with each game, showing a nice ability to blanket receivers and play the ball well.
Offensive Line: (B)
I have to hand it to the offensive line for at least being serviceable. Are they the best unit in the league? Absolutely not, but they are at least putting up a fight and improving each week even in the midst of some difficult luck injury wise.
Russell Wilson was only sacked once on Sunday and though he took some hits, he had enough time to get the ball out to his receivers.
The running game still needs to improve, but the Seahawks are getting just enough on the ground to keep teams honest.
Hopefully Justin Britt’s ankle sprain isn’t too serious. Britt is the most reliable piece on the line, so losing him would be a big hit.
Quarterback: (A-)
Russell Wilson put together a very respectable performance as he the for three touchdowns in the win. Wilson’s 334 yard performance was his second 300+ yard game of the young season. When the Seahawks needed the big plays downfield, Wilson delivered. He could have easily thrown a four touchdowns on the day had Jimmy Graham not dropped a ball that hit him in the chest.
Running backs: (C)
I need to see more from this unit. Again, there were moments of promise, but nobody stepped up to take the game over. In the absence of Chris Carson, it’s starting to look more and more likely that the Seahawks will go through the 2017 season employing a running back by committee scheme.
I did like the intensity I saw from Thomas Rawls. He ran hard. Unfortunately, he also coughed up the football.
CJ Prosise re-aggravated his ankle injury, which is about the least surprising thing to happen all season. I really like Prosise, but holy cow I have never seen a more injury prone football player at any level.
Receivers/Tight Ends: (B)
Doug Baldwin is head and shoulders above any other pass catcher on this Seattle team. He figures out ways to not only make himself available in every situation, but he also catches everything thrown his way. Thank goodness Doug is on this team.
I thought Jimmy made some nice plays. I would’ve liked to see him hang on to that first touchdown pass. A two touchdown game would’ve done wonders for his confidence going forward.
Special Teams: (A)
I was pretty impressed with how sound the special teams portion of the game looked. Sunday’s game wasn’t anything flashy, but it was sure solid. The way the Seahawks covered kicks was especially beautiful. Special teams can be a fantastic compliment to a football team, or they can be a complete back breaker. Luckily for the Seahawks, they fall under the complimentary category.
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At 4-2 the Seahawks are keeping pace with the Rams atop the division. A favorable upcoming schedule should hopefully help the Seahawks put a nice little run together. I could see the Seahawks being 7-2 heading into a Monday Night matchup with Falcons. I’m not counting my eggs before they hatch, but I like how things are shaping up. It will take some solid mid-term grades to get there, but I think this team is built for success.