In a Monday night game that saw the Seattle Seahawks dominate the struggling New York Giants, rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon stood out by scoring on a 97-yard interception return.
Witherspoon’s touchdown was one of many highlights for the Seahawks, who tied a team record with 11 sacks in the game.
The Seahawks got off to a strong start when defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. made a strip-sack that set up a short drive, allowing Geno Smith to throw a six-yard touchdown pass to DK Metcalf late in the first quarter.
Just before halftime, Kenneth Walker III scored on a one-yard run, giving the Seahawks a 14-0 lead at the break.
In the second half, the Giants managed to get on the scoreboard with a 55-yard field goal from Graham Gano, but it was too little, too late.
The Seahawks’ defense continued to dominate, with Quandre Diggs intercepting a pass from Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the fourth quarter to set up a field goal by Jason Myers.
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Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Witherspoon, and Uchenna Nwosu each had two sacks, with Wagner also recording 17 tackles.
The Seahawks’ defense was relentless, and the Giants’ offense struggled to gain any momentum without star running back Saquon Barkley, who was out with a high ankle sprain, and left tackle Andrew Thomas, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury.
The only real drive the Seahawks had on offense was a seven-play, 75-yard drive just before halftime that was engineered by backup Drew Lock, who replaced Smith after he tweaked his knee and needed an X-ray.
The drive included a 51-yard pass to Noah Fant.
Seahawks safety Jamal Adams returned to the field for the first time since tearing his quadriceps in the 2022 season opener but lasted just nine plays before sustaining a concussion when getting kneed in the head while trying to tackle a scrambling Jones.
Despite the injury to Adams, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was pleased with his team’s performance, saying, “We’re just getting going. We’re just putting it together. A night like this for our defense to play that explosively. I can’t remember seeking double-digit sacks.”
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner echoed Carroll’s sentiment, saying,
“I think we needed it. Easy game defensively.We’ve been getting better. We’ve done a good job stopping the run, but the thing was applying pressure. The last game we had a lot of pressures but not as many sacks. I think this game we turned those pressures into sacks.”
Witherspoon, who made the interception that led to his touchdown, explained how he made the play:
“It was a play that we had seen on film formation. He ran basically a return route. I jumped it. He threw the ball and just tried to get to the box. That was my whole mindset.”
Overall, the Seahawks’ dominant performance against the Giants was a testament to their strong defense and ability to capitalize on turnovers.
Though the Giants managed to put some points on the board, they were no match for the Seahawks’ aggressive play style and impressive sack record.
