The Seattle Seahawks’ sole possession of first place in the NFC West lasted for all of one week, as they suffered a crushing 17-12 defeat in Week 13 at the hands of the Daniel Jones-less New York Giants (5-7). Seattle led 5-0 at halftime, but fell apart in the second half, allowing the Giants to score 17 straight points. There were few bright spots for the Seahawks on Sunday, but two defensive players, in particular, stood out in a positive way.
THE GOOD
Ryan Neal: Safety Ryan Neal has been a revelation for the Seahawks since he was promoted from the practice squad in Week 3 against the Cowboys. In Sunday’s contest, he forced an interception after a massive hit to New York tight end Evan Engram, which caused the football to pop out of Engram’s grasp and into the waiting hands of Seattle’s Quandre Diggs. Neal also blocked Riley Dixon’s punt from the New York 11-yard line with just 28 seconds to go in the first half, which led to the ball bouncing out the back of the end zone for two points. Once a fringe player that bounced back and forth from the waiver wire and the active roster, Ryan Neal’s 2020 campaign makes it apparent that he should be here to stay.
Jamal Adams: Seattle’s star safety was a matchup nightmare for the Giants for most of the game, although he did allow a key first down to Evan Engram that prolonged their last drive. Adams has racked up linebacker-worthy stats all year, adding 11 tackles and a sack to his incredible season. Just one more sack from Adams in the Seahawks’ four remaining games will surpass the NFL’s single-season record for defensive back sacks, which was set in 2005 by Adrian Wilson.
THE BAD
Russell Wilson: Wilson’s downturn in the second half of the season remains incredibly puzzling, as the quarterback repeatedly insists that he is fine but has been unable to put up the same numbers that caused analysts and fans alike to preemptively dub him the league MVP. His outing against the Giants (27/43, 263 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) earned a QBR of just 32.0 and a passer rating of 78.0; he also lost a fumble and took five sacks for a loss of 47 yards. Curiously, the majority of his issues arose from him seemingly holding onto the ball for too long, rather than from the offensive line not giving him enough time to make his reads; he also overthrew his receivers on multiple plays that nearly led to more interceptions. The Seahawks can only hope that Wilson will look like his old self next week against the 0-12 New York Jets.
The lost touchdown: The Seahawks still managed to earn two points due to Ryan Neal’s tremendous punt block at the end of the second quarter, but they could have ended the fourth quarter in a tie with New York had they secured the ball within the end zone for a touchdown. Running back DeeJay Dallas actually found himself with the football inside the end zone, but he was unable to keep it in his possession to ensure six points (with a chance at an extra point). Seattle may have played sloppy football all game long, but the missed opportunity for an extra five points – the difference in the final score – will haunt the team as much as any other play from those 60 minutes.
THE UGLY
The run defense: The Seahawks gave up 190 yards on the ground to New York, which marks their second-highest total of rushing yards surrendered in 2020. Giants running back Wayne Gallman, who entered the season as the team’s third-stringer, put up 135 yards on 16 carries for an eye-popping average of 8.4 YPC. Journeyman Alfred Morris proved effective as a red-zone back, scoring the Giants’ only two touchdowns. Much has been said about the struggles of Seattle’s pass defense, which generally led teams to attack the Seahawks through the air; New York elected to expose weaknesses in Seattle’s run defense instead, doing so with impressive results. Notably, defensive end Carlos Dunlap was highly limited in the game due to his foot injury last week – if the loss of one player is all it takes to drastically reduce the front seven’s effectiveness, the Seahawks could face some serious issues in the regular-season home stretch.
The offense: Russell Wilson was not the only offensive player who struggled against the Giants. His pass-catchers had issues holding onto the ball – Tyler Lockett fumbled, D.K. Metcalf dropped a pass after making an impressive leap, and Chris Carson displayed a couple of issues (letting the ball bounce off of his facemask for an interception and later dropping a short toss from Wilson because he turned his head early). Guard Mike Iupati surrendered a sack in the first quarter to New York linebacker Tae Crowder by helping center Ethan Pocic with his block, leaving a lane wide open for the rusher to take Wilson down for a loss of 11 yards. Right tackle Jamarco Jones, who was filling in for the injured Brandon Shell, suffered a groin injury and was replaced by Chad Wheeler, who proved unable to hold down that side of the line. Overall, the normally-potent Seahawks offense seemed listless all afternoon, not even scoring a touchdown until the middle of the fourth quarter. This marks their second straight slow start, which is worrisome for a team in a division that changes hands nearly every week.
