*With Saquon Barkley sidelined for a second straight week with a sprained ankle, Jones led the Giants with 66 rushing yards on 10 carries, including a team high 17-yarder. This was the 16th game – 15 regular season and one postseason – that Jones has led the Giants in rushing and the 16th game in which he had the team’s longest run.
*Matt Breida started for Barkley and led the Giants with 14 carries, for 39 yards. He also had a team-high 48 receiving yards and tied Wan’Dale Robinson for the team lead with five catches. including a pair of 22-yarders that were the Giants’ longest offensive plays and his longest catches since he scored on a 23-yard reception for Buffalo at New Orleans on Nov. 25, 2021.
*Robinson rushed for a seven-yard gain on the Giants’ second offensive play. It was the first rushing attempt by a Giants wideout since Nov. 20, 2022, against Detroit. The receiver then was also Robinson, and the gain was four yards. That was the game Robinson caught nine passes for 100 yards, but also tore his ACL.
*The Giants, who had just 11 rushing attempts in their previous game, a loss to the 49ers, had 29 on Monday night, for 112 yards.
*The Giants lost three offensive players to injuries, including two linemen. Rookie center John Michael Schmitz injured his shoulder and tight end Daniel Bellinger his knee on the game’s opening series. Neither player returned to the game. On the Giants’ second possession, left guard Ben Bredeson moved over from left guard to center, and Shane Lemieux took over at guard (where he started the previous game, in San Francisco). Lemieux suffered a groin injury in the second half and was replaced by Mark Glowinski.
*Bredeson got an offensive lineman rarity – a reception. On the second play of the fourth quarter, a Jones pass was tipped at the line by nose tackle Jarran Reed. It went directly into the arms of Bredeson, who was tackled for no gain. Bredeson was the first Giants offensive lineman to catch a pass since Nov. 22, 2021, when left tackle Andrew Thomas caught a two-yard touchdown pass at Tampa Bay – also on a Monday night.
*Seahawks rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon made the game’s biggest play when he picked off a Jones pass intended for Campbell and returned it 97 yards for Seattle’s final touchdown with 1:03 remaining in the third quarter. It was the longest interception return vs. the Giants since Nov. 14, 2010, when Dallas’ Bryan McCann picked off an Eli Manning pass and raced 101 yards for a score in MetLife.
*Witherspoon scored the second defensive touchdown by a Giants opponent this season. In the season opener, Dallas’ DaRon Bland scored on 22-yard interception return.
*Seattle’s second touchdown – a one-yard run by Kenneth Walker III – was set up by a 51-yard pass from backup quarterback Drew Lock to tight end Noah Fant. It was the longest offensive play by a Giants opponent this season. The previous long was a 49-yard pass from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb in the season opener vs. Dallas.
*Rookie returner Eric Gray muffed Seattle’s first punt, though the ball was recovered by Giants defensive back Nick McCloud. Gray was replaced for the rest of the game by veteran cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, who had one fair catch.
*Smith caught his own pass after it was deflected by defensive lineman D.J. Davidson in a play that lost two yards in the second quarter. Smith was the first opposing quarterback to catch a pass vs. the Giants since Oct. 11, 2020, when Dallas’ Dak Prescott caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Cedric Wilson. Prescott is the only opposing quarterback in the Super Bowl era with a touchdown reception against the Giants.
*The Giants were outscored in their first two home games, 64-3. They will next play in MetLife Stadium on Oct. 11 against Washington.
*The Giants do not have a takeaway this season.
*The Giants are 0-3 in prime time this season. The Giants have lost eight consecutive Monday night games.
*Kayvon Thibodeaux had both Giants’ sacks of Smith, the second multiple-sack game of his two-season career. He had 2.5 sacks and scored a touchdown at Washington last Dec. 18.
*Linebacker Bobby Okereke led the Giants with 10 tackles (six solo).
*Linebacker Azeez Ojulari started after missing the previous two games with a hamstring injury. He had one solo tackle.
*Left tackle Andrew Thomas was inactive for the third straight week with a hamstring injury suffered opening night vs. Dallas. Joshua Ezeudu again started in his place.
*The Seahawks are a perfect 6-0 in MetLife Stadium, including four victories against the Giants (2011, 2013 and 2017), one vs. the Jets (2016) and their 43-8 rout of Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII.
2023-10-03 05:34:23
#Notes #Stats #Monday #Night #Football #Recap
