Daniel Jones was sacked 11 times while Devon Witherspoon scored a 97-yard pick-six as the Seattle Seahawks embarrassed the New York Giants 24-3 on Monday; Jones was intercepted twice on the night while DK Metcalf and Kenneth Walker both scored touchdowns for Seattle
Tuesday 3 October 2023 12:26, UK
Rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon scored on a 97-yard interception return and the Seattle Seahawks tied a team record with 11 sacks in a 24-3 victory over the struggling New York Giants on Monday night.
Geno Smith threw a six-yard touchdown pass to DK Metcalf late in the first quarter after a strip-sack by defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. set up a short drive and Kenneth Walker III scored on a one-yard run just before halftime as the Seahawks (3-1) won their third straight.
A fourth-quarter interception from Quandre Diggs set up a field goal by Jason Myers as Seattle improved to 6-0 at MetLife Stadium, including the franchise's only Super Bowl win.
Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Witherspoon and Uchenna Nwosu each had two sacks. Wagner also had 17 tackles.
Graham Gano kicked a 55-yard field goal for the Giants (1-3), who have played one good half in four games this season and have looked nothing like the team that last year made the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Seattle were clinging to a 14-3 lead late in third quarter when the Giants moved from their 43 to the Seahawks' five. On second and goal, Daniel Jones tried to hit Parris Campbell but the receiver seemed to stumble. Jones' pass instead went to Witherspoon, the No. 5 overall pick in the draft, who scored almost untouched crossing from the right side of the field to the left to make it 21-3.
Seattle Seahawks
New York Giants
The Giants' offense has stuttered in the past two games with star running back Saquon Barkley out nursing a high ankle sprain and left tackle Andrew Thomas down with a hamstring injury for three straight weeks.
The Seahawks didn't do a lot against the Giants' defense. The only real drive they had was seven plays, 75 yards just before halftime that was engineered by backup Drew Lock, who replaced Smith after he tweaked a knee and needed an X-ray. The drive included a 51-yard pass to Noah Fant.
Smith, who returned for the second half, finished 13 of 20 for 110 yards. A bruised Jones was 27 of 34 for 203 yards, while running 10 times for 66 yards.
Seahawks safety Jamal Adams, playing in his first game since tearing his quadriceps in the 2022 season opener, lasted just nine plays before sustaining a concussion when getting kneed in the head while trying to make a tackle on a scrambling Jones. Adams didn't return.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll: "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: "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."
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon on his interception: "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."
Seattle head into a bye week before returning to face the struggling Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) on the road on October 15, while the Giants visit the Miami Dolphins (3-1) this coming Sunday as Mike McDaniel's team look to reply to their 48-20 defeat to the Buffalo Bills.
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