Seattle, WA (SportsNetwork.com) – Marshawn Lynch scored four touchdowns and
fronted a punishing ground attack that carried the Seattle Seahawks to a 38-17
victory over the New York Giants at CenturyLink Field.
Lynch accounted for 140 of the Seahawks’ franchise-record 350 rushing yards
in an exceptional 21-carry performance, with quarterback Russell Wilson
contributing 107 and a touchdown on 14 totes to help Seattle (6-3) pull
away late for a third straight triumph.
The reigning Super Bowl champions’ 21st win in their last 23 games at home
didn’t come quite as easy as the final score indicated, as the Seahawks
trailed 17-14 at halftime before scoring 24 unanswered points.
“I really liked the way we finished this football game in general,” said
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. “We came in at halftime down 17-14 and we
just picked up and took off with it.”
Wilson added 172 yards through the air and was intercepted twice on a 10-of-17
passing effort that played second fiddle to his work with his legs.
Eli Manning completed 29-of-44 attempts for 283 yards with a touchdown and an
interception for New York (3-6), but was shut down along with the rest of the
Giants’ offense during a scoreless second half.
Odell Beckham finished with 108 yards on seven catches in New York’s fourth
straight double-digit defeat, with Preston Parker accumulating 79 yards and a
touchdown on seven receptions.
The game was knotted at 17-17 through three quarters before Seattle dominated
the fourth behind its powerful ground attack and stingy defense.
After Earl Thomas’ interception of Manning and 47-yard return brought the
Seahawks close to midfield near the end of the third, Seattle ripped off three
straight big runs to march into goal-to-goal territory. Christine Michael
scampered for 18 yards and Wilson scrambled for 11 before a 17-yard burst by
Lynch put the ball on the three. Lynch scored his third touchdown of the game
two plays later, putting the Seahawks in front with 12:47 to play.
The Giants forced a pair of fumbles on Seattle’s next series, one from Wilson
and the other by Lynch, but the Seahawks recovered both. Lynch then atoned for
his near-miscue by powering through the line and dragging defenders en route
to a back-breaking 16-yard touchdown for a 31-17 lead with 7:47 remaining.
“He’s playing his best football,” said Wilson of Lynch. “When we get our
passing game going, it’ll be really hard to stop us.”
Seattle’s defense forced Manning into three straight incompletions as the
Giants turned it over on downs at their own 46 on the ensuing drive. Michael
got free for a 45-yard run on the next play before Wilson scored standing up
on a 1-yard keeper that all but sealed the outcome with 5:19 left.
“In the second half we continued to not tackle very well and not be able to
contain the quarterback,” said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. “We had a
couple of different schemes that were utilized in regard to that, but none of
them seemed to work. And offensively, we had the ball in the middle of the
field three or four times and didn’t push it beyond that and obviously didn’t
score. It’s hard to believe what you saw in the second half.”
Wilson managed just 83 passing yards for the first half, though he started the
day off strong by following up a 23-yard screen to Lynch with a deep strike to
Cooper Helfet that went for 32 yards to the Giants’ 25. Lynch broke off a 14-
yard run on the next play, then barreled across the goal line from a yard out
shortly afterward to cap Seattle’s opening drive.
The Seahawks’ subsequent series ended in Wilson being picked off by Zack
Bowman in Seattle territory, however, with New York turning the favorable
field position into a short 5-play drive culminating in Manning’s 6-yard
touchdown strike to Parker with 4:32 left in the first quarter.
Manning’s next pass was hauled in by Beckham, who burned Richard Sherman on a
deep route for 44 yards to get the Giants back in scoring range. A 26-yard
catch by the rookie later on preceded Andre Williams’ bruising 3-yard
touchdown run that put New York up 14-7 just over a minute into the second
quarter.
The Giants couldn’t capitalize on a Robert Turbin fumble near midfield on the
ensuing possession, and Seattle drew even by churning out 85 yards in 15 plays
the next time its offense took the field.
Wilson started the drive with a 26-yard scramble and extended it with a 7-yard
pass to Jermaine Kearse on fourth down. Lynch carried the ball six times
during the lengthy sequence, the last resulting in a 2-yard touchdown on a
draw play just after the two-minute warning.
Manning countered by skillfully directing a no-huddle drive that was kept
alive by a defensive holding call on the Seahawks on third down. He hit on
three straight throws after the penalty to put Josh Brown in range for a 41-
yard field goal that sent New York in front at the break.
Wilson was intercepted on the initial possession of the second half, but
evaded a rush and found a wide-open Kearse for a 60-yard gain on 3rd-and-7 on
the Seahawks’ following possession to set up Steven Hauschka’s 28-yard field
goal that tied the game at 17-17.
Game Notes
Seattle’s 350 rushing yards were the most by an NFL team since Cleveland had
351 against Kansas City in 2009, and were the most the Giants allowed in a
game since Buffalo had 366 in a 41-17 win over New York on Nov. 26, 1978 …
Lynch became the first Seahawks player to rush for four touchdowns since Shaun
Alexander did so against Houston on Oct. 16, 2005 … The Giants have allowed
an average of 34 points over their four-game skid … Michael finished with 71
yards on just four carries … Tight end Luke Willson (ankle) and defensive
tackle Brandon Mebane (hamstring) left the game in the first half for Seattle
… Giants running back Peyton Hillis sustained a concussion in the first
quarter and did not return.
