The New York Giants favored a ground-and-pound approach to grind out a 17-12 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13. More importantly, the Seahawks fell to second place in the NFC West — behind the Los Angeles Rams — after the loss.
Editor's note: All of PFF's grades and advanced stats from this game will be finalized and made available to ELITE subscribers within 24 hours of the final whistle.
Story Of The Game
The Giants’ offense turned in a gritty performance off the back of Wayne Gallman, who rushed 16 times for 135 yards. The fourth-year pro ripped off a 60-yard-run midway through the third quarter, setting a new career-high. The team averaged 5.2 yards after contact per rush, and Seattle's defense struggled to bring down Gallman once he made his way into the open field.
New York won despite how pedestrian Colt McCoy looked at the quarterback position. McCoy finished 13-for-22 for 105 yards, a touchdown and an interception in his eighth start in nine seasons. Daniel Jones’ 80.4 PFF grade on the year ranks 12th out of 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL, and his return from a hamstring injury suffered in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals will markedly improve his team’s chances to beat Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14.
The Seahawks looked out of sorts on offense from start to finish. D.K. Metcalf led the league through Week 12 in receptions on targets of 20-plus yards downfield (12), but the unit struggled to produce explosive plays in the passing game. Russell Wilson finished the game with an average depth of target of 8.2 yards, which is atypical of his aggressive playstyle so far in 2020.
Entering Week 13, Wilson was PFF’s highest-graded quarterback in the red zone (91.0). The Seahawks' offense made its way to that area of the field only once in this contest for three points. Meanwhile, the Giants’ defense generated 23 total pressures and hit Wilson often throughout the game. The Seahawks will need to address their problems in pass protection, as their offensive line has surrendered the second-most pressures (199) this season.
Rookie Watch
Andrew Thomas' pass blocking looks better and better each week. In this game, he surrendered nothing to the Seattle defense. His four highest pass-blocking grades of the season have come in his previous four games, and he will likely grade out well again with his performance in Week 13. Elsewhere on the offensive line, guard Shane Lemieux and tackle Matt Peart appeared for a combined 56 snaps.
The Giants rotate through a number of young players on defense, too. Niko Lalos picked off a pass last week in his first career NFL game and recovered a fumble today in the first half. Darnay Holmes collected the first interception of his career in the fourth quarter. Tae Crowder and Carter Coughlin provided a bit of juice off the edge and combined to log 69 snaps.
For the Seahawks, first-round pick Jordyn Brooks continues to play a larger role every week; he saw a career-high 42 snaps in this contest. Damien Lewis continues to be a reliable starter on offense, logging 70 snaps and allowing one quarterback pressure.
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