[Dooch]

This game is going to be one of the best, entertaining games of the season for us. I am hoping that the New York Giants can pull out a victory somehow and that the Denver Broncos can beat the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

NFC powers clash in Seattle

@

November 27, 2005 - Qwest Field

New York Giants are (7-3) entering this game and the Seattle Seahawks are (8-2).

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- The Seattle Seahawks are closing in on a division title. The New York Giants are fighting for first place.

On Sunday, the teams meet at Qwest Field, where the Seahawks are 5-0 this season.

Seattle can clinch the NFC West crown for the second straight year with a win against the Giants, coupled with a loss by the St. Louis Rams (4-6) against Houston on Sunday.

The Seahawks have failed to win a playoff game in their first six years under coach Mike Holmgren, who signed an eight-year contract worth $32 million in 1999. Seattle started 8-2 in Holmgren's first year, but proceeded to lose five of their last six games and finished 9-7.

Now the Seahawks are riding a six-game winning streak and appear to be in the driver's seat for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They have yet to win a postseason game under Holmgren, who is 0-3 in the playoffs with Seattle.

In Tom Coughlin's second year as coach, the Giants are tied with the Dallas Cowboys for first place in the NFC East. The Giants host the Cowboys next week.

Eli Manning bounced back from a horrid four-interception performance in a loss to Minnesota, throwing for 218 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers in a 27-17 win over Philadelphia last week. Tiki Barber rushed for 112 yards and Plaxico Burress caught six passes for 113 yards.

The Seahawks held on for a 27-25 victory over last-place San Francisco last week. The 49ers had a chance to tie the game after scoring a touchdown with 28 seconds left, but the two-point conversion attempt failed.

Shaun Alexander has rushed for 453 yards in Seattle's last three games, increasing his league-leading total to 1,114 yards. His 17 rushing touchdowns are 10 shy of tying Priest Holmes' single season record set in 2003.

The Seahawks have allowed 18.7 points per game, slightly more than New York's defensive average of 18.4 points.

Seattle's defense did not play well against the Niners, yielding 110 yards on the ground and 249 passing yards to Ken Dorsey last week.

The Giants' defense did not allow a touchdown in three straight games before allowing two to Philadelphia, which played without Donovan McNabb (injury) and Terrell Owens (suspension).

On Sunday, they will face an offense led by Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck, who has passed for 2,124 yards and 11 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Hasselbeck is the brother of Giants backup quarterback Tim Hasselbeck.

Giants punter Jeff Feagles will set an NFL record by playing in his 283rd consecutive game on Sunday. Defensive end Jim Marshall played in 282 straight games for the Minnesota Vikings from 1960-79. Feagles tied the record last week.

In his 18th season, Feagles holds the all-time record with 1,410 punts. He played with Seattle from 1998-2002.

Matchup to watch: Burress, who has 54 catches for 819 yards, faces right cornerback Marcus Trufant.

Series: The Giants lead the series, 7-3, and have won the last two meetings.

Next week: NY Giants host Dallas, December 4; Seattle visits Philadelphia, December 5

 

[Futurama_Fanatic]

im feeling kinda positive for the giants right now but this will be a high scoring game

both teams in the 30s?

a matchup you forgot

BARBER vs ALEXANDER

 

[Dooch]

im feeling kinda positive for the giants right now but this will be a high scoring game

both teams in the 30s?

a matchup you forgot

BARBER vs ALEXANDER

This should definitely be a high-scoring game, the way that the New York Giants' defense has been playing I feel positive that we may come out of Seattle with a victory. We need to stop Shaun Alexander and the passing to Joe Jurevicius then I think this game is ours. :cheers:

 

[Dooch]

Seahawks Scouting Report

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – This Sunday the Giants will attempt to retain sole possession of first place in the NFC East and try to cool off a hot Seahawks team in Seattle. Last week’s victory over Philadelphia improved the Giants’ record to 7-3. They are a half-game ahead of Dallas, which lost to Denver on Thanksgiving. The Seahawks have the NFC’s best record at 8-2 and their six-game winning streak ties them with Chicago for the conference’s longest. They are 5-0 at home. The Giants lead the series, 7-2, including 2-2 in Seattle. This will be their first game in Qwest Field.

Offense
The Seahawks have gained an NFL-best 389.2 yards a game. They are third in the league with an average of 159.5 rushing yards per game and first with a 5.1 yards-per-carry average. Seattle is 10th in the NFL in passing yards, with 229.7 yards per game. The Seahawks’ 27.2 points per game places them fourth, directly behind the Giants (28.1).

The key player in Seattle’s attack is running back Shaun Alexander, who leads the NFL with 1,229 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. He is one score away from becoming the fourth player in league history with consecutive 20-touchdown seasons. The Seahawks like to spread the field, then run Alexander up the middle. The strategy has helped Alexander average a robust 5.3 yards a carry. Backup Maurice Marcus is averaging 5.7 yards on 30 carries. Fullback Mack Strong, a 13-year veteran, is an old-fashioned fullback who can do it all. He has 15 receptions, primarily as a third-down back.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has an 89.3 passer rating that places him third in the NFC. He is a smart player who is particularly good at reading the field and hitting his second or third receivers. Behind him is Seneca Wallace, who played well in the preseason.

The wide receivers have played well despite the loss of Darrell Jackson, whose 87 catches last season were 51 more than anyone else on the team. He has missed the last six games with a knee injury. Without Jackson, Bobby Engram has become Hasselbeck’s go-to guy and leads the Seahawks with 42 receptions. Engram, however, has yet to score this year. Seattle’s leader with five touchdown catches is former Giant Joe Jurevicious, who has 36 receptions and is a popular target close to the goal line. The third receiver is D.J. Hackett and the fourth is Peter Warrick, who is the group’s speedster.

Tight end Jerramy Stevens is a 6-7 target with a big strike zone. He has 29 catches, many on short-yardage or in the red zone. Ryan Hannam is another tight end with good receiving skills. He scored a big touchdown late in a victory over Dallas.

Seattle boasts a terrific offensive line, anchored by perhaps the best left side in the league in tackle Walter Jones and guard Steve Hutchinson. Jones, considered by many to be the NFL’s premier left tackle, has been to five Pro Bowls. Hutchinson, a solid all-around player, played in the Pro Bowl following the last two seasons. Center Robbie Tobeck and right guard Chris Gray are very similar players, tough, smart veterans who will do anything to block a defender. The right tackle is second-year pro Sean Locklear, who has proven to be a good, young prospect. Former starter Floyd Womack is used as a tight end in short-yardage situations.

Defense
Seattle has a fast, physical defense that is similar to Philadelphia’s. The unit is ranked 15th in the league in total defense, allowing 315.8 yards a game. The Seahawks are 11th against the run (102.9) and 20th versus the pass (212.9). They are 13th in scoring defense (18.7 points a game). Seattle leads the NFL with 34 sacks.

All of the Seahawks’ defensive linemen are explosive off the ball. Left end Bryce Fisher, a free agent acquisition from St. Louis, is an active, determined pass rusher who is tied for the team lead with 7.5 sacks. Right end Grant Wistrom is outstanding against both the run and pass. Rocky Bernard, who started the last two games after playing as a reserve in the first eight, also has 7.5 sacks, the most among defensive tackles in the NFL. He is a big and powerful inside pass rusher. Left tackle Chuck Darby, an offseason pickup from Tampa Bay, is an aggressive run defender with good pass rush skills. Marcus Tubbs, who stepped aside when Bernard entered the starting lineup, is a sturdy inside anchor who still sees plenty of action. Craig Terrill and Joe Tafoya also contribute.

The linebackers are led by rookie second-round draft choice Lofa Tatupu, who has a team-high 68 tackles (54 solo) from his position in the middle of the defense. Tatupu never comes off the field, because he plays like a savvy five-year veteran. Third-round draft choice Leroy Hill has stepped in for Jamie Sharper, who missed the previous two touchdowns with a bacterial infection in his knee. Hill is an impressive young player who has been particularly dangerous as a blitzer. The other outside linebacker is D.D. Lewis, who is strong on his feet and particularly stout against the run.

Seattle’s defensive backs all display impressive ball awareness. Right cornerback Marcus Trufant is a former first-round draft choice who is a shutdown corner. Left corner Kelly Herndon is smart, aware and quick and plays the ball very well. Strong safety Michael Boulware is a former linebacker who loves to hit. Free safety Marquand Manuel has good range and is a high-energy performer. When Andre Dyson enters the game as the nickelback, Lewis leaves. Dyson has excellent ball skills. The fourth cornerback is Justin Babineaux, who leads the Seahawks with three interceptions.

Special Teams
Josh Brown is third among NFC kickers with 74 points. He has made 14 of 17 field goal attempts, with a long of 55. Former Giant Tom Rouen is averaging 40.5 yards a kick as Seattle’s punter. Josh Scobey is averaging 24.1 yards on 36 kickoff returns, and Jimmy Williams has a 6.5-yard average on 13 punt returns.

 

[knicksfan]

I don't feel good about this game. The last time we had to play a great team on the west coast we got pounded in by the chargers. This game is not as easy for us as many make it seem. I do hope we win.

 

[USSKittyHawk]

Alexander is going to be a problem. This game is a major test for us!!

 

[netsgiants]

tough one, at seattle. If we pull this out we will then regain first in the NFC East. Huge statement game if we go into seattle and kick there ***. I'm tired about hearing about the damn Cowboys and how there the best in the NFC east. Win this one gain some respect, then go to work next week.

 

[adarsh1]

guess who has barber and alexnder on one of my fantasy teams...oh wait me!

 

[ToddMacCulloch11]

I hate when they are in the 4 o'clock ish game...waiting around is no fun.

 

[Dooch]

I feel if we stop the run with Shaun Alexander and stop the pass to Joe Jurevicius, then our defense will do their job. I found out the play that Shaun Alexander loves to run with the Seattle Seahawks, it is called 93 Blast. They showed it on ESPN, hopefully our defense recognizes this play and takes advantage of it. Ron Jaworski likes us in this game. Lets Go G-Men! Kickoff in less then 45 minutes. :clap:

 

[USSKittyHawk]

Eli needs to have a good game, especially early on. We can't afford for him to be great in the 4th quarter alone. I predict Tiki will have a great game on the ground today.

 

[Dooch]

Eli needs to have a good game, especially early on. We can't afford for him to be great in the 4th quarter alone. I predict Tiki will have a great game on the ground today.

Very true. I think the key to win today is our ground game and our defense. Our defense needs to come up very big today and fuel our offense. If Eli Manning and the New York Giants can win this road game against the Seattle Seahawks then I do not see why we cannot win the rest of our games. Going to be a great matchup, Go G-Men! :clap:

 

[Dooch]

Coverage is now being broadcasted on FOX for all those people in the New Jersey area and/or around the country if they do get it over in Seattle.

 

[Dooch]

Kickoff has just begun and the New York Giants kickoff to the Seattle Seahawks. Nice hit by David Tyree at around the 25-yard line. Giants go on defense and Seattle goes on offense.

 

[Dooch]

Hasselbeck's pass completed for 9 yards. 3rd and 1 after no gain by Shaun Alexander. We are stopping Shaun Alexander so far on his 2 carries, have to defend the pass better.

 

[Dooch]

4th and 2 now after we get a good pass rush and force an incomplete pass. Punt by the Seattle Seahawks. Not good field position for us to go on offense, half the distance to our goal line after the holding penalty.

 

[Dooch]

Tiki Barber with a nice rush up the middle for another first down and that gets us out of our red zone. Nothing happened next play, then Tiki Barber rushes for a couple of yards. Shaun O' Hara and Luke Pettitgout are playing. Eli Manning to Jeremy Shockey for another NYG First down.

 

[Dooch]

Eli Manning to Amani Toomer for 7 yards. Tiki Barber gets hit for a loss. False Start on us, repeat 3rd down. Eli Manning to Tiki Barber just short of the 1st down marker, Jeff Feagles into punt it away.

 

[Dooch]

:clap: Jeff Feagles has just broken the consecutive games record in the NFL. Has got to keep the game ball and an accomplishment for Jeff Feagles.

 

[Dooch]

3rd and 5 after an incomplete pass to Joe Jurevicius and a 5 yard rush by Shaun Alexander. Shaun Alexander fumbled the ball and the Seahawks recover it. Good pass rush on Hasselbeck by our defense forces him to throw another incomplete pass, another punt coming up for Seattle.