The New York Giants played the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, losing 24-7. With this loss, the Giants' record falls to 1-6. The Giants have offensive and defensive flaws that weaken the team as a whole, resulting in such a poor record. Favored to win, the Seattle Seahawks did not perform well throughout most of the game and, the Giants could have won. Here are some takeaways that explain why the Giants couldn't secure the victory.
Promising first half
Seattle had the ball for 20 minutes in the first half and picked up 15 first downs, but a Thomas Rawls fumble, a 16-play drive that faltered at the goal-line and three drops, showed zero gain.
The Giants led 7-3 and looked organized on both offense and defense. For the Seahawks, their early struggles caused tension on the sidelines. A heated sideline conversation, led by Seahawks receiver, Doug Baldwin, who shoved offensive line coach Tom Cable in the chest while barking at the team was shown on camera. That didn’t seem to negatively impact the team’s play moving forward, but it was the summary of a disappointing opening half.
Giants' offensive struggle continues
The Giants' gave another lackluster performance on offense. If not for Rawls' fumble early on, that was returned to the Seattle 17-yard line, the Giants may not have scored at all. New York was 2 of 12 of third down, Eli Manning threw for 134 yards, the run offense rushed for 46 yards and averaged 3.1 yards per play.
Third down runs failed and, short passes didn't end with yards after the catch.
Several errors attributed to the Giants' lack of offensive production. Trailing 10-7, the Giants were on their own 41-yard line when Eli Manning was stripped sack and, the ball was recovered by Seattle Seahawks at the Giants' 38-yard line. The starting receivers repeatedly dropped passes which resulted in a collective five catches for 45 yards.
On the other hand, Seattle's offense was impeccable. Russel Wilson threw for 334 yards on 27 completed passes out of 39 attempts with three touchdowns. Seattle tight end Jimmy Graham exploded in the second half with various clutch catches, including a touchdown, to help secure the lead as well.
Defensive adjustments
Eli Apple has made a complete 180 in terms of performance throughout the season.
He's changed from a target for the other team's offense to a key player. Although he was beaten late in the second half for a touchdown, Apple contested a fourth-and-goal pass that fell incomplete in the second quarter.
Also, Giants' cornerback, Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, returned from his one-game suspension. He was third on the depth chart for his position and, did not go unto the field until the third quarter. He was beaten by Seahawks' receiver, Doug Baldwin, for a 22-yard touchdown.
Overall, the Giants' defense gave a solid effort. The defense couldn't compensate for the lack of offensive production. This has been the same story for the Giants' season. Multiple key offensive players are injured and, their backups do not have the talent to replace them. Winnable games are losses and, competitive games are almost hopeless. Their schedule is only getting more difficult so, the Giants need to make adjustments quick.