Daniel Jones, special teams power Giants past Seahawks
SEATTLE (AP) — Daniel Jones threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns, Bryce Ford-Wheaton returned a blocked field goal attempt 60 yards for a touchdown with 55 seconds left, and the short-handed New York Giants stunned the Seattle Seahawks 29-20 on Sunday.
Playing without two of its best offensive players, New York (2-3) put together a masterful game plan that built a 23-13 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Giants then came up with one big special teams play with Seattle on the verge of potentially forcing overtime.
Seattle’s Jason Myers lined up for a 47-yard field goal attempt with 1:05 left that could have pulled even at 23-23. New York’s Isaiah Simmons cleanly jumped over the gap between the guard and long snapper in the offensive line and swatted the kick, which bounced into the arms of Ford-Wheaton for a clinching score that sent the home fans to the exits.
The conclusion was stunning after Seattle seemed on the verge of an unlikely rally and possibly handing the Giants another one-score defeat. Geno Smith threw a 5-yard TD to Jaxon Smith-Njigba with 2:09 remaining to cap a 95-yard touchdown drive. New York was unable to pick up a first down and punted back to Seattle, only to see Smith dart 32 yards on the first play to get the Seahawks (3-2) into field goal range.
But the drive stalled and Simmons came through with the blocked kick.
Jones directed the whole production with one of the best games of his career. Despite playing without rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Devin Singletary, the Giants created a plan of short passes and gashing runs that allowed New York to control possession and keep Seattle’s offense on the sideline.
Jones finished 23 of 34 and threw touchdowns of 7 yards to Wan’Dale Robinson and his 30-yard strike to Darius Slayton early in the third quarter gave the Giants a 17-10 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Rookie fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy rushed for 129 yards filling in for Singletary’s absence, while Slayton had eight catches for 122 yards with Nabers out.
The Giants rolled up 420 total yards and had more than 37 minutes of possession.
The win could have been even more comfortable for New York if not for a goal line fumble from Eric Gray that Rayshawn Jenkins returned 102 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. But that also proved to be the only highlight on a frustrating day for the Seahawks.
Smith was 28 of 40 for 284 yards, and rushed for another 72 yards, but Seattle’s run game was mostly ineffective. Smith was sacked seven times – three of them coming from Dexter Lawrence II.
Playing on a short week after losing in Detroit on Monday night, the Seahawks were outcoached and looked a step slow throughout. There were sloppy penalties, bad tackling and poor protection of Smith.
And there’s not much time for correction with a Thursday night divisional matchup against San Francisco looming.
Seattle outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu injured his thigh in the first half and was ruled out at halftime. Nwosu was making his season debut after missing the first four weeks with a knee sprain sustained in the preseason. He also missed most of last season with a torn pectoral muscle.
Seattle cornerback Riq Woolen was in and out of the lineup with an ankle injury suffered in the first half and Derick Hall appeared to injure his foot in the fourth quarter.
Giants: host Cincinnati next Sunday night.
Seahawks: host San Francisco on Thursday night.
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