Thrashed by Seahawks, Giants Clinch First Losing Season Since 2004
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - With more than three-fourths of the MetLife Stadium seats unoccupied late Sunday afternoon, a miserable Giants season reached a new low. A desultory performance led to a 23-0 defeat to the highflying Seattle Seahawks, assuring the 5-9 Giants of their first losing season since 2004.
That season, Coach Tom Coughlin's first with the Giants, they finished 6-10. The Giants, who have two games remaining this year, have lost 14 of their last 22 games going back to 2012.
Sunday's game had the usual hallmarks of a Giants defeat in 2013: Eli Manning threw a career-high five interceptions, the offensive line had trouble with Seattle's tenacious defensive front and the running game was almost nonexistent.
If that was not bad enough, Victor Cruz, probably the Giants' best player this season, left the game with a concussion and a knee sprain.
Manning's five interceptions gave him 25 for the season, tying his career high. He also became the franchise's leader in interceptions thrown with 169, passing Charlie Conerly, who had 167.
No wonder most of the fans had left the stadium by the start of the fourth quarter.
They certainly did not miss anything if they had come to cheer the home team. The Giants were dreadful and lifeless offensively and only slightly more animated or effective defensively.
Seattle (12-2) pounced early and dominated the Giants throughout. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw for 206 yards and ran for 50 yards.
Manning completed 18 of 31 passes for 156 yards - most of that in garbage time. The Giants did not get into Seattle territory until the middle of the fourth. And that drive ended in Manning's fifth interception, on another staple of the 2013 Giants season, a deflected pass.
Cruz was hurt trying to make a catch that would have given him more than 1,000 receiving yards for the season. Cruz jumped and landed awkwardly on his shoulder and head. He left the field walking unsteadily.
The play was initially ruled a completion, but Seattle Coach Pete Carroll challenged the call. After a review, the play was ruled an incomplete pass. Cruz could now end his season short of 1,000 yards.
Trailing by 13-0 at halftime, the Giants had a woeful start to the second half. Two runs by Andre Brown netted minus 4 yards, and Manning was sacked. A 17-yard punt return by Golden Tate allowed Seattle to start a drive at the Giants' 45-yard line.
Wilson immediately dashed out of the pocket for 16 yards. The Seahawks then mixed rushes and short passes until they had a first down at the Giants' 1. A short pass fell incomplete, and the Seahawks decided to go for it on fourth down. Marshawn Lynch ran around the left end and into the end zone, but his score was nullified by a false-start penalty.
Seattle settled for a 24-yard field goal.
In the fourth, Seattle went ahead, 23-0, on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Doug Baldwin.
The Seahawks opened the scoring with a 49-yard Steven Hauschka field goal on their second possession of the game. A poor opening series by the Giants, which ended in a sack of Manning, and a 19-yard punt return by Tate put Seattle in good field position at the Giants' 42. A 12-yard pass from Wilson to Lynch set up the field goal.
Offensively, the Giants struggled to find rhythm and picked up only two first downs in the first quarter. Manning was also intercepted by cornerback Byron Maxwell with six seconds left in the quarter.
Early in the second, Manning was intercepted again when he underthrew wide receiver Hakeem Nicks on a deep sideline route. Seattle's Richard Sherman easily snatched the ball.
That led to 2-yard touchdown run by Lynch and a 10-0 Seahawks lead. Lynch was hit by three Giants - Ryan Mundy, Justin Tuck and Spencer Paysinger - but still bulled his way into the end zone. On the 62-yard, 7-play drive, Wilson twice connected with Baldwin for a total of 38 yards.
The Seahawks' final score of the first half was set up by a 31-yard run by Lynch, who eluded a tackle attempt by middle linebacker Jon Beason in the open field. Wilson advanced the ball inside the Giants' 20 with two scrambles that netted 15 yards. But a sack by defensive tackle Linval Joseph cost the Seahawks 12 yards, and Hauschka kicked a 44-yard field goal.
The Giants had only 54 yards of offense in the first half, which ended with Manning attempting a desperation pass toward the end zone that was intercepted by Sherman.
EXTRA POINTS
Giants left guard James Brewer, who was having a hard time against the Seahawks' defensive line, left the game with an ankle injury. ... In the fourth quarter, Giants running back Peyton Hillis left the game and was evaluated in the locker room for a concussion.
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