Seahawks-Giants: 5Qs, 5As with Big Blue View

The calendar has turned to October and Week 5 of the NFL season has arrived. For the Seattle Seahawks that means a showdown with the New York Giants for the third straight season.

The Hawks have easily bested the Giants in each of the past two years, at Lumen Field in 2022 and a highly memorable 2023 primetime game in 2023 that included the return of Jamal Adams from the knee injury that ended his 2022 season and his near-immediate concussion that ended his night in the first quarter.

That’s enough about the past, though, as it time to preview this season’s matchup, and joining Field Gulls is joined by the Editor of Big Blue View, Ed Valentine to answer this week’s questions.

Daniel Jones and Geno Smith were both set to be free agents in the 2023 offseason and then both signed contract extensions. The Seahawks are obviously ecstatic with the deal they signed with Geno, but where do things stand between Jones and the Giants? Is he still considered the franchise quarterback? Is he in danger of being benched? Will they sideline him just to avoid potentially having to pay out his injury guarantees?

I think Jones is likely in his final year with the Giants. To change that, he really needs the best year of his career and that isn’t happening. He hasn’t been horrible, despite what some Giants fans will tell you. He doesn’t, though, lift the talent around him. He’s been mediocre. He is an average NFL quarterback. The backup is Drew Lock, a player Seattle fans know. Lock and Jones came into the NFL in the same year, and whether Giants fans want to acknowledge it or not Jones — even with all his flaws — has been better. I do think that if the season continues on the path it is currently on, the Giants will eventually make the choice that they must have a different starting quarterback in 2025, and will bench Jones to avoid the injury guarantee in his deal from kicking in next season.

Riding the coattails of the first question, outside of injury, how bad would things have to get for Seahawks fans to get to see Drew Lock taking snaps Sunday?

I think Jones would have to get hurt. Maybe it would happen if the Giants get blown out and Jones has a three or four turnover game, but I’d say the best bet for Lock to see the field is a Jones injury.

Seattle fans know the big names, but who is a player, or two, that Seahawks fans may not know who could have an impact on the outcome Sunday?

Well, that depends on the Giants injuries. If Malik Nabers (concussion) can’t play, second-year wide receiver Jalin Hyatt will get his biggest opportunity of the year. Hyatt, a 2023 third-round pick with great speed, has had limited playing this year and does not have a catch yet. If running back Devin Singletary can’t play, fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy will get the bulk of the work. Tracy is a player the Giants are excited about, but he has had limited chances thus far. This might be a breakout opportunity for him, maybe for both players.

The Giants were defeated pretty handily by the Vikings to open the season and since then have played three one-score games. What has been the biggest factor in coming up on the short end of two of those three games, and what will it take for the Giants to come out of Seattle with an upset win?

Self-inflicted wounds. Honestly, that is the common denominator with most losing teams. In Week 2 against Washington, the Giants lost their placekicker on the game’s first play. That cost them at least five points in a game they lost by three. They also had a fourth-down drop by a wide open Nabers that would have given them a first down on the Commanders’ 10-yard line in the final two minutes. Against Dallas, drops, penalties and missed throws by Daniel Jones led to field goals instead of touchdowns in a very winnable game they lost by five points. The offense simply needs to score more touchdowns and kick fewer field goals.

What is your prediction for the game?

There is no way I can predict the Giants to win this game. I think they can win it, even if Nabers doesn’t play. Considering how we have seen the Giants be their own worst enemy thus far, and the difficulty of playing in Seattle, I won’t pick the Giants to win. If the Giants hold true to form, they will be competitive but won’t be able to do enough to pull off the upset.

And now it’s on to the game Sunday afternoon at 1:25 PT/4:25 ET.