Giants Make Statement, Overpower Seahawks 41-7
Updated: 11/8/10 7:23 a.m.
SEATTLE (AP) — There wasn't much for Pete Carroll to grasp after his undermanned Seattle Seahawks were thrashed for a second consecutive week.
Except that his quarterback, Charlie Whitehurst, wasn't added to the New York Giants' list of knocked out QBs this season.
"Charlie survived his first game, he made it through it," Carroll said.
Other than Whitehurst's health, Sunday was another forgettable effort by the Seahawks.
Eli Manning picked apart Seattle's secondary for 232 yards and three touchdowns, Ahmad Bradshaw added two TDs — all in the opening half — and the Giants routed the Seahawks 41-7 on Sunday.
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Coming off its bye, New York (6-2) needed just one half to win its fifth straight, put away any memories of past flubs in Seattle and stake a claim at the top of the NFC East.
And the Giants clearly showed that even though Seattle entered as leaders of the mediocre NFC West, they're not in the same class.
"I wouldn't want to say we are the best team. But, we are playing the way we need to be as a team," Giants safety Antrel Rolle said. "I think we are establishing ourselves as a great unit. As long as we keep playing team ball, I can just see us climbing and climbing and climbing."
Whitehurst was making his first NFL start in place of Matt Hasselbeck (concussion). His first regular season pass was a completion — for (minus)-3 yards — and the day didn't get much better from there.
Whitehurst finished 12 of 23 for 113 yards and two interceptions. His lone bright spot came in the fourth quarter when he hit Ben Obomanu on a 36-yard touchdown to ensure Seattle wouldn't be shut out at home for the first time since 1992.
"It made it a little better, I guess," Whitehurst said of his first TD pass. "But it was a disappointing day for us. I was disappointed in the way that I played and I have to get better."
It didn't help Whitehurst that two starting offensive linemen were out, along with three-fourths of Seattle's starting defensive line. And Seattle's run game never got started against the Giants defense with Marshawn Lynch held to 48 yards on 11 carries, 26 yards coming on one run.
Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates also called a puzzling double pass on third-and-1 in the first quarter that fell incomplete when Whitehurst overthrew tight end Chris Baker by 10 yards.
And wide receiver Mike Williams bobbled a potential touchdown throw that fell into the hands of Terrell Thomas for an interception.
"Nothing feels right, right now," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.
That's not the case for the Giants, who made a swift and efficient statement, not allowing the undermanned Seahawks hope of pulling the upset or letting their notoriously loud home crowd get rocking.
The Giants were called for just two false start penalties and handed Seattle its worst home loss since moving into Qwest Field. It was the Giants' biggest road win since a 41-7 win at Washington in 1993.
Manning's passer rating was a nearly perfect 152.3 in the first half. He finished 21 of 32 for 290 yards and TD passes of 46, 6, and 5 yards. Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs and D.J. Ware combined for 201 yards rushing, while Hakeem Nicks had six catches for 128 yards.
It was the second straight 41-point outburst by the Giants, who topped 400 offensive yards for the third time on their win streak with 487.
"We have a lot of confidence," Bradshaw said. "We know that we can go out and (stop) any team we want to when we play a good game. That is just what we did today. We played great."
Manning's blistering first half included a 46-yard strike to Nicks, when rookie safety Earl Thomas bit on a crossing route and one play after Thomas was called for illegal contact to keep the Giants drive alive.
Seattle's Leon Washington fumbled the ensuing kickoff that Jonathan Goff recovered and returned it to the Seattle 4. Bradshaw piled in on the next play and in 15 seconds, the Giants were up 21-0.
Manning also found Steve Smith on a 6-yard TD pass in the second quarter and his 5-yarder to Kevin Boss in the final minute of the first half gave the Giants a 35-0 halftime lead.
Manning and most of the Giants starters watched the fourth quarter from the bench.
"When we find our rhythm, we're doing a good job of staying with it and kind of having it for a number of drives and that's important," Manning said. "Today we found it quickly and stayed with it until the fourth quarter, just moving the ball up and down."
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
