Giants 29-20 Seahawks (Oct. 6, 2024) Game Recap

SEATTLE – Isaiah Simmons was added to the New York Giants' field goal blocking team this week.

The move paid off on Sunday and was the defining moment in an improbable Giants win.

Bryce Ford-Wheaton returned the kick that Simmons blocked 60 yards for a touchdown with 55 seconds left, the decisive score in the Giants' 29-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

With Seattle waiting for the potential equalizer, Simmons jumped cleanly across the gap between the guard and the long snapper on the offensive line and hit the kick that bounced into the arms of Ford-Wheaton for a touchdown that put the home fans in the goal sent exits.

“Normally I’m not on the field goal block. So today was my first time,” Simmons said. “I said I would block a punt or a field goal today.”

The blocked kick was the culmination of a near-perfect day for the Giants. Without two of its best offensive players, New York (2-3) played a masterful game plan that built a 23-13 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Giants then engineered a big special teams play that had Seattle on the verge of potentially forcing overtime.

The block was installed earlier this week by special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial. Guard Laken Tomlinson was held down by New York's Dexter Lawrence II, giving the athletic Simmons the opportunity to jump through and make the block.

Then Ford-Wheaton did his part by corralling the loose ball with nothing but open field in front of him.

“It happened exactly the way we installed it. We just knew (Simmons) was a freak athlete. He has the ability to do something like that and we trust him,” Ford-Wheaton said.

The finish was stunning after Seattle appeared to be on the verge of an improbable rebound, potentially handing the Giants another one-point loss. Geno Smith threw a 5-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba with 2:09 left, capping a 95-yard touchdown drive. Unable to get a first down, New York returned a punt to Seattle, only to see Smith score 32 yards on the first play to put the Seahawks (3-2) within field goal range .

But the drive stalled and Simmons got away with the blocked kick.

“We were talking about who would be a good candidate to make the jump and Isaiah came to mind and he executed it perfectly,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said.

Daniel Jones directed the entire production with a strong performance. Despite playing without rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Devin Singletary, the Giants developed a plan of short passes and rushing runs that allowed New York to control possession and keep Seattle's offense on the sidelines .

Jones finished 23 of 34, throwing 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 refused to relinquish.

Fifth-round rookie pick Tyrone Tracy rushed for 129 yards, filling in Singletary's absence, while Slayton had eight catches for 122 yards while Nabers was sidelined.

The Giants managed a total of 420 yards and had the ball for more than 37 minutes.

“We've said since training camp how much we like our talented guys and how deep we think these positions are. And you saw a lot of guys today that stood out and made a lot of plays,” Jones said.

The win could have been even more comfortable for New York if Eric Gray hadn't fumbled at the goal line, allowing Rayshawn Jenkins to return it 102 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. But that was the only highlight of a frustrating day for the Seahawks.

Smith was 28 of 40 for 284 yards and rushed for another 72 yards, but Seattle's running game was mostly ineffective. Smith was sacked seven times – three of them by Lawrence.

Playing just a short week after losing at Detroit on Monday night, the Seahawks were overtaken by coaches and seemed a little slow throughout. There were sloppy penalties, poor tackling and poor protection from Smith.

And there isn't much time for corrections with a divisional game against San Francisco coming up on Thursday night.

“We played badly. That’s the reality,” Smith said. “I don't think we performed well.” I thought we came out slow. We talked about starting fast, that's not the way we want to start, and then turning the ball over, not finishing drives. With all of that, you can beat in the NFL.”

Injuries

Seattle fullback Uchenna Nwosu injured his hamstring in the first half and was sidelined at halftime. Nwosu made his season debut after missing the first four weeks due to a knee sprain he sustained in 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 injured his foot in the fourth quarter.

Next

Giants: Host Cincinnati next Sunday night.

Seahawks: Host San Francisco on Thursday night.

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