The Seahawks aren’t tripping over long road trips, as evidenced by their 11-6 straight up and 11-5-1 against the spread (AST) stats over their last 17 games in the EST zone. They’re earning their AirMiles once again in Week 7 as they head to New Jersey to take on the New York Giants this Sunday.
The NFC West might be the hardest division to figure this season. The good teams might not be as good as we thought nor the bad teams as bad. Seattle was definitely in the former group but their wins have not been impressive and in general they have not been great on the road.
Russell Wilson continues to be the straw that stirs the drink for Seattle. He might be in that team first mantra we love about our quarterbacks but when he is. Beast Mode may be in Oakland now and the Seahawks are struggling with how to have a consistent running game. Keeping RBs healthy has been a challenge too.
The inconsistency of the offense has been what is holding this team back. Seattle is still one of the better defensive teams in the league. The numbers look good but they are not as fearsome as they used to be. The Seahawks are not giving up a lot of passing yards but the old Legion of Doom is not creating turnovers the way they used to. That puts more pressure on the team overall. This week they get the chance to take on a Giants passing attack that is far from dynamic without Odell Beckham Jr.
The Giants are not going to look back on 2017 fondly. It started with OBJ injured and it looks like it is going to end that same way. They did just get their first win of the season though. At least from a confidence perspective they should be better this week, coming off a win. New York is scoring less than 20 points per game this season. They have struggled all season long to run the ball and their passing game is far from intimidating given their available receivers.
That’s what makes the Giants win over Denver so impressive last week. Yes I know the defense was critical but they were able to move the ball when they needed to against a really good Denver defense. Orleans Darkwa rushed for more than 100 yards so perhaps they are going to be able to count on running the ball more in the future. It would help this week for sure.
The Giants do have some defensive talent. CB Janoris Jenkins had a pick six against Denver and relishes taking on top receivers. Even after the gruesome injury he sustained Jason Pierre-Paul is still a terror on the pass rush. This can be an above average defense we just need to see it more often.
Writer’s Prediction:
New York is still left with a question mark on their defense as it will be tough to win against two straight top defensives. Pick: Seahawks (-4.5)
