EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Seattle Seahawks will ride a three-game winning streak into its bye week.
Leading the entire way, the Seahawks dominated the punchless New York Giants 24-3 on Monday Night Football.
Here are five takeaways from the Seahawks' commanding victory.
Witherspoon's big game
Many pundits and fans were confused when the Seahawks passed on defensive tackle Jalen Carter with the fifth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Instead of securing a talented player at a position of need - the Seahawks struggled to defend the run in 2022, after all - Seattle fortified a strength by taking cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
That decision, at least right now, looks brilliant after Witherspoon had one of the best games you'll ever see from a cornerback. (This is not hyperbole.)
The Illinois product was primarily matched up against Giants slot receivers, giving him a quicker path to the quarterback, if necessary. The Seahawks' game plan was aggressive in its usage of Witherspoon, giving him the chance to dart inside to pressure the quarterback and wreak havoc on the offensive line.
Witherspoon finished with seven tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, one pass deflection and three quarterback hits -- basically, every stat you could possibly compile as a cornerback.
The rookie also had a back-breaking 97-yard pick-six in the third quarter that sapped the Giants of any momentum. According to Next Gen Stats, Witherspoon traveled 117.3 yards and reached a top speed of 20.25 miles per hour on his long and winding route to the end zone. The interception return boosted Seattle's win probability by almost 18%.
Jamal Adams injured again
It was not a banner night for another member of the Seahawks secondary.
Jamal Adams made his return to the Seahawks after missing 385 days with a torn quadriceps tendon. The former All-Pro safety's debut started off well, with a big hit on the Giants first drive.
Later in the same drive, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones' knee connected with Adams' helmet on a scramble. Adams exited the game with a concussion early in the first quarter and did not return.
It continues a long list of Adams injuries that have derailed his Seahawks tenure. Since signing a four-year, $70 million contract with the Seahawks, he's missed 28 of 54 games (52%).
Photos: Seahawks' 24-3 win over the Giants on Monday Night Football
Geno's injury
There was a scare in the first half when Geno Smith was injured on a scramble out of bounds. He left for the game with a knee injury, ceding way for Drew Lock's first opportunity with the Seahawks.
Lock only attempted five passes before Smith returned in the second half, but he did make the most of his opportunity.
Once Smith returned in the second half, he didn't need to do much to lead the Seahawks to a win this week, finishing with just 110 yards and one passing touchdown. The Seahawks defense more than carried their weight Monday night.
Stifling Daniel Jones
There were many miserable Giants fans at MetLife Stadium, but none could possibly match the misery of quarterback Daniel Jones.
Jones was running for his life the entire game, as the Seahawks defense teed off on the hapless Giants offensive line. In total, Seattle sacked Jones a team-record 11 times and added another 10 tackles for loss.
The Seahawks pressure was so stifling that the Giants had no time to develop any explosive plays in the air, leaving Jones to throw short pass after short pass to no avail.
Unstoppable Seahawks on Monday night
The Seahawks improved to 13-4 all-time on Monday Night Football, good for an outstanding .765 winning percentage.
That gives the Seahawks the highest all-time winning percentage on Monday Night Football.
