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Seattle Seahawks Report Card: Top Performers in 24-3 Win vs. New York Giants

Holding the New York Giants to under 285 yards and three points while amassing a franchise record for sacks, the Seattle Seahawks bullied their opponent for a third consecutive victory. Reporter Corbin Smith dishes out his top five grades and other notable performances from an exciting Week 4 win at MetLife Stadium.

Corbin K. Smith

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Building momentum heading into a much-needed bye week and improving their record to 3-1 on the season, the Seattle Seahawks took care of business behind a stingy defense to knock off the New York Giants 24-3 on Monday Night Football.

Which stars shined brightest during a fantastic effort on the road to keep pace in the NFC West? After revisiting the game and breaking down All-22 film, here are my top five grades along with other notable performances from Seattle's latest win at MetLife Stadium:

Devon Witherspoon

Overall Grade: 92.0 (Run Defense 90, Tackling 86, Pass Rush 96, Coverage 96)

Making his presence known under prime time lights in front of a national audience, Witherspoon did it all starring for a dominant Seahawks defense. Timing his blitz perfectly from the slot, he came untouched on the Giants second drive to smack Jones for the first of a team-record 11 sacks on the night. He later added a second one for good measure, astutely recognizing a trick play when Jones swung a lateral pass to receiver Parris Campbell and the rookie cornerback brought him down for an eight-yard loss before he could even wind up to throw. In addition, he showed off his remarkable physicality at 185 pounds setting a hard edge in the box to blow up Gary Brightwell at the line of scrimmage.

Witherspoon's most notable play of the night didn't come until midway through the third quarter, however. After Jones had marched New York down to the Seattle three-yard line and positioned his team to cut the deficit to four points, the high IQ defender undercut a pivot route by Campbell and returned the interception 97 yards for a touchdown to put a dagger in the home team. Stuffing the stat sheet, he finished with seven tackles, two sacks, a defensive touchdown, and three quarterback hits in a dynamic performance that culminated with NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Bobby Wagner

Overall Grade: 89.0 (Run Defense 92, Tackling 90, Pass Rush 90, Coverage 84)

Showing no signs of slowing down in his 12th NFL season, Wagner turned in a vintage performance while Witherspoon understandably soaked up the spotlight. Helping Seattle hold New York's running backs to under 2.2 yards per carry on the night, No. 54 racked up six tackles against the run netting two or fewer yards, including stone-walling Jones on an attempted fourth down quarterback sneak on the game's opening drive. According to Pro Football Focus, the average depth of his tackles in the run game was an elite 1.3 yards, indicating he was consistently making impact stops near the line of scrimmage.

Continuing to wreak havoc as a pass rusher as well, Wagner pitched in a pair of sacks after halftime, contributing to the Seahawks record day harassing Jones. His first sack came on a well-designed blitz where Uchenna Nwosu and Jarran Reed each slanted hard towards the left guard Shane Lemieux, occupying three blockers in the process while the savvy veteran linebacker looped back outside untouched to bring down Jones in the backfield. He later shed a block working off the line of scrimmage to stuff the quarterback again, registering multiple sacks in a single game for the fourth time in his career. Well on his way to another 100-tackle season, he tallied 17 combined tackles against the Giants while only allowing 39 yards on five catches in coverage.

Uchenna Nwosu

Overall Grade: 87.0 (Run Defense 87, Tackling 84, Pass Rush 90)

While Nwosu didn't actually lead the Seahawks in pressures on Monday night - that honor actually went to rookie Derick Hall - no player on the front line created more chaos for a beleaguered Giants offensive line. Helping set up a Geno Smith touchdown pass to DK Metcalf, he came unblocked against a bootleg pass and forced Jones to step up in the pocket, eventually allowing teammate Mario Edwards to hit the quarterback from behind and force a fumble that was recovered by Jordyn Brooks inside the New York 10-yard line. In the first half, he tacked on two run stops netting one yard or less, setting a firm edge and finishing tackles with authority.

Once the Giants fell behind by three scores after Witherspoon's pick six, Nwosu took over in the final quarter, pinning his ears back while dominating tackles Evan Neal and Joshua Ezeudu. His first sack of the season came courtesy of a swift swipe move, swatting away Ezeudu's hands and bending around the corner to collapse on Jones in the pocket. He later added a second sack for good measure, becoming the team-record fourth player with multiple sacks on the night. Generating four tackles, two sacks, and four quarterback pressures, the rising star continues to earn every penny of his new contract for the Seahawks.

Noah Fant

Overall Grade: 85.5 (Receiving 92, Pass Blocking 78, Run Blocking 86)

From a stat perspective, Fant only caught two passes on two targets and Smith missed a couple of opportunities to get easy completions to him in the second half. But he held up well opening up run lanes in the second half and when the fifth-year tight end did have the ball in his hands, he provided rare fireworks on a night where the offense struggled more than usual due to injuries at quarterback and along the offensive line. Midway through the first quarter, he produced Seattle's first first down of the game on a simple out route, turning the catch into a 12-yard gain and a new set of downs.

Fant's big splash came late in the first half after Drew Lock checked in for a banged up Smith. With the quarterback rolling out to his right to evade pressure, he dumped it off to the tight end wide open in the flats for an easy first down. But instead of going out of bounds to stop the clock, the former Iowa star tight roped the sideline like an acrobat with incredible contact balance, somehow managing to stay inbounds while getting pushed by multiple defenders before diving for the end zone. While his knee came down when the ball was just short of the goal line, the reception set up Ken Walker III's one-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 14-3 just before half.

Jordyn Brooks

Overall Grade: 85.5 (Run Defense 86, Tackling 90, Pass Rush 80, Coverage 86)

Making an early push as a contender for Comeback Player of the Year recognition, Brooks keeps getting better each successive week in his triumphant return from a torn ACL. On the game's opening drive, he showcased elite speed for the position chasing down Jones as he scrambled to the sideline, forcing him out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage for an effort sack. In the right place at the right time moments later, the fourth-year linebacker scooped up the football after Edwards punched it out on a strip sack late in the first quarter and spun through a tackle attempt to move inside the Giants 10-yard line.

Finding success as a blitzer, Brooks later brought down Jones in the third quarter when the quarterback tried to climb up the pocket and sacked him at the line of scrimmage, giving him three sacks for the season. While he didn't quite equal Wagner's numbers, he produced four run stops netting two or fewer yards, headlined by teaming up with defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones to corral Matt Breida for a five-yard loss on a second quarter pitch play. Adding in no receptions allowed on one target in coverage, the former Texas Tech star played a key role in holding New York to under 285 yards and just three points.

Other Notable Performances

Though he didn't have his best game statistically and got busted for a hold to wipe out a long reception by Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf just missed the top five thanks to reeling in three receptions that either resulted in a first down or a touchdown for an 83.0 grade. Overcoming shoddy blocking early in the game, Walker went on a bit of a rampage in the second half and produced nearly 70 yards after contact while forcing six missed tackles, earning a steady 81.0 grade. Playing through an injury for much of the game, Smith wasn't on his A-game and missed on a few throws he usually would connect on in the second half, but he gutted it out with a 65 percent completion rate for a 79.0 score. In the trenches, Olu Oluwatimi didn't allow a single pressure on 19 pass pro snaps and Anthony Bradford made a key block on Walker's touchdown, with the two players earning 78.5 and 77.0 grades respectively in reserve duty. While he had a few good blocks in the run game, Jake Curhan had major issues with Kayvon Thibodeaux, allowing five pressures and a pair of sacks for a 67.5 grade.

Making the most of extensive action in the second half, Myles Adams tallied his first career sack, two pressures, and two run stops on just 22 snaps, narrowly missing the top five with an 83.5 grade. Just behind him, Edwards produced his first sack of the season, forced a fumble, and batted a ball at the line of scrimmage, earning an 82.0 score for his efforts. Though Jarran Reed and Dre'Mont Jones didn't register a sack during the quarterback hitting frenzy, they remained active with four pressures apiece and each produced a tackle for loss, earning 80.5 and 79.0 grades respectively. Leading the team in pressures and producing a key pressure that led to an interception, Hall's pass rushing efforts netted him his highest score (79.5) as a pro thus far. In the secondary, Quandre Diggs enjoyed his best game of the season, registering his first interception and allowing only two catches for 14 yards for an 80.0 score. While he did record a pass breakup, Riq Woolen allowed six catches in coverage and dropped an interception, receiving a 73.0 score.

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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.

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