Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Giants Analysis: Different NFL Playoff Paths?

Set to face off on Monday Night Football, Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks have started to play to high expectations with back-to-back wins, while Daniel Jones and the New York Giants have struggled mightily amid a 1-2 start.

Entering last season with low expectations due to instability at quarterback and youthful rosters among other concerns, the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants weren't supposed to be contending for playoff spots. Instead, they were projected to compete for a top-five pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

But the NFL can be extremely unpredictable from year to year and thanks to breakout seasons by quarterbacks Geno Smith and Daniel Jones along with strong contributions from their respective rookie class and excellent coaching from Pete Carroll and Brian Daboll, the Seahawks and Giants beat the odds by earning wild card berths with nine wins apiece. While Seattle bowed out of the playoffs quickly, New York upset Minnesota on the road to advance to the Divisional Round.

On the heels of this unexpected success in the Pacific Northwest and Big Apple, with bright futures ahead for both franchises loaded with young talents such as Riq Woolen and Kayvon Thibodeaux, Seattle and New York's offseason blueprints mirrored one another in many ways.

First, as a reward for their outstanding seasons under center, Smith and Jones each received lucrative extensions, with the latter receiving $40 million per year from the Giants to become one of the 10 highest paid quarterbacks in the league. Smith structured his deal heavy on incentives with a low cap hit in 2023 to allow the Seahawks to have a bit more spending power to build around him.

Away from the quarterback position, Seattle made a rare splashy signing early in free agency by courting defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones and inking him to a three-year deal worth $51 million. In the draft, continuing to reap the rewards from trading franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver, the team invested a pair of first-round picks in cornerback Devon Witherspoon and savvy slot receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, further solidifying the weaponry around Smith.

Meanwhile, though New York didn't spend much in free agency with limited cap space aside from adding defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson, general manager Joe Schoen acquired Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller from Las Vegas to bolster Jones' receiving arsenal with a big name target. Like Seattle, the organization also drafted several immediate starters in April, including first-round cornerback Deonte Banks and center John Michael Schmitz.

While the Giants opened up the checkbook to pay Daniel Jones, the Seahawks did the same rewarding Geno Smith and so far, he has lived up to the new contract / © Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Considering those offseason roster construction parallels, the return of heralded 2022 draft classes, and the presence of Carroll and Daboll on the sidelines, the Seahawks and Giants looked to be trending up as contenders in the NFC. But the weight of expectations can be a difficult burden to live up to in the NFL and as they prepare to face off on Monday Night Football, the two franchises split at the fork in the road coming out of training camp and have taken divergent paths so far.

Despite getting blown out in its season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle has bounced back nicely behind a potent offensive attack, picking up a signature road overtime win in Detroit and taking care of business against a winless Carolina squad last weekend. Orchestrating the offense, Smith's numbers mirror the ones he put up winning Comeback Player of the Year last season, as he has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and only one interception thus far.

Aiding his success, the Seahawks have improved protecting the quarterback despite injuries to tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, ranking 13th in Pro Football Focus' team grades and 10th in ESPN's Pass Block Win Rate. Behind them, the duo of Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet has given the team plenty of bite with complementary running styles and pass catching versatility.

Defensively, Seattle has had its share of issues, giving up at least 27 points and 300 yards passing in each of the first three games. However, the unit has been dominant shutting down the run, allowing just 2.9 yards per carry, while the pass rush has started to come to life with more than 50 combined pressures in wins over Detroit and Carolina.

On the flip side, there's been little to get excited about in New York, where the Giants have sputtered to a 1-2 start while ranking 31st in points scored and 30th in points allowed. Skittish behind a shaky offensive line that will likely have a fourth starting combination on Monday night, Jones hasn't been able to build off last season, throwing two touchdowns compared to four interceptions while being sacked 12 times.

Putting more pressure on Jones, star running back Saquon Barkley suffered a high ankle sprain during a furious comeback rally to beat Arizona 31-28 in Week 2 and missed a blowout loss to San Francisco. Without him, New York's backup running backs ran for 22 total yards behind a struggling line and with his status in question for Week 4, the quarterback may be without his backfield security blanket again.

Defensively, despite having a front line anchored by Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams, the Giants rank 29th in run defense and have given up six rushing touchdowns, tied for third-most in the league. They also sit near the bottom of the league in sacks (two) and quarterback pressures (15) and are one of only two teams yet to record an interception.

Winning on the road in the NFL isn't easy, especially in a hostile environment such as MetLife Stadium. As demonstrated earning a playoff berth and winning a wild card game last January, the Giants have plenty of talent and the Seahawks can't afford to overlook them, particularly with an outstanding coach in Daboll who will have had 11 days to prepare his team for this critical contest already featuring potential playoff ramifications.

If Seattle tries to sleepwalk its way to a victory, all the ingredients are in place for a massive letdown in prime time against a desperate opponent looking for a "get right" game to steer the ship back towards contention.

But while the Seahawks are listed as a 1.5-point underdog, Carroll's team should enter this week healthier with Woolen, Cross, Will Dissly, and Jamal Adams all likely to be back in action on Monday night. Those returns coupled with a hot offense led by Smith and an improving defense have provided reasons for optimism, something that has been hard to find in New York to this point, which should make them favorites in a battle of franchises heading into opposite directions.