The rejuvenated New York Giants stepped all over the pre-game talk

The New York Giants must have heard it, read it, watched it all the way from New Jersey to the state of Washington.

Seattle is where they were heading. Their young starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, is still sidelined with a strained hamstring and 33-year-old Colt McCoy, in his 15th year in the National Football League, was the back-up who took the field Sunday with only one thing in his favor — no “12th man” now with the COPID-19 restriction,

Otherwise, the NFC East-leading Giants arrived as a double-digit underdog.

They had reeled off three-straight victories and are were 4-7 overall in the dismal division also occupied by the Washington Football Team, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Dallas Cowboys.

But through the week, it was said they had no chance, no way because it doesn’t matter who they have beaten  lately, the Seahawks are a much tougher opponent. That their defense will not be able to contain (quarterback) Russell Wilson, and their offense will have a tough time against the aggressive Seattle defense, plus Pete Carroll’s team holds the top spot in the NFC West by a half-game over the Los Angeles Rams, and so it’s expected it will be all business.

Then came the mention of McCoy and the response wasn’t what Giant fans want to hear. That, after Jones limped to the sidelines last week after going down following a pass, and came back for the next series, but that was it as McCoy took over and brought just a pair of field goals, and so the know it all decided that within Jones, the MetLife Stadium residents have little if no chance.

But when the clock ran down, the scoreboard told it like it was, a surprising 22-16 triumph as the “I told you so gang,” wildly celebrated as Carroll came on the field to quickly greet Giants’ first-year head coach Joe Judge, and now the visitors knew it would be a great flight home to Newark Airport.

It was 5-0 Seattle at halftime, believe it, for it shut out the shut down , it was a field goal and safety that had them in the lead via a baseball score. But McCoy, now after a week of practice as the starter, produced. He fled sacks by using his experience, made some key throws, and mostly handed off to Wayne Gallman, who carried 25 times for 137 yards behind a solid offensive line. The blocking was excellent, and on the other side of the ball, the defense excelled, and McCoy did his part with two touchdowns in the third quarter.

The Giants then added a fourth quarter field goal and the Seahawks cut the gap to 17-12 late in the quarter. Then came the Giants’ final test.

For now it appeared that Wilson, with perhaps his final series and known for late comebacks, was moving Seattle after it took over on its own 30 following the punt. He passed short and rarely handed the ball off, but when it reached midfield and knew a field goal wasn’t what they wanted, the Giants began to put the pressure on Wilson.

Before this, they had sacked him twice, had forced him out of the pocket numerous time, and now they poured it on, getting to him on back-to-back plays resulted in yards lost, once at eight yards, other at 10, and now it was 3rd and 18 when a pass fell short, and 4th and the same when Wilson’s final fling flew past the end zone.

Now first place has the Giants in command. Behind them at 4-7 is Washington, who New York defeated twice.  Philadelphia, whom they split with, fell to 3-8-1 (tie against Cincinnati) with the 30-26 Sunday setback at the Green Bay Packers. Dallas is 3-8 and plays Tuesday night at the Baltimore Ravens while Washington kicks off Monday night at the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers.

From there, the Giants play home games versus the Arizona Cardinals, the Cleveland Browns, hit the road to play at Baltimore, and finish up with a visit from the Cowboys.

Meanwhile, the doubting Thomas’ must be wondering how certain they were that the Seahawks would look down on the Giants, step over them, and assure them of a dismal flight home. But the Giants instead had the upper hand as the final score said.

In the other NFL games, the visiting New England Patriots (6-6) rolled over the Los Angeles Chargers, 45-0, who dropped to 3-9; the New Orleans Saints (10-3) had a tight one at the 4-6 Atlanta Falcons before prevailing 21-16; the Los Angeles Rams (8-4), now tied for first in the NFC West with Seattle, won at Arizona, 38-28, and the Cards fell to 6-6; and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs won their 10th in 11 starts by coming from behind to get past the visiting Denver Broncos, 26-16, and the Broncs are now 4-8.

Then there was the Miami Dolphins (8-4) handing the visiting Cincinnati Bengals (2-8-1) a 19-7 defeat; the Detroit Lions (5-7) turned in a 34-30 win over the also 5-7 Chicago Bears’ the Cleveland Browns advanced to 9-3 by outscoring the visiting Tennessee Titans (41-35) to drop them to 8-4; the Minnesota Vikings are now all even at 6-6by disposing of the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars (1-11) in a close 27-24 victory, and the Indianapolis Colts improved to 8-4 and back in a first-place tie with Jacksonville in the AFC North.

The winless New York Jets were within one play, a few seconds, to turn back the visiting Las Vegas Raiders when quarterback Dereck Carr threw a touchdown pass with only three seconds remaining. It was the 11th straight setback for the Jets, and it was their second straight time coming close to winning, while the Raiders improved to 7-5.

Also tonight of a Monday doubleheader has the Washington-Pittsburgh tilt kicking off first, followed by the Buffalo Bills (9-3) at the San Francisco 49ers (5-6).

That’s all folks, it was a Giant day.