New York Giants-Seattle Seahawks: Keys to victory, prediction

With Daniel Jones listed as doubtful, the New York Giants will try to knock off the Seattle Seahawks for their most impressive win of 2020.

The New York Giants (4-7) will look for the fourth consecutive win on Sunday, as they travel to take on the Seattle Seahawks (8-3) at Lumen Field.

The Seahawks are one of the best teams in the league, and despite the fact that there won’t be fans in attendance, playing in Seattle is always tough.

If the Giants win on Sunday, it will easily be the most impressive win of the season. But that task will be daunting as quarterback Daniel Jones is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury.

Whether it’s Jones at quarterback or Colt McCoy, the Giants must play a near-flawless game if they’re going to pull off the upset.

Here are the keys to victory for the Giants on Sunday.

Contain DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett

The Seahawks have a high-powered offense that is led by quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks at throwing the deep ball, and he has two of the best receivers in the league in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

Metcalf, who leads the league in receiving yards with 1,039, is the most physically gifted receiver in the league. The second-year wideout had 10 receptions for 177 yards game against the Eagles on Monday night. The Giants have to make sure he doesn’t have a similar performance on Sunday.

Many expect the Giants’ best corner James Bradberry to cover Metcalf often. But they need to pay equal attention to Lockett, who leads the Seahawks in receptions with 70. If the Giants have any hopes of winning, they’ll have to contain Metcalf and Lockett. Big plays in the passing game could doom the Giants.

Win the Turnover Battle

Winning the turnover battle is always pivotal in any game, especially when you’re a road underdog. Both the Giants and Seahawks enter Sunday’s game +2 in turnover differential.

If Big Blue can win the turnover battle and put the offense in position to score, their chases of winning increase immensely.

Attack the Seahawks Secondary

Some may think it would be unwise to attack the Seahawks secondary if McCoy is the starter. But the secondary is the most vulnerable part of the Seahawks defense. If the Giants didn’t have faith that McCoy could step in if Jones went down, he wouldn’t be the backup.

The Seahawks are giving up 328.8 passing yards per game which is by far the most in the NFL. Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, and Evan Engram can win their one-on-one battles against this Seahawks secondary.

Wayne Gallman will need to get at least 20 touches on Sunday, but the path to victory for the Giants on Sunday will be through the air.

Be Bold and Take Chances

When the situation calls for it, the Giants need to be bold and daring on Sunday. Whether it’s going for it on a fourth and short in Seahawks territory or a timely trick play, the Giants need to take some chances. Catching the Seahawks off guard could swing momentum in New York’s favor.

Head coach Joe Judge has shown he’s not afraid to take chances, so expect that to continue on Sunday.

Prediction: This Giants defense has shown that they can cause any offense problems. Additionally, the offensive line and running game are vastly improved from what they were at the beginning of the season. But with Jones unlikely to play, and if he plays won’t be 100%, it’s hard envisioning the offense being able to score enough points to win. Seahawks 26, Giants 17.