NY Giants vs Seattle Seahawks: 3 Key Matchups

Matchup #3: Wayne Gallman vs the Seattle Run Defense

This will be the defining matchup for the NY Giants offense this week.

Even if Daniel Jones plays, New York figures to be a run-heavy team this week to keep Jones preserved and avoid as many hits to his hamstring as possible. If he doesn’t play, expect the Colt McCoy-led offense to still be a run-first offense.

Leading the Giants’ run-first offense will be the lead conductor, Wayne “The Train” Gallman. Gallman is currently in the best stretch of his four-year NFL career, he’s put up a touchdown in a career-high five consecutive games. Gallman’s rushing touchdown streak is the team’s longest such streak since Andre Brown did the same in 2012.

NY will look to provide a spark on offense through their run game this week. Gallman is a tough, hard-nosed runner who Jason Garrett compared to Emmitt Smith in a Zoom call this week. The Giants will need Gallman to replicate his recent production and keep the chains moving in a critical game for Big Blue.

Seattle ranks 12th in the league on defense with letting up 117.2 rushing yards per game. The Seattle defense is full of weapons and has elite playmakers in Bobby Wagner and Jamal Adams. Both players are equally dangerous and can make plays from the linebacker and safety position.

Last year, Jamal Adams singlehandedly beat the Giants with an impressive individual performance for the Jets. Adams was a one-man highlight reel, racking up nine tackles, two QB hits, one pass deflection, two forced fumbles, and one of them was a successful strip attempt as Adams snatched the ball right out of Daniel Jones’ hands for a walk-in touchdown. It was quite the performance he put on and Jamal only looks more dangerous in this Seattle defense surrounded by better players and improved coaching.

Bobby Wagner has long been one of the game’s most instinctive and best playmaking linebackers of the decade. He is the captain of the Seattle defense for the fifth time along with six Pro Bowls and six All-Pro honors. Five of his six All-Pro awards have been 1st team, including the last four consecutive seasons. Simply put, Bobby Wagner is an absolute beast as the heartbeat of the Seattle defense. He’s made his impact felt again as he has racked up the century mark for tackles along with three sacks and six tackles for losses in 2020.

Wagner and Adams will look to inflict pain and make a mark on the NY Giants’ offense. They play very fast, smart, and sound football and they both fly to the football faster than almost anyone in the league at their positions. New York must come ready for arguably its’ most physical football game all year as they look to neutralize the talented Seahawk defense and send The City of Goodwill a message that the Giants will play smashmouth, downhill football for 60 minutes this Sunday.