3 NY Giants who thrived in win over Seahawks (and 2 who struggled)

Fortunately, the NY Giants found themselves in the win column last week in a dramatic road victory over the Seattle Seahawks, which puts them at 2-3 on the season through the first five weeks. Many counted Big Blue out of this one, as they would be without rookie phenom Malik Nabers and starting running back Devin Singletary.

Still, the G-Men pulled it out and performed well offensively and defensively to get in the win column. With every game, some players outperform others, and some do not meet expectations. Daniel Jones looked good without his top target in this one, and the Giants defensive front stepped up for seven sacks on quarterback Geno Smith to help get the win.

Still, Isaiah Simmons' blocked field goal scooped up by Bryce Ford-Wheaton for a touchdown to win the game goes down as the play of the game. That said, let's look at three Giants that thrived in New York's Week 5 victory over the Seahawks and two who struggled against Seattle:

3 Giants who thrived in Week 5 win over the Seahawks

Let's start with the good. There's nobody better to mention first than Dexter Lawrence, who has looked like the best defensive lineman in the league this season. Lawrence has six sacks on the year, tied for the second most in the NFL this year behind Aidan Hutchinson, and three came last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. The Giants finished with seven sacks last week; D.J. Davidson had two, Brian Burns had one, and Kayvon Thibodeaux and Rakeem Nunez-Roches each had half of a sack. The Giants' defense has 22 sacks through five games this year, which is more than any other team. New York has emerged as a top-run defense in the league, and it all starts with Sexy Dexy, who continues to dominate weekly.

You may forget that Darius Slayton was the Giants' WR1 before Nabers was drafted, and Wan'Dale Robinson emerged as a top target. The veteran wideout was the team's leading receiver for four of the last five years, and he showed exactly why New York fans can't count him out last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Last week, Slayton led the team in targets, receptions, and yards, finishing with eight receptions,122 yards, and a touchdown on 11 targets. While I don't believe Slayton will consistently put up these numbers with Nabers returning from concussion protocol this week, seeing the veteran succeed in New York is still encouraging.

The rookie who impressed the most against the Seattle Seahawks was running back Tyrone Tracy. The 2024 fifth-round pick took over RB1 duties with Singletary sidelined last week and exceeded expectations. Tracy rushed for 129 yards on 18 carries, averaging 7.2 yards per carry. It's encouraging to see the rookie running back stepping up if Singletary were to miss time or the team decides to move on from him. While I don't see the G-Men trading Motor, you never know which teams will trade for a running back at the deadline. Still, Tracy's role could evolve even with Singletary in the backfield, similar to what the Jets have done with rookie Braelon Allen and Breece Hall.

2 Giants who struggled against the Seahawks last week

Throughout training camp, Tracy and Eric Gray were battling it out for the RB2 spot behind Motor on the Giants' depth chart, but now it's clear the rookie has won the job. Gray has been disappointing, and his struggles continued this past week against the Seahawks. The second-year running back has mainly been used on special teams, but has struggled to hold on to the football. Both Giants' wins this season have started with Gray fumbling the ball and the opposing team scoring first because of it. Last week, Gray rushed for four yards on four carries and almost had a touchdown to start the game if it weren't for a fumble on the Seattle one-yard line, which resulted in a Rayshawn Jenkins 102-yard scoop and score. We'll see what Gray's role turns into as the season progresses, but for now, the Giants will rely on Singletary and Tracy.

Jalin Hyatt has been disappointing to watch as he has yet to break out after impressing throughout training camp, and many expected an impactful season out of him. The second-year wide receiver's snap count has been surprisingly low this season, and he has yet to record a reception on just three targets in the last five weeks. While Hyatt has been mainly used in garbage time, he was used on 67 percent of snaps against the Seahawks and was not targeted once, even with Nabers sidelined. Hyatt's role has evolved into a decoy, and he is no longer viewed as a pass-catcher. Therefore, I could see him as a trade candidate at this year's deadline and the Kansas City Chiefs as a potential suitor for the former third-round pick with Rashee Rice out for the season.