Devon Witherspoon has blossomed since time as unheralded recruit

The Seahawks cruised to a 24-3 win over the Giants on 'Monday Night Football.' The Athletic's team of experts and insiders break it all down.

Michael-Shawn Dugar, Charlotte Carroll, Dan Duggan and The Athletic NFL staff

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16 New Updates

Devon Witherspoon has blossomed since time as unheralded recruit

Devon Witherspoon was an unrated recruit who initially planned to attend a Kansas junior college before landing at Illinois shortly before the 2019 season.

Witherspoon ultimately became the Illini’s first consensus All-American defensive back and the Big Ten defensive back of the year. He has scored one more touchdown tonight than he allowed during the 2022 season at Illinois (zero).

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Pick-six was longest against Giants in 13 years

The 97-yard boomerang thrown by Daniel Jones was the longest interception return allowed by the Giants since 2010 when the Cowboys’ Bryan McCann returned an Eli Manning pick 101 yards for a touchdown.

Seattle D/ST rewards fantasy managers who started them in Week 4

The Seattle D/ST was rostered in only 13.2 percent of ESPN leagues heading into Week 4, but that platoon saw its roster rate increase by 21.3 percent due to having this favorable matchup against the Giants.

Fantasy managers who did make that move have been rewarded, as the pick-six that just gave Seattle a 21-3 lead also vaulted that D/ST to 23 points. There is still just over a quarter of play left in this game, but if that total holds up, the Seahawks will be second on the D/ST scoring board in Week 4, behind only Dallas scoring 26 points against New England.

Seahawks return interception 97 yards for TD

Giants were knocking on the door and the Seahawks closed it with a 97-yard interception return touchdown by rookie CB Devon Witherspoon.

It’s the longest pick-six return by a Seattle defender since Week 13 of 2018 when Bobby Wagner returned a Nick Mullens pass 98 yards against the 49ers. That remains the longest interception return score in franchise history.

Jason Myers can't extend Seahawks' lead

Seahawks kicker Jason Myers can’t connect from 53 yards and the score remains 14-3.

Myers has now missed both of his kicks from 50-plus yards this season after making all six such tries in 2022.

Giants second-half success may be impacting point spread

Sports bettors know that the Giants have been a second-half team this year and that is likely why New York is listed at +7.5 points in live-in game betting at BetMGM despite being down by a 14-3 score near the middle of the third quarter.

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Subpar first half fantasy numbers for Seahawks and Giants

This has been a less-than-stellar first half for fantasy managers looking for a Monday night miracle.

It starts with the Giants. Matt Breida has weighed in with a solid 9.6 PPR points, but Daniel Jones had disappointed with only 5.44 points and Darren Waller’s mediocre 2023 campaign continues with only 1.5 PPR points, as he had only one target and one catch for five yards.

It’s been better for the Seahawks, as DK Metcalf has rewarded fantasy managers with 12.4 PPR and Kenneth Walker III tallied a 1-yard touchdown run to salvage his fantasy numbers (7.9 PPR points). Geno Smith’s night looks to be over with a knee injury, which means he may be stuck at the 7.48 points he generated prior to the ailment. Having Drew Lock under center may also preclude Tyler Lockett from another strong day, as he has only 2.4 PPR points so far.

No first-half TDs for Giants

The Giants and Seahawks reach halftime and once again New York is kept out of the end zone.

Seahawks’ QB Geno Smith questionable to return vs. Giants with knee injury

Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Geno Smith is questionable to return to Monday’s game against the New York Giants with a knee injury, the team announced. Here’s what you need to know:

• Smith suffered the injury while scrambling out of bounds after catching a pass that was batted in the air at the line of scrimmage. He limped off the field and Seattle called a timeout.
• He stayed in the game for a third-and-13 snap. He was clearly hobbled, and Seattle called a quick screen that was nearly intercepted.
• After pacing the sideline while the defense played the next series, Smith checked into the medical tent. As Drew Lock led the ensuing offensive drive, Smith emerged from the tent, put on his helmet and stood on the sideline. He was then escorted to the locker room on the back of a golf cart.
• Prior to exiting in the second quarter, Smith was 9-of-11 passing for 67 yards and one touchdown.

The Giants were booed as the head to the locker room

The Giants are booed as they head off the field into halftime. The Giants are down 14-3 amid a slew of special teams mistakes, missed tackles and lack of offensive cohesion.

Giants falling behind early and often

The Giants have been outscored 77-9 in the first halves of games this season. That's a -68 point differential.

The next worst team is the Raiders at -37.

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Noah Fant big play sets up Seahawks score

The Seahawks extended their lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Walker III.

The score was set up by a 51-yard catch-and-run by Seattle tight end Noah Fant, tied for the second-longest catch of Fant’s career. Fant was acquired along with QB Drew Lock (who threw the pass) from the Broncos before last season in the Russell Wilson trade.

Controversial drop tackle injures Seahawks QB Geno Smith

The NFL considered taking the path of rugby leagues and outlawing the drop tackle where a defender grabs an offensive and immediately sits down to bring the ball carrier down, but eventually relented and kept the rule legal in part due to pushback from the NFLPA.

That tactic has now caused another injury, as Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith had both ankles rolled up on a drop tackle near the sidelines. Smith was upset about the tackle form and was having an animated conversation with a Giants defender after it happened, and the tackle was severe enough to knock Smith out of the game.

This type of high-profile hit will likely put this on the rules maker's agenda once again, as defenders will keep using this tackling method until it is outlawed.

Peyton Manning on the Giants' shoddy tackling. "When you play Cover-2, I'm fine with Cover-2, but when you play it, you actually do have to tackle."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

No explosive plays from the Giants

The Giants talked all offseason about putting together a more explosive offense. So far tonight, and this season, that's not been the case. In part because of a leaky offensive line, Daniel Jones is averaging a paltry 3.8 air yards per attempt. Dallas' Dak Prescott is ranked dead last among all 34 qualified QBs with an average AY/ATT of 5.4.

Tonight would be, by far, Jones' lowest AY/ATT average this season. His previous low, against San Francisco last week, was 5.9.

Graham Gano makes it look easy from 55 yards away

Graham Gano gets the Giants on the board with a 55-yard field goal.

Gano improves to 7-for-10 on kicks of 55-plus yards with the Giants (70%), the best make percentage in the NFL among players with at least 10 such attempts since 2020.

Troy Aikman on Seahawks’ first-round pick Devon Witherspoon

“He reminds me of another No. 21 that I know, Deion Sanders, with his bravado.”

Well, maybe with his bravado but Witherspoon not only is a willing tackler but a big-time hitter. He was that way at Illinois, too.

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Will Ferrell’s appearance on ManningCast was as chaotic as expected

Having Will Ferrell as a guest on the ManningCast all but assures a hilarious chaotic environment and his appearance definitely lived up to expectations. Here’s an incomplete list of what happened.

Ferrell critiqued Eli’s attempt to mimic Ferrell’s “Mom! Meatloaf!” scene from Wedding Crashers.

Ferrell donned a headset to call a play that Peyton was due to mimic and the call was so wild that Manning could do nothing but laugh.

Ferrell, who has a degree in sports information, attempted to do a play-by-play call but got flustered when Geno Smith’s pass was tipped back to him, and Ferrell then deadpanned that he didn’t have his glasses on and couldn’t see the screen.

Ferrell dropped a “butt cheek” reference to carry on the running joke the Manning brothers started in the first quarter.

All in all, it was another memorable segment in ManningCast.

Seahawks’ Jamal Adams evaluated for concussion, won’t return vs. Giants

Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams is being evaluated for a concussion and won’t return against the New York Giants on “Monday Night Football,” the team announced. Here’s what you need to know:

• Adams took a knee to the head from Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the first quarter.
• After leaving the medical tent, Adams was visibly upset as he went to the locker room. He needed to be separated on the sidelines as he tried to get back in the game.
• This was Adams’ first game in 13 months after tearing his quadriceps tendon in Seattle’s Week 1 win against the Denver Broncos in 2022.
• Adams is a three-time Pro Bowler and was named first-team All-Pro in 2019.

Read more here.

Geno Smith completes a pass to... Geno Smith?

After having his pass batted back to him by a defender at the line of scrimmage, Geno Smith caught the deflected pass out of the air and ran the ball for a loss of 2 yards.

The bizarre play resulted in Smith’s first reception since his rookie year in 2013 against the Ravens when WR Josh Cribbs (a college QB at Kent State) took the direct snap and hit Smith for a 13-yard gain.

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