Seahawks at Giants
THE STORY: The New York Giants have rebounded from a season-opening loss to collect three straight wins and stake their claim atop the NFC East. Recent history suggests that Tom Coughlin's club shouldn't expect much of a hiccup on Sunday when it hosts the struggling Seattle Seahawks. Eli Manning has authored a pair of fourth-quarter comebacks – highlighted by tossing two touchdowns in just over 3 1/2 minutes to lead New York to a 31-27 victory over the Arizona Cardinals last weekend. For its part, Seattle hasn't won in the Eastern time zone since December 2007.
TV: FOX, 1 p.m. ET. LINE: Giants -9.5, O/U 43.5
ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (1-3): Seattle put forth a spirited rally but dropped a 30-28 decision to the Atlanta Falcons last week. The much-maligned Tarvaris Jackson threw for a career-high 319 yards and three touchdowns, although he could be in for a tough day should Pro Bowl DE Justin Tuck return from a groin injury. After missing his new team's first two games, WR Sidney Rice has reeled in 11 receptions for 188 yards and a score. As a member of the Minnesota Vikings, Rice did have a 60-yard touchdown in his last game against the Giants.
ABOUT THE GIANTS (3-1): Manning took considerable heat for throwing a career-high 25 interceptions last season. With that in mind, the Super Bowl-winning QB should be praised for going a league-best 90 consecutive passes without throwing one to the other team. Stud wideout Hakeem Nicks has been a trusted target, reeling in 10 catches for a career-high 162 yards versus Arizona. Although running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have struggled to get untracked this season, they have tasted success against the Seahawks. Bradshaw rushed for a pair of scores in the last meeting in Seattle while Jacobs did the same the last time the clubs played in New Jersey.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. The Giants have routed the Seahawks in their last two meetings, outscoring the Pacific Northwest residents by an 85-13 margin.
2. Undrafted rookie Doug Baldwin leads Seattle in receiving with 12 catches for 194 yards and a touchdown. He had five catches for 84 yards last week against the Falcons.
3. With his recent play, Victor Cruz has virtually supplanted Mario Manningham as New York's No. 2 wide receiver. Cruz has recorded back-to-back 104-yard contests and has scored twice. For his part, Manningham was briefly benched last week.