The New York Giants' 41-7 victory at Seattle last season came a week after the Seahawks lost Red Bryant and one of their other top run defenders at the time, Colin Cole, to injuries. They were also without Brandon Mebane, another starting defensive lineman.
Seattle Seahawks Run Defense, Per Game
With Craig Terrill, Junior Siavii and Kentwan Balmer starting on the Seahawks' defensive line, the Giants carried 47 times for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
To say times have changed for Seattle's defense -- or offense, for that matter -- would be an understatement heading into the Week 5 Seahawks-Giants matchup. Overall, the Seahawks are expected to have at least 15 new starters since that 2010 game. Also, the Giants have made changes to their offensive line, further affecting the matchup.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin recognized the differences in sizing up Seattle's defense when speaking with reporters Wednesday:
"They give up literally no yards against the run. They're another team that sinks the safety pretty much according to formation and almost on every play. They have a unique ability -- [Earl] Thomas can come down from like 14 yards deep and be at the line of scrimmage. He’s very quick. They’ve done a nice thing with their personnel. They have a 318-pounder [Bryant] that sits on the inside eye of the tight end. The tight ends are in for an interesting week, for sure."
Thomas and Bryant are indeed the two defenders who stand out most when opponents evaluate Seattle's defense. Chris Clemons can be another.
The Arizona Cardinals' overall success slowing the Giants' ground game in Week 4 should be encouraging for Seattle. The Giants had 24 rushes for 54 yards, a 2.3-yard average. Those numbers ranked among the worst for the Giants since Coughlin became their head coach. They rank 24th in rushing yards per game and 29th in rushing yards per attempt.