The Seattle Seahawks absolutely destroyed the New York Giants in Week 4 on Monday Night Football. The score was 24-3, but that doesn’t truly do justice to what a blowout this game was. The offense looked good moving the ball despite a Geno Smith injury that knocked him out for two series at the end of the first half. And the defense was dominant (although that may not be a strong enough word). The unit had 11 sacks and forced three turnovers on one of the most dominating nights in recent NFL memory. A lot of Seahawks played great in Week 4, but here are the four biggest standouts from the Giants rout, including rookie Devon Witherspoon and veteran Bobby Wagner.
Devon Witherspoon
When a team drafts a 5-foot-11, 181-pound cornerback No. 5 overall in the NFL Draft, that player better be pretty special. Devon Witherspoon showed he is special on Monday Night.
Witherspoon was playing nickel for an extended period of time for the first time in his career. How did he do? Well, the CB ended the night with seven tackles, a pass defended, three QB hits, 2.0 sacks, and a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown. Not bad for his first time playing a new position.
The rookie was everywhere against the Giants, and with one game he threw his name into the hat for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year alongside Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch and Philadelphia Eagles DT Jalen Carter.
Witherspoon was a true difference-maker in the Seahawks Week 4 win, and that is unusual for a cornerback, especially a young cornerback. However, it was obvious to anyone watching, and ESPN announcer Troy Aikman not only saw it but gave Witherspoon the highest compliment he could.
At one point in the game, Aikman pointed out that Devon Witherspoon wears jersey No. 21, and the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback pointed out that the rookie was playing like one of his former teammates who wore that same number, Hall of Fame CB Deion Sanders.
DK Metcalf
Most of the Seahawks players on this list of standouts are going to be on the defensive side of the ball, which is only fair after the team’s 11-sack outburst against the Giants on Monday night. However, the offense did score 17 points, too, so they should get some credit.
There are several candidates to choose from here. Quarterback Geno Smith had a gutty performance on an injured knee and running back Kenneth Walker III ran for 17 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
However, the most impressive performance of the night — albeit with limited touches — was wide receiver DK Metcalf.
Metcalf had three catches for 34 yards and a touchdown which, especially by his standards, isn’t all that impressive. He did make the touchdown catch, though, to put his team up 7-0, and his other two grabs came in the first half when the team needed them and with Giants rookie CB Deonte Banks draped all over him.
The big wideout also made some excellent blocks downfield in the run game, which helped Walker hit the heights he did. This wasn’t one of DK Metcalf’s best games, but it was impressive nonetheless.
Bobby Wagner
While a rookie was getting it done on one level of the defense in the Seahawks Week 4 win over the Giants, a weathered old veteran was getting it done in the middle as well.
Devon Witherspoon was 11 years old when the Seahawks originally drafted linebacker Bobby Wagner in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Twelve seasons, eight Pro Bowls, and six All-Pro Teams later, the LB is still getting it done at a high level.
Wagner may be 33, but he is still making the plays he made in his 20s when he played in front of the Legion of Boom. On Monday, Wagner once again filled up the stat sheet, making 17 tackles and recording 2.0 sacks and two QB hits in his defense’s dominant performance.
The leader of the Seahawks defense showed up in a big way in the Week 4 win over the Giants, and after a year away last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, both Bobby Wagner and head coach Pete Carroll have to be glad the LB is back where he belongs.
Uchenna Nwosu
On a night where the Seahawks defense had 11 sacks, you have to put one of the team’s primary pass rushers in the list of standouts. For this game, that honor goes to outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu.
Nwosu was excellent on the night, recording six tackles, two QB hits, 2.0 sacks, and a forced fumble when he strip-sacked Daniel Jones from behind. Those were Nwosu’s first two sacks of the season after coming off a career-high 9.5-sack performance last year.
The Seahawks will hope that Nwosu’s Week 4 game against the Giants will be the spark that gets the pass rusher going and starts him taking down QBs at the level he was last season.
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