The NFC-best Seattle Seahawks traveled to MetLife Stadium for a Week 15 meeting with the New York Giants and handed the franchise its first home shutout of the regular season since 1995. Seattle's defense led the way with five interceptions en route to the 23-0 victory.
With the Giants dropping to 5-9 and being assured of their first losing season since 2004, here is what they're saying around the league about Big Blue:
"Hate to pile on, but another in a long line of brutal performances this season, a five-interception job against Seattle, leaves [Eli Manning] with 25 for the season … and a mind-boggling 81 in the last 62 games. An embarrassing [23]-0 loss to the Seahawks was Sunday's result in an increasingly horrible 5-9 season."
"How bad were things for New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning in a 23-0 loss to Seattle? Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks was asked about Manning's interceptions. "Which ones?" Nicks said. Manning threw five, including two each to Byron Maxwell and Richard Sherman. Manning has 25 for the season."
"Eli Manning threw five picks (five!) and averaged 5 yards per attempt. The Giants defense couldn't slow down anyone and the running game was nonexistent. Nightmare of a game in front of a home crowd."
"Throughout the Giants' locker room, players were as disheartened as their coach. None more so than Eli Manning, who had a career-high five interceptions.
"It's not fun when you're getting dominated like that," said Manning, who has 25 interceptions, tying his career high. "It's tough to deal with, and it's not what we're used to around here."
Manning's woes were impossible to overlook, and they have been the hallmark of the Giants' season, but he was also not getting much help from his teammates. Two other trademark deficiencies were evident Sunday as well: The offensive line was overrun by the Seahawks' tenacious defensive line, and the Giants' wide receivers did little to win the one-on-one battles with the secondary."
"The Seattle Seahawks used a dominant defense to stymie the New York Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The Seahawks improved to 12-2 with the victory. Fittingly, they were led by their championship-caliber defense, which intercepted Eli Manning five times – two apiece by all-pro corner Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell -- and didn't allow the Giants to cross midfield until the fourth quarter."
