6 keys to victory in Week 5

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith leads the NFL in passing yards but has just four passing touchdowns this season. He’s carried the ball far less than his running backs, averaging four carries per game. But his arm has been a huge help in getting the Seahawks down the field. This is where the defense comes in. They must put pressure on Smith and force him to make a mistake — he’s thrown four interceptions on the season and taken 11 sacks. If the Giants’ defense can contain him, they will have a much better shot at winning.

Malik Nabers is the Giants’ meal ticket. He’s got the hot hands and is second in the league in receiving yards. He’s been Daniel Jones’ most reliable receiver with 386 yards and three touchdowns. The Seahawks don’t have an answer for Nabers on defense, so the more the Giants can get the ball in his hands, the more opportunities Nabers will have to show off his ridiculous talent.

Of course, this relies entirely on Nabers’ availability which is in doubt as of this writing.

Let’s be real, even if the Giants’ defensive line manages to get to Geno Smith, they won’t be able to stop every pass from leaving the pocket. Smith has some serious weapons in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba — guys who are all incredibly reliable. They average just over 10 yards per catch and have just nine plays over 20 yards this year, so the Giants’ secondary needs to stick to them closely and take away as many options for Smith as they can.

The Giants have a -2 turnover ratio. The offense has fumbled the ball six times and thrown three interceptions while the defense has one interception and three fumble recoveries. Turnovers are going to happen, but they cannot happen the way they have been for the Giants, not if they want to win more games.

The offensive line is improved from last season, but Daniel Jones has still been sacked nine times. Plus, the Seahawks roster is home to a couple of familiar faces: defensive end Leonard Williams and safety Julian Love. This is a different offense now than it was when they were in New York, but they haven’t been gone that long. The offensive line has to protect Jones, and Jones has to know when to get rid of the ball.

The Giants have won one game this season, against the Cleveland Browns, and they controlled time of possession. They also stood to defeat the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football after dominating time of possession, but couldn’t put the ball in the endzone. The moral of the story: Control the clock and control the game.