The New York Giants pulled off a stunning upset against the Seattle Seahawks, with a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown in the final minutes helping secure a 29-20 win. Despite initial concerns about the legality of the block, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald defended the play, stating that his team simply got beat. Isaiah Simmons flew through the Seahawks’ line to make the block, allowing Bryce Ford-Wheaton to run it back for a touchdown and avoid overtime.
The play raised questions about the legality of jumping over the offensive line to block a field goal, but Macdonald clarified that Simmons had not jumped over but instead went through a gap created after a player was blocked to the ground, which is a legal move. This type of push-down block is not commonly seen on field-goal attempts, prompting surprise among observers. Nevertheless, Simmons’ move was within the rules and helped seal the Giants’ victory.
In the win, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had an impressive performance, going 23 of 34 for 257 yards and throwing two touchdowns. Wide receivers Darius Slayton and Tyrone Tracy also had strong showings, with Slayton catching a crucial touchdown in the second half despite an earlier unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and Tracy rushing for 129 yards on 18 carries. On the Seahawks’ side, Geno Smith, the league’s passing leader going into the week, completed 28 of 40 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown while also leading the team in rushing with 73 yards on the ground.
The loss marked a second consecutive defeat for the Seahawks, who will need to regroup quickly for a Thursday night matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The team will look to bounce back from their recent setbacks and improve their performance in the upcoming game. Overall, the Giants’ unexpected victory and the controversy surrounding the blocked field goal added excitement to the game and left both teams with valuable lessons to learn as they continue through the season.
