Seahawks vs. Giants preview

Key questions

1What's the deal with the Seahawks and these East Coast road games? Ask that in a Jerry Seinfeld voice to get the New York feel. The deal, simply put, is that the Seahawks have historically not fared well back East. They are 43-51 in regular-season games played in the Eastern time zone and have lost 5 of the past 6. Coach Mike Holmgren has tried switching the travel schedule and altering curfew, but the Seahawks still struggle. What's more, they've not fared well in games after bye weeks.

2Did the Super Bowl win change Eli Manning's reputation? Remember when all of New York was piling on this guy for not being able to win the big games and for making mistakes at bad times? It doesn't happen as much now. The Giants QB appears to have grown into a fine signal caller and a clutch performer. "I just feel like I don't have to force things and if something is not there, then don't make a bad play," Manning said last week.

3What will the Seahawks do at wide receiver? Deion Branch cut quickly and fast and ran well in practice last week, and he gets the start, most likely, for the first time since last January. Who starts with him is up in the air. Billy McMullen has really played well since being signed off the street and is the likely candidate. Keary Colbert might also get the call. Bobby Engram will see action in the slot, and Michael Bumpus remains the punt returner. Courtney Taylor will either be inactive or only needed in case of injury, and Koren Robinson is not expected to be available.

4Is there history between Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck and Giants coach Tom Coughlin? Yes. Coughlin recruited Hasselbeck to Boston College when Coughlin was coaching there. It was quite a sell job. Hasselbeck was all set to go to UCLA, but he gave Coughlin one day to make a pitch. Coughlin came to Hasselbeck's high school and got Hasselbeck to change his mind.

5How many games in a row have the Giants won? Eight, including the 2007 postseason.

Notable

Seahawks: Seattle's leading receiver in 2008 is rookie TE John Carlson, who has 12 catches for 168 yards. ... LT Walter Jones has started every game he has ever played as a Seahawk, 171 in all. ... Holmgren has 171 career victories, compared to 114 for Giants coach Tom Coughlin. ... This is the second of three straight East Coast road games for Seattle this season (Buffalo, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Oct. 19). ... LB Julian Peterson has 23 ½ sacks in 39 games with Seattle. ... The Seahawks are 5-7 all-time against the Giants.

Giants: The Giants have had the same starting lineup for all three games they've played, except for Steve Smith starting once at WR in place of Amani Toomer. They'll have a new starting receiver today for the suspended Plaxico Burress. ... The Giants are 3-0 for the first time since 2000, when they won the NFC championship with a 12-4 mark. ... The Giants are 5-1 at Giants Stadium against the Seahawks.

Injury report

Seahawks: WRs Deion Branch (knee) and Bobby Engram (shoulder), CB Kelly Jennings (ribs), LT Walter Jones (hip), DT Craig Terrill (back), QB Seneca Wallace (calf) and OG Floyd Womack (hamstring) are probable. RB Maurice Morris (knee) and WR Koren Robinson (knee) are questionable.

Giants: WR Mario Manningham (illness), CB R.W. McQuarters (calf), CB Terrell Thomas (hamstring), K Lawrence Tynes (knee) and DE Jerome McDougle (knee) are probable.

Last gameSeahawks: The Seahawks got their first win of the season at the expense of the hapless St. Louis Rams, crushing their division rival 37-13 on Sept. 21 at Qwest Field. RB Julius Jones rushed for 140 yards, including a 29-yard TD run, and rookie WR Michael Bumpus caught his first career NFL touchdown. T.J. Duckett ran for two scores and QB Matt Hasselbeck threw only 20 times as the running game dominated the Rams. Seattle rushed for 245 yards as a team. LB Leroy Hill had 11 total tackles, including two for loss. Seattle also held the ball for almost 14 minutes longer than the Rams.

Giants: New York moved to 3-0 in what is arguably the strongest division in the NFL, the NFC East, with a 26-23 overtime win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 21. John Carney's 22-yard field goal ended a wild game that included four lead changes and three ties. The teams scored three times in the final 4:39 of regulation time, including a touchdown by the Giants with 1:50 remaining. The Giants sacked Bengals QB Carson Palmer six times.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com