Forty seconds.

That's how much time is allotted between plays. So hurry up now, get a move on. The Seahawks don't have any time to waste. Not after starting the season 1-3 and certainly not when the only bright spots on offense this season seemed to have occurred when quarterback Tarvaris Jackson stepped on the accelerator and tried to burn rubber.

Hurry up. That's been the key to whatever offensive success Seattle has found this season.

"I've felt us being much more aggressive in that mode," coach Pete Carroll said.

So expect Seattle to try to squeal its tires Sunday in New York against the Giants. The Seahawks will attempt to sustain the momentum that was generated last week in a defeat that had a silver lining.

That was a full-fledged, functioning NFL offense the Seahawks displayed against Atlanta. At least it was for a half. The Seahawks scored three touchdowns in the second half — as many as they had in the first three games combined.

The Giants are a by-the-book opponent, a team that is almost dull in its rigorous efficiency. But this season, New York's defense has been below average. Seattle has one game left before its bye, and is facing the question of whether this offense, with six new starters, has reached a turning point.

"We're seeing growth as a team," Jackson said. "But it just felt great going on the field knowing that we expected to score, instead of hoping to score."

Jackson, the quarterback so many have questioned, passed for 300 yards last week for the first time in his career. He completed three or more passes to seven different receivers.

Was it a breakthrough or an aberration?

The offense that was so stagnant through September, ranking dead last in the league in yards, scored a touchdown on three of its first four second-half possessions. The possession that didn't produce a touchdown was an interception in the end zone when tight end Zach Miller lost control of a ball that he very nearly caught for a touchdown.

Was that second half a turning point in this season, or will the offense return to the torturous crawl of those first three games?

"It's about controlling the tempo," Carroll said.

This isn't a full-time commitment. It's about getting things moving, which is exactly what the no-huddle offense has done.

"It gives us rhythm," offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said. "I do know our guys play fast. I do know that our guys have less to think about. I mean, it's moving so fast that their focus is really dialed in."

So hurry up. No time to waste. The Seahawks have to play catch-up before the season gets away.

They are trying to hustle their way to a victory heading into the bye by building on the momentum discovered last week.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com