SEATTLE -- This was supposed to be the middle of the softest stretch of their schedule, with four games against under-.500 teams presenting a golden opportunity for the Seattle Seahawks (8-4) to pad their lead in the NFC West before their rematch against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
Instead, this happened:
Quarterback Russell Wilson delivered one of his most out-of-sync performances in recent memory.
Seattle allowed 190 rushing yards, including 135 to backup Wayne Gallman Jr.
The Seahawks dropped four passes, including one that led to an interception as they were trying to mount a fourth-quarter comeback.
It all added up to a 17-12 loss at Lumen Field to the New York Giants, who were 4-7 entering Sunday and playing with a backup quarterback in Colt McCoy.
It will go down as one of the most disappointing defeats of the coach Pete Carroll era -- and it's doubly painful because the Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, McCoy hadn't won a game as a starter since the 2014 season, and the loss matches the largest upset of the season based on point spreads. The Seahawks closed as 10.5-point favorites per Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill.
QB breakdown: You can't fault Wilson for his interception, and who knows who was to blame on the fumble he was credited for on a botched exchange with center Ethan Pocic. But even without those two mistakes, Wilson was simply off all afternoon while completing 27 of 43 attempts for 263 yards and a touchdown. He held onto the ball too long on several occasions, which was part of the reason he was sacked five times. He was also flagged for intentional grounding.
Pivotal play: There were no shortage of bad plays that proved costly for Seattle, but here was an especially bad one. Running back Chris Carson let a short Wilson pass go through his hands and right to a Giants defender for an interception in the fourth quarter. New York kicked a field goal on its ensuing possession. Seattle's four drops Sunday tied a season high.
Biggest hole in the game plan: The Seahawks dropped back on a season-high 77% of their offensive plays, a curious and significant departure from their offensive approach in recent weeks. Seattle led the league in dropback rate over the first 10 weeks at 69.2%. That number was 62.3% (15th) and 57.4% (20th) in their past two games as they started to get back to a more balanced attack with running backs Carlos Hyde and then Carson back from injuries. Both were available Sunday but combined for just 15 carries.
Troubling trend: The Seahawks were down to their fourth-string right tackle in the fourth quarter once Chad Wheeler took over for Jamarco Jones, who left with a groin injury. Jones started the game with Brandon Shell (ankle) and backup Cedric Ogbuehi (calf) inactive. Carroll said this week that Shell appeared to have turned a corner in his recovery from a high ankle sprain, which gives some hope he could return this week.
Promising trend: Strong safety Jamal Adams co-led Seattle with 11 tackles Sunday and got another sack to give him 7.5 in only eight games. He's closing on the record for most sacks in a season by a defensive back. Adrian Wilson holds that record with 8.0 in 2005, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Adams will have a chance to break it next week against his old team, the New York Jets.