Comfy Seahawks manhandle Giants

Everyone knows how cozy the Seahawks are in Seattle. But on Sunday they found another place that feels like home - and it's a pretty good choice, considering what the Meadowlands will host in February.

Seattle manhandled the New York Giants 23-0 for its sixth road win, holding the hosts to 181 yards.

This is the best Seahawks road team in their history at 6-2; they are 6-0 at home. Should they return to New Jersey this season, it will be for the Super Bowl.

"I think that's advantageous to us," star cornerback Richard Sherman said after grabbing two of a career-worst five interceptions thrown by Eli Manning.

"Any time you are comfortable with a stadium and a locker room and the time zone change and the weather, it helps. You get in a routine, get a rapport with the place."

Seattle has quite a chance to be at MetLife Stadium again if it continues to perform the way it did against the overmatched Giants (5-9).

"Just being human, you know about it," coach Pete Carroll said of the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold weather city.

"It's not important now. When the time comes, if we put ourselves in position to do that ..."

Marshawn Lynch scored on a twisting, triple-effort two-yard run, Steven Hauschka kicked three field goals and Russell Wilson toyed with New York's defense. The second-year quarterback ran for 50 yards and threw for 206 and a TD before sitting out the last few minutes.

Wilson has 23 wins, the most for a quarterback in his first two seasons in the Super Bowl era.

"Winning a lot of games is really important," said Wilson. "It's what we come to do every day, to have a championship day, have a championship year."

The Seahawks (12-2) are already in the playoffs and are closing in on the NFC West title and their best overall record; they went 13-3 in 2005 before losing to Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl.

New York will be deep into its offseason by the Super Bowl with its first losing record since 2004.

"It probably pretty much shows why we're in this situation where we have only five wins and they are the top of the NFC and playing great football," said Manning, who has tied his career high with 25 interceptions.

It was Seattle's first shutout since a 58-0 romp over Arizona on Dec 9 last year.

The Giants lost 38-0 to Carolina in Week 3.

- Associated Press

(China Daily 12/17/2013 page24)