(
)
Tom Coughlin loves numbers. He uses them to make his point about his Giants and as a way to introduce the next opponent.
Coughlin harps on the positive and tries to dismiss the negative as irrelevant. He publicizes what the opponent does well, enabling him to portray every foe as worthy in some way or another.
On cue, Coughlin is looking at the Seahawks with blinders.
“The way we look at them is that they are 3-0 at home,” he said yesterday.
With that, Coughlin rattled off the numbers. The Seahawks have an “incredible” plus-eight turnover margin at Qwest Field. They average 27 points a game at home. They allow 12 points a game at home. They have what Coughlin called “an incredible” 44.5-yard kickoff return average at home. “They average over 10 yards per punt return at home,” Coughlin added.
The bottom line from the ever-vigilant head coach?
“We know very well the environment we’re going into,” he said. “It is a difficult place to play. It’s loud, all of the above, so we’re preparing for a team that is 3-0 at home.”
Considering the game is indeed in Seattle, it’s probably a wise approach. Never mind that the Seahawks are 4-3 and only 1-3 on the road coming off a dismal 33-3 loss in Oakland.
“Everyone wants to make a big deal out of last weekend,” Coughlin said dismissively.
The numbers Coughlin doesn’t want to illustrate are the ones that suggest the Giants are far and away the more impressive team. The Seahawks are 30th in the NFL in offense and 26th in defense.
Matt Hasselbeck has struggled (six touchdown passes, seven interceptions) and last week was forced out against the Raiders with a “mild” concussion after getting sacked eight times. Coach Pete Carroll is holding out hope that Hasselbeck will be able to start, but the veteran quarterback yesterday was held out of practice. Hasselbeck’s backup is Charlie Whitehurst, who has never thrown a pass in the NFL.
“He feels good, looking bright-eyed,” Carroll said of Hasselbeck. “The doctors wanted to give him one more day.”
The Seahawks this week put two starters on season-ending injured reserve, losing defensive end Red Bryant — perhaps their best defensive lineman — and guard Ben Hamilton. Despite their winning record, the Seahawks have been outscored 140-123, although surely Coughlin would make mention that they own a 80-36 scoring advantage at home.
Mostly, though, playing in Seattle means dealing with what is likely the most deafening crowd noise in the league. Who can forget the 2005 game at Qwest Field when the Giants were called for 11 false-start penalties — five for left tackle Luke Petitgout and three for right tackle David Diehl — while failing to handle the roar in a 24-21 overtime loss?
No wonder Coughlin said, “Poise in the noise is a big factor.”
This is not the first time Coughlin has pulled out that phrase.
“I’ve heard that 50 times in my life,” guard Chris Snee said.
Snee was a part of back-to-back losses in Seattle, in 2005 and again in 2006.
“There was no poise,” he recalled. “Hopefully we do a better job this time.”
Eli Manning did not seem particularly concerned about the cauldron of sound he’ll enter this weekend and tried to downplay the impact it will have on the game.
“It’s not going to freak us out,” he said. “We’re not overstressing it. We’ve dealt with it in a lot of different stadiums.”
Defensive tackle Rocky Bernard spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the Seahawks before signing last season with the Giants. He says disruption is a matter of pride with the Seahawks fans.
“They really thrive on it,” Bernard said. “They put things on the radio to have people come out. The people out there, it’s a big thing. Once a team starts doing that, jumping offsides, it started to pick up. People would say things in the paper about them piping noise into the speakers. That’s one thing they really focus on is trying to be loud.”