Jacobs presents challenge

RENTON, Wash. – Lofa Tatupu was trying to remember the game plan from two years ago when the Seattle Seahawks last faced the New York Giants.

Tiki Barber? Now working in television. Jeremy Shockey? Playing in New Orleans. Plaxico Burress? A suspended spectator this week.

“I can’t believe all of them are gone,” Tatupu said, while noting Burress will be back in a week. “It’s almost tougher. You don’t know which way they’re going to go.”

Enter Giants burly running back Brandon Jacobs.

Seattle’s run defense has held its own the past two games, slowing down San Francisco’s Frank Gore and St. Louis’ Steven Jackson. Now comes the Seahawks’ biggest challenge – literally – the 6-foot-4, 264-pound bulldozer that is Jacobs, the Giants’ leading rusher.

“You’ve seen guys just ricochet off of him, guys coming in full speed ending up on their backs …” Tatupu said. “It’s a lot of mass coming downhill.”

Seattle’s defense has rebounded nicely, slowing down some marquee backs since the season opener at Buffalo when Marshawn Lynch averaged more than 4 yards per carry.

Gore, who put together a pair of huge games against the Seahawks two seasons ago, was held to 61 yards on 19 carries. The problem for Seattle was J.T. O’Sullivan throwing for 321 yards in the 49ers’ 33-30 overtime win.

Then, before the bye week, came Seattle’s best performance. Jackson was held to 66 yards on 23 carries, his longest gain a mere 8 yards. Much of that was because of Seattle’s Leroy Hill, who finished with 11 tackles that day.

The key for the Seahawks was keeping the offensive linemen from getting to the linebackers and allowing Tatupu, Hill and Julian Peterson to plug holes and make stops. Now comes a Giants offensive line that both Tatupu and Hill note is good at pushing the defensive line off and getting to the linebackers in a hurry.

“It’s going to take good (defensive) line play and (the linebackers) coming downhill, using our hands and coming off blocks,” Hill said. “Instead of meeting backs in the hole, we’re going to meet (offensive) linemen and have to get to the backs.”

The importance of Jacobs was amplified when Giants coach Tom Coughlin announced that Burress would be suspended for Sunday’s game, taking away Eli Manning’s favorite target. But Jacobs came up big last year in games where Burress was mostly a non-factor. Three times when Burress was held to three catches or less, Jacobs came through with 100-yard rushing performances.

“You would say you just expect them to pound the ball, but when you’ve got a quarterback like Eli that’s playing the way Eli is now you don’t want to take the ball out of his hands too much unless Jacobs is really going good,” Tatupu said. “I expect a good balance of run and pass and just see what way they feel like going the first couple of series.”

While Jacobs will be the one carrying the load for the Giants, Seattle’s defense must also be aware of Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw, both of whom will spell Jacobs when he needs a break.

“We’ve got a task ahead of us,” Tatupu said. “It’s not going to be easy.”

In their last meeting with the Giants, Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck tied his career high with five touchdown passes. That was a 42-30 Seattle victory.