getty-daniel-jones-saquon-barkley-giants.jpg

There are plenty of intriguing matchups in Week 8, but only one features two teams with winning records: the Giants (6-1) at the Seahawks (4-3).

It's not the one people expected when the season started.

The Giants' over/under for wins was set at 7, and Seattle's was 5.5. They're both nearly there already -- less than halfway through the season -- and they have their offenses to thank for that. How have Daniel Jones and Geno Smith quarterbacked their respective squads to such impressive starts?

Let's take a look.

When the Giants have the ball...

Last week, Jones became the first Giants player to have 200 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in a game, thanks in large part to new head coach Brian Daboll's concepts he used to help Josh Allen ascend to superstardom in Buffalo. The most basic of those is using Jones' mobility to his advantage via play action and scrambling.

This year, Jones is not only using play action more often, but also far more effectively. And when a throw isn't available, Jones is scrambling -- surprise -- far more often and more effectively.

Daniel Jones on Play Action

2019-21

2022

Pct of dropbacks

24%

35%

Comp pct

64%

78%

Expected points added per dropback

-0.07

0.26

Scramble pct

14%

38%

Yds per scramble

6.2

7.2

Watch these two plays -- near-carbon copies of one another.

Jones is a very good athlete. Of course, any play action game is helped a ton by having a dangerous running back -- and Saquon Barkley has been exactly that -- but don't underestimate Jones' improvement, too. His completion percentage is up and both his off-target and interception percentages are way down compared to his first three years in the NFL. That holds true on play action and on throws from outside the pocket, too, showing it's not just the simple dropbacks where Jones is better.

From 2019-21, Jones threw two touchdowns and six interceptions from outside the pocket. This year, it's three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Speaking of those three touchdowns this season, all three have gone to tight ends, and even with Daniel Bellinger out with a fractured eye socket, expect Jones to target that position a decent amount. The Seahawks have allowed 589 receiving yards to tight ends, most in the NFL. That includes 179 yards surrendered to T.J. Hockenson in Week 4.

Finally, no look at the Giants offense would be complete without a look at Barkley, whose 906 yards from scrimmage this year lead the NFL by a wide margin. He now faces a defense allowing the third-most rushing yards per game this season. Expect a heavy dose of him, and plenty of Jones play action off of it.

When the Seahawks have the ball...

If Jones' season has been a pleasant surprise, Smith's season has been, well, a really, really, really pleasant surprise. Smith, who hadn't started more than three games in a season since 2014 with the Jets, leads the NFL in completion percentage (73.5%) and ranks top-five in passer rating, yards per attempt and touchdown-to-interception ratio.

And if Smith's arm hasn't been impressive enough for you, he also has an NFL-best 12.4 yards per scramble this season. While Smith certainly can scramble well, he's at his best as a passer when in the pocket and well-protected.

Geno Smith Passer Rating This Season by Scenario

Inside pocket

Outside pocket

Not pressured

115.0

110.3

Pressured

90.3

79.0

Smith has been absolutely outstanding especially when not blitzed this season, posting an NFL-best 114.7 passer rating in those situations. But this is where things could get dicey.

Smith has faced a blitz on a shade under 28 percent of his dropbacks. The Giants bring a blitz on 41.6 percent of opponent dropbacks. That's not only the highest in the NFL this season, but also on pace to be the highest by any team over the past two seasons. With DK Metcalf still not practicing, New York may have one less deep threat to worry about, too.

One easy solution against loaded boxes? Kenneth Walker III. The rookie sensation is averaging 6.1 yards per carry against eight-man boxes, and the Giants put eight men in the box on over 30 percent of their defensive plays, good for fourth-highest in the NFL. But New York also allows the seventh-most yards per rush when they load the box with eight-plus players, and Walker has shown he has the burst to make defenses pay.

One more thing: the Seahawks were one of the more aggressive early-down passing teams earlier this season but have backed off considerably since. From Week 1 to Week 5, Seattle threw on 56 percent of their first-down plays, fifth in the NFL. In Week 6 and Week 7, that's fallen to 39 percent, 23rd in the NFL -- and that coincides with Walker III's rise. We'll see if Seattle returns to a more aggressive approach on early downs.

How to watch

Date: Sunday, Oct. 30 | Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Location: Lumen Field (Seattle, WA)
TV: Fox | Stream: fuboTV (click here)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Seahawks -3, O/U 44.5