Dockery Gets Big INT

An hour after cornerback Kevin Dockery plucked a pass by Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck from the afternoon air at Giants Stadium, the ball remained tucked under Dockery’s right arm.

Dockery had good reason to keep the ball there. His interception, his first since 2006, was the first by a Giants defensive back this season.

So far this season, the defense had played well enough for the Giants to go undefeated, but the only interception belonged to Justin Tuck, a 6-foot-5, 274-pound defensive end who rumbled 41 yards for a touchdown.

Of course, the defensive backs know this, and if they managed to forget, Tuck surely reminded them.

“It has been the goal,” Dockery said. “We’ve been getting our hands on a lot of balls. We just have to catch them. We came into the game thinking, ‘This is the week we’re going to get some turnovers.’ ”

Dockery’s came midway through the third quarter, with the Seahawks at the Giants’ 40-yard line, facing a third-and-5. Hasselbeck dropped back and, under heavy pressure, forced a wobbly pass into double coverage. Dockery said Hasselbeck never saw him.

“He couldn’t set his feet,” Dockery said. “The defensive line did a good job of pressuring him. It made him get rid of the ball before he had to.”

Hasselbeck said: “Just a really stupid play. Just very frustrated, tried to do something, and it was really stupid.”

The real show came next. Dockery danced and shimmied up the sideline like a matador bobbing and weaving around 11 bulls. He cut toward the left sideline and slipped a tackle. He cut back inside and slipped another. It looked like a Keystone Kops routine.

Dockery’s first thought? Touchdown. He gained 44 yards on the return, and while he did not score, he gave the Giants field position that led to another field goal and a 37-6 advantage.

The last time these teams played, in 2006, Hasselbeck and the Seahawks’ healthy passing game cruised to a 42-30 win in Seattle.

The Giants watched that loss on tape this week, and on Sunday, courtesy of Dockery and Company, Hasselbeck recorded a 46.7 passer rating.

Afterward, Dockery pulled on a diamond watch and platinum bracelet at his locker before making his way toward the exit. When he left, the ball from that interception was still tucked under his arm.