Handley and Giants Pass Test : Interconference: Victory over lowly Seahawks may have saved coach’s job.

Jeff Hostetler helped Coach Ray Handley survive a no-win situation Sunday--Bill Parcells in the television booth and the struggling and punchless Seattle Seahawks on the field.

With a Giants Stadium crowd mixing chants of “Ray Must Go” and “We Want Bill,” Hostetler scrambled seven yards for a touchdown and also passed seven yards to Ed McCaffrey for a touchdown in the third quarter, rallying the Giants to a 23-10 victory over the Seahawks.

Hostetler, who completed five of nine passes for 94 yards, refused to comment on the game being a no-win situation for Handley and the Giants (3-4). “That’s more outside stuff the press made a lot of,” Hostetler said.

However, there was speculation that the embattled Handley would have been fired had the Giants lost. And at times, the crowd seemed to be rooting that way.

“When they started booing him, the way I see it, he may start losing his concentration and start calling crazy plays or let something crazy happen,” Giant linebacker Pepper Johnson said.

The second-year coach didn’t let that happen, even with Parcells broadcasting his first Giant game.

After the game, Parcells disputed the contention that this was a no-win game for Handley.

“I think it was more a no-win for me,” said the former coach who led the Giants to two Super Bowl championships before resigning in May, 1990. “I really do. If I don’t say enough I am hedging, and if I say too much I am being critical.”

Most of the criticism came from the crowd of 67,399 and none of it seemed to be directed at the Seahawks (1-7), who were in the process of losing their fifth consecutive game.

Seattle made things tough for the Giants and in the process the Seahawks ended streaks that had seen them shutout in their last two games and held without a touchdown for the last three.

The touchdown streak came to an end five plays into the third quarter, after Joey Smith of the Giants fumbled the second-half kickoff and James Jones recovered at the Giant 19.

On a first and goal from the 13, Stan Gelbaugh threw a touchdown pass to Tommy Kane for a 10-6 Seattle lead.

The Giants came back, though, driving 68 yards in six plays. The big play was a pass interference penalty against Dwayne Harper that advanced the ball 35 yards and gave the Giants a first down at the Seattle 33.

Two plays later, Hostetler passed to Mark Ingram for a 22-yard gain to the nine. A replay seemed to show that Ingram was bobbling the ball, but the officials missed it.

Two plays later, Hostetler went back to pass, saw an opening and ran in for the score, taking a big hit from Rufus Porter at the goal line.