The Seahawks have really struggled on the ground this year, last in the NFL at just 3.7 yards per carry. Amid all this adversity, though, head coach Mike Macdonald has stayed upbeat about the team’s current development and future potential. After a huge emotional upset against the Houston Texans, the team proved they were serious contenders after showing continued and further development. Running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet owned the ground, accounting for 115 of UW’s 118 rushing yards.
In stark contrast, the Seahawks’ offense is the bright spot of their season so far. They sit eighth in the entire league in scoring, averaging 25.6 points per game. Quarterback Sam Darnold is a large part of this success, he’s seventh in QBR at 72.9. With wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba tops in NFL receiving yards – 819 yards – Seattle’s passing attack is rolling as well. This offensive versatility goes a long way in helping the team’s push to improve their run game.
In the latest contest with Houston, the ground attack started shining through en route to a victory. Walker and Charbonnet were instrumental in delivering that victory. The team understands that defenses are already working to stop their rushing attack. Macdonald was quick to point out that the run game has been a struggle. He was clear that it was essential for defenses to continue to respect it.
“Regardless of how the run game’s going, they’ve still got to respect it.” – Zach Charbonnet
Seattle’s run game is largely based around outside zone runs. This strategy accounts for close to 43% of their rushing attempts so far this season. In-and-out play from center Jalen Sundell and guard Brantford have limited the even worse making covering of this go-to strategy. Coach Macdonald and new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak are confident that there is room for growth. They know they can improve their game plan and execution.
“We have probably a better understanding of what we do well and what we don’t do as well, how we build things, who’s out there, that sort of thing. But I think we don’t need wholesale changes. We need to keep attacking it.” – Mike Macdonald
Despite these challenges, Kubiak remains positive about the direction of the offensive line, stating that he sees “a starting five coming together and getting on the same page.” That sense of teamwork will be especially important as they hope to add to their newly-established run game as the season progresses.
No matter how brilliant or bad the schemes, the Seahawks are not making art without personnel. Running back Robbie Ouzts is on injured reserve due to an ankle sprain. Macdonald, alongside his staff, stress that flexibility and idealism in terms of approach is a must from a development standpoint.
“We’ve put ourselves in a position to really attack this second half of the season, and we know we can improve.” – Mike Macdonald
Not only has Seattle’s play-action passing game been wonderfully productive, but Darnold has ranked seventh in Raw QBR on play-action passes at 78.2 this season. If they’re able to regularly develop a reliable ground game, this element of their offense will open up big plays for their ball carriers. Fingers crossed for continued success, RBs!
GM John Schneider has a history of making bold, strategic moves. In reality, he’s made 11 pre-deadline trades in 15 seasons. The Seahawks’ front office is in the midst of an ongoing, constant evaluation of opportunities to improve their roster. They’re focused on making a run in the second half of the season.
Kubiak acknowledged the progress made by the running backs, stating, “I see our running backs being detailed, and I just see a group that’s improving weekly.” Yet Seattle’s is a story of steady progress. Specifically, they wanted to improve their offensive balance and increase their success on the ground.
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