Brady Henderson
RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks entered their bye in Week 8 with a 5-2 document, a top-10 protection and an offense that has been significantly better by way of the air than on the bottom. They returned from the break in a two-way tie for first place within the NFC West with the Los Angeles Rams, after the injury-ravaged San Francisco 49ers misplaced and fell to 5-3.
Coach Mike Macdonald likes the place his staff is at — whilst Seattle's run recreation has left a lot to be desired.
“We have put ourselves ready to essentially assault this second half of the season, and we all know we are able to enhance,” he mentioned Monday because the Seahawks started preparations to face the Washington Commanders on Sunday evening (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).
“Numbers help that, tape helps that. The good factor is, I do not suppose we've got to reinvent ourselves. I believe we're a staff with an identification. We all know who we're. We simply should go be that staff every single day, and once we try this, we give ourselves a very good probability to win.”
Macdonald was talking with the attitude of getting skilled the opposite finish of that spectrum. In his first season in Seattle, the Seahawks did not appear to know what they wished to be on offense, a lot much less the right way to get there. That they had a first-year coordinator in Ryan Grubb whose pass-happy strategy was basically at odds with their defensive-minded head coach, a poor match that led to the playcaller's firing in January.
With Klint Kubiak, the Seahawks have alignment between coach and coordinator in addition to one thing else they did not have with Grubb — a confirmed system identified for operating the ball. Their dedication to the run recreation has been there, however the outcomes haven't.
With Sam Darnold (seventh in QBR at 72.9) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (NFL-high 819 receiving yards) powering a potent passing recreation, the Seahawks' offense is eighth in scoring at 25.6 factors per recreation regardless of their ineffective run recreation. Getting it going was an space of focus as Macdonald and his employees self-scouted over the bye.
“I believe we're heading in the right direction,” Macdonald mentioned. “We've got a most likely a greater understanding of what we do nicely and what we do not do as nicely, how we construct issues, who's on the market, that kind of factor. However I believe we do not want wholesale modifications. We have to maintain attacking it. There's element concerned. There's operation concerned. Sport plan, scheme, sort of the entire above is room for enchancment, and I believe we noticed final recreation, we took a stride. We have simply acquired to maintain transferring in that path.”
Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet mixed for 115 of the Seahawks' 118 speeding yards of their win over the Houston Texans on Monday evening, marking the third time up to now 4 video games that Seattle reached triple digits.
That it took 29 makes an attempt by their operating backs towards Houston was equally telling.
By way of eight weeks, no staff has a better designed rush charge than the Seahawks at 47.9%. However just one staff has a decrease yards-per-carry common than their 3.7. That higher illustrates their struggles on the bottom than their No. 21 rating in speeding yards per recreation at simply over 106, a quantity that speaks as a lot to the amount of makes an attempt because it does to effectiveness.
Towards Houston, Walker (4) and Charbonnet (two) mixed for six rushes that both misplaced yardage or went for no achieve, persevering with a pattern of makes an attempt that by no means get off the bottom. That brings the Seahawks' whole of such performs by operating backs to 47, which is six greater than every other staff regardless that Seattle has had its bye.
Seattle's struggles within the run recreation can no less than partially be attributed to how a lot defenses have geared as much as cease it. In keeping with ESPN Analysis, the Seahawks have confronted eight-man bins on the best share of speeding performs (38.1%) and total performs (26%) within the NFL.
Outdoors zone is the bread and butter of Kubiak's run recreation, and as Macdonald has famous, these performs ought to nonetheless work towards loaded bins as a result of the specter of the bootleg tends to carry the bottom defender. Outdoors zone runs account for practically 43% of the Seahawks' speeding performs this season, per ESPN Analysis. They're averaging solely 3.7 yards per stick with it such runs, together with solely 2.5 yards towards bins with no less than eight defenders.
Regardless of the Seahawks' incapability to mount a constant run recreation, defenses are nonetheless honoring it. That a lot is obvious based mostly on field counts and the way efficient Seattle's play-action passing recreation has been, as Darnold ranks seventh in Uncooked QBR (78.2) on such performs.
“No matter how the run recreation's going, they've nonetheless acquired to respect it,” Charbonnet mentioned.
Walker has been the extra productive of Seattle's two operating backs in what has been a reasonably even cut up of the work. He is averaging 4.5 yards per try to Charbonnet's 2.8, although Charbonnet has a five-to-three benefit in speeding touchdowns.
4 of Charbonnet's 5 scores got here from both one or two yards out, which speaks to how efficient Seattle has been in goal-to-go conditions. With one operating again and two tight ends on the sphere — or 12 personnel, a Kubiak favourite — the Seahawks are averaging 5.3 yards per carry, fifth-most within the league.
The Seahawks have been in 12 personnel on just below 30% of their offensive performs, per ESPN Analysis, making it their second-most most well-liked grouping. They'd have been taking part in extra with a fullback if not for the ankle sprain that landed Robbie Ouzts on injured reserve. The 274-pound rookie returned to observe Monday and seems to be on observe to play towards Washington.
“I am excited to have him again,” Charbonnet mentioned. “I do know everybody on offense is simply too. He gives that bodily nature, in a position to open it up.”
The Seahawks additionally designated second-year guard Christian Haynes for a return to observe off IR on Wednesday, although it would not sound like he'll threaten Anthony Bradford for enjoying time on the correct facet anytime quickly. Bradford's inconsistency — and, to a lesser extent, that of middle Jalen Sundell — has been a think about Seattle's struggles within the run recreation, however when requested whether or not they thought of any shuffling up entrance over the bye, Macdonald hesitated and mentioned they didn't.
That leaves Tuesday's NFL commerce deadline (4 p.m. ET) as maybe the next-likeliest possibility for the Seahawks to enhance their offensive line. John Schneider's historical past of 11 pre-deadline trades in 15 seasons as Seattle's normal supervisor provides some hope that they will discover an improve, however with demand far outweighing provide at that place, it is perhaps simpler mentioned than finished.
“We're at all times lively,” Macdonald mentioned. “You know the way John rolls. We're in every part. We're always making an attempt to do what's finest for us. Generally that is by way of acquisition.”
Kubiak would not sound desirous to make a change up entrance, noting the youth alongside Seattle's line and the way they're gelling. Probably the most skilled gamers among the many beginning 5 are fourth-year tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas. Bradford is in Yr 3, whereas Sundell is a second-year participant and left guard Gray Zabel is a rookie.
“I simply see a beginning 5 coming collectively and getting on the identical web page,” Kubiak mentioned. “I see our operating backs being detailed, and I simply see a gaggle that is enhancing weekly.”
