Doug Baldwin talks Seahawks’ struggling run game, 2017’s league-wide protests

Just what went down on Russell Wilson’s Houdini-like scramble and pass to Doug Baldwin in the Seahawks’ Thursday night win over the Cardinals? And, how do the Seahawks themselves feel about Seattle’s shift to a high-flying offense?

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Doug Baldwin was this week’s guest on Seahawks Weekly, and the veteran wide receiver spoke about everything from Seattle’s Week 10 win, to the struggling running game, to his feelings about 2017 and league-wide protests against inequality – and why everyone should stop mislabeling them as “anthem protests.”

You can hear the entire interview here. And tune in every Thursday to hear Seahawks Weekly on 710 ESPN Seattle, also broadcasted live from Pearl in Bellevue.

Here are a few notes:

• On this year’s inconsistent run game: “We’ve obviously had struggles running the ball. And that’s always been our main identity – we’ve always wanted to force the run game because it allows us to control the clock and allow our defense to do what it does: stifling the offense and preventing the other offense from scoring points. Obviously we’ve had our struggles with that, so we’ve had to lend ourselves more to the passing game. Which, as a receiver, I’m not too upset about – obviously, I’d like to take control of the game because we usually have more success winning the game in that fashion – I’m not mad at getting more attempts. But we take it in stride. I think that’s the biggest thing, is that the running game hasn’t been there as consistently as we’d like it to be and we’ve had to pass a little bit more.”

• Can this offense continue to thrive with the run game where it is right now? “I think we have no choice, to be honest with you. I do believe that we have the tools and the weapons; it’s going to come down to… all of us putting it together and executing the details. Yes, I know we’ve had success in the past; however, there’s a lot of details we’ve been missing, specifically on third-down and in the red zone. And if we’re not consistent in those things – pairing with the fact that we have injuries on the defensive side of the ball – we could be in trouble. But I say that with the caveat of trying to encourage our guys to realize that we have an opportunity we have to capitalize on offensively.”

• On the Seahawks’ “always compete” culture: “The beautiful thing about the Seattle Seahawks is we’ve cultivated an environment that you’re going to compete. Whether you’re an undrafted free agent, you’re the first-round draft pick, you’ve been there for 15 years, you’ve been there for two years, you’re going to compete – and you’re going to compete at a high level… It’s not necessarily competing against your component, but competing against each other to be the best you can be. And when you have an environment like that, it’s really hard to get lackadaisical and not compete in that regard.”

• On his growing involvement with social justice issues and community outreach: “Honestly, it’s been beautiful. And I say beautiful because it’s forced me to actually question who I am as a man; really kind of build this foundation of who I want to be as a man, not only as a man now but as a man in the future for my wife, for my future kids, and being vulnerable in that sense has made me be vulnerable to other parts of my life. I’ve grown a lot in terms of being empathetic, being able to listen and understand different points of views. It’s been a challenge at times, obviously, but I’ve learned a lot in the past year-and-a-half yes, dealing with all of this stuff, but more so just about who I am as a man and what I stand for.”