Bumpus: Where Seahawks RB Charbonnet must adjust his game

Nov 30, 2023, 9:12 AM

Seattle Sports

It looks like rookie Zach Charbonnet will be the lead back for the Seattle Seahawks for the third week in a row.

Walker doubtful, Lucas likely to return for Seattle Seahawks vs Dallas

Since Kenneth Walker III got hurt early two games ago in Los Angeles, Charbonnet has taken over as Seattle’s go-to running back. Walker was inactive with an oblique injury last week and is listed as doubtful to play against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.

Unfortunately for Charbonnet and the Hawks, the rookie hasn’t quite gotten going with more touches.

Over the last two weeks, Charbonnet has 29 carries for 94 yards, or just 3.24 yards per rush.

“What does Zach Charbonnet see when he put the film on from last week’s game, and how will he be better?” Stacy Rost asked former NFL receiver Michael Bumpus during Wednesday’s Bump and Stacy on Seattle Sports.

Bumpus said the Seahawks ran a lot of zone runs, and he thought going into the game that Seattle would use more gap blocking. And with those zone runs, Charbonnet struggled to generate explosive plays.

“He’s going to see himself in the zone situation a lot, and what he’s going to critique himself and say is, ‘I need to be a bit more patient when I get the football,'” Bumpus said of Charbonnet’s film. “That’s why Ken Walker creates these big plays in zones because he allows the picture to be painted for him. He’s not just going. And that’s what Zach Charbonnet has done in zone – he’s just going.”

“Just going” might work in gap schemes when offensive linemen are “man-on-man” and the running back has a blocker to follow, Bumpus said, but that’s not the case with a zone running scheme.

“With the zone, you get the football, you shuffle one or two times, you let the the offensive line get to that second level and then you create,” he said. “He was just going downhill. He’s got to calm down a little bit, slow it down just a little bit, find your rhythm. But that’s also because he hasn’t played a lot. So he’s gonna watch the film, he’s gonna say ‘if there’s anything I can get better at, it’s my timing on the zone, allowing my offensive linemen to work for me.’ And then you create your lanes yourself.”

With Walker potentially out once again, Bumpus is excited to see how Charbonnet learned from the last two games.

“I’m excited to see just the growth in this young man because just like Ken Walker (last year), Ken Walker didn’t hit the scene running. It took him a while,” he said. “… Same thing with Zach Charbonnet, man. So I’m excited to see how he adjusts his game a little bit.”

Listen to the full second hour of Wednesday’s Bump and Stacy at this link or in the player near the top of this story.