How Seahawks can fix challenging third-down situations
Nov 16, 2024, 11:42 AM | Updated: 12:52 pm
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith looks on against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. (Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)
(Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks are on a historic pace, and not in good way.
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After the Seahawks’ most recent game Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams, ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak shared a stat that illustrated some of the struggles plaguing the team’s offense. According to Elias Stats and ESPN Stats & Info, the unit is facing an average distance to gain of 8.9 yards on third-down attempts, which would be the worst mark in the NFL since at least 1980.
Those long third-down situations have certainly showed up on the stat sheet. Seattle’s 35.2% third-down conversion rate ranks 24th in the NFL.
During Thursday’s edition of Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, Seahawks radio network analysts and former NFL players Dave Wyman and Ray Roberts discussed what the team can do to help put itself in better situations on third downs.
“They do have a pretty efficient passing game,” Wyman said. “I mean, they throw the heck out football, but I’ve always kind of felt like people kind of clinch up on third down. … Maybe if you have a four-down mentality it would help or something, and then also it’s always about what you’re doing on first and second (down).”
The long third-down distances could be attributed to the lack of run plays being called on offense, especially on early downs. The Seahawks have run the ball more frequently in their past three games, but they still rank 30th in the league in percentage of runs plays called, per TeamRankings.com.
“When (former head coach) Pete (Carroll) was here, the complaint was (it’s) run, run, pass, but with the makeup of the team now, you start the game most of the time throwing the football,” Roberts said. “So imagine now it’s first-and-10 and there’s an incompletion. Now you’re at second-and-10, so you’re probably gonna pick up another maybe four or five yards on the tight end pass or something, hopefully, or you try to run, so you end up on these really long third downs.”
However, the run game hasn’t been very effective behind a struggling offensive line. The Seahawks are 22nd in the league 4.1 yards per carry and have averaged just 3.2 yardsover the past three games.
“When the running game is struggling … you got to lean on the tight ends a little more and some of the underneath throws,” Roberts said. “… If you can get that first-down completion to a tight end over the middle and you get those first four yards or five yards and (on) second down maybe you do it again or you run the ball for two or three yards, now (you’ve gained) eight yards, maybe seven yards.
“Now your at third-and-medium-to-short range where you have a playbook that’s wide open and you have a greater chance to convert to third down. That’s the kind of that’s how I looked at it when I heard (the stat).”
Listen the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-6 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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