Seahawks Insider: When it comes to running the ball, the Seahawks will pass
Nov 17, 2017, 9:40 AM
Darrell Bevell originally took over as the Seahawks' offensive coordinator in 2011. (AP)
(AP)
The Seahawks are rushing for more yards in 2017 than they did a year ago.
Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that means they’ve improved on the ground, though.
They haven’t. It’s just that Russell Wilson is healthier, which means he’s scrambling more. Wilson is not only Seattle’s leading rusher, but his 290 yards surpasses his total for all of last year when he was compromised by injuries first to his ankle and then his knee.
If you take out Wilson’s rushing yardage, the Seahawks are averaging 68 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry. Compare that to last year when the Seahawks averaged 83.3 yards rushing outside of Wilson’s contributions and 4 yards per carry.
Coach Pete Carroll was asked about his reaction to Seattle’s difficulty in running the ball.
“It is frustrating somewhat,” he said. “But I could stick my head in the sand and ignore some stuff too. We’ve got to keep moving and we got to do what we can with our guys and it hasn’t been quite the same but we are still moving the football and we are making a lot of first downs and we can do a lot of damage.”
Translation: The Seahawks are throwing the ball pretty darn well. In fact, only the Patriots have passed for more yards than the Seahawks this season. Wilson is averaging 37 passes this season, which is not only a career-high, but 47 percent more than the 25 passes he averaged as a rookie.
So that means it’s time to lean into the reality that the Seahawks are better equipped to throw the ball and pass even more, right? Wrong, said the coach.
“I never give up on the fact of trying to balance out your attack,” Carroll said. “I think it is the best way to play football and so we will find a way to do that, but it is a little bit different. It hasn’t been as obvious as it has been in the past.”
What has been obvious is Seattle’s inability to find any consistency in a backfield that has been constantly changing. No sooner had Carroll decided to give Eddie Lacy a lion’s share of the work than he suffered a groin injury and missed last week’s game entirely.
C.J. Prosise didn’t even last a full game back on the field before he suffered an injury to his other ankle, and now Mike Davis has been promoted from the practice squad to see if he can provide a boost.
And from the sound of things this week, Carroll isn’t any less determined to gain some momentum on the ground.
“We are going to run the football this week,” Carroll said. “We are not going to not run it. We are going to run the heck out of it and keep working all the stuff that makes our offense fit the way it does. Hopefully we will be productive.
“Let’s see if we can get more consistent and be more productive with it.”
