The changes that finally unlocked the Seahawks’ run game

After sputtering all season, the Seattle Seahawks’ ground attack experienced a massive breakthrough.

In biggest game yet, Seahawks ‘put it all together’ in complete win

The Seahawks exploded for a season-high 176 rushing yards in their 30-18 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, nearly doubling their 88.7 per-game average. It was an especially stark contrast from two weeks ago, when they mustered just 65 yards on 25 carries against the same Arizona team.

Backup running back Zach Charbonnet led the way with a career-best day, piling up 134 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries while filling in for injured starter Kenneth Walker III. Third-stringer Kenny McIntosh also was productive, chipping in seven carries for 38 yards. And the Seahawks’ oft-criticized offensive line turned in its best performance of the season, consistently paving lanes for Charbonnet and McIntosh to run through.

“They were just moving Cardinals off the line of scrimmage in a way they have not done all year – and certainly (not) against these Cardinals two weeks ago,” former NFL quarterback Brock Huard said Monday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

ZACH CHARBONNET 51-YARD TD!

📺: #SEAvsAZ on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/P492n4pkXU

— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2024

But as Huard pointed out, there also were some schematic changes. Most notably, the Seahawks transitioned to running more gap-blocking schemes instead of zone-blocking schemes. Gap-blocking typically consists of a guard or tackle pulling around to the opposite side of the line to create leverage against the defense.

Over the first 11 games of the season, Seattle ran gap schemes on just 35.9% of its designed runs, according to Pro Football Focus. But over the past two weeks, that rate nearly doubled to 70.2%. The Seahawks ran gap schemes on 76% of their designed runs against the New York Jets last week and then on 65.6% of their designed runs against the Cardinals on Sunday.

Charbonnet’s 51-yard touchdown run in the second quarter Sunday came on a gap concept, with right guard Sataoa Laumea and right tackle Abraham Lucas both pulling across the line to open a wide crease on the left side. Laumea delivered a pancake block on that play that sent an Arizona edge rusher to the ground.

“Nowadays, the way the NFL is, you can’t just live in one world, so you’ve got to be able to run both (gap and zone),” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said Monday. “We had success with some gap (scheme) yesterday, and we had a holding call on a zone run that I thought was a really well-blocked play.

“So I wouldn’t say it’s just exclusively gap, but it is nice to have that kind of world of plays come to life for us where we’re not in a predictable operation – where all types of play types are kind of on the table at any given point, so that’ll be beneficial for us moving forward.”

Huard believes gap schemes are an ideal fit for the type of athletic linemen Seattle has in Laumea, right tackle Abraham Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross – which may explain why the Seahawks are gap blocking at a far greater rate now than earlier in the year.

Laumea, a rookie sixth-round draft pick out of Utah, was starting just his second career NFL game since taking over at right guard for injured starter Anthony Bradford. Lucas, meanwhile, was playing in just his fourth game since returning from offseason knee surgery.

“There’s not many like Lucas that are 6-7, 320 and can run and look lean and athletic,” Huard said. “And Abe’s coming back (to 100 percent), man. You could see. You could feel it and sense it. And I think pairing together that gap scheme with this group – with the athleticism of (left tackle Charles Cross) and Lucas – a lot of teams can’t run that. And you couldn’t do that with Bradford as much. Bradford can’t move like Laumea can move.”

Charbonnet’s impact

Seattle’s offensive line may not be the only part of its rushing attack that’s better-suited for gap-blocking schemes.

Charbonnet’s patient running style might also lend itself to that as well.

“Charbonnet is perfectly constructed for that kind of run – the sort of post and pull where you’ve got the guards and tackles pulling and you’ve got tight ends blocking down,” Seahawks radio analyst and former NFL linebacker Dave Wyman said Monday on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. “That just fits Charbonnet. I think if (Walker) was out there and they ran those same plays, I’m not sure they would get that kind of yardage. He’s just not that kind of runner.

“Charbonnet’s very patient and he’s very powerful and he always keeps his feet moving,” he added. “And a lot of times you have to be really patient to set up (gap blocking). … And I don’t know that (Walker) has that kind of patience. And I wouldn’t mess with (Walker’s) running style at all. But it’s two different styles there of running the ball.”

Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus shared a similar sentiment, but cautioned against the idea that Charbonnet should suddenly jump Walker on the depth chart. Bumpus said that while Charbonnet had a career day, he also was the beneficiary of Seattle’s offensive line and first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb both having their best game of the season.

“There were a bunch of things working yesterday that I think Ken hasn’t gotten as far as the play with the offensive line,” Bumpus said Monday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.

Bumpus explained how Charbonnet benefited from keeping it simple and just following his blocks, whereas Walker has often had to freelance this season while playing behind a porous offensive line that left him consistently trying to avoid defenders at the point of attack.

“Ken Walker has had so much success having the big play – the switching fields and making guys miss – that it felt like he lost trust in the offensive line to make those blocks, and therefore he’s looking for the big play,” Bumpus said. “I don’t blame him at all. He’s probably frustrated, like, ‘Man, I’ve been trying, but you know what, now I’m going rogue and I’m doing my own thing.’

“Zach doesn’t have those type of capabilities of where he can look right, look left, switch fields, flip over a guy and keep rolling. He just doesn’t have that in him, so Zach was just doing exactly what the run was designed to do. … If you’ve got a guard and a tackle pulling, you’re gonna get behind their rear ends and then you are going to go when the space opens and run it 51 yards.”

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