Brock weighs in on Seahawks’ continued short-yardage struggles
Dec 2, 2024, 10:46 AM | Updated: 1:00 pm
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith reacts after being sacked on fourth-and-goal against the Jets on Sunday. (Elsa/Getty Images)
(Elsa/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks came away with their third straight win on Sunday, but their run-game woes bit them again in another short-yardage situation.
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Trailing 21-16 midway through the third quarter, Seattle had a first-and-goal from the New York Jets 4-yard line. But despite getting eight shots at the end zone due to a pair of Jets penalties – including five shots from the 1-yard line – the Seahawks were unable to score.
It was the third time in the past four games that Seattle was unable to convert a pivotal short-yardage situation.
In overtime of a Week 9 loss to the Rams, the Seahawks had the ball in the red zone and needed just a yard to move the chains, but turned the ball over on downs after running back Kenneth Walker III was stopped for no gain on back-to-back plays. And in the fourth quarter of a Week 10 win over the 49ers, running back Zach Charbonnet was stopped for no gain on a fourth-and-1 run on the San Francisco 37-yard line.
Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard chalked up the short-yardage problems to Seattle’s offensive line, which has struggled all season to generate movement in the run game. That was plainly evident again on Sunday, with 71 of the Seahawks’ 84 rushing yards coming after contact, according to Pro Football Focus.
“You just can’t find any consistent movement in that run game,” Huard said Monday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “… How many times did guys hit (Walker) before he could hardly even get to the line of scrimmage? And it was the same thing against Arizona the week before.”
The Seahawks have struggled all season to run the ball, ranking 28th in rushing yards per game (88.7) and 29th in yards per game (3.9).
Seattle ran the ball on three of those eight snaps inside the 5-yard line on Sunday, but those run plays resulted in a total of just 1 yard and an offside penalty. The other five snaps were designed pass plays that resulted in three incompletions, a defensive pass-interference penalty and a fourth-and-goal sack for a 15-yard loss.
In previous games, Huard has critiqued the play-calling. But on Sunday, Huard thought offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb did a good job mixing up plays on the goal line.
“You got into multiple different personnel groups – some 12 (one running back and two tight ends), some 13 (one running back and three tight ends). You brought your jumbo package out, then you got to spread. You tried to kind of throw everything at the wall.
“It wasn’t just like, ‘Hey man, here’s one thing we’re going to do and we’re gonna be very predictable and you’re gonna hit us right in the mouth.’ There was a lot of variance, but unfortunately nothing consistent.”
Listen to the full conversation on Brock and Salk at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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