Questions arise about Seahawks’ run game after 2nd preseason loss

The Seahawks sputtered their way through a Friday night game in Kansas City, gaining only 78 yards on the ground and half of those coming in a final period in which neither team scored.

BY DANNY O

Aug 21, 2015, 10:03 PM Updated: 11:35 pm

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The Seahawks' run game has been much less productive in Seattle's first two preseason games than in previous years. (AP)

(AP)

KANSAS CITY – It’s going to get better, right?

That’s the assumption when it comes to Seattle’s run game. It better improve after the Seahawks sputtered their way through a Friday night game in Kansas City, gaining only 78 yards on the ground and half of those coming in a final period in which neither team scored.

Yes, the Seahawks were playing with a reconfigured offensive line. Sure, it’s just the preseason. No, they didn’t have Marshawn Lynch, who doesn’t play in these preseason games.

But 78 yards?

“We’re used to running the ball a lot more significantly than we are, the first two games,” Carroll said afterward. “That continues to be an issue for us to work at. It might change a little bit when 24 (Lynch) gets in there.”

Yes, Lynch will make a difference. But then again, Lynch hasn’t played at all in the preseason of any of the past three seasons and yet Seattle failed to break 100 yards rushing as a team in only two of those 12 preseason games. The Seahawks have yet to hit the century mark in two preseason games this season.

The question now is how truly worrisome that should be. This is the preseason after all, and while jobs are on the line, a team’s season is not.

Not only that, but Seattle reconfigured its offensive line this week, moving Justin Britt from right tackle to left guard, giving Drew Nowak a start at center and promoting Garry Gilliam to the starter at right tackle.

Friday’s game was a starting point more than a final judgment, though, and Carroll said he’s going to need another look before drawing any conclusions.

“I can’t wait to see the film,” Carroll said, “see the O-line, see how they did. I can’t tell you a whole lot about it yet, but the fact that they got through it the whole time, no sacks in the first half and all, that’s good stuff.”

Yes, it was markedly better than a week ago when all three of Seattle’s quarterbacks were sacked and backup Tarvaris Jackson was injured.

But this is Seattle’s offense we’re talking about, a team that runs more often than anyone else in the league.

Running the ball is the one thing that Carroll has insisted upon from his offense from the moment he arrived in Seattle, and it is the one thing the Seahawks did better than anyone in the league last season by an average of more than 30 yards per game.

But on Friday in Kansas City, running the football was the one thing that Seattle absolutely could not do.

The Seahawks used only one-third of their rushing offense in the game. The idea was to make it simple, get the players firing off the ball.

“We just didn’t get the kind of movement that we need,” Carroll said.

Seattle has three weeks to find traction. It’s going to get better. That’s an assumption, but it’s also in danger of becoming a question.