Seahawks’ season-long commitment to run game pays off in massive win

It took about half a season for the Seattle Seahawks’ rushing attack to hit its stride.

But down the stretch, as opposing defenses focused on slowing down Sam Darnold and NFL receiving leader Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks began to find traction on the ground.

And in Saturday night’s winner-take-all NFC West showdown, that surging run game was front and center for Seattle’s biggest victory in years.

Seahawks beat 49ers | Instant Reaction | Box score

The Seahawks piled up 180 yards on 39 carries in their 13-3 win over the San Francisco 49ers, which gave Seattle its first division title since 2020 and its first No. 1 seed since 2014. Kenneth Walker III led the way with 97 yards on 16 carries, while Zach Charbonnet added 74 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.

Zach Charbonnet with room to run!

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The Seahawks set a punishing tone from the get-go, rushing for 88 yards on 12 carries in the first quarter. That alone surpassed their full-game total from Week 1, when they mustered just 84 yards on 26 carries in a 17-13 loss to the 49ers.

Charbonnet delivered the game’s lone touchdown in the first quarter, when he took a third-and-2 handoff to the right, then cut back to the left, capitalized on a great block from tight end AJ Barner and raced for a 27-yard score that gave Seattle a 7-0 lead.

Walker broke another pivotal run late in the third quarter, when he took a third-and-17 toss from Seattle’s own 25-yard line and maneuvered his way for 19-yard gain that extended the drive. That improbable third-down conversion ultimately led to a field goal, which pushed the Seahawks’ lead to 13-3.

Razzle dazzle from Kenneth Walker to pick up the first down on 3rd & 17!

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And in the fourth quarter, Walker rattled off back-to-back 11-yard runs during a lengthy 16-play, 89-yard drive that chewed more than 8 minutes off the clock and essentially sealed the victory.

This past offseason, the Seahawks devoted significant resources to fixing their struggling rushing attack – beginning with bringing in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and his outside-zone blocking scheme.

The results didn’t come initially. While Darnold and Smith-Njigba led an explosive passing attack early on, Seattle’s ground game lagged behind. Over the first nine weeks, the Seahawks ranked near the bottom of the NFL with 103.9 rushing yards per game and just 3.7 yards per carry.

But they stayed persistent, continuing to run the ball at one of the league’s highest rates. And as defenses prioritized taking away the big play over the top, Seattle’s run game rounded into form.

Over the final nine weeks of the season, the Seahawks averaged 140.6 rushing yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry. That was capped by a closing three-game stretch of 171 rushing yards against the Los Angeles Rams, 163 against the Carolina Panthers and now 180 against the 49ers.

It all came together just in time to help the Seahawks earn their first No. 1 seed in 11 years.

And as they take aim at a Super Bowl run, that’s certainly a great sign.

More on Seattle Seahawks’ win

• Seahawks beat 49ers, clinch NFC No. 1 seed for fourth time in team history
• Stacy Rost: Hawks show why their fatal flaw may not matter
• 49ers’ offense goes silent against suffocating Seahawks defense
• The five biggest plays that delivered Seattle Seahawks’ win over 49ers

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