The Seahawks face the the only unbeaten team in the NFC Sunday. The only way to win is to play keepaway. And you do that with the ground game.
The Seahawks face their biggest test of the young season when they host the Los Angeles Rams Sunday. The Rams lead the league in yardage and are second in scoring. Led by Jared Goff and Todd Gurley, they’re averaging 35 points per game. How do you slow them down? Go Ground Chuck and keep the ball out of their hands.
For younger fans, Ground Chuck refers to former coach Chuck Knox, who coached Seattle from 1983 – 1991. He had a fella by the name of Curt Warner as his lead running back. You’d favor the run too if you had a stud like him in your backfield.
I’ll grant you that running against the Rams is easier said than done. The problem with their opponents so far is they really haven’t tried. Or tried enough. So far, most teams have been caught up playing catch up. That clearly isn’t working, so the Seahawks need a different approach.
In week three, the Chargers ran nine times in the first half and picked up 44 yards. That’s a decent average of 4.9 yards per carry. They added 11 carries in the second half and picked up 97 yards. That’s 20 carries in all for 141 yards. That’s the recipe right there.
So why didn’t the new kids in Los Angeles win? The Chargers defense is, shall we say, not great. They rank 22nd in yards allowed, and have given up 30 points per game. It’s hard to win when your defense stinks. Plus the Rams controlled the clock, with more than an eight minute advantage in time of possession.
Last week the Vikings let the Rams turn their game into a track meet. Minnesota ran 12 times in the first half for just 29 yards. They abandoned the run in the second half with just three handoffs. Keep in mind Minnesota trailed 28-20 at the half. That’s a one score game, yet they invited Aaron Donald and Ndamakong Suh to room with Kirk Cousins for the entire second half. Not a winning strategy.
Seahawks must avoid the mistake of previous Rams opponents
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Which brings us to the Seahawks. You aren’t likely to win a passing duel. Just ask Cousins. The winning strategy is to keep the ball away from Goff and his playmates. Happily, Seattle has rediscovered their running game. For the first time this century – well, it seems like it – the Seahawks had back to back 100 yard rushing games.
Chris Carson and Mike Davis have given Seattle the balance they were missing in their opening losses. The Seahawks ran the ball 39 times against the Cowboys. It’s no coincidence that was the one game they really controlled. Expect at least 35 runs against the Rams. Frankly, I’d be happier to see 40 rushing plays.
And don’t write off Rashaad Penny, either. Many see the re-emergence of Davis as the end of Penny’s value. I don’t. He had nine carries for 49 yards last week against the Cardinals. The rookie showed he’s effective as a receiver as well, as he proved in Denver with four catches for 35 yards. With as many handoffs as I expect Russell Wilson to make, there will be enough carries for all three running backs.
Regardless of how much Seattle controls the clock, the Rams are capable of scoring quickly and in bunches. At the least, the Seahawks have to resist the temptation to get into an aerial competition. Cousins threw for over 400 yards and three touchdowns, but lost. David Carr threw for over 300 yards and lost. There’s a lot the Seahawks can do on defense to win this game, but it all starts with their offense.