Whether Seahawks contain McCaffrey or not makes no difference
The Seahawks face another of the NFL’s top running backs in Christian McCaffrey. Usually stopping a player like him is key to the win. Maybe not this time.
Before we get to my premise, let’s establish the credentials of Christian McCaffrey for all of you non-believers out there. McCaffrey ranks 10th in rushing with 632 yards. Add his 496 yards receiving and his eight total touchdowns, and it’s clear that McCaffrey is a top running back. So the Seahawks face yet another of the league’s most dangerous offensive players.
Fun aside – or maybe not so fun. Seattle has played seven of the nine running backs with the highest average yards per carry this year. Maybe we’re getting off light; McCaffrey is only 16th on that list. For the record, Ezekiel Elliott, Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler, and Todd Gurley (once) all ran for more than their average against Seattle. Aaron Jones, Phillip Lindsay, Kerryon Johnson and Todd Gurley (once) ran for less than their average when facing the Hawks.
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I don’t think anyone would argue that Jones and Lindsay are as good as Elliott and Gordon, so maybe the cream does rise to the top. Then again, Gurley wasn’t at his best in his game at Seattle, not when it comes to average yards per carry. The Seahawks lost when Gordon (and to a lesser extent) Ekeler went off for the Chargers. On the flip side, the Hawks did beat Dallas despite Zeke’s big game. A few key drops by Elliott did help Seattle’s cause.