The Seahawks offense has come under fire for creativity, but Brian Schottenheimer is running the right game plan to get Seattle back into the playoffs.
The Seahawks face the 49ers for the second time in three weeks today. This should be a fairly easy win, considering how thoroughly Seattle thrashed San Francisco in that game. I’ve previously voiced my concerns about this rematch, but I’m not that concerned about the opposition. In fact, my mind wandered back to a previous opponent, offensive philosophies, and Brian Schottenheimer.
So let’s revisit the Minnesota game. The Seahawks defense overwhelmed the Vikings until the outcome was firmly in place. Before the game, I’d noted Vikes head coach Mike Zimmer was concerned they weren’t running the ball enough. I was hopeful they’d continue their error. Happily, they did, as Dalvin Cook only ran 13 times against Seattle.
That got their offensive coordinator fired. New coordinator Kevin Stefanski got the memo, as today Minnesota had 101 yards rushing in the first quarter against the Dolphins. They ran the ball 21 times in the first half. The Seahawks-Vikings game could have had a very different outcome in they’d had more balance. Mike Zimmer, we salute you for being so reluctant to pull the trigger on John DeFilippo.
Which brings me to the Seattle offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer. It isn’t too hard to find doubters in his play-calling. Just check Twitter after any game, whether it’s a win or a loss. I myself doubted his ability and sanity after the first two games of the season. It’s painful to recall, but for some inane reason, Chris Carson never touched the football in the second half of the Bears game. After two games, Carson had 13 carries. 12s had to wonder if Seattle really did hire DeFilippo in the first place.
Happily, reason prevailed, and Carson began to churn through defenders on a regular basis. The Seahawks lead the league in rushing and rushing attempts. In fact, entering today’s contest, Seattle has exactly 2000 yards rushing. They haven’t topped that since 2015, and there are still three games to go. Whether you like Schottenheimer’s play-calling or not, he’s running the scheme that Pete Carroll wanted, and the Seahawks needed. Pound the rock to keep defense honest.
Far too many people overlook the factor of time. Running consumes the clock, and the longer your offense holds the ball, the less time your defense has to be on the field. A fresher defense is a better defense, period. The ball control offense has been a big boost to this young defense. Not as big as Bobby Wagner, of course, but every little edge helps. Since Seattle actually started running the ball and not just saying they would, their record is 8-3. Or we could have waited until week 15 to run the ball, like the Vikings. I’ll take Schotty, thanks.