All signs point to dynamic duo in the Seahawks backfield

Carson and Penny feel they have a lot to prove for the Seahawks

Carson came into camp healthy, and very motivated to prove he’s one of the league’s best running backs. As reported by Adam Jude for the Seattle Times, Carson wants everyone to know he isn’t just a one-year wonder:

"“Just competing, that’s the biggest thing,” he said. “And try to make sure everyone understands that last year wasn’t just a one-time thing, you know? I’m out here trying to get better with the stuff I didn’t do so good last year. I’m trying to complete my game.”"

Carson also had high praise for his teammate, Penny. Some players would see the competition as a rival trying to take away their job. Not Carson. He sees the competition as nothing but good for the Seahawks and for each other. Again from Jude’s article, Carson had this to say about Penny:

"“Me and him are real close,” Carson said. “I try to give him as many tips as I can, and he does the same thing for me. It’s good. It’s great to see his growth from year one to year two. Year one, he had some injuries and some things to overcome. His confidence wasn’t there. But toward the end of the year, you saw his confidence start to grow, which is good. … “He knows he can make the cuts that maybe he was second-guessing last year. You’re starting to see that. He trusts his speed more, and once he gets to that second level he can break away.”"

As for Penny, we’ve noted before that he’s done some serious work this offseason to show the Seahawks made the right move when they took him in the first round last year. At this point, it should be obvious why I say that Carson and Penny will rank among the NFL’s best running back tandems ever this year. Carson is coming off a breakout season but looks even more fit, even more motivated. Penny is definitely in better physical condition and has been tutored by one of the all-time greats in Marshall Faulk.

In addition, both men know there are plenty of carries to go around in this offense. Seattle was 5-1 in games with 35 carries or more, the sole blemish being the inexplicable overtime loss in San Francisco. The Hawks were a pedestrian 2-3 in games with less than 30 carries, counting the playoff loss in Dallas. Run a lot, you’re on pace for 13 wins. Run too little, you’re on pace for 6 wins.

Wilson will get his touchdowns either way, but it’s worth noting that 15 of his 35 scoring tosses came in the six Seattle losses. That’s 2.5 touchdowns per loss and 2.0 per win. In fact, Wilson was shut out of the end zone just twice last year. The Seahawks won both contests due to their running game. Wilson is great, but he needs a great backfield too. I expect Carson and Penny to get over 1,000 yards from scrimmage each. With these two, he’ll have one of the best ever.