Seattle Seahawks: 5 takeaways from loss versus Giants
By Jake Luppino
Seahawks strayed away from rushing attack
When Seattle lost to the Bills and Rams, they were somewhat excused as the Seahawks were without both running backs in Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde. As a result, the opposing defense was able to sit back in coverage and get successful pressure on Wilson.
The lack of rushing attack really hindered this Seattle offense. Over the last two-three weeks, there has been much excitement in the Pacific Northwest with the return of both Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde.
Many 12s were expecting this Seattle offense to kick it back into high gear with the return of their running backs. It appeared as if they were off to the right start in the win over the Arizona Cardinals as Carlos Hyde returned and provided solid production.
Then, in Week 12 against Philadelphia, Chris Carson — although he was on a snap count — ran hard and looked like his former self. But, in the loss to the Giants, with Carson 100% healthy, it appeared as if the Seahawks strayed away from the run game.
Right from the start, the Seahawks came out firing in the passing attack and although it somewhat worked on the first drive, it hurt them later in the game. With the dominant play of the Giants defensive line, the Seahawks could never establish their offensive rhythm. If they were to run the ball more, they would have kept this Giants defense on their toes. The run game seemed to have success as Carson finished the game with 13 carries for 65 yards.
One particular instance in this matchup that was game-altering was the failed 4th down attempt by the Seahawks. In the second half, after a Giants touchdown, the Seahawks went for it on 4th and 1 and failed. Instead of running, they decided to do a PA roll out. This is very unlike them as Carson is a power back, who is a physical downfield runner.
asked Russell Wilson if he's thought of changing 4th-down play calls last 2 games to Chris Carson runs. QB said the formation #Seahawks had (3 TEs left) they didn't get NYG look they expected. "Going back on it, I think we probably should go downhill, let Chris run over somebody"
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) December 7, 2020
If the Seahawks stuck to who they are, then maybe they pick up the first down and score. But, that didn’t happen. Moving forward, the Seahawks need to take advantage of having Carson back because they have seen how ugly things can get when they stray away from the run game coupled with poor offensive line play. In fact, that has been the losing formula for the Seahawks this entire season.