For Pete’s sake: 3 stars for Seahawks versus Chargers Week 7

Seahawks running back Ken Walker

Ken Walker showed every reason that the Seahawks chose him high in the second round. He was fast, made smart reads when running toward the offensive line and showed grown-man strength when needed. While his 74-yard touchdown run was extremely impressive – Walker’s speed reached 22.09 MPH which is the fastest of any running back in the NFL this year – his first touchdown of the game was just as great.

On the play, Walker steps left, sees the hole open to his right, bursts through the hole, and gets hit at the three-yard line but has enough strength and athletic ability to twist and fall into the end zone. It’s not a play most backs can make. But Walker made it look easy.

Later in the game, Walker ran behind right tackle Abe Lucas and should have been stopped for at most a 3-yard gain. Instead, with the help of Lucas, Walker churned the play into a 10-yard gain and kept the drive alive. Three runs by Walker changed the face of the game. Period.

Walker finished with 168 yards on 23 carries for an average of 7.3 yards a rush. In the last three weeks, Walker has 353 yards rushing on 52 carries for an average of 6.79 yards a rush and 4 touchdowns. He is now 16th in the NFL in rushing but in fewer rushes than any other running back above him on the list. Walker is special and he was extra special versus the Chargers and a huge reason Seattle won.