3 signs Seahawks will make a huge leap in 2024 under new coaching staff
By Luke Allen
New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's creativity should quell the Seahawks' red zone struggles
The Seahawks were 25th in the league when it came to scoring touchdowns in the red zone. It seemed at times Seattle had no trouble marching down inside the opponents' 20-yard line, but the offense inexplicably sputtered when it came time to score.
The difference between 7 points and 3 points on a consistent basis certainly begins to add up, and I believe it is the difference between winning and losing games. In particular, the Seahawks absolutely would have defeated the Cincinnati Bengals if Seattle could've cashed in in the red zone. Instead, the team went 1-for-5 in their red zone trips and ended up losing 17-13.
It was a completely different story only 20 minutes north on Lake Washington. The University of Washington's offense was humming all season long, including in the red zone. While Jason Myers was kicking short field goals inside the 20, the Huskies were scoring touchdowns in all kinds of fun and innovative ways. It may not be completely fair to compare NFL football to the collegiate level, but it is worth noting the play calling and the creativity were much more effective under Ryan Grubb's Washington offense.
While Grubb and Washington had their fun with deep dropbacks and stretching the field early in drives, what made his offense especially dynamic was the physicality in the red zone. In looking at the rushing stats compiled by Pro Football Reference, the Seahawks running backs (Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet) carried the ball in the red zone 59 times for only 91 total yards - a pathetic 1.5 yards per carry. Seattle became very one-dimensional once crossing the opponents' 20, and it cost them a lot of points left on the board.
In watching Ryan Grubb's offense, the blunt takeaway was that he was able to pound the rock efficiently in the red zone, allowing for 1-on-1 schemed matchups for his three featured wide receivers. Watching the Huskies in the red zone was witnessing a masterclass in play calling, scheming, and, most importantly, the outcoaching of his opponents. Shane Waldron was a borderline great schemer in between the 20s for Seattle over the last two seasons but had no answer for defenses once it came time to finish the drives.