Do you remember last year when the biggest problem the Seattle Seahawks had was the wretched play of their offensive line? I started to look back at some of the mean things I wrote back then, but I couldn’t bear to do it. Besides, I remember all too well what it was like.
Left tackle Charles Cross was the only plus lineman on the squad. Left guard Laken Tomlinson and center Olu Oluwatimi were serviceable. On the right side, it was a complete disaster. Right guard Anthony Bradford could run block, but was a liability in pass protection.
Then he got hurt, and things got even worse. At right tackle, Abraham Lucas missed most of the season with an injury. His replacements were not very good.
GM John Schneider did what for him had been unthinkable by using a first-round draft pick on an interior offensive lineman. Grey Zabel took over at left guard for the departed Tomlinson from day one. Lucas got healthy, and Jalen Sundell won the starting center job over an injured Oluwatimi. The changes were incremental, but things began to improve.
Seahawks’ offensive line makes a statement against the 49ers
Other crucial changes impacted the offensive line. First and foremost, Klint Kubiak came in as the offensive coordinator with a renewed commitment to running the ball. Veteran line coach John Benton was brought in.
From a personnel standpoint, Schneider began tailoring his roster to the new offensive direction. He drafted a genuine blocking fullback in Robbie Ouzts. And he not only signed a couple of excellent blocking tight ends in Eric Saubert and Nick Kallerup – he kept both on the 53-man roster despite having AJ Barner, Elijah Arroyo, Brady Russell, and Ouzts all capable of playing the position.
And Seattle begin to run the ball.
This year, the Hawks have run the ball just under 30 times per game. That is the fifth-highest total in the league. Last year, they ran 22.5 times per game, fourth lowest in the league. Their yards-per-attempt have actually gone down, but their commitment has not wavered, and their offense has improved as a result.
It was on full display Saturday night against the 49ers. Sure, San Francisco was playing without Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. Several other players were banged up as well. But they had still been reasonably effective in stopping the run all season, giving up less than 110 yards per game. By most metrics, the 49ers have had a slightly above-average run defense this season.
Seattle bludgeoned them. 39 carries for 180 yards. Ten rushing first downs. (San Fran had one.) Kenneth Walker III (97 yards) and Zach Charbonnet (74 yards) both had runs of 20 yards or more. Walker’s 19-yard scamper to the right on a third-and-17 in the third quarter was called a “back breaker” by the ESPN announcing team.
That play was typical of Seattle’s running game, especially when Walker got the ball. He ran right, behind a good push from Anthony Bradford and Abraham Lucas. Then he cut back into an open seam. It was open because the backside blockers Zabel and Josh Jones were sealing off the 49ers’ pursuit.
That’s the way it went all night long. Jalen Sundell and Grey Zabel were rock solid as a tandem in the middle. It’s almost as if they have been playing together for years – probably because they have.
Bradford may still have problems in pass protection, but he is a sturdy run blocker. And Lucas being healthy for the first time since his rookie season may be the most overlooked story of the year. He has been brilliant at right tackle.
If you watched the game on TV, you heard announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman mention the absence of San Fran’s All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams. By my count, he was mentioned 452 times. But I may be prone to exaggeration.
But Seattle was also missing its stud left tackle. They did mention Charles Cross – by my count, twice. The point is, they didn’t have to dwell on it because backup Josh Jones was outstanding. He got beaten once by Sam Okuayinonu but was otherwise up to the task of filling in for Cross.
With Oluwatimi at center and Jones able to play tackle or guard, this offensive line not only has significantly better talent than last year, but it even has some depth. That’s something not many fans would have predicted last season, and it bodes well for the upcoming playoffs.