Since the offseason, Kenneth Walker III's departure has been one of the primary talking points among Seattle Seahawks fans and analysts. Letting him go was controversial back then, and it only looked worse by the week.
The defending Super Bowl MVP had gone nuclear in the first six games with his new team. So, with the Kansas City Chiefs in town, it looked like the table was set for Walker to make John Schneider regret the day he was born.
Instead, Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde did what they do best, and they completely shut down the very same player this team used to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy months ago. It was an ugly watch for Chiefs fans, and the ultimate victory cigar for Seattle.
The Seattle Seahawks miss Kenneth Walker III, but he's mortal
Walker carried the ball 14 times in the loss, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry for a grand total of 36 rushing yards. He wasn't much of a factor in the passing game either, hauling in four catches on five targets for 21 yards.
This was by far his most modest outing of the season. It was just the second time he didn't run for at least 110 rushing yards, and just the second time without scoring a touchdown. He just couldn't find any breathing room with the Dark Side defense all over him.
Of course, this isn't to take a shot at Walker or say that the team doesn't miss him. The Seahawks' running game – or lack thereof – has been a big concern since the start of the season, and it would undeniably be better with him in the backfield.
That said, it's not like this team has struggled to run the ball solely because he's no longer there. It's been a combination of factors and a brutal break with injuries, but they showed that they can still establish the run and dominate the pace of the game in the win over the Chiefs.
Clearly, having Anthony Bradford back on the field worked wonders for the team's run blocking, and a revolving door at running back hasn't helped their case. Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price should be back on the field in no time, though, so the running game should peak at the right time.
Kenneth Walker III is an amazing player, and there's no reason to hold any grudges toward him. The team decided not to keep him to allocate those resources elsewhere, and that happens all the time.
We can play Monday morning quarterback all we want to say it was a mistake, but it was also just a matter of time before he showed he's only human. Those video game-like stat sheets are nice and all, but teams are quick to adjust and take away the players' main strengths.
The Seahawks just laid out the blueprint for everyone else to follow. And while they won't have Byron Murphy II or Leonard Williams shutting down running lanes, they can at least know that even the almighty Kenneth Walker III can be contained.
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