The Seattle Seahawks went from having one of the stoutest rushing attacks to being one of the worst teams in the league in that regard. Clearly, losing offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III would take a toll on them.
The Seahawks are averaging just 101 rushing yards per game, with two of their three ball-carriers averaging under 4.0 yards per carry, and their rookie first-round pick struggling to take care of the football.
However, the underwhelming numbers lack context. While it would be easy to blame Jadarian Price, the front office, or even Brian Fleury for this, the truth is that this has been a rather atypical start to the season for the Seahawks. Actually, it's too early to sound the alarms.
The Seattle Seahawks' running game will take off soon
Let's take it step by step. The season opener was a weird game from start to finish, which is usually what happens when you lose your starting quarterback five plays into the game. It was also Fleury's first time calling plays, and there were, understandably, some problems getting the play in and whatnot.
Granted, it was still somewhat odd to see Fleury go away from the running game, given that he had his backup quarterback out there and that Price had hit the ground running — pun definitely not intended.
Then, the second game was pretty much over in the third quarter. George Holani and Jadarian Price were banged up, so there was no need to keep them out there, especially when Emanuel Wilson was doing just fine. In fact, the Seahawks actually ran for 162 yards in that game, with Wilson averaging 4.4 yards per carry.
Last but not least, the Seahawks shot themselves in the foot early in Week 3, and they had to play catch-up for most of the game, which obviously doesn't favor the running game. Price was in the doghouse after his costly fumble, and with Anthony Bradford out with an injury, it might be a while before they get back to full speed in that regard.
This has all been circumstantial. Of course, watching Kenneth Walker go absolutely nuts next to Patrick Mahomes hurts, and one can only wonder how different things would be had he stayed. But as great a player as he is, he's not the only reason the running game hasn't taken off just yet.
This team has only played one full game with its starting quarterback. That inevitably takes a toll on the entire operation, even with Drew Lock playing his rear end off in Darnold's absence. Even with that, the Seahawks are averaging 25 points per game and have topped 30 points in consecutive weeks.
There's still plenty to clean up, and Price must be better at taking care of the football. That said, it should be just a matter of time before things go back to normal in Seattle, and a Week 4 date with a winless Los Angeles Chargers team might be just what the doctor ordered to get them rolling.
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