Dominant run game keyed the Seahawks’ NFC West title win over 49ers

In both Pete Carroll’s final season as head coach in 2023 and successor Mike Macdonald’s debut campaign in 2024, the Seattle Seahawks failed to make the playoffs despite finishing with a winning record. In both seasons, the team finished 28th in the league in rushing yards per game.

This offseason, the organization made a change at offensive coordinator with the hiring of Klint Kubiak—who owned that title with the New Orleans Saints in 2024. General manager John Schneider addressed a shaky offensive line in the draft, opting for North Dakota State prospect Grey Zabel with the 18th overall selection in April.

Nine weeks into 2025, Macdonald’s team owned a 6-2 win-loss record but not much improvement when it came to the running game. Seattle ranked 22nd in the NFL in rushing yards per game (103.9 average). In four of their eight outings, Kubiak’s offense had been held below the century mark on the ground.

However, it’s been a much different story since. It began with a season-best 198 yards in a home win over the Cardinals. In Seattle’s last nine outings, the offense is averaging a brisk 140.6 yards on the ground. In Saturday night’s 13-3 conquest of the 49ers at Santa Clara, Seattle totaled 180 yards rushing on 39 attempts.

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) rushes the ball against San Francisco 49ers safety Ji'ayir Brown (27) during the second half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

It’s worth noting that only once in their last nine games has Kubiak’s ground game not managed to run for at least 100 yards. In their last three contests, running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet have keyed an attack that has rushed for 171, 163, and 180 yards, respectively. That adds up to an impressive clip of 171.3 yards per contest.

Hence, the Seahawks enter the playoffs averaging 123.3 yards per game rushing in a season in which they captured their first NFC West title since 2020. Coincidentally, Carroll’s club wound up running for 123.2 yards per game five years ago. Go figure.

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