Ken Walker Ready For Bigger Role in Rams vs. Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are going into the NFC championship needing running back Kenneth Walker III to have his best showing yet.

Walker is expected to have a larger workload due to Zach Charbonnet's torn ACL he suffered during the team's divisional round win against the San Francisco 49ers. NFL.com writer Nick Shook emphasized the need for Walker to play well against the Los Angeles Rams.

"Can Walker handle a larger share of backfield snaps and effectively replace Charbonnet? He accounted for 100-plus scrimmage yards in each of his last three games against the Rams, including a 164-yard showing in the Week 16 win," Shook wrote.

"But the challenge only increases with Walker as the only backfield threat remaining for Seattle. If the Seahawks can't establish the ground game, that will shift the onus onto Darnold, potentially backing Seattle into a corner they don't want to encounter, which makes Walker's role that much more important with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line."

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III scores a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Walker Needs to Shine vs. Rams

The Seahawks have built their offense with the running game as the focal point and that's exactly how the team won 14 games in the regular season. However, it took a committee to get the job done. They no longer have the ability to rely on both Walker and Charbonnet.

"While Seattle's run to the NFC Championship Game will always initially point to the excellence of its defense, the running game has also played an essential role. It began around Week 10 but truly took a leap from Week 16 onward: Seattle has averaged 172.3 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns per game in that span while gaining 9.5 first downs via runs, revealing a strength that is suddenly a defining trait of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's offense," Shook wrote.

Walker scored three touchdowns last week against the 49ers, so there is potential for a breakout game. The Seahawks hope he has at least one more in his system.

Kickoff between the Rams and Seahawks is scheduled for tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. PT. Fans can watch the game on FOX or stream it on the Fox One app.

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III carries the ball against the San Francisco 49ers. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Walker Needs to Shine vs. Rams

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