Seattle Seahawks' Run Game Stalls in Second-Straight Loss

The Seattle Seahawks couldn't get much going on the ground in their Week 5 loss to the New York Giants. As a result, they abandoned it completely.
Oct 6, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) tackles Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) during the second half at Lumen Field.
Oct 6, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) tackles Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) during the second half at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
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There aren't many positives to take away from the Seattle Seahawks' 29-20 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday on either side of the ball.

For much of the game, the Seahawks' offense was sluggish and uninspired, and they didn't even score an offensive touchdown until the fourth quarter. The offensive line was particularly bad, allowing seven sacks and failing to open up lanes in the run game.

Expanding on the run game, Seattle rushed for 102 yards on only 11 carries (9.3 yards per attempt), which seems good at first glance. However, 72 of those yards came from Geno Smith. Kenneth Walker III had just 19 yards on five carries, while Zach Charbonnet had 11 yards on two carries.

The Seahawks know they have to maintain some semblence of balance on offense, and that starts with getting the run game back on track.

"We definitely need to get the run game going," head coach Mike Macdonald said after the game. "The way the game started we were thinking about trying to get Geno going early. And I'm not sure how many plays we had [in] the first half, but it wasn't many. The game started to kind of get out of hand there. We had to get going. You're right, we need to get the run game going, we need to get Ken [Walker] the ball more."

Seattle ranks 21st in rushing offense through Week 5 (before Monday Night Football). Walker had a strong performance with 12 carries for 80 yards and three touchdowns in his first game back from injury last week, but wasn't allowed to keep the train rolling on Sunday.

The Seahawks will have to figure out their issues soon, as they host the rival San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football later this week.


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