Seattle Seahawks "Back In The Running Game"?

Published on May 26, 2010 by Seahawk Fanatic     

No position will be more intriguing in Seattle than running back. Perhaps no position is more important in the Seattle Seahawks organization.

At SC, coach Pete Carroll showed a desire, perhaps even an insistence, to assemble an effective rushing attack using multiple backs, which is exactly what he’s trying to do in Seattle, one of only four teams in the league that hasn’t had a single player surpass 1,000 yards rushing in any of the previous four seasons.

Take a look at how Seattle’s rushing production compares to the rest of the division over the past five years:

	Year	Rush yards	NFL rank	Avg. Carry	NFL rank
	2009	1,600	25	4.3	12
	2008	1,599	27	4.0	21
	2007	1,477	27	4.1	11
	2006	2,172	6	4.9	3
	2005	1,689	17	3.9	16
	Year	Rush yards	NFL rank	Avg. Carry	NFL rank
	2009	1,494	28	4.1	23
	2008	1,178	32	3.5	31
	2007	1,440	29	3.6	30
	2006	1,138	30	3.2	32
	2005	1,668	32	3.5	32
	Year	Rush yards	NFL rank	Avg. Carry	NFL rank
	2009	1,784	20	4.3	11
	2008	1,649	25	4.0	25
	2007	1,527	25	3.8	25
	2006	1,805	17	4.3	10
	2005	1,535	22	4.0	13
	Year	Rush yards	NFL rank	Avg. Carry	NFL rank
	2009	1,566	26	4.0	27
	2008	1,768	19	4.2	14
	2007	1,619	20	3.8	26
	2006	1,923	14	4.0	17
	2005	2,457	3	4.7	2

When last season began, there were a number of readers who evaluated Seattle’s stable of running backs among the worst in the league.

Well, this offseason, the Seahawks added one running back who’s coming off a career-low in rushing (LenDale White) and another who is attempting to come back from a serious leg injury (Leon Washington).

Seattle isn’t like San Francisco or St. Louis. The Seahawks don’t have a back like Frank Gore or Steven Jackson, the designated alpha dog of the offense. If Carroll’s history at USC is any indication, the lead back could change from month to month and from game to game. Consider that over the past four seasons total there wasn’t a single back who had more than five 20-carry games.

What does that mean? Well, it shows that Carroll has demonstrated a willingness not to carve out a specific pecking order in terms of backfield use. He’s willing to ride a hot hand or make adjustments in a game plan.

Will it translate to the NFL? We’ll see, but after four years of running-game recession in Seattle, it’s certainly going to be different.

So how does Seattle stack up to the rest of the division at running back? Take a look at the personnel and then cast your vote on which team’s backfield is best.

Tags: coach pete carroll, Four Seasons, Frank Gore, Hasn, Insistence, Leg Injury, Leon Washington, Nfl Rank, Offseason, Running Backs, Running Game, Rush Yards, Rushing Attack, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, single player, Stable, Steven Jackson, usc, Washington Seattle, Willingness