Commentary: Seahawks’ failure to move, stop ball on ground directly tied to woes

RENTON, Wash. – One of the more memorable moments – and there weren’t many of them – during Jimmy Lake’s stint as the University of Washington football coach was when he sported that “RUN THE DAMN BALL” hat during a November news conference.

You have to think fans around here are hoping Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald embraces the same strategy soon. Seattle, after all, is 29th in the NFL in rushing yards per game this season, and given that the team is 4-4, it’s not because the passing game has been unstoppable.

At the same time, one might think Macdonald would have the opposite view when it came to his opponents’ game plans: “PLEASE DON’T RUN THE BALL.” The Seahawks are 29th in rushing defense, too.

The NFL is a pass-happy league that caters to quarterbacks so as to maximize entertainment value. We know that. But establishing and stopping the run remain crucial to stockpiling wins.

Pete Carroll understood this during his time at the helm, with the Seahawks finishing fourth in the league in rushing when they won the Super Bowl, topping the league in rushing when they returned to the Big Game the next season, and holding teams to 91.5 rushing yards per game over those two years.

Most of that had to do with personnel, no doubt. You’re going to rack up yards on the ground when you have Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson working that read-option offense, just as you’re going to limit opponents’ production when you have a historically stingy “D.”

Most of Seattle’s recent struggles can be directly tied to its inability to move or stop the ball on the ground. It’s not unforced errors. It’s not injuries. No – it’s the run.

After Sunday’s 31-10 loss to the Bills, a game in which Seattle had 32 rushing yards on 17 carries (lead running back Kenneth Walker III had 12 yards on nine attempts), Macdonald was asked about the level of concern for the ground game.

“I would say it’s a major concern. We’ve got to make it right,” he said. “If I knew the one answer, I would give that to you right now. Seems like it’s a litany of things. We’ve got to go to work on it.”

I followed up on that answer with Macdonald on Wednesday. Although he downgraded it from major concern to regular concern – the urgency for a fix remains.

“If you’re not being productive on the ground or any aspect of your football team, it’s not living up to how you envision it, you’re going to want to attack the heck out of it,” Macdonald said. “I think we have a really good plan and a plan of attack, and I think the guys are bought in, and it’s not like we’re going to reinvent anything. We’re just going to do what we do better.”

But can they do it better? The Seahawks came into the season ranked 29th (I realize this number is becoming a theme) in the league at offensive line, according to analytics site Pro Football Focus. Perhaps they’ll improve once right tackle Abe Lucas returns from injury, but if they can’t block, they’re not going to move the ball no matter how crafty Walker is.

Their defensive line was ranked 17th, and though there have been injuries to players such as Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe and Leonard Williams among others, they have underperformed up front.

This is an area Macdonald – a touted defensive guru who had potent stints as a coordinator with Michigan and the Ravens – was supposed to improve. Part of the reason Carroll lost his job was because of how poorly the Seahawks played on defense the previous three seasons.

The new coach is experiencing the adage about Jimmies and Joes vs. X’s and O’s. You need the horses … and fans are right to question whether the Seahawks have them.

Williams, obviously, thinks they do. He just wonders if individuals might be trying too hard after getting burned on runs over the past four games, giving up 180.5 rushing yards per game over the past four weeks.

“I think in times like that, we end up trying to do other people’s jobs, and that kind of affects the rest of the defense,” the defensive end said. “I think in these times it goes back to that consistency of just consistently do your job, and eventually we’ll all come together as 11.”

Somehow, the Seahawks are still tied for first in the NFC West. But they have lost four of their past five and are in danger of spiraling.

If they want to walk away with a victory vs. the Rams on Sunday, they need to be able to run. And if they want to stop the bleeding, it’s the run they’ll have to stop as well.