Seahawks Running Game Will Lead The Offense To Success In 2022
It’s Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Walker III’s running world, and we’re just living in it. Buckle up for this Seahawks duo in 2022.
Chris Carson’s retirement was a big hit for the organization, both on and off the field. Even though his absence will be tough to fill, Seattle will have an intriguing and exciting 1-2 punch leading the running game that will lead the offense to success in this challenging year.
Unfortunately, Chris Carson ended his football career due to a neck injury he suffered last season. The best running back the Seahawks have had since the departure of Marshawn Lynch will no longer be with the team, but that doesn’t mean the running game will be bad for Seattle in 2022.
In fact, it may lead the team’s offense to success in a challenging and change-filled season. No matter if it’s Drew Lock or Geno Smith under center as the primary starter, one of them will be backed up by this exciting group that will feature Rashaad Penny and second-round rookie Kenneth Walker III.
Seahawks Rashaad Penny Will Lead The Way
Penny re-signed his contract with Seattle for one more year after he crushed it in the back half of last year. He finished with 749 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns. As of Week 13, the former first round pick seemed like he would move on from Seattle after 2021. However, Penny proved himself with an amazing run from Weeks 14-18.
During that span, Penny recorded 671 yards (89.5% of his total rushing yards in 2021) and all of his scores. From Week 14 on, he led the league in yards and he also had the highest yards per attempt around the league with 6.3. When he puts himself into work, he has shown his value and what he can bring to the team.
Also, he was part of the 2018 Seahawks rushing offense that lead the NFL with 2,560 yards in a three-way group that included him, Carson, and Mike Davis. Penny has a dominant style, he loves Seattle, he learned a lot from Carson, and for the first time in his pro career, he is set to start the season as the RB1.
But that doesn’t mean he will carry all the load – and this is where the fun begins.
Kenneth Walker III Adds Explosiveness To Seahawks Backfield
In the 2022 draft, the Seahawks added one of the most intriguing and exciting offensive players in the second round in Walker III. Some people criticized the pick, but mostly because the team, as always, addressed the best player on the board rather than prioritizing the needy positions. The Seahawks turned out not to be wrong with this choice, and with Carson off the board, it makes even more sense.
Carroll has relied on the running game a lot as the Seahawks’ head coach (even though Super Bowl XLIX is not a good example of it). He was one of the reasons the “Let Russ Cook” movement existed in the first place. This may be the first year since 2013 that the running game takes true charge over the offense.
This is why Carroll and Schneider made the selection in the second round. It may end up between Breece Hall (New York Jets) and Walker as who is the best player in the 2022 RB class, but we can all agree on one thing: Seattle took the most productive guy in the position.
Walker is coming from a career-high season with Michigan State (after he transferred from Wake Forest) as he finished with 1,636 rushing yards, 18 (!) rushing TD, and 6.2 yards per carry. He is the perfect complement running back to Penny to create an interesting 1-2 punch that will lead the offense.
The MSU product has the size, speed, and aggressiveness that Penny needs in a partner (he had that in Chris Carson), making him the perfect replacement for #32. Also, Walker can find the end zone, which has been an issue for the Seahawks running backs these past years – not getting their running backs in the end zone.
Nothing could be better for the new quarterback than having a good duo of running backs that can lead the way in the offense, putting less pressure on their shoulders and feeling more comfortable with a balanced offense. Penny’s consistency and hustling along with Walker’s speed and production are a perfect combination to compete in today’s NFL.
Some think that Seattle will struggle a lot because they no longer have their star quarterback, but they now have two running backs that can be as good as they want to be. That makes Seattle a different team, that will create havoc on the ground and that will not need their passing game all the time to succeed.
Proof of this is shown with the Baltimore Ravens (not because they have a bad passing game). They have been dominating on the ground while being a competitive team since 2018. Seattle can ditto that, and maybe in the future with a truly talented quarterback can improve its offense to an elite level.
Seattle can be on their way to winning 8-9 games in 2022 (more than they won in 2021 and more than people expect) thanks to the running game, with Kenneth Walker III being a real candidate to bring home the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award for the Seahawks this year.