The Return Of The Run

I don’t need to tell you how Pete Carroll and the Seahawks offensive staff feel about running the ball. They want to run the ball. I also don’t need to tell you how the Seahawks offense ran the ball the last quarter of the regular season. They didn't.

One of the big concerns for the Seahawks in the playoffs was if if they would be able to get pro-bowl runningback Marshawn Lynch going for the playoffs. When facing the abominable conditions of January (and hopefully February) football, a team’s proficiency in running the football is an invaluable skill and often the reason a game is won (or lost).

Saturday, against the New Orleans Saints, the Seahawks seemingly remembered how to run the ball, and regained their previously existent dominance on the ground. While facing winds up to 50 mph, the Seahawks simply decided to run the ball on a hefty 62.5% of their offensive plays, and Marshawn Lynch picked up 140 yards in the process.

Looking back at the tape there were a bevy of reasons for the vast improvement in execution and success in the running game. Sure, the Saints blitzed often, which opened up holes in the running game, but the Seahawks line blocked significantly better than they had in past games and Lynch was frequently able to find holes that were nonexistent in previous games.

2nd Quarter- (14:23)(Shotgun) M.Lynch up the middle for 15 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

The first touchdown of the game for the Seahawks was a thing of beauty: a well-blocked read-option (or at least read-option imitation) give, where Marshawn blasted through a flock of potential tacklers and into the endzone for six. We've heard over and over again about the read option in terms of the quarterbacks, but in this play the ball fake quite clearly helped Marshawn Lynch get into open space.

The Seahawks lined up in shotgun formation, with trips (3) wide receivers to the left. The Saints are in their nickel package, and have only 2 corners on the left side of the field, which forces safety Roman Harper to be accountable for Percy Harvin. 

The Seahawks actually fake a bubble screen to Percy Harvin on the outside, which draws Saints safety Roman Harper down to the flat, effectively taking him out of the play. That little fake right there shows how effective Harvin can be at opening things up even when the Seahawks are running the ball.

This may not be a true read-option play, as all of the Saints box defenders are accounted for in the blocking scheme, and cornerback Corey White is the one who isn't being blocked, but it shows how easily the offense can flip the numbers by simply not blocking one defender.

2nd Quarter- (11:43)(Shotgun) M.Lynch right tackle to SEA 21 for 7 yards (B.Bunkley, C.Lofton).

One large complaint I've had about Darrell Bevell's play-calling is his refusal to run the ball on the third down, but here, with the weather creating unfavorable situations for passing, Bevell decides to run the ball on 3^rd and 3.

Again, the Seahawks line up in the shotgun formation, this time with Golden Tate and Percy Harvin to the left and Doug Baldwin to the right. This play is basically a crack-toss play, with Doug Baldwin blocking the linebacker and Breno Giacomini pulling to block the cornerback. Zach Miller has a big block on Cameron Jordan where he is able to hang on just long enough for Marshawn to dive forward for the first down.

The key blocks on this play (Giacomini, Miller, and Baldwin) are circled, and as you can see all execute their job to perfection.

4th Quarter- (2:48) M.Lynch left end for 31 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
1^st down, game within one score, just under 3 minutes left. Run the ball, run the clock. This is the run we're all going to remember as the game-sealing (basically) touchdown that took the Seahawks to their third conference championship in franchise history, but something else stood out on this play: Lynch's ability to turn the edge (more on that in a second).

The Seahawks align with 13 personnel (one runningback, three tight ends) and Wilson under center. This is a run formation for Seattle, with 3 tight ends and Jermaine Kearse, the team's top blocking wide receiver, as the only wide receiver.

Wilson hands the ball to Lynch, who is heading straight up the middle, but the fact that Kearse is coming in to crack block the safety suggests that this play was designed for Lynch to cut it outside and get a one on one in the open field against cornerback Keenan Lewis.  As I mentioned earlier, one of the main reason for Lynch's struggles in recent weeks has been his inability to get to the outside, either due to a poor read or poor lateral agility. This play suggests Lynch might still have some of that lateral juice we've been dying to see the last couple of weeks.

Notice Jermaine Kearse (#15) with the huge block here, sealing safety Malcolm Jenkins and providing Lynch for a lane to get to the outside.

Once Lynch gets to the outside cornerback Keenan Lewis is now responsible for attempting to bring Lynch down in the open field. Good luck.

Touchdown, Seahawks.

Although the passing game wasn't quite up to snuff in the divisional round, it was extremely encouraging to see one of the game's best backs, Marshawn Lynch, get back to his ground dominance. The playoffs are often centered around ball-control offenses and stymieing defenses, so the Seahawks ability to maintain this type of running success will be vital in the Seahawks ability to continue their run into the playoffs.