Seattle is in a precarious position with their recent loss to Houston, 32-23, when the officials botched the final call of the game and handed the Dragons their third consecutive loss.
The loss and their 1-4 record have the Dragons taking another step back halfway through their inaugural season. Now with nothing else to lose, head coach Jim Zorn and the Dragons need to utilize their top offensive weapons in their running backs.
“It’s great so far. It’s great being around a group of guys who care so much about the game. It’s not going the way we want to right now, but we’re going to turn things around for sure,” Ja’Quan Gardner said.
From the speed of Trey Williams to the power of Ja’Quan Gardner to the elusiveness of Kenneth Farrow, there is plenty of options for Zorn to call upon in the second half of the season.
Granted looking at their individual stats compared to the league might not show one just how effective this trio has been when the offense has been in rhythm. Tampa Bay Vipers running back DeVeon Smith leads the league with 365 rushing yards on 90 carries – solid numbers through five weeks for sure.
“It’s a tough challenge. You got to be right mentally and physically because you never know when you’re going get your call,” Trey Williams said. “
Farrow leads the Dragons with 156 yards, followed by Gardner with 127 and Williams has only 122 yards – those are not standout numbers, yet no Seattle running back has cracked more than just over a third of the carries that Tampa Bay has given Smith through five weeks with Farrow leading the team with 38 attempts.
“It takes a while for a team to gel in the first place, so it’s always going to take a little time period getting the guys on the same page,” Farrow said. “I think you’re starting to see guys do that even despite the record.”
Adding in B.J. Daniels ability to scramble and the Dragons ground game can have some potential punch if they can get their blocking up front. Daniels has been a revelation in limited playing time as the (XX)-year quarterback is sitting fourth on the team with 94 yards on 17 carries.
The stats are deceiving when you look at each player’s individual stats, but that’s a good thing for the Dragons heading into the second half of the season. With the team needing to find itself on offense, there’s no better time to start with the rushing offense to help create space for the team’s wide receivers on passing plays.
Governor Jay Inslee announced on Tuesday last all major sporting events of sizes 250 or more have been canceled including the Seattle Dragons (1-4) home game against Los Angeles (2-3) this weekend. More information to come on the game status.
