By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

Establishing and stopping the run is critical if the Seahawks are to beat the Cardinals in Sunday’s NFC West showdown.

The Seahawk’s defense continues to improve and must take another step to make it two wins in a row.  Despite giving up 131 rushing yards against the Niners,  the defense stopped the Niners when the game was on the line.  The crucial stop by the defense with  3:56 left in the game allowed  Geno Smith to engineer his 11th fourth-quarter comeback win. After containing the Niners’ Brody Purdy and  Cristian MCaffrey, the Seahawks defense will face another potent rush offense led by  Kyle Murray and all-purpose back James Conner. The two spearhead the league’s  5th best rushing attack

STOP THE RUN

The best defenses in the NFL have one thing in common. The ability to consistently stop the run. “ To win in this league, you must stop the run and earn the right to rush the quarterback,’ Said Leonard Williams.  ” You have to earn the right to rush the passer, ” added Williams.

Against the Cardinals, the Seahawk’s interior seven will need to win the first and second down battle while being disciplined on third down. 

Murray leads the NFL in yards per rushing attempt at 8.2. Conner has rushed for  697 yards and five touchdowns, which is 11th overall.   Bringing energy,  physicality, shedding blocks, and clean tackling will be critical.  Linebackers  Ernest Jones IV  and  Tyrice Knight led were one and two in team tackles.  A similar performance will be essential if the Seahawks are to win.

ESTABLISH A RUN GAME


In the first half against the Niners, the Seahawks had 29 yards rushing on 16 attempts, with an average of 3.6 yards gained per carry.  The numbers barely improved in the second half despite a token commitment to the run. The Seahawks finished the game with 94 rushing yards on 23 attempts and averaged 3.6 yards per attempt.  Ken Walker finished the game with 54 rushing yards on  14 carries.

The Seahawks did not attempt back-to-back running plays until their  7th drive of the game. On the drive, they ran the ball three times back-to-back but could not pick up a crucial yard on 4th and one at the Niners 37-yard line with 4:01 left in the game. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grub was asked how long you commit to a struggling running game.

“ That can be a tough proposition at times. You’re playing the whole game into account, meaning where is the clock at? How is the score? How is the defense playing? How much time do we have to use,” said Grubb.

One big positive from the  Niners win was Abe Lucas’s return and Olu Oluwatimi’s play at center.  Lucas started his first game of the season after recovery from a knee injury, and  Oluwatimi also started his first game at center after the sudden retirement of Connor Williams. Both players brought a noticeable physicality that was infectious.

  “I think that that’s something that we were growing in, the consistency of that. I think you could look at every game and find some moments where offense played really, really physical. I don’t think we played a complete game in that sense yet, but we’re getting really close ,” added Grubb

BIG TAKE AWAY.

The Cardinals defense is allowing opponents 127.5 rushing yards a game. Grubb and Smith would jump at that in a heartbeat. The counter to that is the Seahawks’ defense, which allows opponents 138.6 yards per game. A fast start by the Seahawk’s offense is the key to establishing the run. The passing game can help with a fast start if Grubb can remember to balance the attack with inside and wide runs to spring Walker and free the Cardinal’s linebackers.

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