What's helped the Seattle Seahawks' run game get untracked

One of the biggest developments down the stretch for the Seattle Seahawks was a breakout three-week stretch produced by their rushing attack to close out the regular season.

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The Seahawks had spent the entire season showing their renewed commitment to running the football up to that point, but the results weren’t always there. Despite ranking fifth in the league rushing attempts, they were 22nd yards per game (113.0).

But in a closing kick in which they needed three straight wins over playoff teams to clinch the NFC’s top seed, the run game surged to the tune of 171.3 yards per game, the second-best mark in the league during the stretch. It included running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet trading off 100-yard games – the first time the team had 100-yard rushers in consecutive games since 2022 – and a season-high 180 yards on the ground in a season-closing win over the San Francisco 49ers to clinch home-field advantage in the postseason.

Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL offensive lineman Ray Roberts discussed what’s been working with Seattle’s run game of late when he joined Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Thursday.

For Roberts, the way the Seahawks have been persistent with the run all year is a contributor to the recent success.

“The one thing that was really hard was early in the season – and maybe we just didn’t give it enough credit when they were saying it – they were saying that they used the run game as like the body blows. And I think the terminology that they used was the softening process.” Roberts said. “A lot of us were probably thinking that the softening process is going to take like three games and let’s get going, but it’s been like a season-long thing, and they have not wavered from how they approach the attempts, running the outside zone, the wide zone between the tackles, (using) both running backs.

“They haven’t wavered from that at all. So now we’re starting to pay some dividends down the stretch at the right time.”

Improved O-line play

Seattle’s offensive line has showed some substantial improvement this season. The clearest example has been in pass protection. After allowing the 54 sacks (fourth-most in the league) a season ago, the unit cut that number in half, surrendering just 27 (tied for fifth-best) this season.

But Roberts said he’s seen improvement from the O-line in the run game of late, which has helped running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet be put in situations where their skills shine most.

“The offensive line has done a better job when they can just come off the ball with their shoulders square to the line of scrimmage, work the double teams up to the second level,” Roberts said. “Charbonnet is a much better runner with his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage, and K9 when he gets downhill and is making his cuts, he’s a better running back than when he’s going east and west and trying to make people miss and reversing the field and all that kind of stuff. So I do think that that’s a big part of it.”

Everybody buying in

The work the offensive line has done in the run game isn’t the only blocking helping the Seahawks get their rushing attack untracked. It’s also the work being done on the outside by the wide receivers.

Roberts pointed to Kenneth Walker III’s 19-yard rush on third-and-17 during the season finale against the 49ers as an example of the way Seattle’s wide receivers impact the run game. On the play, Cooper Kupp helps wall off a defender in the backfield and Jake Bobo and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are downfield throwing blocks to help spring the run.

Amazing is right. 😮‍💨 @Kenneth_Walker9

📺: ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/7OIBP0RXKL

— xz* – Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 4, 2026

“Those plays don’t happen without those guys blocking,” Roberts said. “… All three of those dudes blocked somebody, and that means that everybody’s in it for everybody.”

Receivers, especially stars like Smith-Njigba, generally aren’t known for their blocking skills or willingness to the dirty work in the run game. His efforts are a great example of why Seattle’s run game is starting to click, Roberts said.

“JSN is not just a dude that’s wanting to get deep shots down the field and score all the touchdowns. He’s willing to put his body on the line and do the dirty work,” Roberts said. “Now, you don’t want him doing that forever, but when he’s called upon to do it, he’s doing it. And that’s what makes the running game work, too. The running game is an 11-man-committed-to-it operation for it to be successful.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

What’s helped the Seattle Seahawks’ run game get untracked

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