How the Seahawks plan to regain the gritty identity of their Super Bowl teams

Eric Williams

NFL Reporter

INDIANAPOLIS — When the Seahawks went to back-to-back Super Bowls in 2013 and 2014, Pete Carroll’s team boasted one of the most productive running games in the league, led by Marshawn Lynch. Seattle’s offensive identity was using the zone-blocking scheme, which focused on wide zone runs and play-action passes.

Well, the Seahawks are going back to the future. GM John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald moved on from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb after one season, hiring Klint Kubiak to lead the offense. Kubiak is the son of Gary Kubiak, a longtime offensive coordinator who played under Mike Shanahan with the Denver Broncos when the team regularly led the league in rushing.

Kubiak brings with him an offensive staff brimming with experience in implementing the zone-running scheme, including run game coordinator and senior offensive advisor Rick Dennison, who served as offensive coordinator for Gary Kubiak with the Houston Texans.

“I had a little bit of exposure in Green Bay to the wide zone stuff,” Schneider said. “And those guys in Denver were obviously going to Super Bowls with it. So watching that over the years, it’s a proven system. Rick Dennison was there, so he’s been involved in it.”

Last season, Kenneth Walker III led the Seahawks with 573 rushing yards. Zach Charbonnet added 569 yards in 17 games. The last time Seattle didn’t have a 600-yard rusher was 2017. As a result, the Seahawks could be in the market for a running back. Walker, their second-round pick in 2022, is entering the final year of his rookie deal and has had trouble staying on the field.

Macdonald said the shift to more of a run-based offense should also lead to more efficient play from quarterback Geno Smith. The new offense also should better protect Smith, who was asked to push the ball down the field more in Grubb’s pass-first scheme.

While Smith finished No. 4 in the league in passing yards (4,320), he also was second in the NFL in interceptions with 15 and threw the most picks in the red zone last season (4).

“This scheme has a track record of the quarterback playing fast,” Macdonald said. “I just feel like if you can get the quarterback to play decisive and fast, it builds confidence. It’s hard to defend on defense when the ball is out on time. And then all the play-actions and the movements to be able to protect him that way take pressure off the O-line. It’s going to help us.

“Geno is tough as crap. He’s smart. He’s accurate as hell. He throws a great ball, sees the field. Plays with anticipation. Ultimate competitor. I mean, you line those things up with things that we are doing, you’ve got to be excited.”

Smith is in the final year of a three-year, $75 million deal. His average annual salary of $25 million ranks 19th, and he would like a contract extension that moves him closer to the top-paid quarterbacks in the league.

“We expect him to be our guy, but we want to do what’s right, too,” Schneider said.

So beyond this season, the 34-year-old Smith’s situation is somewhat uncertain. As for now, Schneider is focusing on building up the rest of the roster.

“We’re always looking for guys with grit and really studying the person,” Schneider told FOX Sports at the combine. “Especially the last three or four years, we’ve really emphasized it with our scouts to really dig into the person.

“It’s really hard now with guys going to two, three or four schools. [Scouts] can have different opinions on a player when he goes a different school. So you’ve just got to be really careful with it, really digging into the person, the character and the man.”

Last year, in Macdonald’s first season at the helm, Seattle started strong, struggled midseason and ultimately missed the playoffs. Usually dominant at home, the Seahawks finished 3-6 at Lumen Field.

“I feel bad for our fans, not making the playoffs two years in a row,” Schneider said. “We’ve got to get Luman rocking again. We’ve got to get speed on defense and be able to run the ball. Get our identity.”

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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