The Seattle Seahawks have listed Eddie Lacy at running back, and Thomas Rawls is listed as questionable for Week 1 of the season. The Seahawks must find out if Lacy can be a great runner for them, and they must test him as often as possible to learn if he can be the great runner they need. What can Seattle do if they are not able to run Lacy? How can they protect Russell Wilson if they do not have a strong running game?
No running game
Having no running game will cause problems for Russell Wilson, and he could be hurt badly if he has no protection from a good running game.
The Seahawks put a lot of money into Lacy because they need help for Wilson, and they are afraid that they could run into problems if they are not able to give Wilson time to run their offense. Wilson cannot manage this offense properly if the opposing defense does not respect the running game. This could be a major problem for the Seahawks, and it will cause injuries, a sputtering offense, and problems that are hard to fix during the season.
The long term impact
The long term impact of Lacy's success will be felt the closer the Seahawks get to the postseason. They can easily win their division if Lacy can run, and they may give up their division crown to the Cardinals if he does not. It is fairly simple to understand because the team does not have a high powered offense that can create short passes to mimic a running game.
Russell Wilson is too small to get hit that much, and they must have a way of moving the ball down the field that is not solely made up of long passes that he is not known for. Forcing your elite quarterback to pass the ball constantly when that is not his style will cause problems for this team all season.
Avoiding the Cardinals
The defense in Seattle must get off the field as often as possible so that the offense can have more chances to score. The defense is very good, but that does not mean they are invincible. They must have rest, and they cannot rest if the offense cannot keep the ball. The offense can control the time of possession if they cannot run the ball, and they will not take enough time off the clock if they are not able to run.
It is interesting to see the Seahawks wind up in a position like this because Marshawn Lynch is in Oakland, they had to pay Eddie Lacy to lose weight, and they do not know if they have Thomas Rawls.
A team that has been coached as well as the Seahawks should not be in a position like this, but they must create a running game before the season starts. Otherwise, these questions will haunt them.
