Good article on this over @ Field Gulls
http://www.fieldgulls.com/2016/10/31/13 ... he-offense
It Has Happened Before
On October 14th 2007, following a 28-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football, it became clear the Seattle Seahawks were in a transition offensively. Shaun Alexander, who’d been the team’s big playmaker and mismatch touchdown machine in the red zone, had suddenly disappeared. While the offense was productive, red zone touchdowns were down.
Everyone talked after that Saints game how then-head coach Mike Holmgren had become predictable, his offense outdated. Seattle’s offense was used to insane efficiency in the red zone, thanks in large part to the offensive line and the combination of Mack Strong and Alexander.
It Must Happen Again
Nine years later following a confrontation with these same Saints, the Seahawks have once again found themselves without an identity. One that they have known for about four and a half seasons. Marshawn Lynch was replaced with Thomas Rawls and Seattle found that it had the ability to run and make big plays without him.
Why? Because defenses still feared Russell Wilson’s running ability. The one thing missing from this last game with New Orleans? A spy on Wilson. Defenses aren’t afraid of him running, at least for right now. This means that the thing that often unsettled defenses and opened things up. especially in the red zone, no longer exists. So who do they turn to?
Rawls is hurt and Christine Michael can’t really push the pile. They don’t have another guy they can just put the offense onto. There’s no Hasselbeck, because in this scenario, Wilson is Alexander. His running and stretching the field sideline to sideline with zone read is no longer part of this system especially inside the 20-yard line.