The Seattle Seahawks are heading into a pivotal Thursday night clash against the Los Angeles Rams, and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak isn’t mincing words about what needs to change. With the NFC West lead hanging in the balance, Kubiak made it clear: Seattle’s run game is in trouble - and time is running out to fix it.
“It’s got to improve pretty quick,” Kubiak said this week. And he’s not wrong.
The Seahawks are 11-3, tied with the Rams atop the division, but the offense hasn’t looked like a unit ready to carry a playoff run - especially on the ground. The numbers paint a troubling picture: no offensive touchdowns in the first half since Week 12, and nothing in the first quarter since Week 10. That’s not just a slow start - that’s a pattern, and it’s one that’s holding this team back.
Those issues came to a head in Sunday’s narrow 18-16 win over the Colts. Yes, it was a win.
But it came without a single offensive touchdown - the first time that’s happened all season. Seattle leaned entirely on kicker Jason Myers, who delivered a franchise-record six field goals to keep the Seahawks afloat.
And the run game? Virtually nonexistent.
Seattle managed just three rushing yards on nine first-half attempts and finished with a season-low 49 yards total. Not one carry went for more than eight yards - snapping a streak that had held since Week 1.
It wasn’t just ineffective; it was invisible.
That lack of production is especially jarring when you consider what Kubiak was brought in to do. Known for his roots in the outside-zone scheme - a system made famous by Mike Shanahan and long admired for its ability to create explosive runs through precision and timing - Kubiak was expected to bring that same rhythm and efficiency to Seattle’s ground game. But so far, the cohesion just hasn’t been there.
The outside-zone scheme relies on linemen moving in sync, creating cutback lanes and stretching defenses horizontally. But right now, Seattle’s blocking isn’t holding up, and the backs aren’t finding daylight. It’s a breakdown across the board - coaching, execution, and balance - and Kubiak knows it.
“We’ve got to coach better, we’ve got to block better, we’ve got to help the operation by being a more balanced team,” he said. That’s as honest as it gets.
And the timing couldn’t be more critical. The Rams are surging, and Thursday’s game at Lumen Field is shaping up to be one of the biggest of the season.
Both teams are 11-3. Both have playoff aspirations that go beyond just winning the division.
But Seattle’s margin for error is shrinking fast, especially if they can’t find a way to take pressure off the passing game and control tempo with the run.
The Seahawks have the talent. But talent without execution doesn’t win in December. And if this offense continues to sputter early and lean on field goals instead of touchdowns, it’s going to be tough to keep pace - especially against a Rams team that’s found its rhythm at the right time.
Seattle doesn’t need to become a dominant rushing team overnight. But they do need to be functional - capable of staying ahead of the sticks, keeping defenses honest, and setting up the play-action game that’s supposed to be a strength in Kubiak’s system.
Thursday night will be a test - not just of Seattle’s playoff credentials, but of whether this offense can respond to adversity and correct its most glaring flaw. The Rams won’t wait around. And if the Seahawks want to stay in control of their own destiny, neither can they.