The signs throughout the offseason pointed to the Seattle Seahawks running the ball more during the 2018 regular season with the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer as offensive coordinator and the first-round selection of Rashaad Penny in the draft.
But two games in, and with the Seahawks holding an 0-2 record, there has been no balance. The offense has thrown the ball 69 times compared to just 38 rushing attempts, a total that ranks 29th in the league. Running backs Chris Carson and Penny have combined for 33 carries.
So, what gives on the pass-run disparity at this early part of the season? During his Wednesday's media session, head coach Pete Carroll placed the blame on himself.
"Yeah, I would tell you that my -- I'll just take it -- my impatience a little bit, you know," Carroll said, via Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune. "Figuring that we should be on the board more than we had and just got to throw the ball up more than I want to. I'm over that. Both games were so close throughout. We were close enough we could have done whatever we wanted to all the way down to the end of it. I just got a little bit impatient, threw the ball a bit more than we needed to.
"And so you look back and that's with limited opportunities because we weren't converting, it just kind of works together. I'm just owning up. But that's what I would say is the issue with that. I need to be a little less impatient. I'm a little bit, tend to be that way, you know?"
Carroll points to the Seahawks' two losses, which came on a combined 10 points. The tight games signal there wasn't a need to lose patience, but what the head coach admitted also reveals he has a hand in calling plays.
Whether it is Schottenheimer or Carroll calling plays, the offense needs to jumpstart the running game. The Seahawks as a team average 3.6 yards rushing per attempt, which certainly doesn't help with down and distance, and Carroll reinforced that Carson is the starter over Penny.
The next test comes in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys, where the path to hopefully achieving more balance by committing to running the ball more doesn't get easier against the league's 12th-ranked run defense. So, don't be surprised if Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson continues to add to the pass-run disparity.
