I already shared most of my thinking on this matter in an earlier reply and I still stand by what I said in regards to Rawls. I can't find it in me to blame the RB's for the absence of the running game. We have had a number of very good RBs, that are proven commodities in that position, both in College and in the Pros, and every single one of them have struggled trying to run behind our offensive line as its been.
I went back through several interviews over the past few days both with Pete and with Darrell as well, and while I heard them talking about giving Lacy the lions share of the Running Back assignments, at least in the immediate future, I didn't hear either of them say that they were going to make Lacy their every down back going forward, or that they weren't going to continue to see if they could help Rawls and our other players at that position become more effective.
My guess is that, if with Duane Brown's addition to the line, and the further evolvement of offensive line forthcoming, and not forgetting either that Chris Carson, was thought to possibly be returning to play for us in early December, and with that Oline run game emerging, we would hopefully give all of our current players at RB, their opportunities to showcase their skills behind in the new run game, I think we might all be singing a different tune about who deserves to become our lead RB at the end of a few of the games.
I also think its fair to assume that Pete and Darrell will continue, as they have all along, to rotate J.D., C.J., Madden, and Chris Carson, when he is healthy enough to return, in and out of assignments that play to their strong suits. I don't personally see JD, CJ, or Madden assuming the position of every down backs, but I do see Chris, Thomas, or Lacy, stepping into the lime light, given the run game support that has been lacking, if not totally nonexistent so far this year.
I also have to concede with many of the folks who pointed out the obvious regarding Rawls, not being patient, and borrowing trouble from our opponents unnecessarily, and doing so to his own demise, repeatedly injuring himself and being sidelined again and again.
By now he must realize that he is only hurting himself, and that his chances of becoming an every down RB, by running blindly down field, need to accept that neither he, or Lacy for that matter, are Marshawn Lynch, or at least who Marshawn once was. I say "once was", because I think folks, in their fond memories of Marshawn and all that he brought to the Seahawks, have forgotten that in the last couple of seasons that he played with us, he also spent a good deal of his time, setting on the sidelines with injuries, or playing sub-par struggling with injuries, which caused his stats to diminish significantly as well.
I've often wondered if the reason Marshawn was getting injured more frequently the last two seasons he played with the Seahawks, and that his stats deteriorated like they did, weren't also related to the failure of the Oline at that time, to consistently create the openings, he needed to do his Beast Mode thing, and instead forced him to play in a manner that brought on his injuries. Similar to what Rawls has, been trying to do, to compensate for the Oline's non-existent run game support.
It could be, that all of that culminated in to some serious frustration for Marshawn, and that he never discussed it publicly, out of respect for Pete and the Seahawks team, and instead just decided to quietly retire and not make it an issue.
Thomas Rawls is a great smash mouth Running Back, and he would literally give his life out there to help this team win. All very admirable, but he needs to reel it in and play smarter. Quit going down field looking for trouble and unnecessary contact, no ones body can absorb that type of abuse, play after play, and expect to stay on the field any period of time uninjured. There is nothing that any running back can do to help our team if we don't give them the support from our Oline that they need.
If Rawls, can rethink his game strategy, trust that our Oline, with some recent changes, can produce some much needed help to his success and he can put his bull headed style aside and adopt a smarter running approach, I think that he can still put the hurt on his opponents, he feeds on it, by picking the time and place. Kind of like a smart fighter, they don't lead with their chins, if they do they'll get knocked out before they find an opportunity to overcome their opponent. Instead they pace themselves, and set their opponents up, and then when the opponents least expect it, POW, BAMM, KABANG!, they lower the BOOM!!! That strategy usually results in their opponents being knockout and not the other way around .
I think Rawls is feeling pretty threatened about the prospects of loosing his place with the Seahawks. It's clear that he loves this team and that he wants to help them win. I don't think that anyone has worked harder to get back in recent times than he has. His desperation to impress and produce results for us, I think, is influencing his decision making, and as such, he is trying to force things to happen, instead of being patient and trusting the Oline to help him do exactly that. In part his fault, and, unfortunately the Oline's fault for failing to produce the openings he keeps looking for.
It's having a reverse effect on both his and every other RBs performance and stats. I've seen glimmers of the old Thomas Rawls reappear in the past couple of games. He has come so close to being back on his game, but even with that, he needs first and most importantly to be able to trust our Oline to give him his opening, and also needs to adjust his mindset and approach on the field, that is if he wants to succeed in his assignments, and more importantly stay healthy long enough to make a difference.
The Seahawks will eventually have no choice but to let him go, if he continues to spend his career setting on the sidelines with injuries. We already have cheer leaders. Rawls might help keep the team fired up with his contagious character and smash mouth football attitude, but the team can't afford to eat up their salary cap, paying for him to play that role on the team. We hired him to be an every down running back. He needs to give us cause to believe that he can do that for us. I still have faith that he can, I have faith that Lacy can as well, with the emergence of an effective Oline running game.
If, and that is a gigantic if, the Oline can start creating these much needed creases, to open up our running game, something that all of our RB's have been desperately looking to see materialize, and Rawls can be a little smarter and patient, instead of just charging head long into the waiting arms of his opponents, and use his speed and agility to avoid all these head on collisions, he keeps looking for, we might just see some really great stuff start to happen.
On a closing note, Rawls has to get it together at this point, I just purchased one of his On Field Jerseys recently, so now I'm personally invested in his career
. That coupled with the fact that I already have too many retired and former Seahawk players jerseys in my clothes closet LMAO.
Go Seahawks and Go Lacy and Rawls, there is room for both of you to succeed !!
