Zach Charbonnet's Resurgent Week 3 Encouraging For Seattle Seahawks' Rushing Attack

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet rushed for more yards in the second half of Sunday's win than the entire first two games.

Sep 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) runs with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Lumen Field. / Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

In the first two games of the season, Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Charbonnet turned 18 carries into a career-high 91 rushing yards and two scores in Sunday’s win over the Miami Dolphins.

What changed? How was Charbonnet able to finally break free? It starts with the run defense Seattle faced, but it mostly shakes out to Charbonnet's decision making and room to work.

“That’s him, that is Zach Charbonnet at his finest,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said postgame. “Yeah, it’s a four-quarter game. Just stick to the run game, keep trying to move them, keep running the rock, speaks to his mentality, the offensive mentality to go out and close it out.”

Charbonnet has started each of the last two games. The first was against the New England Patriots, which currently has the league’s fifth-ranked run defense in yards per game allowed (83.0). In a 24-3 loss to the New York Jets on Thursday, the Patriots gave up 109 yards on 27 carries to running backs Braelon Allen and Breece Hall (4.04 yards per carry).

Having a two-headed attack makes it harder on the defense. That’s what the Seahawks expect to have this season, but Kenneth Walker III has missed two straight games. Thus, New England only had to gameplan for Charbonnet.

The Patriots’ defensive front is also simply one of the best against the run in the NFL, and they were up against the Seahawks’ porous offensive line. New England didn’t wear down like Miami, and Seattle had the luxury of playing with a lead against the Dolphins — allowing them to continue their “softening process” of Miami’s front, as Macdonald called it.

That’s the big difference: Playing with a lead. Miami, even after Week 3, remains 12th in the NFL in rush yards allowed per game (112). The Dolphins have been good at defending the run. But Charbonnet’s rushing production wasn’t a necessity with the success Seattle had in the passing game and on the scoreboard. It became a luxury, and that changes the offensive play calling from down to down.

Charbonnet averaged 3.5 yards per carry in the first half against the Dolphins with the Seahawks leading 17-3 after two quarters. He picked up seven yards per carry in the second half. Charbonnet was more decisive, but the offensive line also moved the line of scrimmage more frequently as Miami wore down.

“It’s not always going to hit early in the game,” Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith said postgame. “You’ve got to keep wearing them down and stick to it. I thought [offensive coordinator Ryan] Grubb did a great job continuing to call the runs that we had advantaged looks. Then our O-line took over the game really in the second half.”

Charbonnet’s 10-yard touchdown run to seal the game — and cap off a 98-yard touchdown drive — was one of the most impressive runs of Charbonnet’s young career as he worked through traffic and made a quick cut to bounce outside to the end zone.

Zipped his way to the endzone. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9l5cDuAIlW

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 22, 2024

“We just did a downhill, hit it out the front side,” Charbonnet said. “All I had to do was make one guy miss. As a running back, that’s all you can ask for is a one-on-one. Like I said, give a lot of credit to the line and tight ends, especially in that blocking scheme right there and just allow me to get a one-on-one.”

Credit is due to the offensive line for their run-blocking effort in the second half. It allowed Charbonnet to help the Seahawks put the game away and turn in his most productive half of football on the ground this season.

But the assignment doesn’t get any easier next week. The Detroit Lions are fourth in rush yards allowed per game (76.7) and are coming off a 20-13 win where they held Arizona Cardinals running backs to 32 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Walker might be back from his oblique injury, which will help the diversity of Seattle’s run game, but expect Charbonnet to still be involved after a quality Week 3 performance.