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A week after Seahawks' running backs only had 12 carries for 28 yards against the Rams, the Seattle backfield racked up 28 carries for 162 yards against the Buccaneers. Being able to run the ball is something that this team takes a lot of pride in so this past Sunday they were determined to not have an outing like they did against St Louis. From the first series of the game, it was evident that the Seahawks were going to come down hill at the Bucs all game and dare them to try to stop them.
The Seahawks run the ball in many different ways. They do it from under center or out of shotgun, and out of any personnel package. All of these things were on display Sunday as they gashed the Bucs repeatedly on the ground, but one way in which they were particularly effective in running the football was behind the pads of Michael Robinson.
This was Robinson's first home game back with the Seahawks after being cut, and he was taking out defenders like the former Pro Bowl FB he is.
In Robinson's first lead block of the game, the Seahawks were facing a 1st and 10 from their 37 yard line. The Seahawks sent out their "22" personnel which essentially screams that a run is coming. The Buccaneers put nine players in the box to load up against the upcoming run. Their load up was futile; the Seahawks still got 11 yards on an outside zone lead with Lynch.
1-10-TB 37 (11:25) M.Lynch left end to TB 26 for 11 yards (M.Barron).
Really good job by the entire offensive line on this play but Luke Willson and Robinson deserve special recognition. Willson blocked two defenders and Robinson put a real solid hit on Lavonte David. Marshawn Lynch followed Robinson all the way through the hole and the result was an 11 yard gain on 1st down.
The next example of Robinson doing work happened with 8:19 left in the 3rd quarter. The Seahawks were down 24-7 at this point but they continued to run the ball because that's what they do. The Seahawks faced 1st and 10 from their own 33 and sent out their "21" personnel. The Bucs only put 7 in the box this time because they didn't want to give up any big gains through the air. Nobody is stopping the Seahawks' lead zone with only seven defenders in the box.
1-10-SEA 33 (8:19) M.Lynch left tackle to SEA 46 for 13 yards (L.David)
Again, nicely done by the unit as a whole but James Carpenter, Zach Miller and Robinson deserve special recognition. Carpenter does an excellent job of helping out with a double team and then releasing to the 2nd level to take out the LB, Miller absolutely removes his man from the play and Robinson chops down Mark Barron. The Seahawks eventually scored later in this drive to cut the Bucs lead down to only 10 points.
The last example of why we should all be glad to have Robinson back happened with 13:04 left in OT. This was the Seahawks' first offensive play of OT and they faced a 1st and 10 from their own 40. The Seahawks were in "21" personnel, again signaling a run. The Bucs countered this by putting 8 in the box to load up against the run. Again, the Bucs load up was ineffective and the Seahawks gained 10 yards on another lead zone.
1-10-SEA 40 (13:04) M.Lynch left tackle pushed ob at 50 for 10 yards (M.Barron).
The left side of the offensive line was on fire all game. Paul McQuinstan, Carpenter and Robinson deserve the credit for this play. McQuinstan controlled his man, Carpenter got a nice seal on the DT and Robinson took out the LB. Lynch cuts off Robinson's block again and gets 10 yards to start the game winning drive.
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1-10-TB 19 (9:34) M.Lynch left tackle to TB 6 for 13 yards (D.Revis).
Danny Bonus GIF!: With 9:34 remaining in OT, Seattle again ran weak lead left with Mike Rob laying a path of destruction. James Carpenter gets the key block at the second level and shows off a little athleticism, which springs Lynch. Carpenter and Robinson both had a hell of a day in the run game. See below:
Fullbacks are a dying breed in the NFL because when they enter the game, the offense is signaling that they are most likely going to run the ball. To counter this, defenses stack the box and make it very difficult to effectively run the ball.
However, there are still a few teams out there that can run the ball even when the box is stacked. The Seahawks are one of those teams. As they showed Sunday, even if a defense loads up to stop the run, they still have the players who can put a hat on a hat and create running lanes. Robinson put his hat on several defenders last Sunday and helped the Seahawks run the ball to overtime victory and an 8-1 record.
Big Up to Danny for the GIFs!!!