One of the most surprising performances of the 2022 season in the NFL has been that of the Seattle Seahawks. After trading Russell Wilson to the Denver Nuggets during the offseason and releasing linebacker Bobby Wagner, many assumed that Seattle would be entering a rebuild.
While they have some excellent assets heading into the future from the trade, the Seahawks are legitimate playoff contenders this season. They are 6-3 heading into their Week 10 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers overseas in Germany with a 1.5-game lead in the NFC West.
A lot of credit has been given to Geno Smith for his performance and he has deserved it. He won the starting job against Drew Lock in the offseason and is putting together a Pro Bowl-caliber season, completing a league-high 73.1 percent of his passes for 2,199 yards and 15 touchdowns compared to only four interceptions.
However, Smith is far from the only player getting the job done offensively. Seattle is sporting one of the best offenses in the NFL as he is also receiving a ton of support from the running game.
Rashaad Penny was off to an excellent start before suffering a season-ending injury. But, the running game has not slipped with rookie Kenneth Walker III stepping into the lineup and picking up right where Penny left off.
Walker has produced big plays regularly this offseason. On the season he has seven rushing touchdowns, which is fourth in the NFL behind Nick Chubb with 10, Derrick Henry with nine and Jamaal Williams with eight.
But, there is one scoring stat that Walker is trumping all of them in. According to PFF, Walker has five touchdowns on rushes of 10+ yards, which leads the NFL.
The Seahawks look to have a good one in Walker, who was selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Michigan State. On the season he has carried the ball 111 times for 570 yards, adding 12 receptions for 48 yards.
As long as Smith continues playing at a high level and keeping defenses honest, there will be plenty of running lanes for Walker to take advantage of.
