Returning FB could be key to unlocking Seahawks' run game
The Seattle Seahawks have enjoyed a fantastic start to the 2025 season, currently sitting at 5-2 in a tie atop the NFC West with both the offense and defense humming along.
However, there are definitely some things Mike Macdonald and co. want to improve on in the second half of the season. Chief among them, at least on the offensive side of the ball, is the ground game.
The Seahawks brought in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak this offseason to bring more balance to their offense, and to their credit, they are running the ball far more often than they did last season. It's hard to view that as a positive with how horribly inefficient they've been on the ground, though. Seattle is averaging just 3.7 yards per rush this season, the second-worst in the league behind the San Francisco 49ers.
Zach Charbonnet in particular has struggled to get going, averaging a paltry 2.8 yards per carry. Kenneth Walker III has been better with 4.5 yards per carry, but still not great.
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Macdonald knows how important it is to get the ground game on track, which he emphasized during Monday's press conference.
"It's everything," Macdonald told reporters. "I think we're on the right track. We have a probably better understanding of what we do well and what we don't do as well, how we build things, who's out there, that sort of thing.
"But I think we don't need to wholesale changes, we need to keep attacking it. There's detail involved, there's operation involved, game plan scheme, all the above is room for improvement and I think we saw last game we took a stride. We just got to keep moving in that direction."
Fortunately, the Seahawks may be getting exactly what they need soon. On Monday, they designated Rookie fullback Robbie Ouzts, who hasn't played since Week 3 due to an ankle injury, to return to practice. At 6-foot-3 and 274 pounds, he should be able to open up plenty of lanes for Walker and Charbonnet to run through.
"We've majored in 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends)," Macdonald said. "When we put two core guys in the game, when we're in one or two receiver sets. Brady's (Russell) done a great job in the fullback type of role. So we'll see how the game plan shakes out. But Robbie provides more two-back flexibility than probably we've had."
Whether or not Ouzts is truly the cure to the Seahawks' ailing run game remains to be seen, but having another reliable blocker in the backfield should only help.
Broncos need more from QB Bo Nix after rough Week 1 outing
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix morphed into the player who struggled early during his rookie season in Week 1.
The second-year passer threw two interceptions and lost a fumble during Sunday's 20-12 home win over the Tennessee Titans. Had it not been for an outstanding performance from Denver's defense — which held Tennessee to 133 yards — the Broncos could've lost the game.
Sean Payton defends Bo Nix after rough outing
Broncos head coach Sean Payton discussed Nix's sloppy performance in his postgame news conference.
"Well, we won, that's the first thing," Payton told the media. "I thought [Nix] hung in there. He battled. Made some critical plays first in the second half, and so obviously he'll be disappointed with the turnovers, but it was a gutsy performance."
Nix — who finished 25-of-40 passing for 176 yards and one touchdown — was much more self-critical.
"You don't ever want to throw interceptions. As tough as it is, you've just got to move on and respond with positive plays after that," the QB said postgame. "Both times I thought I had decent vision ... [but] probably shouldn't have thrown both of them. You live and you learn, sometimes you can be a little too aggressive, and I was too aggressive. Ultimately, I've got to be smarter."
The Broncos need Nix to start playing mistake-free, or else he could have another slow start. Last season, the 12th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft didn't throw a TD pass until a Week 4 road game against the New York Jets. He still finished with 29 TD passes in 17 games, the second most by a rookie in NFL history, via Stats Perform.
Even more concerning for the Broncos, they'll soon be facing much better teams than the Titans, who had the NFL's worst record (3-14) in 2024.
In Weeks 3-5, Denver plays the Los Angeles Chargers (away), Cincinnati Bengals (home) and Philadelphia Eagles (away). The Eagles, of course, are the defending Super Bowl champions. Chargers QB Justin Herbert and Bengals QB Joe Burrow — potential MVP candidates — present challenging matchups for the Broncos defense.
Payton has said the 2025 Broncos can win a Super Bowl. To do that, they need Nix to take another step after finishing third in 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. In Week 1, he didn't look ready to do that.
