Eight months after he was named Super Bowl LX MVP in a Seahawks uniform, Kenneth Walker III is leading the NFL in rushing yards per game for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Seattle’s backfield is struggling without him, as first reported by ClutchPoints.
Walker ran for 135 yards in Seattle’s 29-13 Super Bowl win over New England, then left in free agency on a three-year deal with Kansas City worth up to $45 million. Through four games with the Chiefs, he has 87 carries for 537 yards and four touchdowns, good for 6.2 yards per carry and a league-best 134.3 rushing yards per game. He has also caught passes for 84 yards and two more scores. His best day was 177 yards and two touchdowns against the Raiders in Week 4.
The IAHHM Take
Some breakups hurt more than others. Seattle’s running backs have combined for 539 rushing yards through six games, according to Ari Meirov. That is barely more than Walker has by himself in four. First-round pick Jadarian Price looked promising before landing on injured reserve with a chest injury. Emanuel Wilson and George Holani have carried most of the load since, and they combined for 68 yards on 24 carries against San Francisco.
Without a real ground game, everything lands on Sam Darnold. He threw 51 passes in Thursday’s 17-14 overtime loss to Denver, which dropped Seattle to 3-3. We broke down that ugly offensive night here.
Meanwhile, Kansas City is 4-0 coming off a bye, and Patrick Mahomes finally has a back who can carry the offense on the days he doesn’t want to throw 45 times. That is a scary combo for the rest of the AFC.
To be fair to Seattle, paying a running back big money is always a gamble. But right now, the Chiefs look like they made the smarter bet. Should the Seahawks have run it back with Walker?
Source: ClutchPoints
