Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is doing things very differently than former head coach Pete Carroll did. From live corrections to actually practicing tackling and going for it on fourth and one, Macdonald represents a massive philosophical and schematic shift compared to his predecessor.
However, one thing that they have in common is a love for a physical running game. Macdonald's former team, the Baltimore Ravens do it as well as any NFL team year after year and more often than not Carroll's Seahawks relished in establishing the run as much as any team and were usually-good at it.
Kenny McIntosh a hidden gem at RB?
This year the Seahawks have only rostered three running backs, a sign of their faith in starter Ken Walker, who's missed the last two games with an oblique injury. Zach Charbonnet has done decently-enough in his place, but Seattle may have a diamond in the rough in former Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh. We just don't know, because we haven't gotten a chance to see what he can do yet.
A seventh-round draft pick in 2023, McIntosh only saw 13 special teams snaps as a rookie due to injuries and has only had three carries so far this season. If McIntosh is jealous for playing time, he's not letting on. It sounds like he's very happy to just share the room with the other running backs.
Here's what McIntosh said about this backfield brotherhood on the All Day podcast yesterday with Lofa Tatupu.
Kenny McIntosh on Ken Walker, Zach Charbonnet
"There is so much talent in the room. It's a brotherhood, and it brings us closer together. We want to see each other win and succeed. When I'm out there I can hear K9. Zach is not much of a talker, but once he comes to me on the sideline he talks a little. But K9 definitely screaming and talking to me out there on the field to give me that confidence, energy and voice in the back of my head to let me know that I've prepared my whole life for this and this is the moment I have been waiting for, it's finally here and take advantage of it. It's a brotherhood."
McIntosh seems unlikely to get significant playing time in the current arrangement, as even with Walker sidelined the last two games he hasn't really broken into the rotation. We should probably assume that just as the gap between Walker and Charbonnet is sizeable, the same might be true for Charbonnet and McIntosh - which would explain why he hasn't gotten more opportunities yet. McIntosh did impress during the preseason, though and we would like to see more of what he can do offensively, if there's any room for it.
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