Review: The Seahawks are bullying opponents with 6 offensive linemen at a time

For the first time in a long time, the Seattle Seahawks are winning up front on offense.

A year ago, the team averaged 4.0 yards per rushing attempt — now that number is 4.7. That may not seem like much, but it’s the difference between the Seahawks finishing 21st best in the category in 2017 and climbing to eighth best in 2018.

Russell Wilson is still getting sacked plenty — even if Duane Brown has shored up Seattle’s left tackle woes — but the Seahawks are finally able to lean on their rushing attack again. It’s the reason why what should’ve been a rebuild year has turned into a season that will likely end with a trip to the postseason.

How did the Seahawks turn things around offensively to rattle off four consecutive wins in the back half of the season? The answer is George Fant.

The 6’5, 322-pound offensive tackle has technically made five starts for the Seahawks, but he’s still never played more than 40 offensive snaps in a game. That’s unusual on the offensive line, where players don’t play rotationally.

It’s because — more so than any other team in the NFL — the Seahawks put six offensive lineman on the field. Through 14 games, Seattle linemen have collectively been on the field for 4,859 offensive snaps. The team has played 926 snaps so far, so that’s an average of 5.247 offensive linemen on the field per play.

The Colts have the second highest number at 5.099 offensive linemen per game. For many teams, it’s exactly five offensive linemen per game.

Seattle has leaned into six-man offensive line sets more than any team in the NFL, and it’s paying off in a big way. Let’s review:

The obvious advantage of having six offensive linemen on the field is hoo boy that’s a lot of beef. Put enough linemen who weigh more than 300 pounds on the field, and the defense is in danger of getting bulldozed.

Add in the fact that the Seahawks like to use their tight ends to block too, and the offense can become a freight train. Take a look at what the Minnesota Vikings had to deal with early in their 21-7 loss to the Seahawks:

That’s George Fant next to Duane Brown on the left side of the offensive line, and tight ends Ed Dickson and Nick Vannett on the right side. The Vikings defense doesn’t even get a chance to touch running back Chris Carson until he’s 4 yards past the line of scrimmage. It’s a defensive back who has to step up and make the play, because all the defensive linemen and linebackers have a very large man in bright green to deal with.

Seattle started the year with 64 rushing yards against the Broncos, and 74 against the Bears. The Seahawks used their six-man offensive line on just one play in Week 1, and not once in Week 2.

When the team embraced their jumbo offensive line with Fant on the field, the rushing game — and the Seahawks offense, as a consequence — took off. It’s why Seattle rushed for 214 yards against the Vikings, and 273 against the Rams.

Any team that wants to stop the Seahawks from mauling them too better come with a whole lot of beef of their own.

A negative consequence of extra offensive linemen is that it means fewer receivers on the field. It makes an offense more predictable and gives a defense fewer playmakers to worry about.

But the Seahawks have turned that drawback on its head by destroying teams with big pass plays. Seattle is the only team in the NFL that throws fewer than 27 passes per game, but the team is third in passing touchdowns.

While the Seattle offense primarily relies on slowly grinding through teams on the ground, no team in the NFL is more explosive through the air.

The logic is simple: With defenses committing extra players to stop the run, Russell Wilson doesn’t have many defensive backs to beat. As a consequence, he’s thrown 14 touchdowns and one interception on pass attempts more than 20 yards downfield.

Don’t bring enough players to the line of scrimmage and you get run over. Bring too many and Wilson torches you deep. Pick your poison.

Fant was a college basketball player at Western Kentucky before using his fifth year of eligibility to join the football team as a tight end. He only caught one pass in his one season of college football, before impressing the Seahawks with his athletic ability.

He transitioned to offensive tackle in Seattle and halfway through his rookie season he was asked to start at left tackle. It wasn’t a good situation for Fant or the Seahawks.

But all of that is important to remember, because Fant is athletic and just about every time he’s on the field he’s eligible to catch passes. But unfortunately, the Seahawks have thrown it to him just once.

It was a 9-yard gain and it looked like his legs couldn’t keep up the momentum of his 322 pounds:

GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE!

The world loves big men scoring touchdowns, and Fant should have at least one. At least!

The Seahawks still have their warts, and blew a chance to lock up their postseason hopes by losing to the 49ers in Week 15. The offense still asks Russell Wilson to be a hero, and the defense is transitioning from its Legion of Boom era with Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Michael Bennett, and Cliff Avril among the stalwarts no longer on the field for Seattle.

But loading up the offense with gigantic blockers has saved Seattle’s season. The Seahawks are running the ball effectively for the first time since Marshawn Lynch’s last year with the team, and both Wilson and the defense are reaping the rewards.

The Seahawks still aren’t a Super Bowl favorite, but the George Fant jumbo package is giving them a chance.