The Seattle Seahawks defense had suffocated the Miami Dolphins for three quarters, but they couldn't seem to get anything going when they had the ball themselves. Needing a body blow to put the Dolphins out of business, the Seahawks got it from backup running back Zach Charbonnet, who's uniquely built for that kind of mission.
With a series of punishing runs in the fourth quarter, Charbonnet led the way on Seattle's final scoring drive of the day against Miami, putting the game away, 24-3. While he had been inefficient on the ground up until that point, Charbonnet's strong finish boosted his numbers quite a bit and he wound up with a strong line.
Zach Charbonnet Week 3: 18 carries, 91 yards, 2 TDs
It's a relief to see the Seahawks' second-round pick from the 2023 NFL draft finally have a break-through game, even if it came against a depleted Dolphins team that was on its last legs in a physically punishing matchup.
Then again, it also wasn't hard to see where starter Kenneth Walker III would have broken through for a whole lot more. Charbonnet was frequently hit in the backfield or soon after crossing the line of scrimmage, and he didn't do much to add yards after until the fourth quarter when Miami's will to tackle was finally broken.
This nine-quarter experiment with Charbonnet in the backfield has been a gas, but we'll be thrilled to see Walker back out there healthy again. Head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters on Friday that he's optimistic about Walker returning next week.
