The Seattle Seahawks have a new offense. A running back who has been there for the most recent offense approves of what he has seen, so far.
“I think [offensive coordinator] Shane [Waldron] does a great job keeping everything balanced,” Carson told reporters on Thursday. “We aren’t just relying on the run, and we are mixing up different schemes. We are making everything kind of look the same between a run play and a pass play. The defense can’t tell the difference, so I think he is doing a great job with that. Everything is fast paced and it’s a more explosive offense.”
Carson opted not to use the word “predictable” to describe last year’s offense, but his description of last year’s offense suggests that he thinks it was unpredictable.
“I wouldn’t say we got predictable, I would say it was more like the same stuff that we have been doing throughout the whole season,” Carson said. “It wasn’t anything that was different, and defenses caught onto that towards the end of the season. I think Shane has done a good job of changing everything up and making it different. He’s made everything kind of mirror each other so like run plays connect with the pass play. Everything looks the same.”
Keeping the defense from diagnosing the key question of run or pass before the snap is critical the success of an offense. Having running backs who can run and catch helps, too. Carson likes that part of it.
“The versatility that the running backs can be in, there’s a lot more stuff out wide for the running backs to be involved in,” Carson said. “It’s not as complex as last year’s offense, it’s simpler but more fast paced which I kind of like.”
Carson sees opportunities in the passing game both when lined up as a receiver and when coming out of the backfield.
“I think there’s more opportunities for us to get the ball out wide,” Carson said. “I think there’s going to be a lot more opportunities out there. Even in the pass game in the backfield, there’s just a lot more code words, a lot more different schemes and different formations that allows a running back to get the ball out the backfield. It’s going to be interesting.”
Interesting is good. Successful will be even better. Successful will be critical to avoid another offseason of speculation that quarterback Russell Wilson may be looking for a new team.