Seattle’s Thomas Rawls runs the ball in the first half of a Nov. 9 game in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Seattle’s Thomas Rawls runs the ball in the first half of a Nov. 9 game in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Seahawks won’t abandon sickly run game, Carroll says

Seattle has the NFL’s 32nd-ranked rushing offense.

RENTON — This is not how Pete Carroll wants to win.

But he’s mostly still winning, whether his Seahawks have a running game — or not, if the form of last two seasons holds. So Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons, the coach who believes in run-first, pass-second offense will continue to live with quarterback Russell Wilson doing it all.

That’s just how it is for Seattle (6-3) right now.

“It is. It is frustrating, somewhat,” Carroll said. “But I could stick my head in the sand and ignore some stuff, too. We got to keep moving and we got to do what we can with our guys.”

That means relying exclusively on Wilson’s throwing arm and his scrambling, running legs. The $87.6 million franchise quarterback is especially earning his pay this season. He is tied for second in the NFL in passing yards per game (282.6). He set the Seahawks’ franchise record with 452 yards in the air last month in the rally to beat Houston.

Plus, Wilson leads the team with 290 yards rushing. Eighty-nine percent of his rushing total (258 yards) has come off scramble plays away from charging defenders on what were supposed to be passes.

So much for the biggest objective Carroll had for the 2017 season: improving last season’s 25 th-ranked rushing offense in the league. Take out Wilson’s mad dashes and Seattle’s 22nd-ranked running game this season would be dead last, 32nd in the NFL.

Is this sustainable, this all-Wilson-or-bust offense? Can the Seahawks win this way, without a running game — other than Wilson’s sandlot dashes — to set up the play-action throws that have been the basis of Seattle’s passing game for years?

“Well, we keep working at it. That is all we can do,” Seahawks offensive coordinator and playcaller Darrell Bevell said.“It’s not something that you ever want to abandon. You become very one-dimensional that way, so it is in us. And we like to run. And we will continue to do it, because it helps set up other things in our offense.”

Then Bevell added a dose of practicality. It showed where his mind is when the game is on the line and he has to calls plays that he knows will produce yards, points and ultimately wins.

It’s on No. 3.

“But we are doing other things really well right now,” Bevell said — meaning Wilson is doing everything really well right now. “So the point is to win the game and score points. And so whatever we need to do, we will do that.”

Carroll traded for Marshawn Lynch in the middle of his first season leading the Seahawks, in 2010. Lynch’s bullish, decisive style of either steam-rolling or cutting past unblocked defenders gave the coach his Seattle running game. That and the defense he and general manager John Schneider built became the foundation for this current stretch of five consecutive postseason appearances, two Super Bowls and the franchise’s first NFL championship.

But Carroll hasn’t had his cherished running game since Lynch left at the end of his injury-filled 2015 season. The running backs on the Seahawks’ current active roster — Rawls, Eddie Lacy (who will return Monday from missing last week’s game with strained groin), J.D. McKissic and Mike Davis, promoted from the practice squad this week when C.J. Prosise joined fellow running back Chris Carson on injured reserve — have rushed for 368 combined through nine games. No other NFL team’s backs have produced less this season.

Wilson has gained 82.1 percent of the Seahawks’ yards from scrimmage. That’s the most by one player for any team in the league. Does he feel burdened by the offense being almost totally dependent solely on him?

“No, not at all,” Wilson said. “I think we have to do what we have to do to win. I think that’s what I’m here for, is to help our team win.”

Wilson had 85 percent of Seattle’s yards before last week’s win at Arizona. That’s when running back Thomas Rawls had a rare 23-yard run. How rare? It was Rawls’ longest run of the season.

Yet Seattle is second in passing offense. They are seventh in total offense. They have scored 46 points while beating the Colts and 41 while defeating the Texans. This is the first season since the 2013 one that ended with the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl that they’ve scored more than 40 points in multiple games. And seven games still remain in the regular season.

The Seahawks are among the top six teams in the NFC currently holding a playoff spot. They are one game behind the Rams for first place in the NFC West, with a win already over Los Angeles and a game against the Rams in Seattle Dec. 17.

“It hasn’t been quite the same,” Carroll said. “But we are still moving the football and we are making a lot of first downs, and we can do a lot of damage. “So we just have to do it the way we can do it.”

Still, Carroll says: “I never give up on the fact of trying to balance out your attack. I think it is the best way to play football. And so we will find a way to do that, but it is a little bit different.

“It hasn’t been as obvious as it has been in the past.”

So, no, Carroll says the Seahawks aren’t giving up on the run to just rely exclusively with Wilson’s passes and sandlot plays — no matter that that often seems to be the only way this team can move the ball consistently.

“We are going to run the football this week,” Carroll said. “We are not going to not run it. We are going to run the heck out of it.”

Chancellor out, Brown questionable

Kam Chancellor is expected to be out for the rest of the Seahawks’ season?

“I don’t even know where that’s coming from,” Carroll said following practice Saturday.

That was after a report from league-owned NFL Network that cited league sources saying Chancellor is expected to be put on injured reserve because of his neck injury.

The relentless soul of Seattle’s star-packed defense is out for Monday’s game. He hasn’t practiced since he got a neck “stinger” nerve injury making a hard tackle late in last week’s win at Arizona.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported Saturday morning Chancellor “is expected” to go on injured reserve to end his season.

Carroll said nothing’s been decided.

“We’re still looking at what our options are,” Carroll said. “And we’ll continue to do that and keep evaluating what’s going on. We’re working very closely with him on that.”

Asked if there is indeed concern this injury is season-ending for Chancellor, Carroll said:

“Let’s wait and see. Let’s just wait and see. We’re working through it, like I said. We’ve met on it and we’re hanging together and just trying to talk our way through it and not have to do anything any faster than we have to. And we’re just wait and see.”

Pro Bowl defensive end Cliff Avril has been on injured reserve since the first days of October after he got a neck stinger injury that has him contemplating neck surgery.

Asked if Chancellor’s injury was the same, Carroll said: “It’s not the same injury. But it’s a similar kind of circumstance right now (with waiting and gathering medical opinions).”

The Seahawks’ secondary is already without Richard Sherman for the remainder of the season because of his ruptured Achilles. Being without Sherman and Chancellor in the back of the defense Monday — against reigning NFL MVP Matt Ryan, All-Pro receiver Julio Jones and the defending NFC-champion Falcons — is a challenge Seattle hasn’t faced since October 2011. Those were the last games before Sherman took over at left cornerback as a rookie.

Starting left tackle Duane Brown is questionable with an ankle injury. Carroll said Brown’s and defensive tackle Jarran Reed’s availability will be game-time decisions. Backup Matt Tobin, acquired in August in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, has been preparing all week to make what would be his 22nd career start on Sunday against Adrian Clayborn, the Falcons’ defensive end who had six sacks last weekend against Dallas’ backup left tackles.

Bradley McDougald will start at strong safety for Chancellor. He started the last two games at free safety while Earl Thomas was out with a pulled hamstring. Thomas is returning to start Monday.

EXTRA POINTS: Defensive tackle Jarran Reed (hamstring) is questionable. Carroll said he will also be a game-time decision. … Atlanta declared lead running back Devonta Freeman out for the game because of a concussion. Usual change-of- pace back Tevin Coleman will become the Falcons’ main runner. He had 83 yards last weekend against Dallas, most after Freeman got hurt.

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