As of today, the Seattle Seahawks are planning to start the same five offensive linemen for a third game in a row.
That’s big news for a team that has relied upon four right tackles, three guards and two centers during an 8-5 start this season.
As the unit gels along with rookie NFL coaches — offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and offensive line coach Scott Huff — continuity could be a key as the Seahawks head down the final stretch of four regular-season games.
The stretch run starts against the 9-4 Green Bay Packers at 5:20 p.m. on Sunday Night Football (NBC TV, KIRO Radio).
“When you can get consistency — even a little bit rolling — you learn about steps, the guys next to you, his footwork, how you fit into that, how he fits into your playing style.” said right tackle Abraham Lucas, a graduate of Archbishop Murphy High School and Washington State University. ” So, it’s good to have consistency going all around.”
Lucas, scheduled to start a fourth straight game after coming off the injured reserve list, missed parts of last season and the first nine games this year with an unspecified knee injury. He’s still working his way back into the strong form he showed in 2022, but feels progress is being made. Lucas avoids the topic of the knee issue that has plagued the 6-foot-6, 315-pounder the past two seasons. Overall, he’s just glad to be back on the field.
“My legs hurt. Mentally I’m a little tired,” he said. “Who isn’t? But I’m happy to be back. I’m grateful to be back playing. I’m here to play. I’m here to win. So, feeling good about it.
In addition to overcoming injury, part of the challenge for Lucas this season, he joked, is working with Scott Huff, who coached at Lucas’ college rival Washington prior to moving on to the NFL this year.
“Well, he coached at UW — that sucks,” Lucas said, grinning. “He actually recruited me back in the day when he was at Boise (State). I like Coach Huff. It’s a little bit too early, I don’t think he’s given up all the tricks of the trade just yet, but then again, it’s the first year. So going into next year and the year after that and the year after that, hopefully, we’ll see just continued growth with him.”
The learning curve has been steep for the coaches as well as the players during the season. The team adjusted when center Connor Williams suddenly retired midseason, leaving the job to second-year player Olu Oluwatimi. Right guard Anthony Bradford went down in the first meeting with the Cardinals on Nov. 24. Rookie third-round pick Christian Haynes played the remainder of that game, but the team moved to Sataoa Laumea, who was selected three rounds later in the 2024 draft. Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith was impressed with what he’s seen from the re-worked group.
“I got to say hats off to the big guys up front,” said Smith, who was not sacked in the second meeting with the Cardinals. “It starts with those guys. … I thought they did a tremendous job of finishing. You see a bunch of guys pushing the pile, you see guys running down the field, getting extra blocks.
“I think when you look at the run game, you think about the big splash plays, but a lot of times those unsung heroes and those unsung plays are just the little things, just giving extra effort, and I thought that was great from the guys.”
For the past two games, Huff has rolled with left tackle Charles Cross, left guard Laken Tomlinson, Oluwatimi, Laumea and Lucas. That group blocked for backup running back Zach Charbonnet’s 134 yards and two touchdowns against Arizona on Sunday while starter Kenneth Walker III was sidelined with injuries. Walker, Macdonald said Wednesday, is day to day and has a chance to play Sunday.
“I think he’s done a good job of weathering the storm, so to speak at times,” Grubb said of his offensive line coach. “There’s been some rough sledding obviously, and there will continue to be those moments where it’s difficult to block NFL fronts with the players that different teams have. So I think his mindset and mentality, what he brings to the room, just that we’re going to keep working and finding solutions and get better.
The line, together for two weeks, has brought a mentality of finishing plays, drives and games.
“I thought last week just collectively as an offense, but certainly in the offensive line, showing the willingness to out-finish an opponent I think is always something that you want to be a redeeming quality in the offensive line room,” Grubb said.
This story originally appeared in seattlesportsnow.com, of which Aaron Coe is a co-founder.
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