Hawks' ground game still out of gear

One thing is running efficiently during this Seahawks season: time.

That's the problem, though. Time is running out for Seattle to find some semblance of balance in its offense.

Two games left in the regular season, and the Seahawks aren't running the ball any better than when they were back at the beginning of November, when they couldn't move the ball 18 inches on fourth down during an overtime loss at Cleveland.

Mike Holmgren did the coaching equivalent of throwing his hands in the air, saying the next day he would throw the ball more. Six games later, guess what? The Seahawks still can't run effectively, and today they play Baltimore, which has allowed the second-fewest rushing yards in the league.

Seattle's stinker in Carolina last week resurrected the familiar criticism that a successful playoff run depends on just that: the run. But how true is that?

"Things don't all of a sudden change in the playoffs," said Jim Mora, the former Saints and Colts coach who now works for the NFL Network. "What wins in the regular season is the same thing that wins games in the playoffs."

And for much of the 1990s, an effective rushing offense was essential.

Of the 20 Super Bowl participants in the 10 seasons from 1990 to '99, 15 ranked among the top 10 in rushing yards during the regular season. Only one team reached the Super Bowl in that time after finishing in the bottom half of the league in rushing yardage — Bill Parcells' 1996 Patriots.

New millennium, new era. Of the past 14 Super Bowl participants, six ranked in the top 10 in rushing yards during the regular season, five were in the middle third of the league, and three Super Bowl teams ranked in the bottom 10 of the league during the regular season.

The Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2004 when they ranked No. 27 in rushing yards during the regular season. The Buccaneers won it the year before when they averaged fewer than 100 yards rushing during the regular season.

And this season, four teams currently have 12 or more victories in the NFL and not a single one of them ranks among the top 10 in rushing yards.

"The top record teams are known more for their quarterbacks and their passing," Holmgren said.

The AFC features Tom Brady's Patriots and Peyton Manning's Colts. The NFC has Tony Romo's Cowboys and Brett Favre's Packers.

No need to throw in the towel, then, just because a team is better at throwing the football. The Seahawks are 24th in the league in rushing, but that doesn't doom their postseason chances. It's just that they still have one small problem: short-yardage situations. Small in terms of distance, but certainly not significance.

Because ask any coach, and he'll tell you that there's one element of a rushing offense that is non-negotiable.

"When it's important to be able to run the football is short yardage," said Mora, father of Seahawks assistant coach Jim Mora.

Like when a team has first-and-goal from inside the 5, the defense gets condensed and passing opportunities are squished. Or when a team has third-and-one and it needs those 3 feet to get itself another four downs.

The Seahawks have scored seven rushing touchdowns this season. Just six NFL teams have scored fewer times on the ground, and it's on third-and-short that these Seahawks have really been at their worst. They were stopped twice on third-and-one last Sunday at Carolina.

"You can do a couple things," Holmgren said. "You can either say, 'Well, I don't know.' Or you can say, 'We're going to try and make it better and keep being positive.' "

Well, there's one other option. You can point out the team still hasn't recovered from the loss of guard Steve Hutchinson back in March 2006. But pointing to past mistakes isn't going to help the Seahawks gain that 1 yard when they need it most.

"There's only one thing you can do: You just roll up your sleeves and go piling up back in there," Holmgren said.

Problem is, the Seahawks are running out of time to get that running game in gear.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com