The 33-30 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans was a low moment for fans of the Seattle Seahawks, but one of the players made major moves during the game. Chris Carson rushed for two touchdowns during the home opener, giving him 23 and pushing him past a former player in the team record books.
Carson entered the home opener with 21 rushing touchdowns to his name, good for seventh in franchise history. Ricky Watters had 22 and sole possession of the sixth spot. Carson tied the retired running back with a two-yard run in the second quarter before passing him minutes later with a one-yard scoring run.
Carson now sits five touchdowns behind Sherman Smith, who rushed for 28 scores and 3,429 yards in 82 games. If the fifth-year back remains healthy and part of a productive offense, he will have an opportunity to pass Smith before the end of the season. Carson has rushed for at least five touchdowns for the past three years. He logged nine scores in 14 games in 2018, seven in 15 games in 2019, and five in 12 games in 2020.
Carson Can Continue Moving Up the List in 2021
Chris Carson runs against the Eagles in 2020.
While the former seventh-round pick of the 2017 NFL Draft has yet to play a full season in his NFL career, he has continued to play an important role on the Seahawks offense. Carson has rushed for more than 1,100 yards twice and has scored a combined 30 touchdowns. His 4.6 average yards-per-carry is also higher than Shaun Alexander (4.3), Chris Warren (4.3), and Curt Warner (4.1), albeit with far fewer carries.
Carson has only played 47 games for the Seahawks while Alexander suited up for 119 and scored a whopping 100 rushing touchdowns during his career. Marshawn Lynch is second on the list with 58 while Warner has 55 scores to his name. Warren is fourth with 44 rushing touchdowns.
Despite only playing in 47 games, Carson is well on his way to overtaking some of the former players in both rushing yards and touchdowns. He only needs 37 yards to tie Smith for eighth on the rushing yards list and 617 to tie Watters. Both numbers are realistic based on Carson’s brief history in the Pacific Northwest.
Carson Can Have a Field Day Against a Winless Team
The next date on the schedule will serve as the perfect opportunity for Carson to overtake some former players. The Seahawks will head to Minnesota for a battle with the 0-2 Vikings, a team that has struggled to shut down opposing offenses.
The Vikings last faced the Cardinals, losing 34-33 after a late missed field goal. The biggest story of the day was quarterback Kyler Murray throwing for 400 yards and three touchdowns against the Vikings’ defense, but the rushing attack also played a role.
Chase Edmonds led the way with eight carries for 46 yards (5.8 average) while Murray added another 31 yards and a touchdown on five carries. James Conner rounded out the group with eight carries for 26 yards (3.3 average). The Cardinals did not have to rush often against the Vikings, but the team remained effective when choosing to do so.
The week prior, the Vikings opened the season with a 27-24 overtime loss to the Bengals. Running back Joe Mixon led the way for Cincinnati, rushing 29 times for 127 yards and one touchdown. He and Samaje Perine (five carries for 22 yards) both averaged 4.4 yards-per-attempt, letting other running backs know that the Minnesota front seven will not pose much of a problem in 2021.
Carson only has 29 total rushing attempts in the first two games, but he should get plenty of opportunities against the struggling Vikings. The Seahawks and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron will want to establish dominance early, and leaning on Carson will be an effective way to achieve this goal.
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Chris Carson Moves Up Seahawks Record Book