Le Journal

Zach Charbonnet will not play in the NFC Championship Game, a brutal loss for the Seattle Seahawks. But if there is a silver lining it’s this: Kenneth Walker may finally be ready to shoulder the entire load on his own, helped by two factors. A lighter workload, and a late-season coaching change. Walker played 498 regular season snaps this year, less than his rookie or second season. It was only 47% of the team’s offensive snaps, his fewest in his career by several percentage points as he split time with Charbonnet. But more interestingly, Walker has been a substantively different runner over the final third of the season, which coincides with a coaching departure. Kennedy Polamalu began the year as the running backs coach, but took a leave of absence of December 10th, which was later announced as permanent. So you know what time it is Field Gulls… Correlation or Causation? A nod to you all, the initial comment section was loaded with speculation on this. The team has indeed run better in the last month than it did in the first two months. Admittedly, there’s a ton of evidence that this is simply correlation. You got things like playing bad defenses, the return of injured TE Eric Saubert, the year-long-improvement of the offensive line, the fact that a RB coach is about fourth tier on the offensive org chart. But let’s consider! Replacing Polamalu’s duties has been Justin Outten, the assistant line coach and run game specialist. Just two years ago, Outten was so popular he received multiple inquiries to be interviewed and hired away from the Tennessee Titans, who blocked all requests. Brian Nemhauser of Hawk Blogger said the improvement in Walker is “not a coincidence.” It can be confusing when reporters share opinions, because a minute or so later he followed it up by saying he is “not reporting this,” but that the leave of absence was in reality the result of Mike Macdonald being unsatisfied with the running back room’s performance. So it definitely was a mandated coaching change. Possibly. But don’t quote me on that. I like Brian and assume he knows what he’s saying, even if I don’t know what he’s saying. Whatever the cause, the results are something I can report. Kenneth Walker is more confident. Evidenced by a bunch of stats, but also speed. If you felt at any point over the last five weeks that Walker has been hitting the gaps faster or with more decisiveness, you are right. Kenneth Walker III ran for 116 yards and 3 touchdowns, recording a 63.2% success rate, the 2nd-highest in a game in his career.Walker averaged 13.51 mph when crossing the line of scrimmage, his 3rd-fastest in a game in his career.Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/8vkzQdnlAa— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 18, 2026 Polamalu has been away from the team since December 10th. December 14th was the extremely disappointing Colts game from an offensive standpoint. Give everything a week to simmer, and here’s how Walker has fared from Week 16 until now. This is four total games, including the playoff win. 61 rushes for 364 yards (31.8% of season total) 4 rushing TD (50% of total) Long rushes of 55, 16, 20, and 15 (previous long was 31, and he had 8 previous games without a 20-yarder) 135 total yards receiving (43.4% of total) 7 broken tackles (30.4% of total) So, small sample size yes, but in four games with the same rest-of-the-roster, Walker totaled from 30-50% of his 2025 stats in some areas. If you haven’t had enough coffee yet I’ll do the math for you – four games is only 22% of the 18 games Seattle has played, so he’s drastically ahead of pace from the beginning of the year. And the main difference is decisiveness. Now, there’s a chance that has nothing to do with coaching, and this is just one big coincidence, but it is unquestionable that Walker is more decisive now than in the Fall. Kenneth Walker III had 9 runs where he hit 15+ MPH. That's 3 more than any player in a 2025 playoff game and the 2nd-most by a player in ANY game…

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — In a matter of days, nationwide protests challenging Iran's theocracy exploded into a crackdown and bloodshed that blew past reported casualty figures of decades of past demonstrations in the country. The post Analysis: Scale of protests and violence in Iran echoes chaos around its 1979 Islamic Revolution appeared first on RNS.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the ceasefire announcement largely symbolic, raising questions about how its more challenging elements will be carried out. The post Netanyahu says the announced start of Gaza ceasefire’s next phase is a ‘declarative move’ appeared first on RNS.

ROME (AP) — Leo met with around two dozen relatives of the Italian victims in the Vatican, deviating from his prepared speech to tell them that he had immediately agreed to meet with them after learning of their desire to have an audience. The post Pope meets families of young Italian victims of the Swiss Alps bar fire appeared first on RNS.

In Today’s Links: Leo Williams’ big 4th-down sack and what it means for the Seattle Seahawks’ new culture, the 49ers just can’t seem to beat us (anymore?), injury updates including Zach Charbonnet’s knee and Sam Darnold’s oblique, the ‘Hawks coaching staff seems like they wanted the Los Angeles Rams, a few reviews of last Saturday’s victory against the Niners, a few previews of this Sunday’s game against the Rams, and much more! How we feeling? You like the fact that we are playing the Rams or would you rather have had the Bears? Let us know in the comments below. And be nice to one another. Always. Thanks for being here. Go, ‘Hawks! #np Blue Lagoon by Piero Umiliani Seahawks News Seahawks get another opportunity to beat 38-year-old MVP in a championship game – Seaside Joe25->13 in more ways than one: Wait till you get to the end! How Williams’ sack exemplified Seahawks’ tight-knit culture – Seattle SportsEarly in the second half of Saturday night’s NFC Divisional Round playoff game, Seattle Seahawks veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams powered through San Francisco’s offensive line and engulfed quarterback Brock Purdy for a fourth-down sack that effectively ended any flickering hopes of a miraculous 49ers comeback. Do Shanahan and 49ers have a Mike Macdonald problem? – Seattle SportsWhen Mike Macdonald was hired in January 2024, one of the new head coach’s biggest tasks was helping the Seattle Seahawks solve their problems against the San Francisco 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan. Zach Charbonnet Needs Surgery, Sam Darnold’s Status & Other Seahawks Injury Updates From Mike Macdonald – Seahawks.comUpdates from Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald’s appearance on Seattle Sports 710AM, including unfortunate news about running back Zach Charbonnet. What Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said about facing Rams – The Seattle TimesWhat does Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald think about facing NFC West rival Rams for a spot in the Super Bowl: “We really wouldn’t want it… Macdonald: Key offensive player out for rest of Seahawks’ run for Super Bowl – The News TribuneIt’s Kenneth Walker Time for the rest of the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run. Dave Boling: How Seahawks turned offensive line from a weakness to one of their greatest strengths – The Spokesman-ReviewThe Seahawks defense, newly designated “The Dark Side,” is worthy of every drop of print ink and moment of air time it’s been getting as the Hawks power through the playoffs. Seahawks’ 2025 turnaround came with comeback win over Rams – si.comThe NFC West champions take an eight-game winning streak into the conference title game. The Seahawks have fond memories of their last clash with the Rams. Klint Kubiak’s ground attack carrying the load for red-hot Seahawks – si.comIt’s been said that a good running game is a quarterback’s best friend. Seahawks’ signal-caller Sam Darnold has to be enamored with coordinator Klint Kubiak. Analysis: How Will Seahawks Replace Zach Charbonnet Heading Into NFC Championship Game? – Emerald City SpectrumThe Seahawks will have to continue their run pursuing a Super Bowl without their top touchdown scorer. What options does Seattle have to fill the void without Zach Charbonnet? One thing I really appreciate about Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald – Seahawks Draft BlogIf you’ve listened to Mike Macdonald’s post-game interviews this season you’ll have noticed how often he makes reference to letting the game ‘declare itself’. Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet out for season with knee injury, needs surgery – The AthleticCharbonnet led the Seahawks with 12 touchdowns during the regular season before being hurt in Seattle’s divisional round playoff game. Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet (knee) out for rest of playoffs – ESPN.comThe Seahawks will be without their leading touchdown scorer for the remainder of the playoffs after running back Zach Charbonnet suffered a…