The stats don’t lie, Hawks fans, and they are brutal: our run game is ranked 29th in EPA per rush and 20th in rushing success rate right now. That’s not just bad, that’s catastrophe territory for an offense trying to make some noise early in the season. And the latest injury report isn’t doing us any favors, confirming Zach Charbonnet is out yet again with that knee issue, a guy who hasn’t even played this season.
The Ground Game Is a Disaster Zone
Seriously, what’s going on out there? We’re already struggling to get anything going on the ground, and now we’re officially ruling out Charbonnet for Week 5, meaning our first-round running back is still sidelined. Losing your right guard definitely isn’t helping the situation either. Then you look at George Holani, who has reportedly gotten more snaps than price this season, was limited all week with multiple injury designations himself, battling both ribs and a knee issue.
That leaves us with Emanuel Wilson, a former Packers restricted free agent Green Bay didn’t even keep around. While he’s shown flashes, it’s been a total boom-or-bust situation. A staggering 20.8 percent of his runs have resulted in zero or negative yardage. Our offensive line is only giving Wilson a measly 0.77 yards before contact, which is just impossible to work with. We need to find a way to get some push up front and create some lanes, or we’re going to keep seeing these abysmal numbers.
The Niners Have Their Own Headaches, But Bosa’s Return Looms Large
Alright, let’s pivot to the enemy, because while we’re dealing with our own drama, the San Francisco 49ers aren’t exactly at full strength for Week 5 either. They’ve ruled out FB Kyle Juszczyk with a knee injury, S Marques Sigle with an ankle, and DL James Thompson also with an ankle. The big name there for *us* is that Nick Bosa is also out for Week 5, which is a small silver lining, even if it’s just for one week.
But don’t get too comfortable. Matt Barrows from The Athletic tweeted that Bosa says he’s making “a lot of progress” with his calf injury. He’s even thinking he could play Week 7 in Atlanta, or maybe even Week 6 against Washington. And Matt Maiocco says Bosa is “pretty darn likely” to be back for that Week 6 Monday Night Football game against the Commanders. Shanahan confirmed Bosa will be back before their bye week in Week 8. So, while we catch a break this week, that beast is coming back sooner rather than later.
They’ve also got some questionable guys: CB Upton Stout with a shoulder and DE Mykel Williams with a knee. Shanahan is planning to activate Williams from the PUP list this Saturday, and he sounds pretty hyped about him, saying Williams has “lost weight in a good way… he’s leaner” and has had a “good two weeks.” Shanahan wouldn’t say how much Williams would play, but promised he’d be “a full-go” when he’s out there. WR Mike Evans, who missed Thursday’s practice with ribs, is not on the injury report, suggesting it was just a day off. So, some of their key guys might be good to go. Stout did not practice Friday, but Shanahan denied a setback, which explains why he is questionable.
So, as we head into Week 5, it’s clear we have got to figure out this run game. The defensive line gets a slight breather without Bosa, but we can’t rely on that. On the brighter side, it’s not all doom and gloom on our injury report. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams practiced in full, which is massive. And safety Ty Okada, battling a hamstring, also practiced in full and seems totally poised to make his season debut! That’s some much needed help in the secondary. We’ve got to rally and find a way to get this ground game unstuck. Go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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