Seahawks' O-line shines in preseason victory

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 33-16 in preseason action on Friday, and Seattle's offense, defense and special teams looked to be in midseason form, even with backups on the field for large portions of the contest. 

The unit that stole the show, though, was the Seahawks’ offensive line, which has been extremely impressive throughout training camp and a pair of preseason contests.

Last season, Seattle’s offensive line ranked 31st in the league. But under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, the group looks revitalized. 

Kubiak has wasted no time instilling his offensive vision, and the improvements are already evident on the field. The O-line has become the X-factor for Seattle’s offensive success; its development is essential to maintaining balance between the run and pass game.

While with the Seahawks last season, Geno Smith was sacked 50 times, the third most in the league, two more than current starter Sam Darnold. With three quarterbacks getting action on Friday, however, the Seahawks' offensive line didn’t allow a single sack.

Much of the offseason has centered around Kubiak’s desire to implement a "run-first" philosophy. Seattle doesn't just look capable of running the ball; they look like they could field one of the league’s best rushing attacks. 

Against the Chiefs, Seattle ran for 268 yards, the highest mark by any team so far this preseason. The team averaged 5.6 yards per carry, and four different running backs surpassed 45 yards. 

Zach Charbonnet and seventh-round rookie Damien Martinez each found the end zone, thanks in large part to the standout performance of rookie offensive lineman Grey Zabel, who has dazzled all preseason.