Late in the first half of Sunday’s pivotal NFC West clash, Seattle Seahawks rookie right guard Sataoa Laumea made his presence felt in an emphatic way.

Seahawks’ rushing attack has ‘breakthrough’ in multiple ways

Just one week removed from his NFL debut, Laumea pulled to the left and delivered a thunderous pancake block that sent an Arizona edge rusher to the ground. Laumea’s block helped open a wide crease for running back Zach Charbonnet, who raced through the lane for a 51-yard touchdown run during Seattle’s 30-18 road win over the Arizona Cardinals.

“CHARBONNET GOING THE DISTANCE”@Seahawks continue to hit big plays pic.twitter.com/ahe7S0jssV

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 8, 2024

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It was the defining moment of a breakout afternoon for the Seahawks’ oft-criticized offensive line and sputtering rushing attack. With a unit up front that was consistently clearing running lanes, Seattle exploded for a season-high 176 rushing yards – nearly double its season average. The O-line also excelled in pass protection, with quarterback Geno Smith playing his first sack-free game of the year.

Laumea, a sixth-round draft pick out of Utah, played an important role in the success up front. But it wasn’t just his play that caught former NFL quarterback Brock Huard‘s attention.

Laumea’s attitude also stood out.

“There were a couple times that the field mics caught him (unleashing) this guttural scream,” Huard said during Monday’s Blue 88 segment on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “And you haven’t heard that in years (from Seattle’s O-line) – just the joy. It’s hard to be a lineman, man. … You’re blocking guys that are so much more superior in speed and athleticism and oftentimes even strength. You just take a beating, and you really don’t get any praise.

“So it’s really hard to just have joy and this charisma,” he added. “But man, yesterday you heard him multiple times. … He demolished (a defender) and pancaked him and screamed this warrior roar. And I’m like, ‘Yes.’ This team has needed that.”

“CHARBONNET GOING THE DISTANCE”@Seahawks continue to hit big plays pic.twitter.com/ahe7S0jssV

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 8, 2024

The two leaders along the Seahawks’ offensive line are left tackle Charles Cross and right tackle Abraham Lucas, but Huard thinks the 6-foot-4, 319-pound Laumea adds a different type of edge with his personality.

“That’s not Charles Cross. He is not that kind of vocal guy. That’s not Abe Lucas. They’re not wired that way,” Huard said. “But you need that. … I went back and looked at my Utah boards when he’s playing there, a constant comment was like, ‘He’s a mean sucker. You do not mess with him.’

“The Seahawks’ O-line needed (that). And man, what a great game for him and the whole group collectively.”

The coach’s take

Laumea, a three-time All-Pac-12 selection at Utah, was inactive for Seattle’s first 11 games while sitting behind second-year pro Anthony Bradford and rookie third-round draft pick Christian Haynes on the depth chart.

But after Bradford landed on injured reserve with an ankle injury that he suffered two weeks ago, Laumea beat out Haynes for the starting job and made his NFL debut in last week’s win over the New York Jets.

During his weekly appearance Monday morning on Seattle Sports, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald agreed with Huard’s assessment that Laumea brings a fiery type of energy to the field.

“He has a lot of that in him,” Macdonald said. “That showed up on his college tape. He’s rugged, powerful and nasty. … He’s a heck of a kid, a heck of a guy and he’s still so young, man. It’s really exciting.”

Listen to the full Blue 88 segment at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Hear the full conversation with Mike Macdonald at this link or in the audio player at the bottom of this story. 

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