Seahawks’ offensive success is validation for coordinator Shane Waldron

I’m not sure talk-show host is in Shane Waldron’s future. I don’t picture the Seahawks offensive coordinator energizing a studio with his effervescence or going viral with an array of sound bites. 

Some guys own the room when they walk in it. Waldron’s more the guy who would observe the room’s every face, table and exit route within a half-second. The Seahawks brought him on for his mind, not his mouth — and the former has been integral to the team’s 6-3 start. 

It’s always been difficult to tell which coach is the primary influence on Seattle’s defense. Myriad DCs have come through the organization and thrived, but fair or not, coach Pete Carroll has often been considered the mastermind of that side of the ball.

But there is very little doubt which Seahawks coach controls the offense. It’s Waldron. And he is overseeing one of the most efficient “O’s” in the NFL despite losing what might have once been considered irreplaceable personnel. 

Seattle’s 6.0 yards per play ranks fourth in the league, behind juggernauts such as the Bills, Dolphins and Chiefs. It is also the most yards per play the Seahawks have ever averaged. Keep in mind that Seattle has thrown less often than Buffalo, Miami and Kansas City this season and pass plays typically yield more yards per attempt than runs. 

This level of production is in part due to established playmakers such as receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf (and running back Rashaad Penny before he got hurt), rookies such as tackles Charles Cross and Abe Lucas and first-year running back Kenneth Walker III — and, of course, the movie-script rise of seven-year backup quarterback Geno Smith.

But there’s a brain behind all the ball movement, and it comes in the form of the 43-year-old Waldron, now a year and a half into his OC gig. In fact, it would seem Smith’s surge is significantly tied to the trust he puts in the play-calling.

This week Carroll noted that Smith wears a wristband that uses a shorter code to represent a longer play call — something Geno’s predecessor, Russell Wilson, typically did not. This allows Smith to get to the line sooner, survey the defense and potentially improvise from there — but it requires faith in Waldron’s plan. 

And what these plans have produced is an offense that is fourth in the NFL in points per game and fifth in third-down conversion rate. The latter often requires imaginative play-calling. 

Granted, offensive coordinators are a bit like quarterbacks in that they generally get too much credit for a team’s success and too much blame for a team’s struggles. But when we’re talking about Waldron, whose first year came when Wilson was hurt for much of the season, and whose second comes after Wilson’s departure — doesn’t the credit seem justified? 

Former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman seemed to think so when speaking on a conference call last week. Asked about Smith, he turned his attention toward the OC, saying: “I’m very happy for Shane Waldron, because every year they’re talking about firing the offensive coordinator in Seattle, and people haven’t realized that it’s not the offensive coordinator’s fault until now. They realized that these offensive coordinators are drawing it up and they’ve been drawing it up for a while, but you need someone to throw the football where you want it to go.” 

Yes, this probably was more of an opportunity to diss Wilson than it was to praise Waldron, but the point was still taken. 

So what does Waldron think of his success? What does the man who, a year and half into the job, is thriving despite losing a future Hall of Fame quarterback and overseeing three rookie starters? How is he different now than he was when he first started? 

I posed that question to Shane on Tuesday. As I said — not quite a sound bite factory.

“I think just every day of trying to continue to grow and learn from the different experiences,” Waldron said. “I think it’s been a lot of fun with the support from coach Carroll and the coaching staff, and continuing to grow and build and learn from each other as this process has gone on.” 

OK, fair enough. He’s not making this about himself and likely never will. He’s just making the calls. Thing is, if he keeps this up — there will likely be other teams giving him a call.

Doesn’t mean he’ll provide the answer they want, but given what he’s done with this offense, you can’t say he hasn’t earned their interest.