Until Sunday, 
That changed – suddenly – when leading rusher
“A little more Forsett, a little more
“There was a buzz on our sideline (Sunday) when those two guys got rolling – something that we have not felt this year.”
Before the buzz subsided, Forsett had averaged 7.2 yards per carry and scored on an 11-yard run for the Seahawks’ first touchdown; while Rankin added 24 yards on three carries.
“That was definitely a sign of improvement,” center
The combination of the smaller, more powerful Forsett and the bigger, faster Rankin also reminds Mora of a duo he had while coaching the Atlanta Falcons: Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood.
“They’re very much the same,” he said. “Warrick Dunn was a shorter-stature, quicker-laterally type of guy, whereas Jerious Norwood ran a little more upright and had really great speed. Forsett and Rankin are very similar, in style at least, to what we had in Atlanta.
“So I think you can use those two guys interchangeably and maybe keep the defense off balance a little bit.”
It seemed to work Sunday, when the contributions of Forsett and Rankin were not limited to the ground game. Forsett also caught five passes for 26 yards and Rankin had three catches for 24 yards. They combined for 10 of the Seahawks’ 29 first downs.
Significant contributions, especially when you consider that Forsett had 20 carries in the first eight games and Rankin was signed off the practice squad three weeks ago.
How does something like this happen? How can two players with limited experience help the Seahawks rush for 164 yards against a Cardinals’ run defense that ranked third in the league?
Mora on Forsett: “He was very decisive with his cuts. He had an understanding where the cut was going to be and he made the right cut. I felt like he was hitting the hole with real good quickness. He’s getting to the hole quick, and then he made some people miss.”
Mora on Rankin: “Louis did some good things catching the ball and running the ball. We’ll continue to involve him in the both the pass game and the run game. I’m excited to watch him run. We recognize his speed. I though he ran with decent power, as well.”
But because of Forsett’s size (5 feet 8, 194 pounds), does he have a carry limit – especially against the Vikings’ defense that ranks sixth in the league against the run?
“Good question,” Mora said with a smile. “We’re going to find out, because he’s going to be carrying the ball a lot this week.”
