The Seahawks’ Under-The-Radar Improvement

Seattle is one of those cities that can linger in your memory for a long time, assuming the days you remember had the slightest moment of sunshine. When the sun shines brightly, highlighting the majestic mountains combined with the lakes and all the greenness, it amplifies the city’s incredible architecture and beauty. Throughout its history, Seattle has been a creative and innovative enclave, touching every genre. From the lumber industry to the gold rush, shipbuilding, airplane manufacturing, music, art, sports, coffee, clothes, and, of course, technology have allowed the city to influence the world. For all it’s dark days of rain, the city has been a beacon of originality. 

And originality is a great word to describe former Seattle head coach Pete Carroll. Carroll’s energy, positivity, and innovative defensive approach served the Seahawks well for most of his 14 seasons, winning one Super Bowl, losing another, and made playing in Seattle a difficult challenge for every opponent. Before Carroll was appointed head coach, he served two other franchises. While coaching each team, he was never able to be himself, causing him to be removed, once for Rich Kotite (ouch) and then for Bill Belichick.

 

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When Carroll went to USC, he promised himself he would be genuine, not a character created for an organization’s vision. And when he arrived in Seattle to begin his Hall of Fame career, Carroll had won enough at USC that everyone wanted the real Pete. The Legion of Boom was born, creating one of the greatest home-field advantages in the NFL. The stadium was so loud, it could vibrate noise to deafening levels. With a defensive line that, at times, was unblockable, Seattle was one of the best teams in the league.

However, like all things, nothing stays the same. Over the last three seasons, Seattle was 20-13 at home, and because the defense Carroll invented spread around to other teams like wildfire, it became antiquated. Many former Carroll assistants copied Carroll’s defensive approach, which caused offensive coordinators to understand how to attack and become more confident attacking, especially when the defensive line wasn’t dominating. Eventually, Carroll tried to change and shift his philosophy, but after 14 years, time ran out.    

Enter Mike Macdonald, a 36-year-old defensive specialist charged with taking all of Carroll’s positive contributions to the organization and adding his own style. General Manager John Schneider, who Carroll hired, now has the authority to create and mold the team into this new partnership.

Schneider was a loyal solider to Carroll, carrying out his philosophy with each player acquired. They had a tremendous partnership. Even though Carroll had all the authority to make the decisions, he respected Schneider’s opinion and listened to his advice. Schneider is a great evaluator, a daring decision-maker, and isn’t concerned about what others think. He believes what he sees from the tape, not what he hears from outside perception. Everyone said he was crazy to trade Russell Wilson. Two years later, Schneider appeared as a savant.

One of the main tenets of finding under-the-radar teams that could exceed expectations lies in the trust of the people in charge to correctly identify the problems and then properly address them. Everything about the offseason and draft centers on answering one fundamental question: Why did we win? Why did we lose?  And those answers cannot be simplified or brushed under the notion, “You are what your record says you are.” That’s a wonderful quote from Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, which is often misunderstood. 

Parcells was attempting to prevent people from embellishing their record. He wanted to remove the “ifs and buts” and focus on the fundamental question of why. Only Schneider can address the questions, then supply the right answers. Seattle finished below the league average in 12 of the 16 major categories defensively. For example, they allowed 25 yards more rushing than the league average, which is significant, especially considering they play in a loud stadium, which is hard to hear and often slows down a running game. For Schneider, determining the reason came down to three elements: talent, scheme, and coaching. The answers he provided with hiring Macdonald and adding Byron Murphy in the draft became a mixture of all three.

Over the last two seasons, the Seahawks have finished in the bottom third of the statistics in terms of points allowed and yards. They were 21st in the league in creating turnovers, which has always been the foundational aspect of a Carroll defense. The ball, the ball, the ball, was what he preached. In his final three games, the defense couldn’t create a turnover, which had to drive Carroll crazy.

The defense struggled to play consistently when the ball wasn’t coming loose, even at home. The loss at the end of the year to the Mason Rudolph-led Steelers in Week 17, with playoff hopes alive, was a killer. Allowing 200 yards rushing and passing to an inept Steelers attack was brutal to view, as was watching the Steelers score 30 points in their stadium. Yet, with all the injuries, the offensive line missing two starting tackles for an extended period, they still won nine games and had their chances. 

On offense, Seattle finished below the NFL norms in ten of the sixteen essential categories. Their inability to run the ball, a staple in a Carroll team, was their albatross. Their lack of running was reflective of the lack of durability of their runners. Kenneth Walker is an outstanding back who can take over a game with his skills as a runner and pass catcher when healthy. Zach Charbonnet is another excellent runner who can give the Seahawks a one-two punch, assuming the offensive line can stay healthy. Seattle has enough skill to score points, even with Geno Smith or Sam Howell under center. What will determine their overall success in 2024 will be their offensive line. If they stay healthy and improve, expect Seattle to move the ball and score points. 

Macdonald’s scheme and coaching in Baltimore last season was outstanding. He was able to gain high-level production from two players who weren’t even on the roster at the start of training camp. Kyle Van Noy left The Pat McAfee Show to produce nine sacks, Jadeveon Clowney had his best year of his career, producing nine-and-a-half sacks and getting a hefty contract from the Panthers.

Macdonald’s scheme blended perfectly with the personnel. He highlighted the strengths of Kyle Hamilton, using him as a quasi-linebacker, safety, nickel defender and blitzer. His scheme covered the deficiencies in their secondary, and playing from in front in most games kept teams from exploiting his run defense. In three of their five losses, teams that could run the ball effectively, over 135 yards, won the game.

The Ravens ranked 25th in yards allowed on the ground and sixth in facing passing attempts, as their opponents were concerned about handling the unorthodox blitz pressures from all angles. What’s most fascinating is the Ravens, with a plus 42-point differential after two quarters, ranked 31st in facing passing attempts. Normally, playing from behind forces teams to throw—but against the Macdonald-led Ravens defense, that wasn’t the case.

The Ravens allowed only 16.5 points per game and held their opponent to ten points or less seven times. They were the second-best red zone team in the league, the seventh-best on third down, and created 25 fumbles, recovering 13. They had 18 interceptions and allowed only 191.9 yards passing per game. The Ravens used different combinations of players, moving them around and creating confusion for the offense. This new approach will create problems for teams traveling to the Pacific Northwest and having to deal with the loud Seahawks fans. 

I like the offseason Seattle has put together in all three areas. And what I like most is that Schneider isn’t going to sit on his hands during training camp, assuming everything is great. I trust his ability to manage the roster, build the team, and find talent when everyone isn’t looking for talent.

Bill Walsh would always tell me we have to find players when no one else is looking, meaning in August and through the season. Schneider will always be proactive toward solving problems. There will be a learning curve for Macdonald as a head coach; that’s natural for everyone. He will benefit from the positive energy Carroll has built within the walls of their practice facility, weaving his style into the team’s culture.

American economist Thomas Sowell once said, “Some people think the issue is whether the glass is half empty or half full. More fundamentally, the question is whether the glass started out empty or started out full.”  Seattle’s glass is half full, which is why they are a below-the-radar team to cash an Over. 

Their win total set at 7.5 seems light. Winning nine games last year with a bad defense is a testament to Carroll’s coaching and competitive nature. If Macdonald improves the team in the area he specializes in, then Seattle can win nine or 10 this coming season and be a problem in the NFC West.   Then there will be lots of sun in Seattle. 

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