Within the Seventies, when the Tremendous Bowl grew from being one other league championship recreation into one of many planet’s greatest occasions, there have been some coaches just like the Seattle Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald. That’s to say, there have been extremely profitable head coaches who centered on the defensive facet of the ball.
For practically a complete decade, from Dallas’ Tom Landry in 1971 to Pittsburgh’s Chuck Noll in 1979, the Tremendous Bowl was gained by a group with a defensive-minded head coach. Outdated timers recollect it fondly because the final period through which groups prioritized operating the ball and defensive traces acquired nicknames.
Then got here Invoice Walsh and Joe Gibbs, and the period of offense started. Regardless of a number of notable exceptions – Invoice Parcells and Invoice Belichick – the final forty-five years have featured an unstoppable shift towards an increasing number of offense. In such a closely tilted universe, Seattle’s Macdonald may show to be the best type of counter-programming.
Fox Sports activities’ Greg Olsen tags Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald with a lofty honor
Consequently, when an astute analyst like Greg Olsen labels Macdonald because the defensive model of Los Angeles’ Sean McVay, everybody should take discover.
McVay is the state-of-the-art younger offensive genius that each group covets. Not but 40, he has already been to 2 Tremendous Bowls and claimed one Lombardi Trophy. Regardless of going all in just some years in the past to win with veteran Matthew Stafford, McVay rebuilt seemingly in a single day and as soon as once more has a reliable champion contender.
Considered one of his greatest challenges can be getting previous Macdonald’s Seahawks.
When Hawks’ GM John Schneider went on the lookout for a brand new coach to exchange franchise legend Pete Carroll after the 2023 season, Macdonald was a scorching title – however removed from the most popular. Lately, that honor is often reserved for offensive gurus. In 2024, Detroit’s Ben Johnson was the coveted title.
However Schneider all the time appeared extra keen on a defensive coach. He carried out second interviews with 4 coaches who got here from the ranks of defensive coordinators. The quantity would have been 5, however Raheem Morris took the Atlanta job earlier than his return journey to Seattle.
Schneider solely interviewed three offensive coordinators a second time.
Macdonald, partially on account of Baltimore’s post-season success, was the final candidate Schneider met with. He had wrapped up second interviews with many of the hopefuls earlier than Macdonald arrived for his preliminary assembly. However it appeared instantly obvious that Macdonald was the coach Schneider needed.
Firstly, the GM acknowledged that with a view to return the Hawks’ to the glory days of Pete Carroll, a brand new coach must outwit McVay in Los Angeles and Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. Each are acclaimed as revolutionary offensive masterminds.
Somewhat than attempt to out-offense such brilliance, Schneider zagged the place others zigged. He would discover a younger defensive genius to subdue the offenses.
This was each easy and dangerous. The Seahawks had fallen right into a rut with Carroll. Carroll was one other defensive genius, and sometimes, when a group makes such a transfer, it needs a tradition change. That usually means going from a defensive-minded coach to an offensive one – or vice versa.
Moreover, latest championship historical past overwhelmingly favors coaches from the offensive facet of the ball. Within the final 30 years, Tremendous Bowls have been gained by offensive-minded head coaches at a two-to-one clip. If you happen to issue out Invoice Belichick, the outcomes are much more biased.
Of the 21 coaches who’ve hoisted the Lombardi Trophy since 1996, 15 have come from offense. Solely 5 have come from protection. (Baltimore’s John Harbaugh, a former particular groups coordinator, is the opposite.)
Lately, two groups have misplaced each offensive and defensive coordinators in the identical low season. The 2 former offensive coaches – Shane Steichen and Ben Johnson – have a mixed file of 17-7 this season. Their defensive counterparts – Jonathan Gannon and Aaron Glenn – are 6-18.
The good cash would appear to be on the offensive coaches. Until you may get the defensive equal of Sean McVay.
Macdonald could also be younger – he turned 38 final summer time – however his credentials are impeccable. He started aiding at Georgia, then realized the NFL recreation with seven years in Baltimore. He served underneath esteemed defensive minds Dean Pees and Wink Martindale, and in addition labored alongside former head coach (and his present assistant) Leslie Frazier.
When he needed to maneuver as much as coordinator, he went again to varsity, to one of many blue blood packages at Michigan for a season. Then he was able to return to the professionals and inherit the distinguished job of Ravens’ defensive coordinator.
In his second season again with the Ravens, Macdonald’s unit led the NFL in factors allowed, yards per play, and turnovers. He devised inventive methods to generate stress on opposing QBs with out resorting to quite a few blitzes. He prized quick, versatile defenders who may fill a number of roles, permitting him to maneuver them round and confuse the offense.
A fast have a look at the athletes he has added since arriving in Seattle lower than two years in the past exhibits how he has applied an analogous technique with the Seahawks. DeMarcus Lawrence, Ernest Jones, Nick Emmanwori – they will line up all around the discipline and do just about something.
They appear to develop extra comfy every week. If Julien Love can return, that protection can be at full energy and can be exhausting for anybody to deal with. Even an offensive genius like Sean McVay.
To date, Macdonald is 1-2 in opposition to McVay in head-to-head matchups. His win got here within the closing recreation of final season when the Rams had been resting gamers earlier than the playoffs. However have a look at how Macdonald’s protection has developed from 2024 to 2025.
In two video games in opposition to the Rams final yr, the Hawks gave up a mean of 385 yards per recreation and allowed 5.8 yards per play. Earlier this yr, in Los Angeles, that very same protection allowed McVay’s group simply 249 complete yards and 5.0 yards per play.
If he is ready to preserve this, Macdonald gained’t be the Sean McVay of protection. He’ll merely be acknowledged as among the finest coaches within the league.
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