Pete Carroll was a very successful coach for the Seattle Seahawks for about a decade, but then things began to go south. He couldn't make the needed changes to get his team back on track and was too loyal to his coaches and the players who worked with him. It was right to let him go after the 2023 season.
Mike Macdonald was a bit of a risk to replace Carroll because Macdonald had never been a head coach at any level before. He had proven that he could be a great defensive coordinator, but that didn't mean success with a promotion. No matter, Macdonald has shown he is a great head coach, too.
In two regular seasons, his team has a record of 24-10, and his first playoff game as HC went brilliantly. His offense was efficient, his special teams group set the tone by taking the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, and the defense was elite.
Mike Macdonald has turned the Seattle Seahawks around quickly
That is why Macdonald was hired. Carroll had great defenses in the mid-2010s, but he could never lead the team back to that kind of glory. Maybe the Seahawks didn't have the players to achieve that level again. In fact, they did, and Macdonald has molded them into arguably the best defense in the NFL in just two seasons.
In the Divisional Round game against the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle's defense limited a well-coached offense to just 236 total yards and six points. In back-to-back games, both against the 49ers, the Seahawks have allowed just nine points and not allowed All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey to accomplish much.
Was San Francisco banged-up? Sure, but the 49ers did well enough to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, who have a good defense too, in the Wild Card Round, and San Francisco moved the ball easily in Week 17 in defeating the Chicago Bears. The Seahawks are a different breed.
That is because Mike Macdonald is, too. Whatever magic he works, he works quickly. Seattle shouldn't be as good as it currently is. Maybe the team won't win the Super Bowl this season, but what seems clear is that with Macdonald as the head coach, the team will continue to challenge for championships.
The NFC Championship is next, and it will be held at Lumen Field. The 12s will obviously be loud, but the toughest part for the Seahawks opponents will be Seattle's defense and trying to out-scheme Mike Macdonald, which might be impossible.