The Seattle Seahawks were far better than the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4. That is proven by head coach Mike Macdonald's team jumping out to a 30-13 lead, but Seattle hurt itself with 14 penalties and, more alarmingly, seven 15-yard flags. Macdonald made his stance clear after the game that the issues would be fixed immediately.
"To have seven personal foul penalties is unacceptable on any level, however you slice it," Macdonald said. "That's not us, and that's not going to be how we play football around here."
Unfortunately, that is how Seattle played football in Week 4. The team looked like the worst kind of undisciplined squad Pete Carroll might have had. Carroll didn't mind the penalties too much, it seems, but he should have.
Mike Macdonald promises the Seattle Seahawks' penalty problem will be corrected
Since Macdonald arrived ahead of the 2024 season, he has rebuilt that part of the team. He doesn't come across as a drill sergeant, and he doesn't need to. Football coaches are truly getting their players ready for war. Winning a game in sports is far less scary than putting oneself in a life-or-death situation.
But having a disciplined team is important, especially on Macdonald's defense. The scheme is complex and requires focus to succeed. Having seven 15-yard penalties, many of them unnecessary and after the play ended, allowed the Chargers to stay in the game.
Seattle had 148 yards passing, 138 yards rushing, but 150 yards in penalties. That is a ridiculous ratio that is not expected from a Macdonald-coached team. In 2025, the Seahawks were penalized the seventh-fewest times in the league. 2026 already has the Week 4 outlier of 14 flags on Seattle, but based on the past two seasons, the Seahawks should not turn back into a Pete Carroll team.
In 2025, the least penalized teams were the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams, the Seattle Seahawks' two main rivals in the NFC West. Sean McVay's Rams and Kyle Shanahan's 49ers are beatable, but they don't normally beat themselves. Mike Macdonald's Seahawks almost did that against the Chargers.
Next for Seattle is the 49ers, interestingly enough. In the last two meetings last season, Seattle destroyed San Francisco. This season, despite another rash of injuries, the 49ers are unbeaten at 4-0. Still, Seattle should get the victory in Week 5 if the Seahawks play their best. If they have 14 penalties again, San Francisco will take advantage, and the game might not be close.
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