Seahawks shutting down 49ers offense shows Mike Macdonald was the right hire

Seattle Seahawks fans had a right to doubt if Mike Macdonald was the right hire of a head coach to replace Pete Carroll after Seattle started the season 4-5 and lost four of their last five games to end the first half of the season. There might still be reason for doubt in the future of the 2024 season. But there is little doubt that Seattle likely would not have beaten the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11 had they not hired Macdonald.

By the end of Carroll's reign, Seattle could not defeat San Francisco. The team had not beaten the 49ers since December of 2021. Meanwhile, San Francisco had won the NFC West while Seattle was beginning to sink to the bottom of the division. The Seahawks seemed certain to finish last in the NFC West this year as well after their first-half skid.

Then Seattle had their bye week, saw starting center Connor Williams retire due to personal reasons, and released starting linebacker Tyrel Dodson, and yet Macdonald was seemingly able to fix a lot of the problems the defense was having. San Francisco has an excellent offense, even playing without tight end George Kittle, and containing them is not something Seattle has been able to do.

Mike Macdonald proves his worth for the Seahawks in Week 11 against the 49ers

At least, that was until Week 11. The Seahawks' tackling was better, coverage was tight, and the run defense was mostly on point. The 49ers gained just 277 total yards, and most of that was in the first half. Seattle and San Francisco matched yards per play at 4.9, but the Seahawks averaged more in the second half when Seattle outscored San Francisco 14-10.

While the 49ers had 131 yards rushing and 4.9 yards per carry, those numbers were bloated on scrambles from quarterback Brock Purdy. Star running back Christian McCaffrey averaged only 4.2 yards per carry on 19 rushes. Purdy only passed for 159 yards with a touchdown, but he also threw an interception.

Week 11's Seahawks defense resembled the first three weeks of the season when Seattle overwhelmed opponents, but those opponents were either starting a rookie quarterback or quarterbacks who had no business starting. The 49ers are well-coached offensively and have a very good quarterback. Seattle's defensive performance against San Francisco should give the unit a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.

Seattle might still not be where Mike Macdonald wants them to be, but they are a lot closer after beating the 49ers 20-17. Maybe the Seahawks do not make the playoffs this year. What they proved in Week 11 is that they are a dangerous team currently, and likely to be more powerful in the future.