The Seattle Seahawks' decision to sign Mike Macdonald as their new head coach was met with some understandable skepticism. He was a quick riser, but he didn't have any previous head-coaching experience, and he was still pretty young.
Of course, he didn't need much time to prove that he was the right guy for the job. He won 10 games in his first season with the team before leading them to a Super Bowl win in year two. He's won 70.6 percent of his regular-season games in Seattle and is undefeated in three playoff games.
While that may not necessarily be sustainable, one thing's for sure: He's dominated Kyle Shanahan's offensive mind. The often-stacked San Francisco 49ers offense usually fares well against most defenses, but they can't seem to figure out the Seahawks.
The Seattle Seahawks hold bragging rights over Kyle Shanahan's San Francisco 49ers
As ESPN analyst -- and admitted Seahawks diehard fan -- Mina Kimes noted, the Seahawks' defense shut down Kyle Shanahan's explosive offense in ways no other team was even close to last season.
"Kyle Shanahan seems to have the ability to solve anything, but there’s one thing he has not quite solved, and that’s Mike Macdonald," Kimes said on NFL Live. “They have a real problem with this Seahawks defense when we think about them not just winning the division potentially, but advancing beyond that. Last season, when this offense, regardless of who was playing quarterback, played teams that were not Seattle, they had 0.1 EPA per play, which was fifth league-wide. Against Seattle, they were minus-0.118, which would have ranked 32nd.”
The defending champions went 2-1 against the 49ers last season, including back-to-back wins in the regular-season finale and the NFC Divisional Round. They limited Shanahan's offense to a total of nine points and 407 yards of offense in those two games.
Keeping a playoff team away from the end zone for eight consecutive quarters isn't a small feat, much less one that's led by one of the most reputable offensive-minded coaches in the game. Even Shanahan had no choice but to admit that they had coached circles around him.
Of course, divisional matchups are always a toss-up and an ultimate chess match, and Macdonald will have to continue making adjustments to maintain the upper hand. Shanahan must've watched the tape from those two games at least 100 times, and he will work tirelessly to reverse this situation.
Still, the Seahawks are in a prime position to remain one of the best -- if not the best -- defensive teams in the game for years to come. Their defense is young, hungry, and versatile, and they have way too many pieces to rotate, move around, and show opposing offenses different looks.
As for the 49ers, it feels like their window is closing. They're aging, brittle, and might be a bit desperate to get over the hump after so many years of flirting with a title. So, at least with this core of stars, they may not have many more chances to reclaim bragging rights over the Seahawks.
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