After Mike Macdonald was sacked from the Seahawks, two star players fought for the next head coach, and that resulted in killing each other in the process.

After Mike Macdonald was sacked from the Seahawks, two star players fought for the next head coach, and that resulted in killing each other in the process.

Following Mike Macdonald’s firing by the Seattle Seahawks, two of the team’s best players engaged in a deadly duel over the position of head coach.

The Seattle Seahawks decided to stick with their defensive philosophy after removing Pete Carroll, the exuberant, perpetually positive septuagenarian who built a football brand out of eradicating negativity.

Hiring Mike Macdonald, the 36-year-old defensive coordinator in his second year without a collegiate playing career and a significant amount of time spent under the roof of a profitable corporation, may appear risky from the outside looking in. However, to those who are aware of the inner workings of Baltimore and the pressures associated with moving up through the Ravens’ defensive staff, Macdonald seems like a more than justifiable replacement for Carroll.

There were two recurring themes about Seattle, in particular, during the coaching search process: We shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that Dan Quinn was going home, and the Seahawks need to find a way to keep Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan around for an extended period of time. That way, the Seahawks won’t necessarily require a coach who will take over and uphold the team’s reputation. They require a coach who can handle the pressures of competing in a mentally demanding setting while keeping up the pace schematically. Quinn is a seasoned defensive game planner, but Macdonald had a fantastic season this year against the top quarterbacks and play callers in the NFL.

• Throughout it all, Macondald blitzed fewer teams than all but seven in the NFL, primarily those loyal to Carroll and Fangio. On the other hand, Baltimore led the league in sacks at the end of the season. Despite sacrificing guys in coverage 11% less often than Kansas City, the Ravens had three more sacks than the latter. This is just plain crazy.

And then there was Seattle’s 37-3 thumping of the Seahawks in Baltimore early in November, which left them in a state of offensive checkmate. The first-down runs were sucked up by a formidable defense that gaped in the middle. The defense rarely showed any signs of intent, and before Seattle knew it, third down and Baltimore’s distinctive pressure scheme were on the way. At the end of that game, Geno Smith’s quarterback rating was below fifty. Without a doubt, the squad that would later hire McDonald was impacted by this game.

Leslie Frazier, who was present in Baltimore’s defensive meeting room when Macdonald was approaching, provided me with additional information about the player a few months ago. Considering what Seattle was searching for, I thought Frazier’s two statements were very pertinent:

As a grunt, Macdonald’s responsibility was to identify and create third-down pressures. That required looking around for ideas for fantastic blitzes and implementing them according to the circumstances. Frazier claimed to have discovered how well Macdonald understood transgressions during those exchanges and through that process. Not only did the coordinator find effective pressures, but he also applied them intelligently, anticipating the offense’s moves.

• The position of defensive coordinator for the Ravens is not exactly the same as that of head coach, but it is also not dissimilar. Expectations are high around the Ravens defense, and Macdonald had the difficult assignment of playing behind some very powerful men: Chuck Pagano, Wink Martindale, Dean Pees, and Rex Ryan. There was some genuine seriousness in that room. A coach cannot succeed unless he is completely at ease with himself and able to provide the players with something fresh. Once more, it’s not the same procedure as taking over as head coach, but it is comparable.

Under Macdonald’s leadership, the Baltimore defense included stars as young as 22 in addition to seasoned role players like 32-year-old Kyle Van Noy and 30-year-old Jadeveon Clowney, who strangely feels like he’s been playing football for 25 years. Van Noy was a Bill Belichick player, but in 2023, he had his best season as a linebacker under Macdonald. Since he was in a unit with J.J. Watt, Clowney has also not been as effective a defensive weapon.

Seattle is now staking its future on Macdonald’s ability to add something fresh to their group of gifted cornerbacks and developing edge guys, all the while annoying Shanahan and McVay. Some who are familiar with Macdonald questioned if he could inspire enthusiasm in a whole locker room, but others have stated that people will be won over by his affable, genuine demeanor.

Once more, not like Carroll. Unlike what Seattle has been familiar with for the past thirteen years—a lifetime in the NFL coaching industry,. However, it might be required. Seattle only planned to stray from its well-established milieu when it was placing a wager on someone too intelligent to go wrong.