Mike Macdonald's brilliance comes to light in Seahawks victory over Cardinals

The Seattle Seahawks are back to the top of the NFC West with a victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11 and then a win against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12. A team that went into the bye week on a skid of losing four of five games has now beaten two division rivals and has re-set themselves for the second half of the season.

Sure, there is a lot of football left to play by every team in the division - and the division is still bunched up even after Seattle's back-to-back victories - but Seattle seemed to be looking at a complete rebuild just three weeks ago. Now the Seahawks look like a playoff team. At least, one who is capable of making the postseason.

Head coach Mike Macdonald's defense is a huge reason for that. 12s were told by national pundits that, maybe, it would take half a season for Seattle's players to truly adjust and understand what Macdonald's scheme was all about. That seemed illogical after Seattle struggled to stop teams from running, picking up third downs, and lacking good coverage.

Seahawks defense looks ready to win a lot of games under head coach Mike Macdonald

That has changed in the last two weeks. Seattle limited San Francisco to fewer than 300 total yards in Week 11, and the Cardinals, for most of the game, got even less than the 49ers. Arizona finished with 298 total yards, but 60 of that came in the last meaningless drive when Seattle was letting the Cardinals catch passes in the middle of the field to eat clock. By that time, Seattle led 16-6 and the outcome was all but assured.

Arizona was also just three of 12 on third down attempts and the Cardinals averaged just 3.5 yards a rush. This wasn't an accident, and the team has proved that recently. Macdonald's scheme is beginning to make a difference. The Seahawks are not just tackling better in general, but defensive players are hitting ball carriers closer to the line of scrimmage and not allowing extra yards.

Seattle is beginning to look more like Macdonald's Baltimore Ravens defenses of 2022 and 2023. Seattle isn't quite there yet, but the defense is now good enough to win games and the team doesn't have to rely solely on quarterback Geno Smith and the offense.

This is good because the offense is still a work in progress. The run game is nearly non-existent, though Kenneth Walker III is versatile and producing as a pass catcher as well. Smith had another red-zone interception and he now has 12 interceptions in 2024. He might not be the long-term answer, after all. The good thing is that no matter who the Seahawks' quarterback is in the future, Mike Macdonald's defense is likely to help them win a lot of games.