It took a bit of time last year for the Seattle Seahawks to hit their stride in new head coach Mike Macdonald’s cutting-edge defensive scheme.
But once they did, it sure was impressive.
After some midseason adjustments – including several personnel changes and a return to health from multiple key players – the Seahawks’ defense morphed into a top-five unit with a dramatic second-half turnaround. Between Weeks 10 and 18, Seattle ranked fifth in scoring defense, fifth in defensive EPA and fourth in total yardage allowed.
It was a stark contrast from the previous two seasons, when the Seahawks ranked 25th in scoring defense in 2022 and 2023.
What about Macdonald’s scheme is so unique? Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr, co-host of the “Monday Morning Quarterback” podcast, shared quite the analogy during an appearance last week on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.
“Someone described it to me like a virus,” Orr said. “So when a virus attacks the body, it just gets in there and it starts taking things apart one by one – to the point where you’re scrambling just to find the root cause of it.
“But by then, you’re sort of shut down. … And so by the time you have figured out what’s being done to you, it’s already evolved to the point where something else is happening, and (then) something else is happening. It builds on itself.”
At one point during the analogy, Orr briefly stopped himself.
“It’s sort of a graphic image, I guess,” he said.
‘The most coveted thing in the NFL’
In recent years, Macdonald’s scheme has become one of the league’s hottest trends.
Prior to taking over as Seattle’s head coach in January 2024, Macdonald had two immensely successful seasons as Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator. His Ravens ranked third in scoring defense in 2022 and then had a historic season in 2023, when they became the first defense in NFL history to lead the league in scoring defense, takeaways and sacks.
As a result, Macdonald quickly developed a reputation as one of the league’s brightest defensive minds. And his scheme became the envy of opposing teams, with four of his former assistant coaches earning NFL defensive coordinator jobs last offseason.
Two of those four assistants – Los Angeles Chargers DC Jesse Minter and Miami Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver – helped spearhead defensive turnarounds similar to what Macdonald achieved in Seattle. The Chargers went from 24th in scoring defense in 2023 to No. 1 in 2024, while the Dolphins went from 22nd to 10th.
“Macdonald’s scheme is built to improve upon itself week after week,” Orr said. “What they do the week prior ends up impacting how they’re going to play things the next week to try to confuse the opponent (and) short-circuit them.
“That scheme is the most coveted thing in the NFL right now,” he added. “I mean, teams want that, and for good reason.”
