Seattle Seahawks Reflect On HISTORIC Win & Receive NEWS Ahead Of Next Game
however many hours it’s been, but uh going into the buy. Um a lot of positive things from the tape like we talked about last night. Uh a lot of things to work on which is great. So just it’s a good position to be in figuring out a ways to to win games and and you also feel like you had a lot of room to grow as well. So Seattle beats Houston 27 to9, but the win raised as many questions as it answered. Mike McDonald’s sounded like a coach diagnosing fixes, not celebrating a breakthrough. The defense executed the plan while the offense showed progress and left points on the field. The team goes into the buy with momentum and unfinished business. Will McDonald’s approach turn this progress into consistent wins. Monday night in Lumen Field was all about style points and control. The Seahawks entered the game with mounting pressure. Two uneven performances had left fans questioning the team’s balance on both sides of the ball. The Texans arrived confident, led by an offense that had been scoring fast and often. Seattle answered in a disciplined manner. The defense dictated tempo early, pushing Houston into short drives and settling the tempo before the game could open up. On offense, Gino Smith managed possessions instead of chasing highlights. Each series carried a purpose of converting, protecting, and moving the clock. Mike McDonald’s reaction afterwards told the story. He called it a step in the right direction. The phrase fits the night. Seattle never looked dominant, but it looked composed. At five to2 heading into the buy, this team needs traction. McDonald’s measured tone made clear that’s exactly what they gained, a strong foothold. The question now moves from what went right to what still isn’t there yet. You’re a group, get a great feel for uh the things that we’re doing well, things we need to improve on, and then have a great plan of attack going into next week. How do you uh approach self scouting and by-week differently maybe this year than you did your first year? Um, I think we have a better idea of just how we do things and who we are. So really to me it’s a function of uh where we need to go, how can we go into focus on some certain things, what we’re asking the guys to do, who’s doing it, all those things. So Mike McDonald stood behind the podium looking more like a strategist than a celebrator. According to him, progress matters, but precision is the ultimate winner. He praised the defense for handling pressure packages with maturity. Communication stayed tight, and the front seven controlled the line when it counted. Leonard Williams and the interior rotation earned specific mention for collapsing pockets that pushed Straoud into hurried decisions. However, Macdonald didn’t ignore the flaws. He talked about offensive penalties that stalled drives and protection lapses that disrupted timing. His words carried the tone of a coach who sees growth but not completion. He highlighted small details including alignments, spacing, and tempo. Fans might overlook these minute details, but coaches obsess over them. We’re learning how to sustain it,” he said, describing a young team figuring out how to turn moments into habits. He credited Gino Smith’s composure, the balance in the run game, and the patience to play field position instead of chasing explosive plays. To McDonald, that’s what maturity looks like. Measured aggression, not whims disguised as energy. And beneath that calm delivery, it was evident that he’s shaping this team to win by structure, not spark. That mindset carried straight into the locker room where his next message landed harder. The locker room after the game felt controlled. The players were tired but not celebrating. It looked like a team that understood the difference between a good night and a finished job. Mike McDonald stepped in and waited for the noise to fade. Then he started talking before anyone sat down. Come on, guys. Come on. Come on, guys. We said, “Hey, listen. We said we said this game if this game was about death zone football.” Okay. Our style of ball having each other’s back from the first down to the last down. That is compary ball. Hey, just imagine, man. Imagine when it’s all three phases clicking. Okay? Imagine. Okay? And we’re gonna listen. We’re going to attack the out of it. That’s how that’s how we operate, guys. We have each other’s backs at all times. No flinch, okay? Freaking mob ties all the way, okay? That’s how you guys operate. I love it, man. This is a hell of a group. You guys need to be proud of yourselves. Hold on three. 1 2 3. He opened with what worked. The defense keeping Houston out of the end zone. The communication staying sharp even when rotations changed. Then he moved straight to what didn’t, including missed assignments on third downs, penalties that killed field position, and red zone trips that needed touchdowns, not kicks. The coach didn’t single anyone out, but everyone knew what he meant. It was the same tone he’d shown since training camp. Keep perspective, stay even, and fix what’s broken. That steadiness matters for a young roster. It sets the standard more than any speech could. And that standard showed up again on the field, especially in how his defense controlled the night snap after snap. According to analysts, this game turned on defense. Houston came in averaging over 25 points a game, but McDonald’s system stripped away their pace. CJ Stra spent most of the night working short fields. Every deeper read closed before it opened. On the other hand, Leonard Williams and Draymond Jones collapsed the pocket from inside. Edge rotations kept pressure coming without overcommitting. Devin Witherspoon handled Tank Dell in tight coverage and limited explosive plays. Julian Love stayed disciplined over the top, taking away the vertical throws that usually define Houston’s rhythm. Linebackers cleaned up the middle. Kobe Bryant filling the nickel spot had one of his most efficient games without any blown tackles or missed reads. But he’s a sure team. I mean, you saw that in his college tape. Uh, and look, he can still get he can I’ll tell him that he still can get better. You know, he can be more decisive and it’s going to be hard to block this. Should be really hard to block him out in out in space. You guys uh spent some time this offseason on special projects uh the coaching staff. You’re seven weeks in. Are are you seeing fruit uh from some of those? Is there anyone that you want to shout out for work that was done there? Shout out the whole coaching staff. Uh I I can’t think of anything right now. McDonald’s fingerprints were all over the film. Pre- snap disguises pushed Straoud to change protections. The blitz frequency dropped compared to earlier weeks, but the pressure efficiency rose. That’s not luck, but design. Houston looked like it was reacting to everything instead of dictating. By the final quarter, they finished one for four in the red zone, averaging under five yards per play. When asked later about the defensive plan, McDonald didn’t talk about schemes or matchups. He said, “We finally played connected.” Indeed, it was a simple phrasing, but it summed up the night. And while the defense looked finished, the offense still felt working, improving, but not yet complete. The defense carried the identity, but the offense showed signs of structure returning. Gino Smith didn’t light up the box score, yet his command of the huddle felt sharper than it had in weeks. I’d be more excited about continuity, you know, having the same crew out there all the time. I think that’s that that’s really important. I think that’s one of the things you’ve seen even over the last three weeks without Spoon and Julian of having like Taiakata stacking those reps, you know, Drake stack playing next to each other like that. Nick getting used to hearing the calls from from Kobe and Ernest and working with the corner. So, um, but I mean that you got to you got to play the hand that you’re dealt as well and the guys that have been able to step in. Seattle focused on rhythm but ignored volume. Short passes built momentum early, opening lanes for Kenneth Walker and Zack Charbanet to split runs effectively. Both backs hit holes with patience, taking what Houston gave rather than forcing big gains. Up front, the offensive line looks steadier despite absences. Olu Oluadami held his own in the interior and the communication between the guards and center improved in handling Houston’s inside stunts. The pocket wasn’t perfect, but Smith had enough time to work on progressions. It was a noticeable difference from the previous two games. McDonald highlighted one number that mattered more than total yardage. Third down efficiency. The Seahawks converted over half of their attempts a season high that kept drives alive and controlled tempo. Still, the issues remained visible. Two holding penalties and one pre- snap misalignment killed momentum in the red zone. Those errors cost touchdowns, pushing Jason Meyers to handle scoring duties too often. Macdonald didn’t hide behind the win when discussing it. We’ve got to finish drives. He said the defense gave us position all night and we have to capitalize. That tone tells you what’s next for this team. And while the offense is still finding its rhythm, McDonald’s bigger accomplishment might be something more challenging to measure. It’s the discipline that’s starting to influence every phase of their game. Discipline has been the quiet story behind Seattle’s turnaround. Under Mike McDonald, penalties are down, substitution errors have nearly disappeared, and sideline communication finally looks stable. Against Houston, Seattle finished with only four penalties and is their cleanest sheet since week one. McDonald’s approach is all about minimizing impulse, controlling tempo, and trusting preparation. You can see that in how the defense moves before the snap. The disguise stays until the count, but no one panics when it changes. Every player understands the adjustment. McDonald calls it alignment. The staff calls it a coaching detail. Either way, it’s what separates this team from the one that stumbled early. You can feel it in the tone of their games. Now, they have fewer emotional swings and more measured responses. They play the same way their coach talks, direct, contained, and aware of what still needs fixing. And as the locker room steadied under that tone, the results started to stack. The Texans game was the clearest example yet of how this identity travels. Now, the question is, what does that win actually mean in the arc of their season? I did feel like the better teams that I were on early is when the is when you were tighter, you know, when we were disconnected, uh, it felt like something was off. So, that that was something that’s always kind of been in your the back of your mind. But, I I I would, it’s hard to like compare generations, bro. I would I would say it’s definitely different the challenges that you face nowadays versus you x amount of years ago. I mean, the landscape is is vastly different. I don’t know. There’s probably, you know, you ask a coach, you know, 20 years ago, I’m sure they said that was just as difficult. They’re just probably facing different things. The victory over Houston was functional and that’s exactly what Seattle needed. At 5-2 heading into the buy, the Seahawks sit within reach of San Francisco in the NFC West. More importantly, they finally built a formula that doesn’t depend on outscoring mistakes. Statistically, the change is apparent. Seattle’s defense now ranks in the league’s top five in scoring prevention and top 10 in takeaways. The offense, while still midpack, has improved efficiency across the last three games, averaging longer drives and fewer wasted possessions. Special teams continue to give them field position. Jason Meyers hit every attempt and Michael Dixon flipped the field multiple times, averaging more than 50 yards per punt. This win didn’t define the team, but it stabilized the narrative. Two weeks ago, Seattle looked like a group struggling to finish games. Now it looks like a roster learning how to manage them. Analysts see that change as the first genuine sign of McDonald’s imprint. His message, situational football wins seasons, has become the team’s anchor. That’s why this victory felt different and the players left the stadium knowing exactly what the next step had to be. It’s about staying healthy and turning control into consistency. that brought focus to the following subject of the week, which includes recovery, reinforcement, and what McDonald revealed about the roster heading into the buy. Now, coming to the injury part, Mike McDonald didn’t hide the details. Right after the win, he laid out exactly where his roster stands heading into the buy. Devin Witherspoon is expected back after the break. His hamstring issue is healing well and the staff called his progress right on track. Julian Love, who played limited snaps because of an ankle tweak, should be full go next week. Derek Hall continues to manage a shoulder issue, but is expected to be ready post by. Give me some talking points that I can use down the road here to make sure that we’re talking more about what Jiren’s doing for the team. Well, well, first of all, he’s a complete dtackle, so he could do everything you I mean, it’s not like you’re just he’s not just a third down three technique rush. He can play the A gap when you need him to. Um, he can play five, he can play all across the front, which gives us some versatility with those guys, which is great. Pass rush wise also like not only is he a good like one-on-one rusher, he can he can push the pocket when he gets, you know, two guys on him, but he and he’s also a good game runner. like all those things apply. And the thing that sticks out to me is like this guy, he is responsible for like just the the attitude of the team going, you know, into games on what the standard is. And um so he’s he’s kind of an enforcer on that level, but uh obviously the guys love him and, you know, he needs himself, but he’s he uh he’s a heck of a leader, too. Veteran lineman Jiren Reed continues to manage a minor knee issue but is on pace to play. Anthony Bradford is rehabbing from a knee strain and could resume limited work during the buy. Depth players in the defensive front remain week to week though the staff expects a fuller rotation post buy. Macdonald said the buy isn’t just for rest. He called it a study week. The plan includes two light practices, a full roster review, and deep tape work on red zone plays, penalties, and offensive rhythm. We’ll use this time to understand who we actually are, he said, not who we assume we are. It was a coach’s way of saying the record looks good, but the film still demands more. Seattle goes into the buy at the right time. The roster needs rest and the coaches need a full week to review details before facing Washington in week nine. The commanders rely on their defensive line. Jonathan Allen and Darren Payne create pressure through the middle and their stunts test every protection call. Seattle’s interior line will have to respond fast and stay organized. Gino Smith’s job is to keep the offense efficient. Washington likes to disguise coverage and send delayed rushers. Quick reads and smart throws will matter more than explosive plays. The defense faces a quarterback who moves well but holds the ball longer than most. McDonald’s scheme fits that kind of opponent. Expect different looks up front and movement in coverage to disrupt rhythm. Seattle’s secondary should get a boost from the return of Devin Witherspoon and Julian Love. Their presence tightens spacing and lets Quuandre Diggs play freer in deep coverage. So Mike McDonald’s team says it’s ready. We’ll find out if preparation matches belief. If you see what’s building here, hit subscribe. Share this breakdown with someone who lives for every Seahawk snap. And stay tuned as the actual stretch starts next
For Business Enquiries and Sponsorships 📧
Email: Aj.Clores4@gmail.com
Welcome to the ultimate home for Seattle Seahawks fans! 🏈 Whether you’re looking for breaking news, game previews, post-game analysis, player updates, or in-depth discussions, we’ve got you covered. From Geno Smith and DK Metcalf highlights to draft coverage and offseason moves, this channel delivers everything you need to stay connected to the Hawks. Join our growing 12s community, share your thoughts, and celebrate every touchdown as we follow the Seahawks all season long!
Seattle Seahawks,Seahawks news,Seahawks highlights,Seahawks rumors,Seahawks game analysis,Geno Smith,DK Metcalf,Tyler Lockett,Seahawks injury report,Seahawks trades,NFL Seattle Seahawks,Seattle Seahawks fans,Seattle Seahawks updates,Seahawks predictions,Seattle Seahawks community,NFL news