@Ray_Danger_ asks, “With the end of the regular season in sight, what moments do the team think were most influential and electric regarding their success this year? And as we shift over to playoff mode, how do the players and coaches plan to keep the same good vibes rolling?”
A: This is a boring answer, but the way Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald talks about his team’s success, and from what we’ve heard all season from players, the Seahawks are where they are today not because of any one big, electric moment, but rather because of the steady building process that has taken place since general manager and president of football operations John Schneider hired Macdonald after the 2023 season. There were plenty of signs that the Seahawks had a good thing going under Macdonald last year, especially when the Seahawks finished the year winning six of their last eight games, then they got right back to work in the offseason program and started working toward this season.
And the offseason workout program is important to mention here because, as Macdonald has brought up on several occasions, the team’s buy-in was very evident from early in the spring with every player showing up for the voluntary portion of the offseason. That’s a great thing for any team, but it’s particularly big for a young team under a second-year head coach, and one that underwent a ton of change on offense, including a change at offensive coordinator, with Klint Kubiak replacing Ryan Grubb, and at quarterback, with Sam Darnold taking over for Geno Smith.
If you are looking for individual moments that stand out, one I’d point to was the stretch in March in which Schneider and company made the tough decisions to move on from Geno Smith and DK Metcalf, getting valuable trade capital back in the process, followed by a start to free agency in which they signed Darnold, DeMarcus Lawrence and Cooper Kupp. Darnold and Lawrence both had Pro Bowl seasons, and while Kupp hasn’t put up huge numbers, the veteran receiver has been such a valuable part of everything the Seahawks are doing.
One other moment that, in retrospect, feels pretty darn big was the way Ernest Jones IV and other Seahawks rallied to Darnold’s defense after he threw four interceptions in a Week 11 loss to the Rams. We’ve heard from players all season long about how close this team is and how that’s a key to their success, and that was on display that day in a big way. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Seahawks responded to that game with six consecutive wins.
As for keeping the same good vibes, the focus on process that Macdonald has preached all year long should help them stay steady this week rather than focus on the massive stakes or the added spotlight on this game. In Macdonald’s world, if you spend each day focused on the task at hand and not looking ahead to the results or what those results will mean, then it doesn’t matter if it’s a Week 2 game in Pittsburgh or a Week 18 game with the No. 1 seed on the line.