7 Reasons Why the Seahawks Won the NFC West
Months ago, when I was Dan Viens' guest on the Seahawks Forever Podcast, I expressed my opinion that the Seahawks could win the NFC West this season. My reasons for it then are pretty much the same as my reasons for it now.
Note: what I got wrong was predicting that the AFC North would be the best division in the NFL in 2025. Dan Viens was 100% correct in believing the NFC West would be the best. And the NFC West has been the best, by far, save for the woeful Arizona Cardinals.
7 Big Reasons:
1. In the NFC West, if you don't have a defensive coach who can match wits with Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, you have no chance. Credit Seahawks' outstanding GM John Schneider for finding that coach in Mike Macdonald. Not only has Macdonald been matching wits with these offensive icons, his slobber-knocking defense has begun to intimidate them.
2. Making the commitment to build up the trenches in the NFL Draft. Did you happen to check out how well NT Byron Murphy (R1 2024) and G Zane Grabel (R1 2025) played last night in Santa Clara? They helped the Seahawks dominate both sides of the ball up front in a stunningly physical, smashmouth manner.
3. Macdonald came into Seattle with a vision for what he wanted both his defense and his offense to look like schematically and personnel-wise. While his first OC Ryan Grubb helped lead Geno Smith and the offense to top 3 passing numbers, Macdonald wanted stronger balance with the Hawks' running game. Thus, he pivoted away from Grubb (now the OC at Alabama) and tabbed Klint Kubiak as his new OC.
How's this for offensive balance in. the Seahawks' 13-3 win over the 49ers last night:
Yards Passing: 181
Yards Rushing: 180
This is the epitome of when a coach's prescience turns into real-time fruition.
4. Changes to personnel --- Macdonald signed two UFA ILBs in year one and while both were adequate, no sir, not good enough. So, he asked John Schneider to make a trade for Ernest Jones. And what do you know? Bingo. Right guy for the job.
5. Syncing up the new OC with a new QB1. Macdonald was more than willing to see Geno Smith join Pete Carroll in Vegas because with Kubiak on board, the Hawks now had a calling card for top UFA QB Sam Darnold, whom Kubiak had coached two years ago with the 49ers. Landing both Kubiak and Darnold was like the so-called "perfect storm." Get this --- Sam Darnold is now 28-6 combined in the regular season the last two years --- 14-3 with the Vikings and 14-3 with the Seahawks. How the Vikings ever let Darold go may be something that will haunt them for years to come. Yeah, he had the one bad playoff game. But let's not pretend he had been playing in the playoffs ever before. Experience is the greatest teacher.
6. Fitting players to the schemes. Macdonald recognized early on that CB Devon Witherspoon (R1 2023) is at his best when defending both the pass and run on the second level instead of the third. Did you see the big-time stops in run support and pass coverage Witherspoon manifested last night on the second level? Same thing on offense in how Klint Kubiak has come right in and diversified WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba's (R1 2023) role --- to the tune of essentially turning him from a good WR to an elite WR in one season:
2023 100 catches, 1,130 yards, 11.3, 6 TDs, #12 in NFL
2024 119 catches, 1,793 yards, 15.1, 10 TDs, #1 in NFL
Note: the only WR who has a chance to catch JSN for the #1 receiving total is Puka Nacua who needs 155 yards today versus the Cardinals to surpass JSN's 1,793.
Think of this --- JSN is averaging 105.5 receiving yards a game. That's a WOW stat.
7. Winning on the road:
* 2024: 7-1
* 2025: 8-1
Total: 15-2
No team typically logs more air travel miles than the Seattle Seahawks. They handle the wear and tear of the travel and the varying game times (3 different time zones) and conditions as professionally and effectively as one could possibly imagine.
Note: the last NFC West coach to go 8-1 on the road was the Cardinals' Kliff Kingsbury in 2021.
Congratulations to the Seahawks who are now ruling the nest in the NFC West.
Seahawk Envy:
I am feeling Seahawk envy. They have all their ospreys in a row: GM, HC, OC, DC, STC, QB, dynamic due RBs, WR1, OL, DL, LBs DBs, STs.
Have to admire the veteran staff that Mike Macdonald assembled, notably with assistant head coach and defensive advisor Leslie Frazier (26 years, plus 4 years of head coaching experience), senior offensive advisor OL guru Rick Dennison (29 years), LB coach Kirk Olivadotti (23 years) and VP health/player performance coach Sam Ramsden, the 4 of which have more years of NFL experience than the entire Cardinals' coaching staff combined.
What do the Cardinals have?
This is why I would love to see the Cardinals find their defensive match for McVay, Shanahan and Kubiak. I think it's a #1 priority. Like I said, if you don't have the right defensive coach in the NFC West, you have no chance.
As a former season ticket holder for over 20 yrs, I have seen plenty of bad AZ football but this season with the incredible 14 loss dumpster fire season is truly an epic new definition of a 💩 franchise. In the toughest division with No chance in getting a young hot coordinator and or big time coach to come here. Looks beyond bleak. As you would agree everyone from the GM, HC and entire staff needs to go. Maybe keep Dave Sears if new regime agrees to. I would consider Jon Gruden if he hires a great staff. A young OC who could take over in a few years and a solid DC who also could be a HC after Gruden.
ReplyDeleteTell Bidwill to let go of every day control and suggest to him to sell one of his planes, buy a boat and sail it around the world.
After the front office and staff is hired then stock this roster with some ballers.
Take out the garbage
Release or trade if possible K Murray.
Release the following, Williams RT, Nicholas, DL, Mustipher DL, Stills DL.
UFA, Collier, don’t resign. C Campbell will retire, offer him a DL position coaching job if interested.
As you can see, I don’t like much in the DL room.
Free Agency
K. Cousins. Kurt with this talent could win 10 games here next season which would be a good start
to be relevant again for the franchise.
Sign Debo Samuel WR, Greg Newsome CB, C. McGovern G.
I think the only franchise QB in the draft this year draft is the Hoosier, all others appear to be projects. I would not mind taking one late in the draft but only if they have a strong QB coach.
I did a 5 round draft and decided to move down to grab as many great players as possible.
Traded down to #17, TJ Parker, Clem OLB, #36, K. McDonald DL OSU,#48 G Dunker RT Iowa, #67 J Golday LB, Cincy# 102 D Jackson DL FSU, #145 A Randall RB Clemson.
So glad I didn’t renew my tickets a few years ago.
Thanks Walter
***Update****
DeleteAZ now owns the 3rd overall pick. I would make a deal to move up #2. I would go after R Bain Jr. like our Defense life depended on it. Jets also have #15. I would eat K Murray contract for them to have and take J Fields as Brissett backup next season. Throw in another 1st rd pick and make up for screwing this fan base from W. Anderson.
How about this crew to run the Cardinals next year- John McKay as GM (with Full Control) Mike LaFleur as HC with R. Morris as DC.
DeleteIt’s solid and will never happen. They ain’t working for Bidwill
DeleteKubiak’s versatile, run-heavy scheme propelled the Seahawks to a franchise-best 14-3 record, ranking 3rd in scoring and 8th in total yards. His "smart and innovative" approach prioritized under-center play-action and effective second-half adjustments, which revitalized quarterback Sam Darnold and led to a top-tier red zone touchdown percentage. Conversely, Drew Petzing’s Cardinals offense regressed into a "predictable and basic" unit that struggled with situational awareness, ranking 29th in rushing and 19th in total yards. While Kubiak effectively integrated new talent like Cooper Kupp to keep Seattle explosive, Petzing failed to scheme targets for stars like Marvin Harrison Jr. and admitting to poor play calls in late game losses.
ReplyDeleteOn defense, Macdonald has rapidly built a strong, resilient, and high-performing team in Seattle, while Gannon's D has regressed from near League bottom in every metric
While it's a moot point now, a little bit of a deep dive doesn't support your points above.
ReplyDeleteI can surely compliment MacDonald for the impressive work he has done in Seattle and he has certainly pushed the right buttons. But he was gifted a roster that most can only dream of taking over and definitely wasn't JG's case. Most everyone you mention (including the running game) in your post was already there for MM and his roster today is not to dissimilar from the one he had his first game in Seattle.
Looking at last year schedule, we were 3-3 against the NFC west while Seattle was 4-2. In those 6 games, we gave up 116 points and Seattle gave up 128. If we take out the games against each other and only look at the Rams and 49ers, we were 3-1 giving up 70 points, while Seattle was 2-2 giving up 104 points. Even this year, when injuries were only a small factor for the first 2 games, we had competitive 1 and 3 point losses against SF and Seattle. The blowouts only came after injuries became more of a major factor. Maybe the defence wasn't the problem.
If you had to pick; Murphy and Zabel or PJJ and Nolan?
I can't help but see a lot of similarities in Seattle's run game and ours last year. Adams?
By almost every metric that I can find, Brooks had a better season than Jones. Was he just mis-used?
1352 yards/ 99 receptions/ 9 TDs
This is Wilson's 17 game projection with JB. Not bad for a 3rd rounder.
I was not expecting JG to get fired but now that he is I won't bring him up again (or defend him in the future) but I see your KK road record comment and it made me think he would be an interesting hire. I know Bidwell liked him and if he offered him the ability to build this program however he wanted by picking anyone he could choose (including pulling a Cohen and having MB fire MO for his own choice of GM) would he interested? And do you think it could work or is it to far gone?
Some other points;
- Jones looked good. Not sure why he never played till the last game?
- I know you were big on Trapilo. He looks like he is gonna be a stud for Johnson and the Bears
- Can you think of a QB that has had a harder go than Tune? He got fed to the Browns and when he finally gets another chance, he has the play a Flores led Vikings defence that is firing on all cylinders while he is trying to make one last exclamation point for this hiring cycle. Unbelievable.
- You posed some questions a while ago and one was Rieman or Barner. I said Rieman was the better pick - I would pick Barner today.