NFL analyst might have just given Seahawks fans a reason to celebrate

The Seattle Seahawks have never been better than they were ten years ago. The team had just won the Super Bowl and was about to head back to another the following season. Seattle’s defenses were arguably the best in the history of the NFL for a four-year stretch. That kind of thing shouldn’t be expected again.

That does not mean that with a little defensive improvement that Seattle cannot become an extremely dangerous team again. This does not only mean getting back to the playoffs. This means getting back to the postseason and making a run once there. Seattle has a good offense that should be better under new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, but the unit needs some help.

The Seahawks have been trending downward defensively. Last year, the team was 25th (401) in points allowed and was 31st against the run. The same issues that were prevalent in 2023 were present in 2021 and 2022 as well. Seattle’s linebackers could not cover well, and the defense could not get opposing offenses off the field on third down.

There was clearly a systemic issue due to the direction of former head coach Pete Carroll. Seattle switched defensive coordinators from Ken Norton, Jr. to Clint Hurtt, and the same problems remained. This would lead to the issue being Carroll and not the DCs.

Mike Macdonald is Seattle’s new head coach. He has zero head coaching experience but has proven to be a fantastic defensive coach. His Baltimore Ravens defenses were among the top three in terms of points allowed over the last two years. This wasn’t accidental; Macdonald knew how to put his players in the right situations to succeed.

According to Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton, this magic could happen again with the Seahawks as quickly as 2024. Moton calls the Seahawks’ defense “talented,” and with Macdonald calling the defensive plays, the unit could quickly become a top-ten group. Not top-half-of-the-league; top…ten.

Besides Macdonald’s excellent play-calling, the players executing the players could be fantastic. Moton specifically names Boye Mafe, Jarran Reed, Leonard Williams, Dre’Mont Jones, Riq Woolen, Julian Love, and Devon Witherspoon. That would be seven of eleven starters on defense. If Macdonald can get each of those guys to perform near their best, Seattle is going to win a lot of games.

In fact, they might win so much that they easily make the playoffs, make a run at the NFC West title, and go deep in the postseason. Seattle’s 2024 defense might not be Legion of Boom good, but it might be great enough for 12s to get a whiff of the Super Bowl.

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