The NFL is a total copycat league, and come 2026, everyone is going to be trying to steal plays from our very own Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks. Last season, the Seahawks and the Rams weren’t just good, they were *dominant*, and now the rest of the league is taking notes on the blueprints those teams laid out.
The Rams’ 13 Personnel Scheme Blew Up The League For A Reason
Okay, before we get to our boys, you gotta see what Sean McVay cooked up with the Rams. He totally reinvented himself, using 13 personnel,that’s one running back, one wide receiver, and *three* tight ends,at an insane 30.5% rate last season. The next closest team was barely half that at 13.2%. This wasn’t just some gimmick, either. It unlocked an MVP season for Matthew Stafford! This whole thing really took off in Week 6 after Puka Nacua got hurt, with the Rams running this look over 40% of the time for the rest of the year.
Why was it so effective? Defenses were caught in a bind. If they went with a lighter nickel or dime package, the Rams would just run all over them. But if they stuck with a base defense, those three tight ends,Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, and Terrance Ferguson,became absolute nightmares for linebackers and safeties. Stafford’s success rate in 13 personnel was 63.0%, way up from 50.7% in other groupings. He faced base defense 78% of the time in those looks compared to just 9% in everything else. The guy threw 20 touchdown passes and zero picks in those situations, especially near the goal line. Twenty! No other QB even hit three touchdowns using 13 personnel. Stafford’s EPA per dropback in 13 personnel was a crazy 0.45, compared to 0.13 in all other looks. This strategy was a huge reason for his MVP season and would’ve probably snagged them another title if their defense hadn’t fallen apart late last year. So yeah, expect everyone to try and replicate that this season.
Mike Macdonald’s Defensive Chess Game Is About To Be Everywhere
Now, for what really matters to us, the 12s. While the Rams were busy outsmarting offenses, Mike Macdonald was proving himself a scheme lord too, making the Seahawks one of the *most dominant teams* last season! The NFL is calling his defensive “chess piece” approach a blueprint that’s about to explode across the league in 2026. Macdonald isn’t just about stopping offenses; he’s about making them guess, forcing them into uncomfortable situations, and using every player on the field like a precision instrument.
What does this mean for our Seahawks? The rest of the league is going to be watching Macdonald’s every move, trying to copy the defensive schemes that made our team so tough last year. Get ready to see the game evolve right before our eyes, with coaches around the league trying to implement that Macdonald magic. It’s going to be wild watching our defense continue to set trends, with everyone else playing catch-up.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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