The Seattle Seahawks are defending champions for a reason, and after Week 1, they are forcing every single talking head and online analyst to seriously re-evaluate their entire preseason landscape. Forget all the hype about other teams because the Hawks are proving they are still the team to beat. Just ask Stephen A. Smith, who admitted, “Mike Macdonald has these boys playing like rough riders.” Last year, this defense led the entire league by allowing just 17.2 points per game, but the truly scary part? The “Dark Side” is still finding new heights.
The “Dark Side” Is Back With A Vengeance
Seriously, how did Macdonald’s defense rack up three interceptions and three sacks in the fourth quarter alone in Week 1? That’s not just good, that’s historically good. It’s the first time a Seahawks team has pulled off that kind of fourth-quarter takeover since Earl Thomas III and Richard Sherman delivered three INTs back in 2016 against the New York Jets. Think about that for a second! This wasn’t some scrub team they were doing this to; this was a Super Bowl caliber squad, the Patriots with Drake Maye at quarterback. Jon Gruden even reminded us that in the Super Bowl, heading into the fourth quarter, the Patriots had “7 punts and 8 completed passes” against a Macdonald defense. That’s a defensive masterclass of confusion, pure cutting-edge NFL tactics. The way the Seahawks defense put Drake Maye through absolute hell in that 13-10 victory over the Patriots? It’s exactly what we expect from this squad.
“We Can Get So Much Better Very Quickly”
The buzz around the Emerald City is deafening, and it’s spilling online. You’ve seen the explosion of tape-watchers on X, Twitter, Bluesky, TikTok, Instagram, and even Facebook, right? Everyone is breaking down the Seahawks’ defense. Macdonald apparently “attacks protections,” showing a crazy relationship between pass rush and coverage in his defensive structure. Even Richard Sherman, who’s been a notorious 49ers champion recently, has been “alight with delight” over Mike Mac’s vision. This isn’t just scheme, it’s belief in his guys. After the 13-10 win over the Patriots, linebacker Ernest Jones perfectly summed it up: “We’re just getting started.” Coach Macdonald agrees, calling that Wednesday night “a special night to be a Seahawk” and adding, “we can get so much better very quickly.” He’s always praising his staff and players, saying they make the scheme come to life. He even singled out Nehemiah Pritchett for playing “a dynamite game.” Macdonald credits his coaches and “Our player leadership and our coaches of finding solutions, of how to adjust.”
This team, our defending champions, is only scratching the surface. With Macdonald’s leadership and the players’ belief, there’s no telling how far they can push this “Dark Side.” The 12s should be absolutely fired up for what’s coming next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Field Gulls.
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