The Seattle Seahawks face a monumental task in Week 11. The team will travel to Los Angeles to play the Rams, an NFC West rival that has been a thorn in the side of the 12s' favorite team for a decade. The problem is that for the last many seasons, LA has also been really good.
Former head coach Pete Carroll certainly couldn't find the answer to the riddle about how to defeat Sean McVay and his Rams. One reason Carroll was removed from his head coaching duties is that the team no longer had faith he could keep the Seahawks at the top of the division. McVay and San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had passed him by.
Still, even after Carroll was basically fired (he remained under contract with the Seahawks through 2024), Seattle zigged instead of zagging by hiring another defensive-minded coach, Mike Macdonald. One of Macdonald's priorities was finding a way to stop the Rams and 49ers' offenses. That is still a work in progress.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald could be in the Coach of the Year running
What isn't is that after Carroll ran the team for 14 seasons, Seattle hasn't missed anything by Macdonald coming in and resetting the culture. The buy-in from players was fast, and it should have been. Macdonald knows what he is doing as his combined record through all of 2024 and the first 10 weeks of 2025 is 18-9.
For a first-time head coach, that is incredible.
This is one reason that Mike Macdonald is beginning to get his flowers, or, at least, coming close to doing so. According to Sports Illustrated's Mike Kadlick, Macdonald should be among the top three candidates through Week 10 for NFL Coach of the Year.
Macdonald is third on the list with only New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen above him. With seven weeks left in the season, and with sustained success by the Seattle Seahawks, Macdonald could actually win the award.
It isn't just his ability to create an elite defense that has made him seem like a brilliant hire, either. He oversees the entire roster, of course, and his understanding of letting offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak cook without meddling much, if any.
A lot does ride on how well the Seahawks do against the Rams in Week 11. The game is a test of quarterback Sam Darnold and Macdonald's defensive philosophy. Even facing backup Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 18 last season, Seattle struggled. If they can find a way to dominate Matthew Stafford in Week 11, Seattle could be set up for a Super Bowl run.