The Seattle Seahawks finally lost on the road last week, falling by two points against the rival Los Angeles Rams. That was just the first time they'd been defeated in 11 games away from Lumen Field, a credit to the remarkable work head coach Mike Macdonald has done in his job.
Macdonald has also produced an elite defensive unit despite the group getting hit hard by injuries this season, especially on the back end. Seattle heads into Week 12 ranked sixth in scoring defense.
With their next win, Macdonald's Seahawks will exceed their preseason win/loss total projection, another feather in the cap of a coach who's quickly rising.
Macdonald should be in the Coach of the Year conversation this season - and it would come as a surprise if he never wins the award. However much his success might seem predestined, it was never a guarantee.
Something Macdonald shared earlier this week shows how rough the product was in his first preseason as head coach. Here's what he said about the joint practice his team held with the Tennessee Titans last summer, per Mike Dugar at The Athletic.
“We may or may not have watched some of that practice tape over the last couple days, and it was some bad football on our part,” Macdonald said with a laugh. “So, we’ve come a long way, too. We were laughing on the defensive staff like, ‘Holy crap, glad that only exists in our building and their building and nowhere else.’"
Macdonald's Seahawks came out alright, though. After a midseason dip they turned things around and finished with a 10-7 record, the best in franchise history for a rookie head coach.
Now Macdonald finds himself in the heat of a crowded NFC playoff race - and his team is ranked first in DVOA for the first time in 10 years.
The Titans probably won't offer much resistance tomorrow, despite what happened during the joint practice. However, the Seahawks will face another stiff test to close out the season when they face three tough cookies out of their last four games, with matchups slated against the 8-2 Colts, 8-2 Rams and the 7-4 49ers.
Mike Macdonald
Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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