In Mike Macdonald’s first year at the helm in 2024, the Seattle Seahawks’ defense showed flashes but didn’t quite click. Fast forward to 2025, and the transformation is undeniable. This group isn’t just improved - they’re dictating terms, playing on their own terms, and dominating in the process.
So what’s behind the leap?
It starts with structure. Macdonald brought a complex, modern defensive philosophy to Seattle, but it took time for the pieces to fall into place.
Now, the Seahawks are executing it with precision - especially when it comes to defending the run out of two-high safety shells, a look designed to limit explosive plays through the air but traditionally vulnerable to the ground game. Not for Seattle.
Only the Eagles have faced more rushing attempts out of two-high looks this season, and yet the Seahawks have turned that into a strength. They rank second in both success rate and Expected Points Added (EPA) per play against the run in those situations - a clear sign that they’re not just surviving schematic stress points, they’re thriving in them. In fact, no team in the league has created more negative value for opposing offenses when playing from these alignments.
But the real twist? Seattle has all but eliminated base defense from its regular game plan.
Outside of red zone or goal-line scenarios, the Seahawks have lined up in base defense just 45 times all season. That’s not just low - it’s historically low.
The next closest team sits at 71 snaps, and the league average is 243. Seattle’s essentially ripped base defense out of the playbook, and they’ve made it work by leaning on one of the most impactful rookies in the league.
Nick Emmanwori has been the key. Instead of splitting his time between safety and nickel, the Seahawks have locked him in near the line of scrimmage - and it’s paid off in a big way.
His presence in that hybrid role has allowed Seattle to stay in sub-packages without giving up physicality or versatility. He’s been the glue that holds together the Seahawks’ light-but-lethal defensive structure.
And then there’s the pressure game - where Macdonald’s creativity really shines.
Seattle isn’t a blitz-heavy team, but when they dial it up, it’s surgical. The Seahawks rank fourth in pressure rate when blitzing, but the real story is what happens when they get home.
They lead the league in both defensive success rate and EPA per dropback when sending extra rushers. Their minus-.4 EPA per dropback when blitzing is the second-best figure in the last five years - trailing only the 2023 Ravens, who, not coincidentally, were also coached by Macdonald.
That’s not just good timing - that’s elite feel. Macdonald knows when to attack and how to disguise it, turning each blitz into a calculated strike rather than a gamble.
And that’s what sets this defense apart: it’s not reactive, it’s proactive. Seattle isn’t adjusting to what offenses throw at them - they’re forcing offenses to adjust to them.
They play with the personnel they want, in the alignments they want, in the situations they want. That kind of control is rare in today’s NFL, where offenses are built to stress defenses vertically and horizontally. But the Seahawks are flipping the script.
This group is talented, well-coached, and playing with confidence. And when you combine that with a defense that’s this structurally sound and tactically aggressive, you’re looking at a unit capable of anchoring a championship run.
Seattle’s defense isn’t just back - it’s evolved. And if they keep playing like this, the road to another Lombardi might just run through the Pacific Northwest.