Mike Macdonald’s offense in Seattle hasn’t been perfect, but the Seahawks have at least avoided the kind of collapse that can come with a bad coordinator hire.
That’s the takeaway from what’s unfolding in Los Angeles, where another defensive-minded head coach had to make a big offensive decision this offseason. Jim Harbaugh, who is one of Macdonald’s old mentors, brought in Mike McDaniel as his new offensive coordinator. The move was viewed as one of the more attractive options on the market.
Instead, it has gone off the rails for the Chargers.
Los Angeles is sitting at 0-7 as the NFL’s only winless team. Justin Herbert, who was once in the MVP conversation, has taken a major step back, and the offense has not found the end zone since Week 5.
Seattle had its own coordinator turnover after Klint Kubiak won the Super Bowl in Seattle and left for the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coaching job. Macdonald ran a careful search and landed on Brian Fleury, pulling him away from the rival San Francisco 49ers.
The results in Seattle are still a work in progress. Fleury’s unit has had to deal with issues the Seahawks didn’t face last season, including Kenneth Walker leaving in free agency and multiple injuries at running back. Even so, Fleury has managed those problems reasonably well.
The contrast with the Chargers makes that hire look a lot better in hindsight. Seattle may still be waiting for the full answer on Fleury, but Macdonald’s choice looks a whole lot safer than the alternative playing out in Los Angeles.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Bigger Sam Darnold Problem Than One Loss
The Seahawks Monday night loss to the Bears did more than knock Seattle back to .500. It put Sam Darnold right back at the center of the conversation, after a night in which he finished 17 of 34 for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. For a team trying to steady itself in a crowded NFC race, the issue is no longer just one rough result, but whether the quarterback position is giving Seattle enough certainty moving forward.
Darnolds uneven season has already prompted bigger-picture questions about how long the Seahawks will stay committed to him, and the timing only sharpens the discussion. Seattle is sitting at 4-4, and with the organization already being linked to the idea of finding a future answer at quarterback, the next few seasons could determine whether Darnold remains part of the plan or whether the Seahawks eventually look to the draft for a successor such as LaNorris Sellers. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Jaxon Smith-Njigba Problem They Must Solve
Jaxon Smith-Njigba did his part in Seattles 34-17 loss to the Bears, turning in a strong showing while the rest of the Seahawks receiving group struggled to keep pace. It was the kind of game that can sharpen a front offices focus, because when one pass catcher is carrying so much of the load, the imbalance becomes hard to ignore.
With the November 10 trade deadline approaching, Seattle is reportedly weighing whether to add another wide receiver to give the offense more reliability and depth. Names such as Josh Downs, Brian Thomas Jr., Calvin Ridley, Rashod Bateman, Jerry Jeudy and Jauan Jennings have surfaced as possible targets, and the Seahawks now have to decide how aggressively they want to address a problem that showed up clearly in Chicago. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Have An Edge Rush Problem Only One Proven Veteran Solves
The Seahawks edge rush has become one of the more obvious pressure points on the roster, and it is hard to ignore how much the defense could use a steadier presence on the outside. Dante Fowler Jr. has not given Seattle much in the way of reliable production or consistent snaps, which has only sharpened the need for a veteran who can change the tone of a pass rush without requiring a long adjustment period.
Khalil Mack is the name that keeps coming up because he still looks like a proven answer even as the Chargers have stumbled through a rough season. For Seattle, the appeal is obvious: a player with the rsum and edge presence to help right a problem area right away, if the Seahawks decide the price is worth paying. [Read more 🡒]