Less is More: How Mike Macdonald Wins With Surgical Pressure and Smarter Structure

A film room deep-dive into the "Pick," "Chucky," & "Palms" pressures defining Seattle's elite defense.

In 2023, the Seattle Seahawks’ defense had cratered, finishing 28th in DVOA (FTN). Under the now Raiders Head Coach Pete Carroll, the defensive mastermind behind the Legion of Boom defenses, the unit had stagnated. In fact, the whole team had.

Offensively, Seattle was middle-of-the-road, but the defense was sitting there like an anchor, making it difficult for the team to reach the playoffs. After three consecutive seasons not reaching the double-digit mark in wins, and the rise of the 49ers and Rams, the brass in Seattle decided to make a change.

Owner Jody Allen and GM John Schneider turned to Mike Macdonald of the Baltimore Ravens, making him, at the time, the youngest head coach in the NFL. It was also not the first time Macdonald had been tasked with rehabilitating a roster.

Macdonald got his first defensive coordinator job in 2021, replacing legendary defensive playcaller Don Brown. The COVID year was not kind to the Michigan Wolverines, and the defense had become one of the worst in college football. Jim Harbaugh, now with the Chargers, turned to his brother John for an answer—a young linebacker coach.

Macdonald was an instant success, and the defense returned to the top ranks of college football. But in Baltimore, John was now dealing with his own issues. Wink Martindale’s blitz-centric style needed an update, so the older brother took back his young hotshot coach.

Again, Macdonald worked his magic. 2021 saw the Ravens’ defense fall to 28th in DVOA, only to be brought back into the top ten (eighth) by Macdonald. The young coach would follow that up in 2023 by finishing as the top defense in FTN’s DVOA rankings.

One of the hallmarks of a Macdonald defense is the adherence to fundamentals and the ability to attack the quarterback. In Martindale’s final season, the Ravens defense finished 22nd in sacks with 34. Even with a blitz-centric style, Baltimore wasn’t hitting home.

In their first year under Macdonald, Baltimore would finish fifth in sacks. In 2023, they’d top the charts with 60 total sacks. Turnovers were also coming in droves. 2021 saw only nine interceptions, but in 2023 that number had doubled, enough to finish tied for third in the league. Splash plays are great, but the Ravens' defense has been transformed into one of the best overall units in the league.

In year one in Seattle, the defense generated pressure, even though they were middle-of-the-pack in sacks. The units Pass Rush Performance (PRP) was ranked fourth overall in ‘24. Through eight weeks (seven games) in 2025, the defense sits seventh in PRP and fifth in sacks (24). More importantly, the unit is third in DVOA.

Macdonald has designed a defense that wins with structure. Every player on the field works in sync to limit space and squeeze opposing offenses. Pressure is developed by the front structure and the interior talent they have in Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy. The offseason addition of DeMarcus “Tank” Lawrence has also strengthened the run defense. For this defense to work, the front four need to dominate.

In year two, Macdonald has become a four-down Nickel defensive coach. Entering Week 9, Seattle leads the NFL in Nickel usage by almost ten percentage points (87.2%). The front four is winning its matchups, and the secondary has become one of the better units in football, even with Riq Woolen having his worst year statistically.

The Seattle Seahawks Big Ni Package

The Seahawks also have one of the lowest Blitz Rates in the NFL (21.8%) and generate pressure through stunts, which they rank fifth in usage (21.5%). Macdonald utilizes pressure as a tool, and not necessarily as the whole scheme.

The Seahawks are one of the best teams against the pass when blitzing. This year, Seattle is second in completion percentage (53.3%) and yards per attempt when sending pressure. They are also the only team heading into Week 9 not to give up a touchdown pass when blitzing.

It also doesn’t matter if it is man or zone coverage. Seattle is #1 in man coverage yards per down (3.0) and second only to the Packers in zone yards per down (3.4). The diversity in paths and coverage was highlighted in the Seahawks game against the Houston Texans, which Seattle won 27-19. Quarterback CJ Stroud had his worst rating (59.0) and QBR (25.3) of the season. Let’s get into the tape!

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