The Seattle Seahawks and new head coach Mike Macdonald have started the season 1-0 thanks to today's convincing win over Sean Payton and the visiting Denver Broncos.
Here are a couple big-picture things we learned about the team today.
Mike Macdonald defense as good as advertised
The biggest headline coming out of Lumen Field should be about how sharp Seattle's defense looked for all four quarters. Their overall effectiveness and maintained focus puts to shame all of the praise that former head coach Pete Carroll got over the last several years of his reign as a defensive guru. All due respect to Carroll's accomplishments in the sport, but this is what a defense plays like with a real genius in charge.
The Seahawks technically allowed 20 points, but a lot of them were not the fault of the defense. Remember, four of those points were a direct result of the offense getting stuffed in their own end zone for two safeties in the first half. Another three points were due to Geno Smith's interception on the first drive of the game (the defense held) and punt returner Dee Williams' muffed return was responsible for three more (the defense held again).
So, Seattle's defense really only gave up 10 points on their own in this one. They also held Denver to just 231 total yards, 3.3 yards per play, 5/18 on third down and 1/4 in the red zone while forcing three turnovers. Elite defense stuff.
Second half adjustments vastly improved
Perhaps the most encouraging thing about this game wasn't that the defense was complete and dominant for 60 minutes. More importantly, the Seahawks coaching staff finally won the all-critical battle of making adjustments at halftime. This was an area where Carroll and his coordinators were soundly beaten in recent years, especially by division rivals Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. At least today, things were different.
In the first half the Seahawks offense was brutalized at the line of scrimmage by a surprisingly feisty Broncos front line. They couldn't run the ball, they couldn't protect Geno Smith, and it felt like a parade-worthy achievement to even get a first down. Despite the defense carrying far more than its own weight, Seattle went into the half trailing 13-9.
That's when offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb set to work and changed things, beginning at the line of scrimmage. When the Seahawks emerged in the third quarter they looked like a different team, at least on this side of the ball. Set to run downhill, the linemen up front got into their groove and helped Ken Walker have a massive second half.
The defense might have been able to carry this one to win on their own, but that boost coming out of the locker room was what sealed this game more than any other dynamic. It's an extremely encouraging sign about what they'll be able to accomplish under Grubb and Macdonald.
