Mike Macdonald’s Masterclass Leadership Has Fans and Analysts Arguing He Deserves Coach of the Year. DH
The Seahawks defense is doing something that very few teams are capable of.
Through the first 11 weeks of the 2025 season, the Seattle Seahawks are playing great defense, especially in one key area: stopping the run.
The Seahawks defense has allowed -0.18 EPA per rush (1st) with a 37.5% success rate (5th), and stuffs runs at or behind the line of scrimmage on 23.1% of carries (3rd). The amazing part? They’re achieving this with the second-lowest rate of heavy boxes (28.4%).
The Cleveland Browns are the only other team to rank top five in all three metrics: EPA/rush, rush success rate, and stuffed run %. The Browns defense uses heavy boxes at the 4th-highest rate in the NFL. Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rank top five in even two of the three metrics. They have the 7th-highest rate of heavy box usage.
Mike Macdonald is able to stop opponents’ rushing attacks almost exclusively with light boxes due to an impressive combination of play calling and coaching style. The Seahawks’ defense runs the 3rd-most Cover 6 and implements a unique deployment of three safeties in their nickel packages, which they use more than any team in the NFL at an eye-popping rate of 88.3%.
Macdonald’s unique defensive structure is only made possible by the versatile skill sets he’s accumulated on that side of the ball. Devon Witherspoon has played 43% of his snaps in the slot and 57% outside. Rookie defensive back Nick Emmanwori has played 54% of his snaps in the slot and 32% in a linebacker alignment.
This philosophy isn’t just limited to the secondary. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams has played 76% of his snaps on the interior and 23% of his snaps on the edge. Lineback Drake Thomas has blitzed on 17% of his snaps. With post-snap movement and strategic blitzing, Macdonald is able to disguise his defensive strategy on any given play and get favorable matchups for his players.
Mike Macdonald’s vision was finally able to come to life in Week 7 when both Nick Emmanwori and standout cornerback Riq Woolen were recovered from their injuries and able to play a full game together for the first time this year. From Week 7 on, Seattle’s defense has been the best in the NFL, ranking 1st in EPA per play.
To have one of the best, if not the best defense in football on a team with a rookie playing the integral hybrid-safety role, zero returning All-Pro players, and only 2 returning Pro Bowlers —who have missed a combined 12 games this season, by the way— is a feat that only elite coaches are capable of.
If the Seahawks can keep this up for the remainder of the 2025 season, Mike Macdonald is absolutely deserving of the award for coach of the year.
