Seattle made the switch at head coach from Pete Carroll to Mike McDonald. How are fans responding to the move?
In some aspects of life, change is difficult.
That is not the case for the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. Since the last time these two teams played in a similar scenario two years ago, both teams have a new head coach, and the Broncos have a new starting quarterback.
For the Seahawks, Mike Macdonald is now the head coach. He brings a defensive-minded approach that could bring back elite defenses to Seattle.
FanDuel Sportsbook likes the Seahawks in the Week 1 opener against Denver. Seattle is a -5.5-point favorite, with the total sitting at 41.5 points.
To preview Sunday’s game, we go “behind enemy lines” with John Gilbert from Field Gulls to get a feel for the Seahawks.
MHR: The Seahawks have a new head coach for the first time in 14 seasons. How surprising was the move? How are fans responding to Mike Macdonald? And how are the two different?
John: I personally was not all that shocked by the decision to move on from Pete, but there was certainly no shortage of fans who were. Despite the success of the team earlier in his tenure, the reality is that the Hawks have had exactly one postseason win since the Obama administration, and that lone playoff victory came over a team that lost its starting quarterback to a concussion in the first quarter.
That’s not to say the team was bad, as they’ve obviously been good enough to stay in the playoff race until late in the season in recent years. However, at the end of the day, the Rams and Niners have owned the NFC West, and going 2-7 against those two teams over the past two seasons did not help.
MHR: How are Seahawks fans feeling about this season? What are the expectations heading into the 2024 campaign?
John: The excitement and optimism is at fever levels. That can be said at the start of most seasons, but it’s even more true this season and fans are excited at the possibility of the team fielding a quality defense for the first time in a long time.
The Seahawks under Carroll were, of course, known for a defense that was among the greatest in NFL history. However, the last time Seattle fielded a top ten scoring defense was 2016, and they’ve been bottom quarter of the league in each of the past two years so even a league average defense would be a significant improvement.
MHR: What is the plan of attack for Seattle on Sunday, offensively and defensively? How do the Seahawks get the win?
John: Offensively, the Seahawks are likely to come out attacking through the air. By all accounts Geno Smith had a phenomenal offseason, and now it’s time to see what he is able to do with the offensive weapons at his disposal. Between DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett, there should be no shortage of moving the ball in Ryan Grubb’s aggressive offense, but Smith played just five snaps during the preseason so even Seattle fans are waiting to learn exactly what Brubb’s offense will look like in the NFL. And, as has become the refrain for a long time in Seattle, the team will go as far as its offensive line will take it. There are a lot of inexperienced players who could see playing time, but the front office added experienced players in Connor Williams, George Fant and Laken Tomlinson, that the struggles should not be as great as in years past.
On paper, Seattle has all the pieces to have a high level defense, but it may take some time before the unit has enough reps together to perform at peak level. Injuries have limited the likes of Dre’Mont Jones, Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson during the offseason and into training camp. I’m expecting flashes of brilliance and dominance early in the year interspersed with coverage lapses and failed gap fills that should slowly disappear as the group gains experience and reps together.
MHR: What is your best bet for Sunday’s game at FanDuel Sportsbook? What do you think of the current spread?
John: I like the Seahawks to win the game, but the 5.5 point spread is a little bit rich for my liking. It’s a margin of victory they could easily reach, but which I am not expecting as I anticipate Sean Payton will have the Broncos fired up and ready.
What I do like is the over, as the over/under of 41.5 strikes me as very low. I mean, I remember one Seahawks-Broncos game very distinctly where Seattle put more points than that on the board, and I’ll be very surprised if the two teams don’t easily exceed 42 points with both teams playing under new defensive coordinators.
MHR: What are your expectations and predictions for Sunday’s game?
John: I expect the Seahawks to pull out a win that winds up somewhere in the 31-27 range.