Mike MacDonald will carry this team.

[SoulfishHawk]

After 9 games?

 

[bileever]

Pete was at his best when he was cutthroat about the type of players he wanted on the team. He brought guys to give them a chance and cut them when they didnt take advantage of the oppurtunity. He got soft after that superbowl loss holding onto worthless players even when it was obvious how bad they were.

Pete made 275 roster moves in his first year in Seattle. He took over a sad, depleted roster and had to overhaul it from top to bottom:

Carroll's Change Key In Seahawks Reaching Playoffs

From the time he first walked into the Seahawks' palatial headquarters on Lake Washington, Pete Carroll pledged competition.

www.cbsnews.com

No problem if a coach has to shape a roster that fits the way he wants the team to play. One philosophy is to utilize the strengths that your current players have, but coaches often would rather run their scheme and get players that fit their scheme better.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

But how much talent does this roster really have? I'm starting to think it's not as good as I thought it was. Quite a few average players on this team. Some damn good ones, but I just don't know that he's close to having the roster he needs and will put together.

 

[fire_marshall_bill]

Is McDonald the DC too, or does he call the formations? That's a lot for a brand new coach (I am way more of a casual fan than I was 5-10 years ago, so I don't know..). It would explain, but not excuse his lack of intervention

 

[onanygivensunday]

Is McDonald the DC too, or does he call the formations? That's a lot for a brand new coach (I am way more of a casual fan than I was 5-10 years ago, so I don't know..). It would explain, but not excuse his lack of intervention

MM is definitely calling the defensive plays this year.

Maybe not next year... is the way I remember him answering the media's question early on.

 

[toffee]

I'm sorry, but the OP is wrong. Mike Macdonald IS carrying the team, not WILL carry the team. Please give respect when respect is due.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Well, it's been all of 9 games behind an average roster and a horrific O Line. I stick to my opinion that he needs more time.

 

[toffee]

But how much talent does this roster really have? I'm starting to think it's not as good as I thought it was. Quite a few average players on this team. Some damn good ones, but I just don't know that he's close to having the roster he needs and will put together.

If you are right, which is very likely, then we assembled this team poorly, both drafting and FA signing.

Russell Wilson once said that Seahawks needs star players, and I concur. As this point, how many stars do we have? By stars, it would be all pro, or at least people bowl.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

I'd answer, but I'm just here so I don't get fined.

 

[KinesProf]

I gotta be honest, and I usually lean towards the optimistic; but I am more than a little concerned that first time DC's from his same coaching DNA - Jesse Minter and Dennard Wilson - are fielding excellent defenses with what I don't view to be superior talent to what MM has to work with.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

I'm good looking at his work with Baltimore and Michigan. It speaks for itself. And the respect he gets around the league.

 

[KinesProf]

I'm good looking at his work with Baltimore and Michigan. It speaks for itself. And the respect he gets around the league.

Fair enough. That's all well and gone for Raven and Wolverine fans.

But I look at what's in a coaches past more so as what got him the job, but not something that earns your keep; and definitely not amounting to much if it doesn't show up for the Hawks on Sundays.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Fair enough. I think he's going to be a hell of a good HC, given the time to do it. I just don't agree with giving up on the guy so easily. To each his/her own, and that's cool.

We can agree to disagree, I'm more than good with that. Coach Mike is going to be damn good and he's going to turn this team around. I'm sticking to it

 

[KinesProf]

Fair enough. I think he's going to be a hell of a good HC, given the time to do it. I just don't agree with giving up on the guy so easily. To each his/her own, and that's cool.

We can agree to disagree, I'm more than good with that. Coach Mike is going to be damn good and he's going to turn this team around. I'm sticking to it

Man, I certainly hope you're right.

I usually lean towards optimism, but something just feels off. I'm seeing way too much bad football, and, as the saying goes "you're either coaching it, or you're allowing it to happen".

I expected a bigtime jump in discipline and execution compared to late in the Pete era, as I really thought that that is what he was selling. Stone cold robotic execution. But we're getting the same level of sloppy football of late-Pete without any of the vibes/juice that would propel them to finding ways to beat the Lions and Giants most years.

 

[James in PA]

Mike seems to be in pretty good shape, but I'm sorry, even the strongest man in the history of the universe couldn't carry nearly that much weight. That's ridiculous!

 

[Fox0r]

=

He might, he might not. We still don't know what we have in this man. Back in 2009 I saw many similar sentiments from people on this board about Jim Mora Jr.

The bottom line on Mike MacDonald is he's still an unknown quantity that is learning that being a HC. I don't think this team is going to make the playoffs and that is okay. I just want to see some progression.

Thus far, it's been a mixed bag. I will say, some of the concerns are unfounded. For example, I've seen people question is ability as DC. That is a non-negotiable for me. At the collegiate level and pro game, he's cemented himself as one of the best young minds as a coordinator. There is a reason he was such a hot commodity, Dan Quinn was considered the consolation prize. He's fielded a top defense at both levels and he's consistently had a strong defense, this is not where he lacks.

Where I have some doubt starting to creep in is in his ability as a manager. On the sideline I'm seeing players having tantrums and I'm seeing a guy on the sideline who looks disconnected from everything. He just sits there with the playsheet infront of his face while things unfurl.

Carroll, hell even guys known for being disconnected like Belicheck, would swiftly intervene in those situations. It's not the performance, but the inability to meet the players that is making me uncomfortable. The coaching staff seems disconnected from the players, our DC, Grubb, MacDonald.

Pete had a lot of issues and it was time for him to go. One thing he was great at is talking players down from whatever they were going through. The biggest area I'm seeing this is with Geno. He'd be throwing fits on the sideline or out on the field and Pete would calm him down. I don't know if those 4th quarter comebacks happen without somebody like Pete. With MacDonald he's having huge meltdowns on the sideline and MacDonald is just pretending like it is not happening, playsheet glued to his face. Grubb is up in the booth, far removed from players, so he's no help here either.

It's a learning process and I think that MacDonald can become one of the premier defensive minds in the NFL as HC. He has the X's and O's down, it's just a matter of getting the player management aspect down. That is the issue I see here. Players going off of the rails and a lack of involvement in righting the ship from all of the coaching staff.

MacDonald can still succeed, but I think it's clear that this coaching staff has some learning to do all around. That is also okay, Carroll, Bellicheck, and countless other legends had really piss poor performances their first years. It's a different skillset all together to be a HC, especially when you come from an HC that is as established as the Harbaugh line. MacDonald can still turn it around, but as of right now, I definitely do seeing a few worrying trends.

I took care of the Geno issue. Trust.

 

[toffee]

Mike is fine. Hopefully Leslie Fraser is mentoring him on the optics.

In that case, Fraser isn't very good at his teaching.

 

[toffee]

Mike seems to be in pretty good shape, but I'm sorry, even the strongest man in the history of the universe couldn't carry nearly that much weight. That's ridiculous!

Weight? As taking over a roster that was 9-8 in '22 and '23 season kinda weight?

 

[olyfan63]

I don't think MM is going to be fired any time soon -- but I also am not seeing a lot of hope for the future. We needed to move on from Pete, but if so, picking another Defensive guy was a wrong-headed move. We're stuck with this guy for a while.

Silliness. We needed a game-changer defensive guy. SF Shanahan and the McVay Rams offenses have made us their biatch for years, feels like decades by now. 4 Super Bowl appearances and 1 Lombardi between them. Obi Wan MacDonald was our only hope. Bring in a couple really good wookies next year, and we'll be bending the Rams-Niners empire over and sticking it in their garbage port.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Well, Santa Clara and the Clams also sucked for a long enough period that they were afforded several high draft picks to build up their team. Moreso for the Niners. They also hit on most of them.