In 2024, Mike Macdonald’s first season as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks saw the club finish 10-7, but fall short of the playoffs. A 3-0 start and 6-2 second half were spoiled by a midseason slump that saw the club drop five of its six outings.
When it came to the offense, it was a model of inconsistency. The ‘Hawks ranked 14th in total yards, but only five teams in the league ran for fewer yards. Macdonald’s offensive unit totaled a mediocre 38 touchdowns, while the team committed 24 turnovers. Offensive line issues were one of the ‘Hawks biggest issues.
This season, the club has a new offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak, new offensive line coach in John Benton, and a quarterback depth chart with starter Sam Darnold, backup Drew Lock, and 2025 third-round pick Jalen Milroe. None of these players were with the team in 2024.
One of the big issues for the Seattle attack this past season was capitalizing on red zone possessions. The ‘Hawks finished tied for 14th in the league with the rival 49ers in touchdown percentage (57.1) “Inside the 20.” Former NFL wideout Michael Bumpus, co-host of Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, sees that changing in 2025 thanks to Kubiak.
“He was able to get the New Orleans Saints to be No. 11,” explained Bumpus, “and this personnel I think is gonna be a lot better here…I think Kubiak and just the way that he dresses things up, the way that he layers things, the way that he’s gonna commit to the run, is going to allow for some multiple looks in the red zone.”
The numerous changes in Seattle’s offensive personnel, including the talented Milroe and the presence of a fullback, gives Kubiak lots of options.
“I look at the offense and how it can be multiple,” added Bumpus. “When you’re able to pack things in like that, then spread them out, layer the offense up, play-action boot, all that good stuff—that gives you more options in the red zone…So the Hawks will be a top-10 red-zone scoring offense by the end of the year.”
It’s worth noting that just getting to the red zone was a problem for Macdonald’s club this past season. Only the Bears (37) and Browns (37) had fewer offensive possessions “Inside the 20” than the Seahawks (42) in 2024. For what it’s worth, the Saints were the next lowest (43).