A Seahawks trend that’s impressed Big Ray and Wyman

Sep 28, 2024, 9:46 AM | Updated: 2:13 pm

Seattle Seahawks Mike Macdonald in-game adjustments...

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald looks on during a Sept. 15 game against the Patriots. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

(Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

BY CAMERON VAN TIL

Seattle Sports

For all the success the Seattle Seahawks had under former head coach Pete Carroll, making in-game adjustments wasn’t always a strong suit of his coaching staff.

That might be different under the new regime.

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According to Seahawks Radio Network analysts Ray Roberts and Dave Wyman, one of the most encouraging trends from Seattle’s 3-0 start has been the ability of new head coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to alter and adapt their plans within a game.

“When things have started out pretty ugly and they have a plan that doesn’t seem to be working, they can go deeper into their bag and find the things that do work so that you can win the games,” Roberts, a former NFL offensive lineman, said Thursday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. “… I feel like in the past, there’s been times when the game plan isn’t working, but there’s no adjustment. It just seems like you just kind of banged your head against the wall trying to make it work.

“And these dudes have been able to come out and go like, ‘OK, that didn’t look the way we thought it was going to look, or that’s not working the way we thought it was going to work, so we’re going to try this other thing.’ And those other things have been working.”

Wyman, a former NFL linebacker, shared a similar perspective Thursday on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob.

“One of my favorite things about this team so far is their ability to adapt within a game,” Wyman said. “(The Seahawks) under Pete had lots of good seasons. … But I just felt like once something went wrong, it was gonna go wrong all game. And this team has (shown) an ability to change things.”

In Week 1, Seattle’s offensive line struggled mightily in pass protection during a disastrous first half. After the break, the Seahawks pivoted to a run-heavy attack that resulted in a big day from running back Kenneth Walker III and a 17-point second half that helped them pull away.

In Week 2, Seattle got burned early on by New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry, who had seven catches for 98 yards in the first half. After the break, the Seahawks held him to just one catch for 11 yards. Seattle also struggled against the Patriots’ rushing attack for much of the game, but came up with a massive third-and-1 stop in overtime that helped key the victory.

And in Week 3, after the Seahawks’ offense grew stagnant in the second and third quarters, Geno Smith began heavily targeting the tight ends. That helped Seattle’s offense gain some traction, and on the ensuing drive, Smith led a game-sealing 98-yard touchdown march to put the game away.

“For them to be able to make those types of adjustments on offense and defense, that’s stuff that you can hang your hat on,” Roberts said. “Those are people that are recognizing what’s happening, understanding what needs to get done and then being willing to come off of what they had planned to do, to go to something that’s going to put the team in a better position to win.”

And though halftime adjustments can certainly be beneficial, Wyman explained that it’s even more valuable if a coaching staff can make adjustments on the sidelines during the heat of the action.

“People on TV would always say, ‘Oh, it’s the halftime adjustment,'” Wyman said. “But as a player, you go in, you’ve gotta check with the trainer and then a coach draws something up on the board, and like three minutes later you’ve gotta go back out.

“But if you’re able to do that stuff on the sidelines where all the bombs are going off around you, then that’s where it’s really valuable. And I think that’s where they have really improved. And that’s the coaching staff.”

Listen to the full conversation with Ray Roberts on Bump and Stacy at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Hear the full segment on Wyman and Bob at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story.