Seattle, WA
How is Mike Macdonald coming along as Seattle Seahawks coach?
The Seattle Seahawks hit some turbulence earlier this season, losing five of six games to fall to a 4-5 record.
Brock and Salk: Can the Seahawks’ defense be called elite?
But just as the season was in danger of slipping away, Seattle appeared to find its stride under first-time head coach Mike Macdonald.
The Seahawks have since rattled off three straight wins and surged atop the NFC West to 7-5, sparked by a dramatic midseason turnaround on defense. After sitting near the bottom of the league in most defensive categories over the first half of the season, Seattle has held each of its past four opponents to 17 offensive points or fewer in regulation.
It took some time, but it’s the type of dominant defense many hoped for when the Seahawks tabbed Macdonald as the successor to former longtime head coach Pete Carroll this past January. Macdonald came to Seattle with a reputation as one of the league’s brightest defensive minds after his recent success as the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens and Michigan Wolverines.
“Mike Macdonald can coach defense,” ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano said Tuesday on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. “I think that was obvious to everybody in his last couple of stops in Baltimore and at Michigan before that. But it makes sense that it would take a little while, right? It’s a new scheme and guys have to learn it and their place in it – what exactly is expected, not just conceptually, but game to game, play to play.
“So the idea that it would have gotten better in the second half of Macdonald’s first season makes complete sense. And I think that’s what’s happened.”
But as Graziano said, a head coach’s impact goes far beyond just one side of the ball.
“Seattle didn’t hire him just because he could coach defense,” Graziano said. “They hired him because they thought he was going to be a really good head coach.
“And I know (from) talking to people in that building toward the end of training camp and beginning of the regular season, they were fired up (from what) he had shown them in terms of his command of the building – his ability to be decisive and clear and coherent with his vision in meetings and in conversations with people around the building. They were fired up. They felt like, ‘Yes, we got the right guy.’”
At 37 years old, Macdonald is the NFL’s youngest head coach. Naturally, his age and reputation as a defensive guru have prompted comparisons to Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay.
McVay, who was just 30 he became the Rams head coach in 2017, is regarded as one of the top offensive minds in the game. He has led the Rams to five playoff berths over the previous seven seasons, including two Super Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl title.
“Yes, (Macdonald) is the youngest coach in the league,” Graziano said. “So was Sean McVay. And that’s a high standard to hold someone to, but that’s obviously the hope – to hit a home run on that level. Sean McVay did not succeed as head coach of the Rams just because he’s a great play caller and a great offensive play designer. He succeeded because he is the center of that building. He is the one that communicates the vision for the team, and he got everybody to buy in right away.
“And if Mike Macdonald is doing that – and there are reasons to believe that he is – then I think the Seahawks’ fan base has reason to be excited about the future with him as their head coach.”
Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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