Seattle, WA
Seattle’s Defense Wanted To Show It Was The ‘Best Defense In The NFL With Dominant Win
Santa Clara—When Seattle’s defense stepped on the field for the Week 18 matchup against the 49ers, they had a few goals in mind, winning was of course one of those, but they wanted to show everyone watching they are the best defense in the league.
“We made up our mind that we were going to be the best defense in the NFL,” linebacker Uchenna Nwosu said. “We were going to show the world tonight and that’s what we did.”
As has been the case for the entire season, the Seahawks’ defense was once again a highlight in their 13-3 win. The Seahawks won, in part thanks to a dominant performance by the defense that held the San Francisco 49ers to just three points. The last time Kyle Shanahan’s offense was held to just three points was in his 49ers head coaching debut in 2017. Since then, San Francisco has scored at least 6 points in every game, until Saturday.
Coming into Saturday’s game, the 49ers were riding a three-game streak of great performances by its offense. Throughout all three of those games, San Francisco was averaging 42.3 points per game, 455.3 yards per game and 29.3 first downs per game.
Seattle’s defense held San Francisco to just 53 rushing yards, which included 21 yards from quarterback Brock Purdy, 127 yards through the air, a lone field goal, and just nine first downs. They also picked off Purdy once, sacked him three times and forced the 49ers to punt four times.
“They’re a tremendous offense,” head coach Mike Macdonald said following the game. “Probably top whatever in the league and have been doing it for a long time. They have great players, they have great coaches, and the numbers back it up. Our guys played great complimentary football today. They really did. I can’t say enough, but I can’t wait to watch the tape. There’s a lot of assists going on in there, guys rushing unselfishly to free somebody else up or to let somebody else have a two-way go so they can cover for them. How we played in the back end, it felt like we were ahead of plays. These guys did a great job. I’m looking forward to watching it.”
Christian McCaffery, one of San Francisco’s top offensive playmakers in both the run and passing game was held to his lowest rushing yards all season with 23 yards through the night and his fourth lowest receiving yards with 34.
Nick Emmanwori who had a team high seven tackles, as well as a tackle for loss and quarterback hit said, “Our front seven is the best in the world. Our D-Line is the best in the world. Got dudes like Jarran Reed, Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy. Our edges are dogs. They handle business every week. We’ve got the best run defense I the league. It makes it easy for us on the back end.”
Samoskevich should factor in someplace on the Kraken’s top three lines and potentially among their top two trios, bringing another right-handed shot on a team needing more of those. Top right-handed Kraken shooters include Jordan Eberle, Chandler Stephenson and Shane Wright among forwards and Brandon Montour and Adam Larsson on the defensive side, with Botterill agreeing another winger to let fly from the right side of the ice won’t hurt.
“You’re just trying to give options to (coach) Lane (Lambert) and the coaching staff,” Botterill said. “We pride ourselves on being a four-line team, so I’ll leave it up to Lane and the coaching staff on where Mackie fits into the mix and stuff. But we think that – especially with that right shot – we’ve talked a lot about getting more pucks to the net, more of a shooter mentality, and that’s certainly what Mackie brings.”
Samoskevich, a native of Newtown, Connecticut whose “Mackie” name evolved from a twin sister trying to pronounce his “Matthew” birthname as toddlers, brings above average speed to go with that right-handed shot. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder is also known for his grit and a scoring touch that saw him notch 12 goals and 20 assists last season to follow up a rookie campaign when he scored 15 and added 16 assists.
The Kraken hope Samoskevich builds off those totals, especially if afforded more ice time than the 14:28 per game he managed last season with the defending two-time Cup champion Panthers. The restricted free agent earned $775,000 last season, and Florida would have needed to make a qualifying offer of $813,750 to extend him.
Botterill said he’s yet to speak with Samoskevich’s representatives about any extension talks or how his restricted free agency will be approached this summer.
“Those are things we’ll certainly look at with them,” he said.
For now, it’s a matter of getting Samoskevich acclimated to his new team. Having a former teammate around in top line centerman Beniers, who played his final Michigan season as a sophomore when Samoskevich was a freshman there in 2021-22, certainly won’t hurt.
“I just think that it’s easier from a familiarity standpoint coming to a new organization,” Botterill said. “It just makes the transition all that much easier. I know Matty speaks very highly of Mackie, his style of play and the person he is, too.”
I feel like the guy in the famous commercial attempting to settle the boisterous debate over whether their beverage is best because it “tastes great” or is “less filling” by shouting over their chants: “IT IS BOTH!”
Are you someone who declares Seattle weather’s great when skies are less filled with clouds? Are you instead someone who insists it’s Seattle’s fresh rainfall that tastes great?
It is rare that we can squeeze a heat wave AND rain streak into the same week forecast around here, but whether you’re a sun fan, or a rain fan, this budding forecast’s FOR YOU!*
(*YES, I know I’m mixing my brand slogans**.)
(**Also Gen Z: Ask your parents or nearest Gen X family member. It’ll slay for sure.***)
(*** That last comment was approved by my Gen Z daughter, though with an epic eyeroll.)
IT’S OK. THIS ANALOGY IS JUST PROBABLY NOT THE CHOICE OF THE NEW GENERATION….
Fair point, back to the weather: It’s another heat wave up first and Seattle will be set to ‘Do the Stew.’
In fact, this entire heat event looks like someone just stole the script from last week, only shoved it back a day. Sunday will jump in warmth and reach around the upper 70s to low 80s in Seattle with brief, if any morning clouds. Can’t ask for better weather for Father’s Day.
Our warm, easterly wind will start to energize on Monday which will end up being a warm-to-hot day across Western Washington. Highs should reach the 80s everywhere (even the coast) with upper 80s likely in the Seattle/Puget Sound area. If you want to “follow the script,” that would match the day Seattle hit 89 last week.
Tuesday is expected to be the hottest day of the week with highs reaching into the low 90s in the Puget Sound area (Seattle: 91 last week on peak day), and mid 90s south and east. The coast will start warm but cool off quick during the day.
A Heat Advisory is in effect for Monday and Tuesday for all of Western Washington except the coast where you won’t be hot enough to have heat concerns.
HI. I WANT MY SEATTLE SKIES WITH *MORE* FILLING….
Can do! We’ll begin the cooling process on Wednesday as the marine winds start to push their way into the I-5 corridor. Right now, it’s not a big push then, but it should be enough to get Seattle back into the 80s (FEELS LIKE WE’RE ALREADY IN THE 80s WITH THESE JOKES). It still looks very toasty for the next World Cup game at Lume…er…”Seattle Stadium.”
A stronger marine push comes for Thursday which should end up pretty similar to this Saturday with the morning clouds then sun with highs back into the 70s — though clouds will increase late in the day because…
Rain returns to the forecast for the first time in a few weeks for the end of the week. Long range models are getting more sold on the idea of an area of low pressure developing off B.C.’s Haida Gwaii on Friday and pushing a front through our area that would bring periods of light rain and much cooler temperatures that would stay in the 60s.
That low is then pegged to drop down the B.C. coast and move right through Western Washington on Saturday, peppering us with scattered showers through the weekend (especially Saturday) as highs stay in the 60s.
There is a weak signal for some potential thunderstorms Saturday so we’ll keep an eye there.
Drier and warmer weather returns for the start of next week with what initially look like fairly comfortable temperatures as we near the start of July. No matter if you like rain or heat, that should give most folk a smile.
Social media is absolutely flooded with the images, video and words showing a vibrant city and region full of the joys of our soccer heritage. The supposedly dying city of Seattle put on an exceptional show for the world’s game and once again is convincing USMNT players to consider the Sounders for their next stop.
None of that happens with a suburban stadium in Renton. None of it.
The championship banners in Lumen? They’d be gone, reducing the symbols of local soccer excellence from the TV feed.
All those packed local bars with their Sounders scarves, posters and kits? Gone.
This isn’t a hypothetical. Plenty of MLS teams are in metro areas hosting the World Cup. The other US MLS teams aren’t getting this kind of love. LA hosted a bigger US win, but that match experience was not an advertisement for the Galaxy or LAFC.
When Santa Clara hosts the Round of 32 match you are not going to hear a word about the 50-year-old San Jose Earthquakes. If the US advances to the semis in Arlington you won’t hear a peep about FC Dallas. If they make the final in East Rutherford the Red Bulls will be a footnote.
But when the world’s game comes to Seattle the Sounders are the conversation, because this team is in the heart of a city and region that loves it.
Ripping the Sounders away from these types of moments for revenue control while eliminating the free marketing to players and fans is laughable. Renton’s Legacy Square is doing a wonderful job for thousands of visitors a week. It is not Seattle. Nor is Southcenter’s shows in Tukwila.
Moments like Friday, the future Women’s World Cup matches and maybe even a US Round of 16 with hundreds of thousands of people experiencing Seattle’s soccer culture are only possible while soccer is a major tenant in a downtown stadium.
It’s why Don Garber praises the Sounders, and hardly ever mentions the flood of owners who built tiny houses in the burbs. “MLS isn’t what it is without the Sounders.”
The Sounders aren’t what they are without Lumen Field in Seattle. Full stop.
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Catching up on Sounder at Heart
Here’s what you missed on the site this week.
World Cup
Next Seattle match: Wednesday, June 24 between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Qatar.
Sounders
Next match: July 16 hosting Portland Timbers during rivalry week.
Reign
Next match: July 4 at North Carolina
Defiance
Next match: June 21 vs Real Monarchs.
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Everything else you need to know
World Cup
NWSL and women’s soccer
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