Seattle, WA
What makes Seattle Seahawks' new D a 'conundrum' for QBs
When they take the field this fall, the Seattle Seahawks will sport one of the most cutting-edge defenses in the league.
Seahawks busy learning Mike Macdonald’s ‘really creative’ defense
New head coach Mike Macdonald is considered one of the game’s brightest defensive minds, with a creative and versatile scheme that achieved immense success during his two-year run in Baltimore. As the Ravens’ defensive coordinator last season, Macdonald’s defense became the first in NFL history to lead the league in points allowed, sacks and takeaways.
What makes Macdonald’s scheme so difficult for opposing quarterbacks? NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger explained during an appearance Wednesday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.
“The quarterback is always looking to get a pre-snap read on where the defense is gonna be,” Baldinger said. “They look at the safeties – where are the safeties? Where’s the rotation? Is it a zone? Is it man? (In most defenses), the safeties kind of give a lot of things away.
“But not in Mike’s defense. The quarterbacks generally won’t know what you’re doing until the ball is snapped. They have all the (different types of) defenses. They can blitz and they can play man. They can do all those things, but you won’t know until the ball is snapped.”
One key aspect of Macdonald’s defense is a unique type of matchup zone.
“This matchup zone, they sit on top of these route combinations and the quarterback is sitting there and they’re like, ‘That guy’s in a great position to make this play, let me go to my next read.’ And next thing you know, the rush is on them. That’s why the Ravens led the league in pass-rushing sacks last year. The quarterbacks were forced to hold the ball.
“It’s a defense I believe that is going to kind of transcend what teams are doing in this league right now. I think a lot of teams are gonna look at what Mike did last year and try to copy it. … It was a conundrum for most quarterbacks all year long.”
During his Blue 88 segment Thursday, former Seahawks quarterback Brock Huard elaborated on what Baldinger said.
“This is a different animal, man,” Huard said. “This scheme is different. This scheme is reacting to the fronts, to the formations, to the pattern reading of the assignments. … And then at the snap, (opponents) are gonna be like, ‘Oh gosh, what are they doing here? Is this three over two? Is this four over three? Is this quarters? Are they rotating?’
“Like, they don’t give tells. There is not a tell to be had. They are a really good poker player. Macdonald’s defense (is) some of the best in disguising it. You can just ask (Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith) with that nightmare of a trip to Baltimore last season.”
Listen to the full conversation with NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to the full Blue 88 segment on Brock and Salk at this link or in the audio player near the bottom of this story.
More Seattle Seahawks coverage
• From Jamaica to Seattle: The Seahawks’ new ironman left guard
• Seahawks’ Tyler Lockett: How Carroll and Macdonald differ
• The biggest position battle on Seattle Seahawks’ O-line
• Moving around: How Seahawks’ D-line is fitting into new scheme
• After standout spring, JSN primed to be ‘massive piece’ of Hawks’ offense
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.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
6-year-old Bellingham, WA boy dies from injuries after beach driftwood accident
Grandmother thwarts Pike Place kidnapping, Seattle police make arrest
‘Transfer Fire’ near Lake Chelan, WA hospital prompts evacuation notices
Here’s where WA wildfires are currently burning
Seattle office vacancy crisis shifts tax burden onto homeowners
Thurston County, WA couple desperate to find dog after Rover sitter vanishes
Husband of pregnant wife killed in Seattle sues King County homeless authority
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
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.
— Enjoy free coverage of the Super Bowl champions from Seattle Seahawks On SI —
Sign Up For the Seahawks Daily Digest – OnSI’s Free Seattle Seahawks Newsletter
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
SEATTLE – High pressure continues early this week, leading to more sunshine and warmer afternoon temperatures. Skies will be sunny, warm and dry through the middle of the week.
High pressure continues early this week, leading to more sunshine and warmer afternoon temperatures.
What’s next:
Highs today in the low to mid 80s for parts of western Washington, with highs in central and eastern Washington getting close to 100 degrees. The coast and northern interior will remain in the 70s with mostly sunny skies.
Highs today in the low to mid 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Risk Levels
The Fire Risk Levels this week will continue to elevate as we see warming temperatures and increased chance of thunderstorms. East of the cascades is already dry and warm, so the increased chance of new fire starts will be something to watch with the storms.
The Fire Risk Levels this week will continue to elevate as we see warming temperatures and increased chance of thunderstorms. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Looking Ahead:
Temperatures will continue to warm for western Washington through midweek, before we see another low pressure system swing inland Thursday. This low will increase changes of showers and isolated thunderstorms on Thursday, and temperatures will be back to normal for this time of year. This cool down is short-lived as high pressure builds again and highs warm back up into the 80s by the weekend.
Temperatures will continue to warm for western Washington through midweek, before we see another low pressure system swing in Thursday.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
Seismologists track 100 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or greater
6-year-old Bellingham, WA boy dies from injuries after beach driftwood accident
Grandmother thwarts Pike Place kidnapping, Seattle police make arrest
‘Transfer Fire’ near Lake Chelan, WA hospital prompts evacuation notices
Here’s where WA wildfires are currently burning
Seattle office vacancy crisis shifts tax burden onto homeowners
Thurston County, WA couple desperate to find dog after Rover sitter vanishes
Husband of pregnant wife killed in Seattle sues King County homeless authority
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
-
Colorado5 minutes agoCPW implements voluntary fishing closures on stretches of the Rio Grande
-
Connecticut11 minutes agoConnecticut Technical Education and Career System under investigation by U.S. Department of Education
-
Delaware17 minutes agoDelaware man identified after fatal pedestrian crash
-
Florida23 minutes agoCyclosporiasis cases in Florida, US could be undercounted, health expert says
-
Georgia29 minutes agoCreated in a small Georgia town, a cup has become 1 of the World Cup’s biggest souvenirs
-
Hawaii35 minutes ago
Kilauea eruption’s Episode 51 begins
-
Idaho41 minutes agoIdaho AG warns Idaho renters about growing scam targetting home seekers
-
Illinois47 minutes ago‘Mini Nerf football’: Hailstone produced during severe storms breaks Illinois record
