Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald made it clear he wanted the spotlight on his players, not himself, after Seattle’s 13-3 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night.
The victory was powered by a dominant defensive performance that stifled one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses.
The former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator has quickly installed a system in Seattle that ranks among the league’s elite.
Mike Macdonald wants focus on players
Saturday’s matchup was billed as a premier coaching showdown between one of the NFL’s top offenses and one of its best defenses. The victory for Macdonald means the coaching series between he and Kyle Shanahan is now 2-2.
But Macdonald downplayed that narrative afterward.
“We’re a young team with an idiot head coach — second year trying to figure it out ,” Macdonald said. “We’re just going to keep attacking day-by-day, one thing at a time.”
With the win, the Seahawks (14-3) clinched the NFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the conference, ensuring the road to the Super Bowl will run through Lumen Field. Backed by an elite defense and a very capable offense, Seattle enters the postseason in strong position.
49ers wait for Rams result
The 49ers (12-5) came in riding the momentum of a dramatic win over the Chicago Bears but struggled across the board against a physical, disciplined Seahawks team.
San Francisco will finish either the NFC’s No. 5 or No. 6 seed, pending the outcome of Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals.