By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

QUICK IMPRESSIONS FROM  MIKE MACDONALD FIRST GAME AS HEAD COACH

Mike Macdonald is undefeated as the Seahawks head coach after Saturday’s preseason. While it’s certain that McDonald’s will lose a game sooner or later, there were plenty of positives from Saturday’s 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, leaving Macdonald feeling good about his team.

“ It felt like the guys played really hard, felt like they were focused  in it being the first game, “said Macdonald. “ There’ll be plenty of detail on tape that  we’re  going to dive into, and I can’t wait to watch the tape and see how the guys did..”

BALL ENERGY  IS KEY TO GOOD DEFENSE

All training camp long, McDonald’s has talked about ball energy being critical to playing good defense. “ When you play with good energy on defense, the ball will find you.” Against the Chargers, the Seahawks defense set the tone early, being active, energetic, and around the ball. The Seahawks’ defense stymied the Chargers’ offense by forcing three consecutive punts and an interception on the fourth possession.

Coby Bryant snatched the ball out of the air after K’Von Wallace laid a hit on Hayden Hurst, the intended target of Chargers quarterback  Easton Stick . The interception occurred right after the Seahawks had taken a 7-0 lead.  With most of the first team defense playing the majority of the first half the Seahawks defense held the Chargers to just  71 total yards.

For the game, the Charges finished with 193 total yards on offense and were just 2 of 13 on third down and 0 -2 on fourth down.

SAM HOWELL  IS A GAME DAY QUARTERBACK

After struggling early in training camp, it’s fair to say that Sam Howell is now showing that he can play in the NFL.  Howell had decent numbers, but it was his decision-making that stood out. He was 16 of 27 for 130 yards with one touchdown to Brady Russell and two sacks.  The sacks were due to good coverage and a missed blocking assignment. His three throwaways prevented interceptions, and he showed that he can use his feet to get out of trouble if need be.

HEATED BATTLE FOR THIRD RUNNING BACK  POSITION

The battle for the third running back behind Ken Walker II, who did not dress, and Zach Charbonnet went to another level. Kenny McIntosh replaced Charbonnet and showed his versatility with eight carries for 40 yards and two receptions for four yards. The versatility was evident in his runs between the tackles. George Holani had six carries for 24 yards, one touchdown, and two carries for six yards. The two have been battling neck and neck, with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb acknowledging their versatility. Mcintosh also ran back a kick.

DEFENSIVE LINE DOMINATION

Rookie Byron Murphy was credited with a tackle for a loss but barely missed out on his first sack as a Seahawks. The Hawks’ first-round draft pick was double- and triple-team all afternoon. His penetration along the line was a major reason the Seahawks dominated the Chargers’ offensive line.

BIG TAKE

While it was not perfect, the Mike Macdonald era began with a win, which gave the coaching staff and the players something they had been thirsty for. Tape against an opponent on which they could measure their progress. Communication, teamwork in schemes, and execution are some of the elements Macdonald has been trying to instill in his team.

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