(Editor’s note: The following is a guest post by Ryan Woodall, assistant coach at Edmonds-Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington)
For the third time this season the Seattle Seahawks held their opponent under 200 total yards, already matching their total from last season, in which two came in the final regular season games vs. the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers. Before Kansas City this season, the Seahawks had only held the 2024 Cardinals to 50 or fewer rushing yards under Macdonald.
Now they’ve done it twice in three weeks: first vs. the NFL’s second-leading rusher in Kenneth Walker and now vs. a team fresh off 200 rushing yards. Holding teams under 175 passing is a more expected experience, happening 22 times in the Mike Macdonald (MM) era, 7/9 games this year (Commanders & Bears).
Let’s look at the All-22!
Seahawks run defense
During the Super Bowl season, Seahawks held teams to < 3 YPC & < 40%+ rush success 4 times. This game marks the fifth game the 2026 Dark Side has done that. Specifically vs the Cardinals, the success came from dominance in 1v1 blocks, LBs staying clean, and the corners being active in the run.
Defensive line run dominance
Mike Morris stiffs and throws the block, falling to his knees still sets an edge keeping the run from getting outside. Murphy doesn’t get reached, working horizontal, shutting a potential rush lane and forcing a cut back into Ernest Jones’ (EJ) arms.
The Cardinals try to run a draw play, selling the pass set first. This opens the A-gap from Mills to shoot. While the Center stands up and allows Byron Murphy to get leverage underneath to drive him into the RBs lap. DeMarcus Lawrence (DLaw) wrong arms the pull (goes under), which allows the run to bounce outside. I assume he should be near arming (stay outside) to box in the run, but without being in the meeting room we don’t know the right answer. Thankfully Jobe comes down and escorts the RB to the bench, with a little help for a DLaw shove.
Rylie Mills stiffs the initial block, then is an immovable object when the combo comes to push him off. Morris has edge help so he can crash down, maintaining the LOS and walling off the OL on the way to EJ. EJ and Nick Emmanwori’s presence forces the RB back inside into Mills’ arms as Mills gets off the block to make the play.
Mills knocks back the guard with one arm, keeping his other arm free to come off and wrap the RB. Essentially making the stop by himself.
Linebackers stay clean
Same play as earlier where Morris & Murphy help set up EJ for the stop. If you focus on EJ, he avoids the OL coming to second level and fills the hole. With an OL free to block the safety coming down, this could be a 10+ yard run if EJ gets blocked and Thomas doesn’t get off his block.
Combo blocks are displacing the interior DL. Thomas works over top to secure the edge, Fowler stiffs his block to ensure there is no outside path. EJ, initially caught in the wash, has the patience and vision to let the blocks overrun him, allowing him to work around the pile and make the stop. Morris probably also makes this play if not EJ, but if Morris doesn’t, the back is on to the third level with a big hole.
Julian Love playing down in the box. He attacked the incoming TE first, allowing Love to stay put and bounce off the block into the hole. More DL dominance, Reed drives back the OG to join Love in on the stop.
Connor O’Toole starts this off halting the OL coming to kick him out, forcing the RB path back inside. EJ & Thomas both do great making the initial hit on their blocker to stay free. Then using their vision to find and fill the hole.
Here is the one explosive run of the day. Same side pullers and lots of bodies to take care of the Seahawks second and third levels, not allowing the LBs to stay clean to make a play.
Corners in the run game
I don’t know if Mike Macdonald had a beat on the run game or was just letting it rip. He sent the corner blitz on three plays (2 runs & 1 PA). All resulting in 0 or negative yards, two plays he even sent Jobe & Spoon at the same time.
Earlier we talked about Jobe finishing off the job started by the DL. This time Jobe’s willingness to get into the box brings blocking attention to him. Opening up a clear lane for Love to fill and make the stop.
The run defense was doing so well the Cardinals passed it twice on 3rd & 1 then 4th & 1 in the 4th quarter, needing a score to stay alive.
Seahawks pass defense
More blitzing
Did Hell freeze over, did Mike’s heart grow 3 sizes, did the DL injuries influence the decision? Whatever happened, MM blitzed 39% of the game (excluding redzone), 5th most under MM. The only game > 30%+ in ‘26, and the 8th time under MM. MM has been consistently around 23% in all three years before this weekend. MM also changed the coverage behind the blitz. Returning to where he started with the Seahawks playing mostly man with Cover 3 & 2 change ups. Last year was mainly Cover 3 with Man & Cover 2 change ups. This year has been Cover 2 with just a Cover 3 change up.
*Cover 1/0 = man
2024:
Cover 1/0: 43%
Cover 3: 25%
Cover 2: 20%
2025:
Cover 3: 36%
Cover 1/0: 25%
Cover 2: 23%
2026 Weeks 1-8
Cover 2: 45%
Cover 3: 30%
Cover 1/0: 13%
2026 Week 9:
Cover 1/0: 50%
Cover 3: 30%
Cover 2: 10%
Blitzing 6 Cover 1 (Man)
There are 5 WRs that need to be covered. When you send 6 you’re typically in Cover 0 with no zone helper and someone on the RB. The Seahawks did not, they had a deep middle player and banked on the Cardinals keeping the RB in to block. Schematically it makes more sense for the RB to flare out and force a rusher to peel off to guard the RB, reducing the blockers and rushers to 5 each. Or taking the chance the defense has no one on the RB in coverage for a big gain. The Cardinals choose to have the RB block and Emmanwori runs free off the edge. Although it had to be a communication error, if the tackle goes out and RB takes Mills everyone is blocked in theory. I’ll take the chance Mills probably runs through most RB’s faces.
The 2nd clip shows similar coverage with Emmanwori showing an initial rush then dropping to the low middle hole.
Blitzing 5 Cover 1 (Man)
This is more standard when having an extra zone helper. Defense has everyone covered in man and picks a dangerous spot of the field to deploy a zone player, typically middle and typically deep. This RB screen is dead as EJ has his eyes on the RB the whole time to read the play.
Blitzing 6 Cover 3 (Zone)
Blitzing 6 players leaves 5 in coverage as discussed. When playing Cover 3 with only 5 players, you are leaving two underneath zones open. Your outside vertical players are playing tighter to help rally to anything short and outside. On this play the Cardinals have a 3×1 formation, which often has the corner on the side playing man. The Cardinals release the WR underneath the TE slightly hiding him. Thomas initially has eyes in the backfield then tries to match the receivers release and misses the shallow crossing route. With the CB in man coverage, he doesn’t have eyes on the underneath routes leaving the Seahawks exposed.
BLITZING 5 COVER 3 (ZONE)
Living in a world with 5 zone defenders for 5 receivers isn’t advantageous for coverage. On this play the Seahawks show a similar look with the DE dropping to make it 3 deep, 3 underneath coverage.
Blitzing 6 Cover 2 (Zone)
WR splits closer to the tackle and even one WR motioning away leaving a TE nub, allowing MM to send both corners with a short distance to blitz. Deploying 3 underneath defenders this time with 2 deep. The underneath take away the middle zones then flat to the flat as routes take them there.
BLITZING 5 COVER 2/4 (Zone)
This one has 2 middle defenders underneath with the 2 deep half players, but now the corners are floating between the flats and deep 1/4th. Sending 2 LB and dropping a DL straight back to be a body in the middle without having to worry about racing outside, since the corners are ready to rally on throws underneath outside.
All these blitz coverages can be paired with different blitz paths and stunts. Allowing coordinators to get creative with who is blitzing and who is dropping to end up in different danger areas to keep offenses guessing.
No-blitz man coverage
In ‘24-‘25 MM blitzed while in man 35%, in ‘26 before Sunday it was 30%, this past week was 56% of the time. MM normally played Cover 1 behind no blitz, but he was Cover 2 man 3/4 no blitz man plays this week.
Red Zone man coverage
MM was calling man 6% of redzone plays Weeks 1-8, Week 9 he called 60% man. He only called man 20% in ‘24-‘25, and Seattle finished the day holding Arizona out of the end zone with a rare red zone stop.
*Success = Positive EPA
*All Stats are from Sumer Sports or Pro Football Reference
