ATLANTA — Part of the Seattle Seahawks’ magic this season is that they are led by a second-year coach who has a knack for knowing what’s coming. Mike Macdonald’s predictive powers play a pivotal role in Seattle’s ability not only to win but also to dominate its opponents.
It is fitting, then, that a game against the Atlanta Falcons, which was tied at halftime, quickly turned into yet another rout, thanks in part to a called shot from the head coach.
Before the Seahawks took the field for the start of the second half, Macdonald instructed the kickoff unit to take advantage of what he figured would be an opportunity for a touchdown. This bit of foreshadowing was based on the coaching staff’s film study of an Atlanta team that entered Week 14 leading the league in kickoff return yardage allowed. Lo and behold, Rashid Shaheed had a crease, shed a diving tackle attempt and ran free into the end zone for a 100-yard score.
Once Shaheed felt he was in the clear around the 35-yard line, he looked back to confirm there were no threats in pursuit. The Seahawks never looked back from that point, outscoring the Falcons by 28 points on their way to a 37-9 victory, extending their win streak to three games.
At 10-3, Seattle has matched its win total from last season with its sights set on making a deep playoff run. Much of the Seahawks’ belief stems from how often Macdonald and his staff put the players in positions to succeed. The kickoff return was one of many examples on Sunday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“He just has a weird thing where he just calls stuff out,” Seattle defensive back Nick Emmanwori said of his head coach. “Believe it or not, he called that (kickoff return touchdown) right at halftime before we went out.”
Emmanwori, the 35th pick in the draft, had one of his most impactful days as a Seahawk. He recorded six tackles (including one for loss on a run play in the second quarter), his first career interception in the third quarter and his second sack of the season in the fourth. He also blocked a field goal in the second quarter.
Nick Emmanwori comes flying off the edge to block the FG!
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He’s the first player since former Cardinals Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson (2010) to accomplish all three in the same game (all stats provided by TruMedia unless otherwise stated). Hall of Famer Julius Peppers is the only other player to check all three boxes in one game since 2000.
“Bro (is) playing his ass off right now,” cornerback Devon Witherspoon said of Emmanwori. “There’s nothing he can’t do. He’s strong. He’s physical. (I’m) at a loss for words, bro, but he had a hell of a game today.”
Emmanwori’s interception was one of those instances of the defense benefiting from its coach’s film study. The Seahawks were playing Cover 2 on third-and-3. Atlanta put three pass catchers to Kirk Cousins’ right, with tight end Kyle Pitts nearest the quarterback in the slot. Seattle knew Pitts, as the No. 3 receiver, would run a stick route, so Witherspoon jumped it, deflected the pass in the air and into the hands of Emmanwori.
“That’s just a great play by Spoon to get into the body of the receiver,” safety Julian Love said.
PICK 😈 First of his career. #ProBowlVote + @Eman7Nick
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Witherspoon and Emmanwori were involved in all three of Seattle’s turnovers on Sunday. They’re unique chess pieces in Macdonald’s defense, asked to play multiple roles, sometimes within the same series. At 6 feet 3 and 220 pounds, Emmanwori is the “big nickel” who also effectively plays linebacker and edge defender depending on the situation. Witherspoon, a two-time Pro Bowler and the fifth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, plays both outside cornerback spots and the traditional nickel role.
Neither had many splash plays before Sunday, but Macdonald often says, “The ball finds energy.” That was the case in this game.
“The things that E-Man does out there, the problems he creates in terms of the player he is, how physical he is, his ability to cover, the athleticism to be able to play man-to-man against whoever is out there, it’s a very special thing,” wide receiver Cooper Kupp said. “Spoon, he’s one of those guys that you’d say is the heart and soul of that defense in terms of the energy they bring.”
In addition to that pass deflection, Witherspoon had seven tackles and his first interception of the season. He also recovered the fumble that defensive tackle Jarran Reed forced in the third quarter. Witherspoon’s interception was another case of anticipating the Falcons’ play call. On third-and-7, he bluffed a blitz, and when Cousins changed the play pre-snap, the defense knew it’d be a screen. Witherspoon blew it up, knocked the ball into the air and caught it after it ricocheted off outside linebacker Derick Hall.
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“I don’t even know how I caught it,” said Witherspoon, laughing after the first interception since his rookie year. “I just know it ended up in my hand, and I’m glad I held on to the ball.”
The Seahawks have an elite defense and the third-best special teams unit in the league by expected points added. Shaheed ignited Seattle’s top-10 scoring offense with his kickoff return to start the second half. After a shaky first half that featured an interception, Sam Darnold led four consecutive scoring drives in the final 30 minutes.
In the second half, Darnold completed 11 of 15 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scores went to receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who finished with seven catches for 92 yards. He’s up to a league-high 1,428 yards receiving with nine touchdowns, tied for second most behind the Rams’ Davante Adams (14). Darnold and the starting offense scored on five consecutive series between the final drive of the first half and Smith-Njigba’s 4-yard score with 8:27 remaining.
“(Darnold) brought us all together and let us know we needed to put points on the board,” said Shaheed, who had his best day as a Seahawk with four catches for 67 yards. “He is a leader. We knew that opportunities were going to come, and he was going to be ready. He played a great second half.”
Shaheed entered the game with just four catches for 37 yards and only one first-down reception since arriving in Seattle ahead of the trade deadline. Three of his four catches moved the sticks on Sunday, and two were explosive gains (at least 16 yards), including a 33-yard grab on third-and-6 in the fourth quarter. With the benefit of more reps, Shaheed said his timing with Darnold has improved. Darnold knows where Shaheed will be on certain routes, and Shaheed has a better feel for what his quarterback is expecting.
“That takes time to build,” Shaheed said. “I feel like we’ve grown a good amount in the little time I’ve been here.”
Shaheed is one of many Seahawks on the roster yet to experience the playoffs. It’s a near certainty the Seahawks will be in the postseason this year, and as great as they are on the road — 13-2 since Macdonald was hired — they’ve earned the right to be in contention for the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Macdonald has established a winning culture and built a dominant team in all three phases. Seattle’s plus-161 point differential is the best in the NFL.
“I haven’t been part of a playoff team yet, and you can feel the difference,” Shaheed said. “You can feel how everybody is bought in and how everybody believes we can win. It’s a great feeling. I felt that Day 1 in the locker room. The vibes were high, everybody believes. That’s how the team comes out victorious every Sunday.”
Different elements of Seattle’s culture continue to show up on Sundays, particularly on defense. The players lamented their performance in the second half in Week 12 against the Tennessee Titans. Even though they won, the defense felt it was substandard. Since then, it hasn’t allowed a touchdown.
Even when the game is in hand, as was the case Sunday when the Falcons earned a fresh set of downs at the Seattle 5-yard line, trailing 37-9, the players didn’t let up. Two Tyler Allgeier carries gained just 2 yards. Riq Woolen swatted a potential touchdown on third down. Then on fourth-and-goal, safety Ty Okada broke up a pass intended for receiver Darnell Mooney in the end zone. That’s the “Death Zone” standard, no matter the situation.
“It just shows the type of defense we are,” Emmanwori said. “We’ve got a lot of resilience. A lot of defenses probably would have been in garbage mode and let them drive, but we got a mindset like, ‘We don’t want them to score.’ We were in the huddle every time like, ‘Don’t let them score. Don’t let them in.’ It’s just a statement for our defense.”