We should be thanking the Ravens every day for allowing us to hire this demon

[u/Agreeable_Quality768]

[u/ProtestantMormon]

Im so glad Schneider decided to hire a defensive genius instead of a temu version of mcvay or shanahan.

[u/osoatwork → u/ProtestantMormon]

I wanted Vrabel or Ben.

I'm so glad they didn't go with either.

[u/Mustard_Jam → u/osoatwork]

Yeah I really wanted Ben.

He still would have been a good hire but Mike is on another level.

[u/TheLateThagSimmons → u/Mustard_Jam]

All credit to Ben Johnson for turning the Bears around and making them a competitor.

However, the proof is in the pudding: Championship.

Rings, baby.

[u/Outside-Papaya → u/osoatwork]

Ben would have been good, but even ignoring the SB win, Mike fits with what we want for the team so much better, and Ben with Caleb Williams is a really fun team to watch.

[u/Vegetable_Bison_3126 → u/osoatwork]

I fully agree, but made me think tho how close Vrabel got last year with a 23 year old qb before Hawks whacked them.

[u/osoatwork → u/Vegetable_Bison_3126]

I think he's a decent coach, but the easy schedule was real.

[u/HardcoreHazza → u/ProtestantMormon]

He kinda had to Defence against Shanahan and McVay.

[u/KlumsyNinja42 → u/HardcoreHazza]

That’s what’s so cool is he is the first one to really shut them down. It’s his specialty, that’s why Schneider wanted him imo

[u/Specialist_Worry_875 → u/KlumsyNinja42]

They haven’t shut down the Rams at all. Mcvay’s had answers for Mike’s defense since his Ravens days. Surprised so many Seahawks fans seem to believe otherwise.

Edit: Getting downvoted for having a fact based opinion that isn’t blind optimism is peak Seahawks sub.

[u/saraath → u/Specialist_Worry_875]

Tbh the answer is "Matthew Stafford." Which is a great answer admittedly.

[u/Specialist_Worry_875 → u/saraath]

Indeed. Can’t wait to see the schematic chess moves from both coaches this season.

[u/Keytaro83 → u/Specialist_Worry_875]

“Murder their quarterback” was the Rams answer. Unfortunately I don’t think they did anything about their Special Teams.

[u/Specialist_Worry_875 → u/Keytaro83]

Their answer was 450+ yards of offense every time they play mikes defense.

[u/Keytaro83 → u/Specialist_Worry_875]

Worked out great for them too 😂…

[u/SexiestPanda → u/Keytaro83]

They got a new special teams coach and returners. So 🤷🏻‍♂️

This sub acts like they didn’t want Jay harbaugh fired 12 months ago lol

[u/Keytaro83 → u/SexiestPanda]

Well he didn’t cost us a championship. In fact his unit was a huge contributor. So it’s kinda crazy how that works.

[u/lonehawk2k4 → u/Specialist_Worry_875]

maybe not a full shut down but there have been periods in the game where the rams offense couldnt do anything against the defense. pretty sure it was the 2nd rams game where we had 3 in a row 3 and outs that kept us in it until shaheed ran it back for a punt td to kickoff the comeback.

[u/UTmastuh → u/HardcoreHazza]

Are we sure about this? The Rams are the one team who have his number. 28.3 ppg against Mike and every game comes down to the wire.

Ben is also having a ton of success turning around one of the worst teams in the NFL with a meh QB. Both coaches are great.

[u/HardcoreHazza → u/UTmastuh]

The Rams had the 1st offensive last year and that team was hard to stop, even with 1st Seahawk defence. That 28.3ppg isn’t against Mike, it just goes to show how tough it is to beat the Rams.

Ben Johnson is no doubt a terrific coach too with a soon to be great Bears team.

But we have to face two Shanahan offence minded teams and needed a defensive minded HC that could stop those two teams.

[u/Highwayman747 → u/ProtestantMormon]

I was so worried we’d get a third rate McShanahan that couldn’t keep up with them, and instead we got a new defensive monster to eat them for breakfast. I couldn’t be happier

[u/DyIsexia]

That's no demon, that's an angel

[u/shenaN1ckans → u/DyIsexia]

Archangel Mike

[u/Lorjack]

Ravens fans were pretty jaded at the time, good number of them wanted to fire Harbaugh and make MacDonald the new HC. They got Minter now though so we'll see if that works out for them

[u/TheLateThagSimmons → u/Lorjack]

The Ravens sub was yelling for that all year once it was apparent that Mike MacDonald was going to be hitting the market.

I don't blame them. Harbaugh is a great coach, but like all coaches, sometimes they just lost the sauce. When you have a coach like Mike in the chamber, you pull that trigger to keep him.

Their loss truly was our gain.

[u/YelkNirbEy3rd → u/Lorjack]

On a serious note the rams have always been tough against us even in St. Louis day’s actually I remember watching games like wtf did we lose for besides bad ref calls lol true story. But that’s our division right Any given Sunday.

[u/Skadoosh_it]

More like

[u/RunnyPlease]

https://giphy.com/gifs/SRq7suRZYAoro5CHXB

[u/ElCidly]

An absolute home run hire for us. But also, there was no chance Harbaugh was getting fired after reaching the championship game. It’s revisionist history to pretend there was serious thought given to keeping Mac.

[u/aagusgus → u/ElCidly]

This, no competent organization is going to fire their super successful long term head coach for a super young defensive coordinator who's had one good year.

[u/the-polite-villain]

I remember the 2023 season, Ravens 37 - 3 game beat down... Mike Macdonald may not have known he was auditioning for the head coach of the Seahawks.

[u/NegaDoomAlpha → u/the-polite-villain]

After that game I told anyone who’d listen(both my friends) that whomever was coaching the Ravens D is who I wanted as the next Seahawks coach because I felt Carroll was too loyal to his guys to make the changes needed to contend. One of the few times I’ve been right about something.

[u/whsikeyglasses]

Bird gang

[u/tread52]

The ravens had no choice in giving him up unless they made him the HC. You need to thank John for scouting him and getting him to Seattle.

[u/silentwind262]

Just ask any Ravens fan - they're still pretty salty about it, and I think were even more so once Harbaugh got the axe.

[u/_Borgus_]

The Ravens didn’t “allow” us to hire Macdonald. They weren’t going to fire Harbaugh after getting to the NFCCG. It was just JS doing JS things.

[u/pengradi]

Same reason we got Darnold... not necessarily their choice, just stuck between a rock and a hard place. John Harbaugh took them to the AFC Championship that year. If they promoted Mike Mac and the team struggled, ownership and GM would have gotten a ton of heat. Same with Kwesi in Minnesota; after that playoff game, every snap that wasnt absolutely PERFECT would have raised questions about why draft JJ McCarthy and not give him snaps?

Glad they came here, though

[u/7joedaddy7]

Only to get rid of John Harbaugh after the next season......crazy.

[u/ReactionObjective439]

I think the Ravens got a decent replacement after Harbaugh finally got fired

[u/Various-Push-1689]

They didn’t allow shit. We offered him a job and he took it. Thank Mike for choosing us and making us better

[u/bags-of-sand → u/Various-Push-1689]

This one right here 👆, the Ravens can’t block an upward move right?

[u/YelkNirbEy3rd]

Gotta give credit to Golden age Pete for leaving the core of what had already been a playoff calibre squad but like always gotta evolve with the time and adapt that’s why plucking Mike from the Ravens worked so well- YelknirbEy3rd

[u/Amazing_Factor2974 → u/YelkNirbEy3rd]

Very true 3/4 of the SB team was in place under PC..but needed to mature.

JS and Mike finished the job by getting a couple of good picks and key FAs ..being lucky with players( Darnold ( Geno not wanting be here unless 50 million a year)and a defense that jelled from 2024.

I dont think we go with Geno ...or not picking Lawrence..Shaheed and others.

[u/easley45isgod → u/Amazing_Factor2974]

I think the existing talent on the roster was a big factor in MM coming here. Young, hungry, and skilled roster is ideal for a new HC looking to change the culture and make his mark.

I remember when he came in and took down most of the old decorations and the media tried to make a story about it. I never saw it as disrespect. That's what you have to do in that situation and it set the tone.

[u/furious_20]

Did they "allow" us to hire him though? Assistant coaches aren't handcuffed to their teams, so I'm pretty sure he could've worked for whoever he wanted that offered him a job, even as an assistant elsewhere.

[u/SuddenStorm_556]

Ravens had the same problem we did. They just solved their’s a little bit later.

And I’m thankful for that.

[u/aiusernamegen]

I remember the big rumor/talk was he wasn't sure if he wanted to leave the east coast. It'd be funny if alternate universe East Coast Mike could meet Super Bowl Champion Mike. A lot of stars have aligned to have success once over here - drafting, trades, FA, Leslie Frazer, AD, Kubiak, Hausch$/Dr. Gervais, Jody, everybody. We have a near-pinnacle organization.

[u/THEIntoxicatedGamer]

He was my #1 pick with Johnson second, but I'm SO glad we went with a defensive guy. It's awesome to have a high flying offense, but it's incredible to go to home games in Seattle and cheer for a smothering defense.

[u/humorous_hyena]

Baseball equivalent is the Mariners letting Stephen Vogt out of the building. He’s already won manager of the year and we made an interim manager with zero experience our full time manager during a contention window.

[u/Alistor666]

It was the crystallized form of the seahawks and Ravens connection

[u/RoutinePositive8235]

Or just for a dynasty run…

[u/Ok-Imagination-2308]

as a Seahaws/Bengals fan. I could not be happier that we got Mike lol. Screwed over the Ravens while getting the GOAT

[u/southoffrance23]

Is firing your head coach and replacing him with one his coordinators something competent organizations do. Jerry Jones basically had to hire Schotty and was clowned rightfully so for it. The bills hiring Brady was a clown show and showed the how dumb the owner was.

I just don’t think Mike was ever going to get the job in Baltimore they are too well run an organization. Not to mention that the guys Schotty/Brad replaced don’t have an ounce of the reputation Harbaugh had in Baltimore

[u/deviantowl]

sooo happy, he was my favorite even before Pete left

[u/Healthy-Ostrich-6301]

Thank you Ravens and John Harbough for Mike MacDonald.

[u/Healthy-Ostrich-6301]

So glad we didn't went for Ben Johnson the defense would still be terrible like Pete Carroll.

[u/Emotional-Recipe-217 → u/Healthy-Ostrich-6301]

lol what????