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GLENDALE, ARIZONA – SEPTEMBER 20: Head coach Mike MacDonald of the Seattle Seahawks watches warmups before the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks had a lot to highlight after their loss to the Washington Commanders.
Mike Macdonald wasn’t interested in excuses.
Seattle’s head coach delivered a pointed message after the loss, calling on both his players and coaching staff to address the mistakes that cost the Seahawks.
“The message was going to be the same whether we won or lost,” Macdonald told reporters. “It’s about how we do what we do and how we improve – it really is that simple.”
Then came the sentence that summed up his approach.
“We say go through, not go around – that’s what we plan to do.”
Seattle Seahawks’ mistakes add up against Commanders
Macdonald didn’t have to look very hard for problems to tackle.
Seattle finished minus-three in the turnover battle, struggled to generate pressure defensively and once again left Macdonald dissatisfied with the team’s performance in the red zone.
“In the NFL, what wins games is good situational football, taking care of the field, playing complementary football and stacking plays, and we didn’t do those things today and they did,” Macdonald said.
Yet Seattle remained within two points despite losing what Macdonald described as small battles throughout the game.
This has been both encouraging and frustrating.
Macdonald believes the Seahawks are capable of winning when they play their style of football. Against Washington, they just didn’t do it with enough consistency.
“We can be better situationally to take advantage and try to close out the game,” Macdonald said.
Mike Macdonald wants more from Seahawks defense
Seattle’s defense also failed to produce the disruption Macdonald wanted.
When asked specifically about the pass rush, the Seahawks coach didn’t soften his assessment.
“No, we didn’t have enough pressure today,” Macdonald said. “They did a good job taking care of the quarterback. We’ll look at it and see where we can improve, but I don’t think we accomplished our goal today with the quarterback.”
Macdonald then connected this lack of pressure to another problem: Seattle’s inability to generate takeaways.
He said the Seahawks need to find ways to become more aggressive, noting that constant pressure creates opportunities for turnovers.
The red zone defense hasn’t escaped criticism either.
“It’s not enough,” Macdonald said.
Macdonald defends Sam Darnold despite turnovers
Quarterback Sam Darnold represented much of Seattle’s afternoon in miniature.
There were some explosive and costly moments.
Darnold threw four touchdown passes, but also threw two interceptions, including one he later described as a “bad decision.”
Macdonald nonetheless came away encouraged by much of what his quarterback produced.
“I thought he made some great plays at the right time and on extended plays, so I thought he did a great job,” Macdonald said. “The takeaways are tough, but we’ll see why we made those decisions. Overall, it kept us in the game.”
That leaves Seattle with a pretty simple mission.
Macdonald said the coaching staff will evaluate everything from game planning and preparation to travel and execution. He doesn’t wonder if his locker room will react.
“I just know our team and what it’s made of,” Macdonald said. “We’re going to get back to work and get better.”
After a game that Seattle almost survived despite repeated injuries, Macdonald’s message was not complicated.
Don’t avoid problems.
Go through them.
Erik C. Anderson is an award-winning sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL, MLB and trading card market for Heavy.com. Its coverage focuses on breaking news, trade rumors, roster moves, player contracts and stories that drive national fan conversation. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Associated Press, USA Today and ESPN. Learn more about Erik C. Anderson
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