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Dec 18, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) intercepts a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Mike Macdonald's Seahawks Look to Take More 'Shots' to Create Turnovers

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Connor Benintendi | Last updated 10/17/24

Through the first six weeks of the season, Mike Macdonald’s Seattle Seahawks defense has only forced four turnovers. That’s tied for fifth-worst in the NFL with four other teams.

Additionally, with the Seahawks’ ball security issues offensively, Seattle is tied for 30th in turnover differential at minus-six. The defense must attack the football, and the offense must protect it. Seattle has done neither well thus far.

When Macdonald was the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator last season, his defense led the league with 31 takeaways. That has yet to translate into his scheme with the Seahawks.

“We’ve got to get more people to the football consistently,” Macdonald told reporters on Wednesday, “and I think we have to create more situations where we’re putting more pressure on the quarterback, where the ball comes to life, more shots on goal. You miss a hundred percent of the shots you don't take.”

The Seahawks have been among the league’s best affecting the quarterback, currently ranking third in total pressures with 125, per Pro Football Focus. But they only have 17 sacks (ninth in the NFL) to go along with that pressure rate. Every sack is an opportunity to create a turnover.

Seattle has just one takeaway since its Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos — safety Rayshawn Jenkins’ 102-yard fumble return touchdown against the New York Giants in Week 5 — but has turned the ball over eight times since then on offense.

Heading into their Week 7 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Macdonald is emphasizing “taking shots” on the football but doing it within the means of the defense. They don’t need to be allowing big plays as a result of trying to force a turnover, either.

“So making sure that we’re really taking advantage of those opportunities. There’s been some opportunities where there’s been some games where we’re taking a lot of shots and the ball’s not coming out,” Macdonald said. “It’s been a couple of games where the ball’s out and it doesn’t bounce our way. And then there’s been the last two games, we haven’t taken as many shots as we need to be taking and that is a function of being in a good proper angle and understanding the situation when you can punch and when the ball does come to life. So it’s kind of a combination between all those things.”

Currently, the Seahawks are on pace to finish with 11 turnovers this season. That would have tied for last in the league in 2023 with the Carolina Panthers and been eight less than Seattle forced last season under Pete Carroll.

As Macdonald mentioned, there have also been missed opportunities on turnover-worthy plays that just haven’t been completed. The Seahawks have failed to recover three of their five forced fumbles.

Injuries aren’t making things any easier. First-round rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy II has been sidelined for each of the last three games and former Pro Bowl cornerback Riq Woolen was out last week versus the San Francisco 49ers. Jenkins just landed on injured reserve, as well as cornerback Artie Burns and edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu. There has been a litany of other players who have missed time or full games.

The Seahawks, regardless of who’s available or not, will look to get back on track and create more opportunities for turnovers when they face the Falcons at 10 a.m. PT on Sunday, Oct. 20.