The Seattle Seahawks survived the Chicago Bears on Thursday, winning their Week 17 contest 6-3. The victory improved the Seahawks to 9-7 and kept their postseason dreams alive. Notably, what the result signified was far more telling than the on-field action, which was the lowest-scoring NFL game this season.
Beating Chicago at Soldier Field guarantees the Seahawks a winning record in Mike Macdonald’s first campaign as head coach. If the Arizona Cardinals defeat the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, next Sunday’s regular-season finale tilt between the Seahawks and Rams will decide the NFC West division. If Arizona fails to help, general manager John Schneider can still hang his hat on a moral victory.
Macdonald was the correct hire for a franchise that entered the offseason searching for a new head coach for the first time in approximately 15 years. Citing inexperience, the Seahawks could have bundled that process. Most teams do. The Seahawks, however, identified an appropriate first-time leader by appointing Macdonald as Pete Carroll’s successor.
Regardless of what occurs between the Rams and Cardinals, and eventually, the Seahawks and Rams, Macdonald has his competitive club trending in the right direction. The Seahawks are inconsistent, but navigating personnel issues (like a lackluster offensive line) deserves majority blame for their up-and-down season. Macdonald was a terrific hire, and finishing above .500 confirms that.
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