There isn’t much going wrong for the 3-0 Seattle Seahawks right now. Mike Macdonald’s dominant defense ranks second in yards allowed (248.7), first in passing yards (132.3), and fourth in points allowed (14.3) per contest. Offensively, they’re fielding a top 10 offense in yards gained (344) and points scored (24.3) per outing.
One area the undefeated Seahawks could show progress in is the penalties department. Macdonald’s squad has been whistled for 23 penalties, eighth-most in the entire league, according to NFLPenalties.Com. They’ve actually been flagged on 26 total occasions, but two of them were offsetting, and one was declined.
What’s also incredibly strange is 17 of Seattle’s 23 penalties have occurred at Lumen Field. No team has been penalized at home more than the Seahawks. Playing in front of the raucous 12s has long been an advantage for Seattle, and that should be recaptured once Macdonald instills more discipline in his squad.
If there’s a saving grace, it’s that Seattle has also drawn 22 penalties from the opposition, ninth-most in the league. So while Seattle has forfeited 183 yards in penalties, they’ve benefited from 187 yards in infractions, giving them a net positive of four yards. Just imagine if Seattle eliminated the majority of their penalties, and continued drawing flags.
Macdonald’s squad has been playing dominant football, but their potential would be even higher if they start playing with discipline.
