Ed Donatell Brings Experience in Quarters, Man Coverage and Turnovers to Seahawks

The Seahawks' hiring of Ed Donatell as a senior defensive assistant brings with it years of experience, including working with head coach Pete Carroll. Matty F. Brown analyzes what the former Broncos coordinator adds to Seattle.

The appointment of Ed Donatell as Seahawks senior defensive assistant on the surface represents a continuation and possible extension of Seattle’s 2021 transition to more middle-field open zone coverages (Cover 2, Cover 4, and Cover 6). In particular, we can expect the Seahawks’ half-quarter-quarter zone-matching defenses to be built upon—called “CLEO”. After all, that’s the reputation of the Vic Fangio tree and the defensive mind’s Cover 8 world (quarter-quarter-half with zone matching rules).

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— Ultra Rare Tape (@UltraRareTape) February 5, 2022

QQH match has also been in the 65-year-old Donatell’s background for some time. Take this Under 7 defense from his 2003 Packers defense:

2003 Green Bay Packers Ed Donatell Under 7✅Slice pic.twitter.com/DhNpTv86bJ

— Ultra Rare Tape (@UltraRareTape) February 4, 2021

Resuming last season’s coverage switch-up would be no bad thing, given that it suited the makeup of Seattle’s defensive backfield and the schematic direction of the league. In 2021, the Seahawks ran the fourth-highest percentage of Cover 2, Cover 4, and Cover 6 in the NFL, per SportsInfoSolutions. TruMedia had Seattle running the fifth-highest percentage of middle-field open pass coverage.

Donatell, however, has 42 years of coaching experience, including 31 seasons in the NFL. Therefore, he will be able to lean on a wealth of knowledge and expertise. His last stop in the Fangio system, as Broncos defensive coordinator, actually saw Denver running a large amount of Cover 1: middle field closed man defense. TruMedia tabbed the Broncos with the fourth-highest percentage of Cover 1 in the league at 31.4 percent. SIS had the 2021 Broncos with the second-most snaps of Cover 1 in the league.

Man defense generally results in stickier, tighter coverage than zone (although zone-match does blur the lines). Donatell’s recent high usage of the coverage may suit the reports of the vague buzzword desires of Carroll to get more “aggressive” on defense and play with an “attack mindset.”

As pointed out by my co-host Griffin Sturgeon in Episode 30 of Seattle Overload, Cover 1 defense is a method that the Fangio tree utilizes to get into even fronts while maintaining tight coverage. This matters because even-spaced fronts are typically a better way of getting effective rush-four pass rush over their base bear fronts—a problem familiar to the 2021 Seahawks. And the gapped-out nature of middle field closed man-to-man means that defensive linemen have to worry less about other gaps.

Seahawks cornerback D.J. Reed’s end-of-season comments when asked how the move to more middle-field open zone coverage had helped the team take a very different, man-focused direction. 

 “Yeah I think we started calling plays according to like, the personnel out on the field. Just with guys that can press, playing man-to-man,” said Reed. “Like myself, Tre Brown. Started calling much more man and that’s why things started getting stickier. D-line, we all, everybody started coming together, playing together. D-line, linebackers, corners. Things got more sticky instead of playing loose zone you know type of schemes. But we started playing man in more situations and being more aggressive and going for it.”

More than any coverage scheme—and Seattle will very much still be Carroll’s system of defense in 2022—Donatell’s history with Carroll is what reveals the major reasons for this hire. Yes, the pair have a history going back to the 1983 Pacific Tigers. Carroll played safety for the Tigers before netting a graduate assistant role with the team from 1973 to 1976. When Carroll returned to Pacific in 1983 as defensive coordinator, he hired Donatell as his defensive backs coach.

It's important to note, though, that the Donatell hire goes beyond the basic cronyism accusations that are rife around the league. On that thorny subject, it makes sense that Carroll is trying to assemble a new staff where the major figures have all worked together before. Hurtt, Donatell and Sean Desai all coached on the Bears at the same time from 2015 to 2018.

The historic success of the Donatell-Carroll working relationship is noteworthy, particularly in the area of turnovers. Take this extract from a January 6, 2004 AFCA coaching clinic Carroll gave.

“Now, let me give you an illustration of a belief. If you take one single element out of football, it is about turnovers. I am not trying to reinvent anything here at all. It is about how deep your belief is and how far you are willing to go to promote what your beliefs are. Let me tell you this: I don’t think there is anybody in college football or in the NFL that emphasizes this more than I do. Why I am proud to tell you that is if you take a look at the three years we have been at USC, we are plus-52 in turnover margin. Imagine what a positive aspect that is for your program. We were plus-20 this year. To me, that is the trophy. Now, the reason I want to make this point is last year, the Green Bay Packers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one-two in turnover ratio. All right? That is Ed Donatell coaching on the defense with the Packers and Monte Kiffin coaching the defense with the Bucs. This year in the NFL, take a look at who led the NFL in turnover ratio: the Kansas City Chiefs. That is Greg Robinson coaching the defense in that place. What I’m telling you is the guys that were altogether coaching defense at the Jets, were Monte Kiffin, Ed Donatell, Greg Robinson and myself. There was a time when we decided that if you go for it and you emphasize it better than anybody else, you can be more successful at it. Even if you are not, at least you are going to be better than you were if you didn’t emphasize it really well.”

Indeed, the Jets staff that Carroll referred to produced a sustained period of turnover success.

• Jets turnovers forced in 1990: 29 (21st)
• Jets turnovers forced in 1991: 37 (7th)
• Jets turnovers forced in 1992: 39 (3rd)
• Jets turnovers forced in 1993: 37 (5th)
• Jets turnovers forced in 1994: 38 (2nd)

The 2021 Seahawks, however, must have made Carroll sick. The defense contradicted one of the head coach’s core philosophies: they did not turn the football over. Carroll's “it’s all about the ball” mantra was not adhered to, with Seattle finishing the year with just 18 takeaways, which ranked 25th in the NFL. The Cowboys led the league with 34 takeaways.

When Carroll is linked with 2022 desires for “aggression” and “attack mindset," more than any Xs and Os mechanism, taking the ball away from the opponent is what stands out. A large portion of Donatell’s remit will be ensuring Seattle’s defense gets back to taking the ball away. His 2021 Broncos defense only had 19, but Donatell’s background in defensive backs may suggest he will particularly focus on a Seattle secondary which only registered its first cornerback interception of the season in Week 17 of 2021.