'A 60-Minute Battle': Seattle Seahawks Readying For Stout Detroit Lions

Despite recent success against the Detroit Lions for the Seattle Seahawks and Mike Macdonald, Monday night will be the team's toughest test of the early season.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett makes a catch for the winning touchdown in overtime against Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

In his past stop, Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has had success against the Detroit Lions. His Baltimore Ravens beat Dan Campbell and the Lions last season, 38-6. That doesn’t automatically mean the Seahawks will enjoy a blowout win on Monday night.

“You don’t want to get in this game of playing what used to be because the games are so unique, the people involved are completely different,” Macdonald told reporters on Wednesday. “The systems are similar, but at the end of the day, there are certain plays that you need to make … our guys know that we’re in for a 60-minute battle, maybe even longer.”

What remains a constant are the coaches on the sideline. Campbell has a similar Lions team, but Macdonald is building a new culture and team with Seattle. The Seahawks, despite being 3-0, are still in the early stages of adjusting to a new system.

Seattle also beat Detroit last season, on the road, with Pete Carroll still at the helm — narrowly escaping Ford Field with a 37-31 overtime victory. Geno Smith completed 32 of 41 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns, with Tyler Lockett catching the game-winning score and finishing with two receiving touchdowns. Running back Kenneth Walker III also rushed for a pair of scores.

Quarterback Jared Goff was equally good for Detroit. He finished 28-of-35 passing for 323 yards, three touchdowns and an interception — returned for a 40-yard touchdown by Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown. The Lions’ star slot receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown, had six catches for 102 yards. But Josh Reynolds, who is now in Denver, caught a pair of touchdown passes from Goff.

“Each week is a new challenge. Everyone’s got really great players that you have to mitigate,” Macdonald said. They have strengths and weaknesses just like anybody else. As a coaching staff, we're trying to put our guys in position to make plays. It's just unique to the Lions on how they operate, so we’ll operate accordingly."

Some of the same threats remain. However, since then, Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson has emerged as one of the top pass-rushing threats in the league. Hutchinson leads the NFL with 25 pressures and seven sacks.

“Defensively, [the Lions are] very aggressive,” Macdonald added. “Seems like they made a little bit more of a shift from last year. There’s a tough simplicity with complements on how they operate defensively and, obviously, Aidan [Hutchinson] is a really good player that we’re going to have to account for.”

The Lions are 2-1 to start the 2024 season, and its rushing attack is a big reason why. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are ninth and 13th in the league, respectively, in rushing yards — combining for 438 rushing yards in three games.

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery runs the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during first half action Sunday, Sept.17, 2023. / Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

They are different types of backs, similar to the two-headed monster Seattle possesses when both Walker and Charbonnet are healthy.

“Both runners are really dangerous in their own way,” Macdonald said. “The offensive line is probably one of the best in the league, if not the best, so got our work cut out for us, but we get an extra day to get ready to go.”

Detroit will officially be without starting center Frank Ragnow, but their offensive front remains tops in the league. Seattle’s defense will have its work cut out for it. Seattle has its own injuries stacking up as well.

The Seahawks moving to 4-0 with a Monday night win may finally silence any criticism about their soft early schedule. A loss would keep them as the sole leader in the NFC West, at the very least.