We don't know exactly what the Seattle Seahawks will look like this year. They have started the season 3-0 and lead the NFC West by two games. However, there's a good chance they'll lose in Week 4 since they'll be missing so many key defensive players. In other words, Week 4 against the Detroit Lions might not tell us much about the team either.

What we seem to have learned about the 2024 version of the team under new head coach Mike Macdonald is that the defense appears to play more freely. The opposing ball carriers are attacked in the open field and there are significantly fewer misunderstandings in the adjacent field. Everything collapsed in these departments in recent seasons under former coach Pete Carroll.

There could be a reason for this, and it could simply be that players have more fun. It's not that Carroll wasn't a good coach, because he definitely put the player first, but he didn't seem overly proactive when it came to personnel changes or discipline. Sometimes players need a little tough love to understand that they are valued.

When Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson attended the University of Michigan, he was good heading into his senior year, but he might have been better. The problem was that he wasn't having much fun playing. A happy player is usually a better player.

Ahead of the Lions-Seahawks game in Week 4, Hutchinson told the press what it was like playing under Macdonald in his final season at Michigan. Macdonald was a defensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens before serving as defensive coordinator at Michigan for one season. Macdonald then returned to the Ravens to become their DC.

Hutchinson said, “When I started the Ravens defense as a senior, I felt like I was enjoying football again. I am very grateful to him.”

They may not say this, especially the Seahawks veterans who played under Carroll, but there's a strong chance that several Seattle players would understand and agree with Hutchinson. The defensive aggressiveness means players have a better understanding of what they are supposed to do. They also seem to enjoy the style of play more. Hopefully this will be a long-term success.

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