The last defense the New England Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, faced was the Seattle Seahawks, with head coach Mike Macdonald running the show in Super Bowl LX. Now, the first defense McDaniels will see at the start of the 2026 season is the Seahawks.
In the Super Bowl LX win, the Seahawks made life challenging for the Patriots’ offense. The Seattle defense sacked Drake Maye six times and picked him off twice. Moreover, the Seahawks’ defense shut down New England’s running game, limiting them to 79 yards on the ground.
On Sept. 6, McDaniel spoke to the media and offered strong praise for Macdonald and the defense he runs, which makes them a challenging task for opposing offensive coaches.
“They were really good last year, and obviously we don’t have any new evidence other than what we saw as we prepared for the game last year and then watching our game against them,” McDaniel told reporters. “So very, very few things where you look at them and don’t see a team that’s really connected. They’re physical. They’re aggressive.
“The scheme is really challenging. He does a great job of calling the game. I have a great deal of respect for Coach Macdonald and what they do as a staff. Their players are in the right positions. They use them the right way. So this is a really talented group on defense.”
Josh McDaniels on What Makes Seahawks D So Difficult
Moreover, McDaniel notes that even though the Seahawks play a certain style regardless of their opponent, it’s still a challenging defense to face.
“Their play style is evident when you put on any game. Doesn’t matter what game you want to watch. From the entire season last year, they play the same way. They play very hard, play with great effort. So, it’ll be a big challenge, certainly in an environment that is different than the one we were getting ready to play in. Not that there wasn’t crowd noise in that one, but there’ll be more crowd noise this week. So, we’ll see.”
Patriots QB Drake Maye on Facing Seattle’s Defense
Meanwhile, the other person who will have the challenge of breaking down the Seahawks defense will be QB Drake Maye. The Patriots’ star signal-caller recalled the Super Bowl LX matchup and shared what makes the Seahawks defense so difficult to face.
“They’re good at all three levels,” Maye told reporters on Sept. 5. “I think that’s the biggest thing. They play hard. They play the right way. They’re physical, and you can tell that in that defensive room, defensive unit meeting, they got an identity, and you can see it on tape. They fly around. They do the little things right, and they hit you, and they go after the ball, and they push into the pocket, and they got good rushers, and they change it up and can give you different looks.
“But at the same time, it’s pretty tough when they can play you in a split-safety shell and stop the run. So we got to find ways to be able to keep the chains moving. I know that there’s some plays I wish I had back, and I know that you can’t get those plays back looking back at the Super Bowl. You’ve got to execute them when they happen. And I think that’s kind of their motto, and I think they’re really well coached.”
Patriots’ Josh McDaniels Has Strong Words for Seahawks’ Defense