THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Seahawks may need a QB soon

Whoa, I just realized something.

It’s football season.

I was waiting to hit my second shot on the par-4 eighth hole at Twin Lakes Village, and my mind started wandering.

For no world-changing reason at all, I began thinking about Mike Macdonald taking over as head coach of the Seahawks.

Wasn’t that going to be Pete Carroll’s gig for life?

Obviously not.

The whole idea of football in July seemed just a little weird when I gave it a few moments’ thought.

My phone said it was 81 degrees.

Even better, Macdonald gave us a quote for the ages when he walked out to conduct his first Seahawks workout on Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s like Christmas,” he said, again defying routine summer weather in Renton, Wash.

Macdonald clearly was referring to his state of mind, not the temperature, when commenting on the fact that he is a head coach in the National Football League.

Just 37 years old.

“You can’t take the smile off your face,” he said.

“You walk out here and it’s just a special place. This is the only place in the world that is like this. You pinch yourself that you have this opportunity.”

A SERIES of events occurred toward the end of the 2023 NFL season that pointed to the finish of Carroll’s outstanding tenure with the Hawks.

Nothing pointed to earth-shattering failure.

It wasn’t anything like that.

On the other hand, though, there were no obvious signs to suggest that Pete could lead Seattle back to contention for the Super Bowl.

That sense of excitement that Carroll seemed to carry with him for so, so long was fading after a few seasons that could only be called average.

Team owner Jody Allen chose to make a change, and hopefully restore some fire to the franchise.

There’s something of a gamble to Allen’s decision, however.

Carroll was still a players type of guy.

Even at 72, he was not preparing for a recliner and a good book.

Option No. 2 was handing the Hawks to another coach, and Macdonald became the overwhelming choice to take over.

Now, there’s nothing on Macdonald’s 10-year resume that hints he’d love to do some rock shows with the Rolling Stones.

He’s not THAT far out.

Macdonald seems loose and willing to laugh when the situation calls for it.

But he’s here to coach football, and specifically, defense.

That was his calling card in Baltimore, and his hiring by the Seahawks came with the implied promise that Seattle’s once-fearsome defense could be brought back to life.

Macdonald makes no secret of the fact that defense is his game, and that he would hope to imitate the success of D-first coaches who also have the gift of finding excellent assistants to handle offense and special teams.

That part of the job isn’t Xs and Os.

It’s more about knowing and coaching people.

The Seahawks have heard enough about Macdonald that they’re putting trust in the notion that he’s a leader.

ON BOTH sides of the ball.

Macdonald has clear eyes about what will be necessary to meet the job requirements.

The Seahawks’ defense has been awful for the past two or three years.

Stats prove that they can’t stop the run — and that includes yards after the catch tacked on by receivers who drag defenders an extra five yards for a first down.

Macdonald HAS to stop the Hawks defense being routinely gashed — and besides his hiring, tons of money (and high draft picks) have been spent on the defense.

So, what about the offense?

Let’s make that more specific.

A quarterback.

You can’t go deep, deep into the NFL postseason without a top-tier QB.

Macdonald inherits 32-year-old Geno Smith who, by all scouting accounts, is not the answer.

The current back-up is  Sam Howell, an absolute gunslinger who was traded to Seattle after two years at Washington.

Howell racked up 20 TDs, 21 interceptions (to lead the league) and absorbed 65 sacks (ditto … and ouch).

There are several ways to get a generation quarterback, and solve all your problems.

Draft smarter than everyone else (Patrick Mahomes), keep being bad until you can choose a no-brainer (Joe Burrow), decide on changing your offense to suit a star’s skills (Lamar Jackson), or just being lucky that some other team is run by an idiot (Brett Favre).

One way or another, though, you need a stud QB.

The better your defense, the closer to good-but-not-stud your guy can be.

But you get the point.

Mike Macdonald is going to need a quarterback.

OOPS!

It’s my turn to hit again, and I keep trying to reach this green with the wrong club.

Idiot.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”