We’re a week removed from the Seattle Seahawks choosing former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as head coach. As defensive coordinator, Macdonald guided the Ravens back to their familiar territory atop the NFL’s defensive rankings, and the 36-year-old quickly became a highly coveted head coaching candidate.
It’s a hell of a task for a first-time head coach to replace Pete Carroll, who guided the team to its first Super Bowl and a slew of winning seasons and playoff appearances. Is Macdonald up to the challenge? We’ll find out soon. In the meantime, I’ve dusted off the 5Qs/5As game preview series for a special edition with Baltimore Beatdown managing editor and beat reporter Kyle Phoenix, who has some great insights on Macdonald as a coach and a locker room leader.