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The Seattle Seahawks started their 2025 season with a struggle against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers snuck out with a 17-13 win thanks to Jake Tonges catching a go-ahead touchdown pass, but the final score left many Seahawks fans wondering how the game ended. The Seahawks settled for a late field goal, and immediately after, the 49ers scored a touchdown on the following drive. That ended up being the difference in the game.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald received some late criticism after the decision to kick the field goal. Analytics have said that the Seahawks should have gone for it, given the time of the game and where the offense was on the field. However, Macdonald defended the decision, saying that, at worst, they’d hold the 49ers to the tying FG and would still have time left to drive for the game-winner.
“If you go and you get the first down, you’re not guaranteed a touchdown,” he added. “You’re gonna knock some time off the clock, and ultimately you’ll probably end up with a score on that, and then San Fran’s gonna be in a four-down situation coming down the field, … which is a difficult situation too on defense. I think the numbers are about 40, 50, 60% score rate in that situation. So that’s what was going through my mind.”
Macdonald was then asked whether he factors in the message he sends to his team when making those difficult decisions. So if he decides to go for it, it signals confidence in the offense, but if he kicks it, it signals confidence in what the defense can do.
“I mean, of course it factors in,” Macdonald said. “But look, I trust the heck out of our guys. I think they trust the heck out of us. We’re trying to win the game. I felt pretty strongly about the decision in real time. But it wasn’t easy. There’s an argument to go the other way – let’s run it for a yard or (call) our best fourth-and-1 play at the time.
“But I’m not worried about how the guys feel. I think they have our backs, and I know we have theirs.”
The 49ers struggled in the game in their own right, highlighted by Jake Moody’s struggles when he missed two field goals, but the 49ers are sticking with him despite the struggles.
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