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Emotional Mike Macdonald comments on Seahawks' comeback: "This is who we are"

Thursday night’s comeback against the Rams wasn’t just a win, it was a defining moment for the identity Mike Macdonald has been building in Seattle.
Dan Viens|
Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald embraces quarterback Sam Darnold (14) after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in overtime at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald embraces quarterback Sam Darnold (14) after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in overtime at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

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Seattle Seahawks

Over his first two years in Seattle, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has repeated a familiar set of buzzwords: commitment, alignment, complementary football. Yet the idea he has circled back to more than any other since arriving in the Pacific Northwest is a simpler one: identity.

Thursday night's thrilling, 38-37 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams stands as Exhibit A of the type of identity Macdonald has been after.

"All that stuff we've talked about since we walked in the door is real..."
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald

Like many before it, this was the type of game cynics could point to as evidence against Seattle’s Super Bowl credentials. For much of the first 52 minutes, the Rams appeared to be the better team, while the Seahawks were again plagued by turnovers (three).

But trailing 30–14 with 8:03 remaining, Seattle scored 14 points in less than two minutes to force overtime. After allowing a Rams touchdown to open the extra period, the Seahawks responded with a 64-yard, nine-play march before Sam Darnold found tight end Eric Saubert for the game-winning two-point conversion.

"I’m just so proud of our group, I mean this is who we are… we set out to prove to ourselves who we were as a team."

What the Seahawks proved in front of a national audience is their worthiness of being considered the best team in the NFL's best division. Their 12-3 record sits atop the NFC West and if the playoffs were to begin today they'd be the conference's number one seed, earning themselves a first round bye and home field throughout the playoffs.

With two games remaining Mike Macdonald's squad has a chance to do something the Seahawks franchise has never accomplished - win 14 regular season games. Based on what they showed us last night, this team might just be poised to handle anything that comes their way.

"There’s a lot that did not go our way today… but I’ll tell you what, the resiliency is… the relentlessness is there, the character of this team is there and they have each other’s backs."

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Dan Viens
DAN VIENS

Dan Viens is the creator and host of the Seahawks Forever YouTube channel, where his film study, analytics breakdowns, live shows, and in-depth interviews with some of the best and brightest from the Seahawks universe have earned a rapidly growing audience of fans. Before building his digital platform, Dan worked as a television sports director and reporter and covered the Seahawks professionally as a beat reporter and columnist for Sports Illustrated, SB Nation, and VOX Media. His work reflects a commitment to thoughtful, balanced analysis—rooted in objective reporting—while still embracing the passion and perspective of a lifelong fan.

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