The Seattle Seahawks had a disappointing Sunday night, falling 38-35 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a high-scoring game. The loss dropped Seattle to a 3-2 record, while Tampa Bay improved to 4-1. What was meant to be a strong home showing turned into a defensive collapse, with coach Mike Macdonald openly voicing his frustration.

Following the loss, Macdonald wasn’t afraid to admit where his defense went wrong. “Our pressure coverage was very weak today, and that’s something we have to look at,” the head coach said. He also made sure not to shift the blame for the poor pressure rate, as starters Demarcus Lawrence and Derick Hall were not available.

The Seahawks entered Week 5 with one of the NFL’s top statistical defenses, but that illusion quickly faded under the glare of Sunday Night Football. Baker Mayfield shredded Seattle’s defense, averaging a whopping 11.5 yards per pass attempt. The Buccaneers added two rushing touchdowns and racked up 38 points, more than Seattle had allowed in their previous two games combined.

Despite the defensive collapse, Seattle still had a chance to win in the fourth quarter. But the Buccaneers marched down the field and sealed the game with a last-second field goal. The loss exposed defensive flaws that had been masked in previous weeks.

Macdonald remained optimistic despite the loss, commending his players’ effort and expressing confidence that the team would grow from the experience.

“They did a great job of scheming stuff open. We obviously have to play better,” he continued. “I mean, it goes both ways. We knew that they were a great offense. We just didn’t get it done. When you have guys open like that, that can’t happen. And that’s my job to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Quarterback Sam Darnold had a massive show, going 28-of-34 for 341 yards, 4 TD, and 1 INT in this game. However, that last snap went wrong, stealing the game from Seattle. As Darnold said, ”I feel like that was bad quarterback play on the last snap,” Darnold said. ”I felt like we could go down and put Jason Myers in a position to be able to win the game. That was disappointing for sure,” he added.

Seattle’s secondary was depleted, with cornerback Devon Witherspoon and safety Julian Love unavailable due to injury. Their absence likely contributed to Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka’s standout performance, seven catches for 163 yards and a touchdown.

However, defensive execution and discipline still fell short of Macdonald’s expectations. But the setbacks didn’t stop there. Cornerback Riq Woolen exited mid-game, adding to the defensive strain. Still, the head coach refused to lean on injuries as an excuse.

“Injuries happen in the NFL,” he said. “I have to design better plays and put our guys in better positions consistently for us to play better on defense. It’s that simple.” Still, he took ownership of the loss,

Mike Macdonald takes accountability

In the aftermath of the loss, the head coach didn’t shy away from accountability. He admitted the defensive breakdown was on him, stating that when a unit looks as disorganized as it did Sunday night, the responsibility starts and ends with the coach.

“I have to design better plays and put our guys in better positions consistently for us to play better on defense,” Macdonald stated. “We’re not doing the things that we’re trained to do, and when it doesn’t come to life on the field, I’m responsible… it didn’t come to life today. So, it’s my responsibility. But we’ll definitely be looking at that. We missed way too many tackles.”

Macdonald emphasized that the team’s standards remain the same, regardless of who’s on the field.

“The expectation is the same no matter who’s out there,” he stated. “But again, we’ve got to design better things. Our pressures have to be more locked in, we have to call them at better times—all of those things. Our pressure coverage was very weak today. That’s something that we have to look at.”

His candid assessment came against the backdrop of a Tampa Bay offense that’s been consistently productive this season, averaging 27.0 points per game while allowing 26.4.

Though the loss was painful, Macdonald’s willingness to confront the team’s defensive shortcomings might be the wake-up call Seattle needs. His comments reflect a clear acknowledgment of the need for schematic and situational adjustments moving forward.

The Seahawks will aim to bounce back next week, but the defensive issues exposed against Tampa Bay won’t disappear until they show real improvement. For a team that prides itself on toughness and preparation, Macdonald’s public accountability could set the tone for how Seattle responds in the weeks ahead.