Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald speaks during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald explains fateful 4th down decision vs. 49ers

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 8:05 PM ET

Every one-score game in the NFL comes down to a few key decisions. The Seattle Seahawks may have bungled the most-important one they had to make in today's season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers. On their second to last possession, Seattle had the ball on 4th and inches, but head coach Mike Macdonald elected to kick a field goal rather than keep the pressure on the Niners and go for it.

What happened next was predictable, because it's happened so many times before and will continue to happen as long a teams make fundamentally flawed, conservative decisions on fourth and short. Brock Purdy led a scoring drive the other way, capped off by a ridiculous scramble and desperation heave into the end zone that should have rightfully been picked off by Riq Woolen if his head had been screwed on straight.

Unfortunately, this was a big game so the bizarro Woolen showed up and he gave up several clutch completions, including the game winner. However, Macdonald's decision to kick on fourth and inches was the far greater crime against football than Woolen's penchant for disappearing against contenders. Here's how Macdonald justified the call afterwards with reporters.

Mike Macdonald says he considered going for it on 4th/1 on second-to-last possession but ultimately decided he wanted to take the lead and go play defense.
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) September 7, 2025

No matter what he says it doesn't make the call correct. There are too many plays with success rates that are too high on fourth and inches to ever justify kicking a field goal in that situation. The Seahawks even pulled one of them off in the preseason when they tush pushed Jalen Milroe to a first down against the Chiefs.

That play has a success rate well over 90% - and any version of a quarterback sneak is in the same ballpark. The Seahawks also could have thrown a curveball with the old fullback dive, or just relied on the size and power of Zach Charbonnet to get a handful of inches by running downhill.

Any of those scenarios might have failed, but making the correct decision on 4th & 1 is preferable, no matter what the end result might be. Hopefully this is a lesson that Macdonald will learn from. Defensive coaches seem determined not to, though.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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