The Seahawks didn’t expect their season to end this way, with a Week 18 game that has no playoff implications after they were eliminated last weekend.
Even though the Seahawks can’t make the playoffs with a 10th win, they still believe there’s a lot to play for when they head to Los Angeles to face the Rams.
“You’re always trying to win your next game,” Macdonald said. “This is the next game. That’s number one. There are broader goals: getting to 10 wins, aiming to be 4-2 in our division, playing our style of football the way we know how, and setting up a foundation for the future.
There’s a lot at stake for us this weekend. It’s not the stakes we wanted, but they’re still important.”
“You’re just trying to get our guys to play their best football,” he continued. “Your goals have changed recently, so we’re trying to make that clear and stay positive, doing the best we can to become the team we want to be.
It’s not easy for anyone, but our guys have been great. I’ve been really impressed with their determination, attitude, and communication the past few days. They’ve been amazing.”
As Macdonald mentioned, there are important foundational goals for the Seahawks beyond just reaching 10 wins. For a team working under a new head coach and staff, there are ups and downs and opportunities for growth. Finishing strong is about pride and also about setting a tone for 2025.
Receiver DK Metcalf said, “This is all of our resume, especially (Macdonald’s) resume, so he’s not trying to go out on a loss. We’re trying to win every game. If they keep score, he’s trying to win. That’s the mentality the coach has, and it’s the mentality all the players have. It’s good to build for next year.
It’s his first year, and we have a learning curve. He’ll carry over some things into next year, and others he won’t. I think it’s been a good year—a good first year for everyone.”
Linebacker Ernest Jones IV added, “In our eyes, we’re still playing for a lot—10 wins, the chance to start this year the right way and set things up for next year. We’re going to go out and play the right way.
Even though we’re out of the playoffs and this is our last game, we want to leave our mark with our style of football. We’ve got another game, and no matter what it’s for, we’ve got to play for the name on our jersey and the Seahawks logo.”
As Metcalf mentioned, NFL players are too competitive and proud to stop playing just because the stakes have changed.
He said, “In the NFL, there are a lot of competitive guys, especially on this team. So, I wouldn’t expect anything less than for us to go out and play like we’re still fighting for the playoffs. It shows the opposing team the kind of identity this team will have moving forward.
No, we’re not going to just lay down and accept not making the playoffs and think this last week will be easy.”
There are also individual goals that motivate players, such as financial rewards or personal milestones. Second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is just five catches away from breaking Tyler Lockett’s franchise record of 100 receptions in a season.
Leonard Williams, with 9.0 sacks, could become the first Seahawks player with a double-digit sack season since Frank Clark in 2018. Geno Smith also has contract incentives within reach, along with a good chance to break his own single-season records for passing yards, completions, and completion percentage.