One Seahawks vet: Mike Macdonald’s bonding night in Tennessee the best NFL event he’s had

This week was Mike Maconald’s idea.

Leaving training camp in Renton. Packing the entire Seahawks operation of 90 players, 23 assistant coaches, dozens of staffers, support and security personnel 2,000 miles for the team’s first joint practices in 33 years. Dressing in full pads at their hotel, then carrying their helmets and shoulder pads onto buses to compete, middle-school style. Two contentious practices with the Tennessee Titans, starters on starters, full pads and full trash talking — though no fights — in 95-degree heat and humidity.

Then, the preseason game between the two teams Saturday night.

How does the first-time head coach at any level, the youngest head man in the NFL who just turned 37, think his grand experiment went this week?

Well, they may do it again somewhere next summer.

“I’d say overall, you know: Net positive,” Macdonald said Saturday night, on his way out of Nissan Stadium to the plane bound for home following Seattle’s 16-15 loss to the Titans on the last play in an exhibition of reserve players.

“Fortunate to come out relatively healthy. I feel like we got great work with, really, all ones (starters versus starters) — and twos and threes, and special teams. Great to go against somebody else.

“Would have been great to put an exclamation point on it and go out of here with a win.

“But, you know, just kind of leaves us hungry for more going forward.

“But, net positive.”

The best move Macdonald made all week is one that may have created appreciation, trust and devotion between his players and their young, new coach that could last well into the season.

And it wasn’t anything that happened on a field. Or even in the locker room.

It may have been the barbecue dinner the entire team and support staff went to in downtown Nashville Thursday night.

Four bus loads of Seahawks took a short ride from their team hotel near the Vanderbilt campus west of downtown to Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint. There were games like corn hole, darts, ping pong and more.

And, oh, yes, the players feasted. Buffet tables of whole pigs, beef brisket, chicken wings, roasted turkey and more.

Plus,there was a stage. About every establishment except gas stations in Music City has a stage, for live music, of course. Seahawks rookies got up on the one at Martin’s. They did skits that of course got good-naturedly panned by napkin-throwing veterans who went through the same thing in their first NFL summers.

Players posted some of the hilarity on social media.

Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, a 48-year-old native of Kingsley, Iowa, rapped.

Yes, that happened.

George Fant, a 32-year-old veteran of eight previous training camps with three different teams and coaching staffs, said Macdonald’s team outing to Martin’s the best time he’s had in the NFL.

Macdonald smiled when he was told that.

“It was cool just to spend time with one another,” the new head coach said.

Backup quarterback Sam Howell, who started and excelled in the first half of the game Saturday, loved that the entire franchise — players, coaches and operations staffers — was in Nashville together from Tuesday night through Saturday night.

“I think it was a great idea to come out here and bring pretty much the whole organization out here,” Howell said.

“We had a great dinner Thursday night. And the guys really got to spend a lot of time together. And I think that’s what builds a team.

“We did something that I think is really important to Mike, you know, building that culture, building a family,” Howell said. “I think it’s really big, something that’s really important to Mike, building that culture, building up a family-like atmosphere here with this team.

“And I think he’s doing a great job of doing that.”

Defense, with new callers

Unlike last weekend in the team’s first preseason game, new defensive coordinator Aden Durde called the defensive plays Saturday in the first half. Secondary coach Karl Scott called the plays in the second half against the Titans.

Again: Macdonald will call the defensive plays in the regular season.

He was giving his assistants a try Saturday night.

“It’s tough not to call (plays) defensively,” Macdonald said.

He chuckled.

The starters on defense were rookie first-round pick Byron Murphy and Myles Adams on the line, Jon Rhattigan off two days injured and rookie fourth-round pick Tyrice Knight at inside linebacker, Boye Mafe and Derick Hall as outside linebackers. Tre Brown was the left cornerback, with Michael Jackson at right corner. Coby Bryant and K’Von Wallace started as safeties.

Last weekend, Macdonald played his starters for two series at the Chargers, and the Seahawks throttled Los Angeles all game. The NFL’s youngest head coach lauded his defense for its tackling in L.A.

He won’t for its tackling in Nashville.

Macdonald wasn’t happy when rookie cornerback D.J. James and Bryant missed tackles on Julius Chestnut’s 22-yard run late in the second quarter. That got Tennessee to midfield for the first time on Seattle’s defense in the game. The head coach had his arms crossed under his chest and his play card under his arm in reaction to the Titans’ longest play of the game.

Macdonald wasn’t any happier when James, the sixth-round pick from Auburn, missed another tackle following a catch by Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on a slant pattern in the red zone. Westbrook-Ikhine ran past James for a touchdown late in the first half, the first TD Seattle allowed in six quarters this preseason.

That cut the Seahawks’ lead to 9-7.

Cody White, again

Each day, in practices and preseason games, wide receiver Cody White makes plays that are increasing his chances to make the team when the roster cuts from 90 plays to 53 are due Aug. 27.

The wide receiver with five years in the NFL but only 16 career games, with Pittsburgh, and mostly on special teams, ran down the seam late in the first half. He deftly caught Howell’s pass away from his body and the defender for a 33-yard gain.

That set up Myers’ field goal to end the half for a 12-7 lead.

Rough night for rookie

Seahawks rookie cornerback D.J. James, the sixth-round pick from Auburn, missed two tackles on one drive to help Tennessee to its first points.

Then on one Titans drive in the third quarter James got called for a defensive holding penalty to gift Tennessee a first down. Then he committed a face-mask penalty while tackling a receiver after a 17-yard catch. That resulted in a first and goal.