The stars supplied the highlights in the Seattle Seahawks’ 31-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Offensive line coach John Benton received the keepsake.
Seattle coach Mike Macdonald presented Benton with a game ball after Sunday’s road victory, per Maura Dooley of Seattle Sports.
“He’s a foundational guy for our program,” Macdonald said. “What I love about JB is there’s no pretense to what he does. It’s just, ‘I’m going to coach the heck out of my guys,’ and he coaches everybody, man.”
“He’s a foundational guy for our program. What I love about JB is there’s no pretense to what he does. It’s just I’m going to coach the heck out of my guys and he coaches everybody man.”
Drew Lock started for an injured Sam Darnold, while Christian Haynes made his first career start at right guard in place of Anthony Bradford.
The Seahawks still amassed 381 yards and controlled the ball for 36 minutes, 33 seconds. They finished the rout with a 16-play, 70-yard touchdown drive that drained 10:14.
Game Ball Recognizes Seahawks’ Offensive Line Turnaround
Benton arrived in February 2025 with a career stretching across more than three decades in college and professional football. His first Seattle season produced a sharp turnaround where the Seahawks had labored for years.
After surrendering 54 sacks in 2024, Seattle cut that total in half to 27 in 2025, tied for the fifth fewest in the NFL. The offense also jumped from 28th to 10th in rushing yards, via an August feature on the line’s improvement.
The leap coincided with a championship season, but Benton’s place on the staff survived an offseason change at coordinator. Brian Fleury replaced Klint Kubiak after Kubiak left to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, and Benton returned with a promotion to senior offensive assistant/offensive line coach.
His history helped explain the continuity. Seven NFL lines coached by Benton since 2004 have finished in the top 10 in rushing yards per game. His first Seahawks unit also helped Grey Zabel earn PFWA All-Rookie Team honors after starting every regular-season and postseason game.
Sunday just confirmed his developmental reach even more. Haynes stepped into a lineup that returned its other four starters and helped Seattle operate cleanly around Lock.
The quarterback completed 19 of 26 passes for 235 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers, while Emanuel Wilson ran for 92 yards on 21 carries.
Benton’s Unit Delivers Macdonald’s Preferred Finish
The final drive captured what Macdonald has wanted from Seattle’s offense since Benton joined the staff, and that’s physical play and the ability to dictate terms.
The Seahawks took over with 10:14 remaining and didn’t give the ball back. They marched 70 yards before AJ Barner scored on a 1-yard run, transforming a convincing victory into a complete one. Seattle had already lost rookie Jadarian Price to a chest injury, yet the running game kept moving behind the line.
That finish also protected a defense that limited Arizona to 151 total yards. The complementary formula resembled the physical one Macdonald described when Seattle hired Benton in 2025.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba supplied the fireworks with nine catches for 155 yards and three touchdowns. And Lock delivered in his first Seahawks start since 2023.
Benton’s work existed beneath both performances, which made Macdonald’s choice of recipient fitting.
Altogether, Macdonald’s words served as a testament to Seattle seeing Benton as one of the coaches holding its championship standard firm.
Seahawks’ ‘Foundational Guy’ Who ‘Coaches Everybody’ Gets Game Ball After Cardinals Win