Alright, the Emerald City is still buzzing after the Seahawks’ 31-7 shellacking of the Arizona Cardinals yesterday, but here’s the kicker: Head Coach Mike Macdonald gave a game ball to offensive line coach John Benton. This isn’t your everyday post-game celebration, folks, and it tells you everything you need to know about the grind this team is putting in. Benton’s creativity and his unit’s sheer persistence up front won the battle, allowing our guys to run the ball right down Arizona’s throat on the road.
The Trench Warfare That Made the Difference
All the juicy All-22 angles and end zone shots from the Week 2 win dropped on NFL Pro this morning, and what they reveal is pure football poetry. The individual matchup between our center Jalen Sundell and Cardinals nose tackle Roy Lopez was an absolute heavyweight fight. Lopez, fresh off one of the league’s best defensive line performances in Week 1, was a problem. But the Hawks? They had a plan. Sundell, often with Christian Haynes or Beau Stephens at right guard, consistently hit Lopez with a double-team. When Lopez pulled out that “Byron Murphy II tactic” of dropping a knee to hold the line, the Hawks noticed. They knew if they kept pounding the rock, he’d eventually get gassed.
Grinding Them Down: Macdonald’s Boa Constrictor in Action
And gassed he got. The Seahawks owned the clock with a dominant 36:33 time of possession and ran a whopping 67 offensive plays compared to Arizona’s 47. Think about that difference. Despite some rotation at right guard, this offensive line, spearheaded by Benton since he got here, found ingenious ways to just keep doing the dirty work. Macdonald talks about a “boa constrictor” mentality, and let me tell you, that O-line embodied it just as much as the defense did. This rare move,a game ball going to a position coach,perfectly fits the brand of football we’re building here in Seattle.
Next up, the boys take on the Washington Commanders in Week 3. You can bet your last dollar the ground game, and Benton’s creative approach to it, will be front and center as we look to keep this early season momentum rolling.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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