Ernest Jones, Seahawks' Defense Flash 'Special' Potential in Win vs. 49ers

At the center of a dramatic turnaround, Ernest Jones shined for a suddenly reinvigorated Seahawks defense as they held the 49ers under 300 total yards.

Nov 17, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) and linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) in the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Though Ernest Jones IV has only been with the Seattle Seahawks for four weeks, the veteran linebacker shared a common ground with his new teammates heading into Sunday's critical Week 11 road contest against the San Francisco 49ers.

Having spent his first three NFL seasons residing in the NFC West with the Rams, like the Seahawks, who had lost six straight games to their bitter rival prior to Sunday, he experienced minimal success playing the 49ers twice a year. In six regular season games against Kyle Shanahan's squad from 2021 to 2023, Los Angeles posted a dismal 1-5 record, with their lone victory coming last January when San Francisco rested the majority of its starters.

Already having a built in disdain for the 49ers before joining the Seahawks via trade last month due to that previous history, Jones and his new team finally got to enjoy the taste of revenge on Sunday, using a stout defensive effort to stun their rivals on their home turf for a potentially season saving 20-17 win at Levis Stadium.

"Heck, when I was in LA, we couldn't beat them in the regular season either. So, for us to come down here in their spot, go out there and take a win from them, that's big for this team.," Jones said post-game. "That's big for what we have going forward. I'm going to keep saying, I'm excited about what we really can be when this thing gets rolling.”

Only five weeks earlier, even without star running back Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco grounded and pounded Seattle into submission at Lumen Field on Thursday Night Football, racking up 228 rushing yards in a 36-24 romp to continue its dominance in a rivalry that had become incredibly one-sided as of late. It marked the third time in five games where the Seahawks allowed at least 150 rushing yards, continuing a troubling trend from the previous two seasons.

Displeased with the performance of the defense, particularly at the second level where starting linebackers Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson struggled, the Seahawks promptly shook things up, trading a fourth round pick and Baker to the Titans to acquire Jones in late October. Three weeks later, the team stunningly sent Dodson packing, releasing him this past Monday and replacing him in the lineup with rookie Tyrice Knight.

Though the sample size is a small one, the moves made by coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider look to be paying major dividends, starting with Jones bringing a physical, instinctive presence to the middle that Seattle sorely missed in the first seven games.

While Jones admittedly struggled to keep his head above water in his Seahawk debut after only two practices in a loss to the Bills, the fourth-year linebacker has been a major catalyst for the team's sudden turnaround defending the run since his arrival. Following an impressive showing against his former team in an overtime loss to the Rams where he helped hold the opposition to under 70 total rushing yards two weeks ago, he played a starring role limiting McCaffrey to just 79 rushing yards on Sunday.

Flying all over the field making plays sideline to sideline and shedding and slipping past blocks, Jones tallied a team-best 14 combined tackles against the 49ers, who had to think they were seeing double with how No. 13 seemingly found his way to the ball every single play. Most importantly, nearly half of those stops resulted in gains of two yards or less, as he made six such tackles on McCaffrey near the line of scrimmage and could have had seven if not for a holding penalty on defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins in the fourth quarter.

Next to him, Knight rose to the challenge making his third career NFL start, finishing second in tackles (10) for Seattle while adding a quarterback hit on Brock Purdy. The fourth-round pick out of UTEP also held up well in coverage, allowing two catches for just 12 yards.

Meanwhile, after giving up chunk plays in bunches in the first matchup against the 49ers, including a 76-yard touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel, the Seahawks buttoned up their coverage on the back end. All but eliminating explosives for most of the afternoon, Macdonald's unit allowed just one catch of more than 14 yards in the entire game, with Jauan Jennings 22-yard catch in the first half being the only exception in an otherwise dominant performance in the secondary.

Leading the way, Devon Witherspoon equaled his previous season total with three pass breakups, including knocking one of Purdy's passes up into the air when targeting McCaffrey in the second quarter to allow Hankins to run underneath it and snatch his first career interception. Between him, Riq Woolen, and Josh Jobe, Seattle's three cornerbacks combined to allow 10 receptions for just 79 yards and no touchdowns.

“This defense, I look to my left, I see [LB Tyrice] T Knight, I look behind me and I see [CB Devon
Witherspoon] Spoon, I see those safeties, and I look in front and I see those dogs. We can go out there and play with anybody," Jones proclaimed. "We come out there and show what we are and play physically, be disciplined in the moments that we need to be, which really, at all moments, I think we can be something special."

Back to the .500 mark after avenging their demons by finally beating the 49ers, Jones and the Seahawks still have a long way to go to reach their goal of earning a playoff spot, as consistency has evaded the team all season long. For those who view the glass half empty, the 49ers were without star tight end George Kittle and receiver Brandon Aiyuk, which certainly made things easier defending Purdy and the passing game.

But seeing the positive impact Jones has had on Seattle's defense as a whole since coming to town, there's reason to believe the marked improvements over the past two games can be sustained for a postseason push. Pairing him with the likes of Witherspoon, safety Julian Love, edge rusher Boye Mafe, and defensive tackle Leonard Williams among others, the group looks to be meshing at the right time and Sunday provided a glimpse of what they are capable of entering the closing stretch.

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