Film review: How Ernest Jones changed the Seahawks defense for the better

With Jones on the field, the Seahawks run defense was reborn.

On October 23, 2024, the Seahawks acquired linebacker Ernest Jones IV from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick—a move that, over time, proved to be one of the best trades of the season.

He soon took over the starting job at center field when Tyrel Dodson was cut. His arrival coincided with a turnaround in the defense’s performance. What can he do with a full offseason compared to Mike Macdonald?

Stats

In just 10 games, Jones formed a solid duo with Tyrice Knight. The tandem elevated the defense to an impressive level: in the last eight games of the season, Seattle ranked 5th in the NFL in points allowed (18.4 per game) and 4th in total yards allowed (304.8).

Despite a late addition to the roster, Jones impressed:

• He was 7th among NFL quarterbacks in solo tackles and 6th in run stops in the final 10 games.
• On blitzes, he recorded 9 pressures and 1 sack during 57 snaps.
• He also recorded an interception and a pass deflection, ranking top 16 in opponent passer rating allowed.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF) data:

• Overall Grade: 60.7 (108th among 189 LBs)
• Run Defense Grade: 73.6 (46th among 189)
• Coverage Grade: 48.5 (142nd among 189)
• Solo Tackles: 94 (12th)
• Assists: 36 (15th)
• Sacks: 1 (47th)
• Pressures: 13 (21st)
• Stops: 48 (16th)
• Missed tackles: 11 (85th)
• Passer rating allowed: 100.2 (21st)

In the context of run defense in the second half of 2024:

• Run stop % of 10.4% (5th among LBs)

Dominance against the run game

The main difference came in run support, a major weakness for the Seahawks in previous seasons:

In the last 10 games with Jones, the defense jumped from 30th to 16th in total defense against the run game. By DVOA, the Seahawks ranked 6th in the NFL against the run from Week 10 onward. Jones stood out with 94 tackles in 10 games, ranking 3rd on the team in this statistic. His missed tackle rate was extremely low: 7.8% (23rd lowest in the NFL among LBs with ≥100 attempts).

1. Reading the Game and Positioning in Gaps (Run Defense)

He’s a LB who knows how to wait for the right moment to attack. Note that he attacks at first, but then backs off, waiting for the best moment, and then finally makes his tackle.

Jones excels at understanding blocks and the flow of the run. He demonstrates excellent gap reading, anticipating the running back’s direction, allowing him to position himself to cut off the opponent’s attack.

This ability to read the offensive line and react quickly is one of the reasons he has one of the best tackle rates in running situations. He consistently lines up in the correct position to stop the RB’s progress down the field, whether through an inside or outside...