Matthew Stafford shouts out former Rams teammate as catalyst for elite Seahawks defense

For the third time this season, the Los Angeles Rams will take on the Seattle Seahawks in a game that will decide which team will represent the NFC West – and the NFC in general – in the Super Bowl.

On one side, there’s a Rams squad with a 12-7 record against Seattle under Sean McVay, a team with an MVP-caliber quarterback, the best one-two punch at wide receiver left in the playoffs, and a defense that has delivered against some of the better offenses in the sport. And on the other? Well, the Seahawks have a good offense too, but they really make their bones on the defensive side of the ball, where former Rams inside linebacker Ernest Jones is running the show as the team’s de facto defensive leader.

Asked about going from playing with Jones in an NFC Championship game in 2022 to face off against him with the Super Bowl on the line in 2026, Matthew Stafford noted that his former teammate has been doing a very good job in Seattle and deserves credit for their defensive efforts.

“I think Ernest [Jones] is playing at an all-time level and playing great in the middle,” Stafford said via The OC Register’s Adam Grosbard. “He’s kind of running the show for those guys.”

Initially drafted in the third round by the Rams all the way back in 2021, Jones played for three seasons for LA before being traded to the Tennessee Titans before the start of his fourth professional season. Acquired by the Seattle Seahawks later that season, Jones played well enough to earn an extension in Seattle before the season worth $28.5 million over three-years; a deal that now looks like an absolute bargain.

Will Stafford be able to take down Jones and the Seahawks to pursue his second Super Bowl win in Los Angeles? Only time will tell, but if his last few games are of any indication, Jones certainly won’t make it easy for his former teammate.

The post Matthew Stafford shouts out former Rams teammate as catalyst for elite Seahawks defense appeared first on ClutchPoints.