Seahawks’ Jadeveon Clowney named NFC Defensive Player of the Week
Nov 13, 2019, 10:48 AM
Seahawks DE Jadeveon Clowney had a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery Monday. (Getty)
(Getty)
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll called defensive end Jadeveon Clowney’s Week 10 performance against the then-undefeated San Francisco 49ers “the best game I’ve seen a guy play for us in a long time.”
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That’s quite the praise from the defensive-minded head coach, who has been at the helm of the Seahawks since 2010 and led some of the best defenses in NFL history with the Legion of Boom patrolling the Seattle secondary.
Now the 26-year-old Clowney has some hardware to go along with his sack, forced fumble and fumble recovered and returned for a touchdown from Monday night.
The star defensive end was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 10. It is his second Defensive Player of the Week award since he entered the league in 2014. He won the award in the AFC last year as a member of the Houston Texans.
Absolutely dominant. 💪@clownejd has been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week!
» https://t.co/LhukemB4AH pic.twitter.com/hzsaSwZu0F
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 13, 2019
Clowney is the second Seahawk to earn Player of the Week honors, as quarterback Russell Wilson won NFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 2 and Week 9.
Wilson himself shared congratulations for Clowney on Twitter.
I see you ballin!!!!! @clownejd @NFL Defensive Player of the Week!
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) November 13, 2019
Clowney set the tone early on Monday night, hitting 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on his first two passing attempts. He was in Garoppolo’s face all night to record 10 quarterback pressures, the second-most in the NFL by a single defensive player in one game this year, to go along with five quarterback hits. His play also opened things up for fellow defensive lineman like defensive tackles Poona Ford and Jarran Reed, who had arguably their best games of the season.
Clowney’s sack also forced a Garoppolo fumble, which was recovered by Ford. The turnover helped set up a Seahawks touchdown.
But Clowney also did some scoring himself, scooping up a fumble and returning it for his second defensive touchdown of the year.
Ball is out! Ball is picked up! @clownejd picks up a fumble for the touchdown in this @BittrexExchange Raible Call of the Game!
» https://t.co/V2wugBqA8O pic.twitter.com/ReesQMOHZ0
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 13, 2019
He was also a huge part of stopping the 49ers’ second-ranked rushing attack. Entering the game, San Francisco was averaging 171.1 rushing yards per game. The Seahawks held the 49ers to just 87 yards on 27 carries (3.2 yards per rush).
“It was a breakout game,” Carroll said after the game, per Seahawks.com. “I thought he was so impressive all night long. I don’t know how, I thought they were tackling him, he was just penetrating so fast and so furiously. And what a fantastic game. And yeah, we would have liked to have seen (the pass rush) a little earlier (in the season), but if we get going now this is where we kick into high gear, then that’s a really good defense and we looked pretty good tonight too. I’m really proud of our guys.”
Clowney was the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Texans after three years at South Carolina. Entering college, he was the No. 1 high school recruit for his graduating class.
The Seahawks acquired Clowney from Houston in exchange for linebacker Jacob Martin, defensive end/outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo and a 2020 third-round pick.
Clowney is playing on a one-year, $15 million contract this season, and Houston is paying $7 million of that deal.
The Seahawks will likely aim to re-sign Clowney to a long-term extension after the year, and have promised to not place the franchise tag on him in the upcoming offseason. The Seahawks will have a limited window to re-sign the defensive star before he’s officially a free agent and free to sign with any team in the NFL.
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