Why Seahawks linebackers need to have their best game yet

Dec 15, 2024, 9:38 AM | Updated: 1:57 pm

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV in action during a 2024 game. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

Ernest Jones IV and rookie fourth-round draft pick Tyrice Knight have been a revelation at inside linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks.

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Since replacing season-opening starters Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson in a midseason shakeup, Jones and Knight have played a key part in Seattle’s dramatic defensive turnaround. Their greatest impact has been in the run game, where the Seahawks went from allowing 148.4 rushing yards per game in Weeks 1-8 to just 91.6 rushing yards per game in Weeks 9-14.

Sunday night’s showdown against the Green Bay Packers will be the linebacking duo’s biggest test yet.

Jones and Knight will be tasked with helping slow down star running back Josh Jacobs, the centerpiece of one of the NFL’s top rushing attacks. Jacobs, who signed with Green Bay in the offseason, ranks fourth in the league with 1,053 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. The former Las Vegas Raiders star torched the Seahawks at Lumen Field in 2022, when he exploded for 303 yards from scrimmage – including a game-winning 86-yard touchdown run in overtime.

“Ever since Ernest Jones stepped on the block, that second level (of Seattle’s defense) has looked great (with Jones and) Tyrice Knight,” NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus said during Thursday’s edition of Four Down Territory on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. “… But they need to have their best day.”

Jacobs possesses a combination of elusiveness and power that makes him particularly tough to bring down. He is tied for second in the league with 58 missed tackles forced and is third with 824 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus.

Furthermore, quarterback Jordan Love and the Packers like to take downfield shots in the passing game, which helps create more space for the run game by stretching opposing defenses. Love’s passes have an average depth of target of 9.5 yards, which is tied for the fourth-highest mark in the league, according to PFF.

“Their receivers on the outside (are) pushing guys down the field, creating space underneath in matchups,” Bumpus said. “(Jacobs) is elusive. He has great balance. He has a low center of gravity. He’s just a good running back. … If you’re gonna have formations and motions and route combinations that push guys down the field, those backers have gotta be on point.

“They’re gonna be stressed out. They’re gonna be dropping to their coverage, but they’ve gotta keep their eyes in the backfield and make sure Josh Jacobs isn’t running loose.”

One good sign for the Seahawks: Knight and Jones have both excelled at tackling this season. Out of 73 linebackers across the league who have logged at least 300 defensive snaps, Knight has the third-lowest missed tackle rate at 5.1% and Jones has the 12th-lowest at 7.4%, according to PFF.

“I know (Seahawks head coach) Mike Macdonald has talked about stopping the run while still having light boxes and still playing your safeties deep,” The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia said Thursday on Bump and Stacy. “And so I think that’s gonna be a big deal in this game: Are the Seahawks able to do that? Because that’s what the Packers want to do.

“Early downs, can the Seahawks stop the run?” he added. “I think that might go a long way into determining this football game.”

Listen to the full Four Down Territory segment and conversation with Sheil Kapadia at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.