'Dude's a Stud': Julian Love Credits Ernest Jones For Seahawks' Run Game Improvements

In a less-visible way, he's also helped the run defense turn around in a big way. In Sunday's upset win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Seahawks held reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey to just 79 rushing yards on 4.2 yards per carry, largely thanks to Jones' team-high 13 tackles. The game before that, an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 3, the Seahawks allowed just 68 rushing yards and 2.8 yards per carry as Jones had nine total tackles, tied for the team lead.

It's a huge change for a team that has struggled to defend the run for two and a half seasons now, and Jones' impact isn't lost on his new teammates.

“I think No. 13 [Jones] is probably what's working," safety Julian Love said Thursday. "That dude's a stud. We all really appreciate having him, and he's just such a good leader in terms of he's very steady, he communicates clearly, and above all, he's a dog. He has a see-ball, get-ball mentality. When you have that, guys are playing off him. ... I think it starts in that middle just from very good play. Everybody else is building off of it."

Jones has always been a solid, but very underrated player. Last season with the Los Angeles Rams, he recorded a team-high 145 tackles and emerged as a leader on a young defense, only for the Rams to confusingly trade him to the Tennessee Titans just before this season. He then continued to play well for Tennessee, recording 44 tackles in six games, and has made a seamless transition to Seattle.

"I think he does a good job of playing off the guys in front of him," defensive coordinator Aden Durde said. "He thrived on that in L.A., you know, playing off someone like Aaron Donald and people like that — their instincts up front, they're not always where the piece of paper says they're meant to be, but they're making plays. I saw it on his film when I watched his film, but he does it with the guys up front. He does a very good job leading them, talking to them, making them understand what we need as a defense.

"I'm really excited for him. He's doing a good job. … He's a very mature young man. You see that. He's got confidence inside and it comes out. I think that kind of a authentic confidence the guys buy into. He just wants to play. He's a dog."

Jones is a free agent after this season, but he's making a strong case to stick around in Seattle. If all goes well, he'll continue to make his case for the last seven games of the season and potentially beyond.