GLENDALE, Ari. - Dropping back into his zone responsibility with his body parallel to the sideline, Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV kept his focus on Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray as the signal caller took a two-step drop out of shotgun and scanned the field.
Playing with the instincts and awareness that already have endeared him to his new coaches and teammates in Seattle, Jones quickly pivoted back to his left, letting Murray's eyes take him to the football. With Marvin Harrison Jr. running a crosser over the middle, he caught the quarterback by surprise undercutting the route and recording his first interception of the season, making it look as if he was the intended receiver with the pass thrown right to him.
Carrying the ball like a loaf of bread away from his body, Jones promptly took off, receiving a lead block from his new battery mate Tyrice Knight. The rookie linebacker put James Conner onto his back, and though the veteran running back managed to stick an arm out to trip up Jones while sprawled out on the ground, the return set up the Seahawks with excellent field position in the red zone, setting up a 19-yard touchdown pass from Geno Smith to Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
While Knight's pancake won't show up in the box score, Jones has quickly come to expect such efforts from his partner in crime in the middle, as the rookie has been a key component of Seattle's defensive resurgence amid a winning streak that reached four games with a 30-18 win over Arizona at State Farm Stadium.
“That’s my guy. He’s balling," Jones said of Knight after the game. "A young guy playing some great football, and I’m excited about his career. Let’s continue to grow together.”
Successfully baiting Murray into believing Harrison Jr. was open before jumping the route, Jones' interception stood out as one of the highlight plays for the Seahawks on Sunday, as the turnover immediately turned into seven points. In addition, he added eight combined tackles, including a pair of run stops that netted fewer than two yards, continuing to be a tackling machine attacking the line of scrimmage and flying sideline to sideline.
But even without an interception to his name, Knight shined just as brightly in his sixth career start, helping Seattle hold Arizona under 20 points for the second time in three weeks. Aside from recording a team-best 12 combined tackles, he swatted away a screen pass while coming on a blitz off the edge and later stuck with Harrison Jr. in stride on a drag route working out of the slot, extending his arm in front of the receiver for an impressive pass breakup.
