Coming off an impressive first game, veteran safety Julian Love sees big things in store for the Seahawks secondary.
When Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw a fourth-quarter pass in the direction of receiver Courtland Sutton, Seahawks safety Julian Love broke on the pass thinking he had a shot at his second interception of the game.
"I was breaking on the ball, my eyes got big," Love explained.
Love was denied his shot another takeaway, however, because Riq Woolen, one of the fastest players in the NFL, made a play very few other cornerbacks in the NFL is capable of making, coming across the field with Sutton, despite giving up inside leverage at the snap, to undercut the rout and make a leaping interception in front of both the intended target and Love.
"He's got to be a little bit quicker," Woolen said with a grin when asked about taking an interception away from his teammate.
That interception-that-wasn't for Love was one of the few things that didn't go his way in Seattle's 26-20 season-opening win, but the fact that even without that play he still finished the day with 12 tackles, one tackle for a loss, an interception and a forced fumble, shows just how good of a game Love had. And the fact that Love was in position to make a play, only to have another defensive back get the interception instead, helps illustrate why the Seahawks are so excited about their secondary, which shined in the opener.
"I told you guys months ago that I am excited about this room," Love said. "Selfishly the safety room, but DBs in general. I told the guys that we are the tip of the spear. The energy of this team goes with us. We have to stay consistent, stay locked in, and have guys look to us as a beacon of playing Seahawks football. K'Von (Wallace), his production rate is probably sky high with the forced fumble there, whenever he was coming in. And Ray (Rayshawn Jenkins) played a great game too. He was just flying around. That's just swagger, that's energy, that's who we want to be."
As Love noted, there were plenty of standouts, from Wallace's forced fumble to Jenkins' many sure tackles near the line of scrimmage, as well as his touchdown-saving one on Denver's first offensive play following a turnover, to Woolen and Tre Brown who provided tough coverage on the outside all game, to Devon Witherspoon, who had seven tackles, a pass defensed and a couple of near sacks as a blitzer. But for all the standouts in Sunday's game, no one shined brighter than Love, who heads into his second year with the Seahawks both with a bigger role on defense as a player, and also as a leader.
When he signed with the Seahawks last offseason, Love was joining a team that already had a pair of Pro-Bowl safeties in Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams. He knew he'd still have a significant role on the team, but Love did not begin last season as an every-down player. With Adams dealing with injuries, however, Love eventually took over that starting role and played well enough to earn Pro-Bowl honors, recognition that came not long after he and his wife, Julia, welcomed their first child, a boy named Noah. And in case all of that wasn't enough, Love capped his first full year in Seattle by signing a three-year contract extension head of the start of training camp.
With the Seahawks moving on from Adams and Diggs in the offseason, Love not only became a clear-cut every-down starting player, he also took it upon himself to step up as a leader. That wasn't a big challenge for Love in a young secondary—he was a captain during his final year with the Giants—but he still made a concerted effort with his approach to this offseason and training camp when it came to leadership.
"It was natural in terms just being myself, but then you have a little bit of importance when you know everybody's looking to you," he said. "I knew I had to bring energy all day, because the young guys are looking to see what I do, and hopefully it's contagious. And it's not just me, other leaders on the team are doing it too. The energy was infectious, so we maintain."
That Love, Jenkins and Wallace all had strong games in the opener shouldn't come as much of a surprise to anyone who watched the Ravens last season, with Mike Macdonald's defense getting standout play from the likes of Kyle Hamilton and Geno Stone. For Love, a player known for his versatility, having played everything from nickel corner to free safety to strong safety in the box, Macdonald's defense should help bring the best out of the sixth-year veteran.
"I like that I can be doing a little bit of everything; I'm not just playing deep in the post every play," Love said. "I can roll down a little bit, I can pressure a little bit. I like just being around the ball in general, so just getting varying looks allows me to do that."
Throughout the offseason and training camp, as well as in the opener, Love's teammates have loved what they've seen from him as he helps lead a loaded secondary.
"His IQ of the game is really high," Jenkins said. "He really understands the game of football. He's on the details, the ultimate professional, and then he's a playmaker at the end of the day. Just having a guy like that to be back there with you just makes it that much more easier."
Said Woolen, "That man Julian is a dog, man. He's a smart player, and I enjoy coming in every day, because I know J-Love is going to get us right in the secondary. He's been embracing his role, which is a leader on the team, and he does an amazing job of it. And as we continue throughout the season, you'll see him be even greater than what he showed last Sunday."
