The NFC West is gearing up for a playoff showdown that feels more like a heavyweight trilogy than just another postseason game. The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks are set to meet for the third time this season - and this time, everything’s on the line.
Just two weeks ago, Seattle took round two with a gritty 13-3 win. Now, with the stakes raised and the lights brighter, both teams are preparing for what promises to be their most intense battle yet.
For most of the Seahawks roster, this weekend’s game will be the biggest moment of their NFL careers. But for linebacker Ernest Jones IV, this isn’t uncharted territory - it’s familiar ground.
He’s already climbed the mountain once, winning a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams back in 2022. That experience doesn’t just show up on his résumé - it shows up in how he plays, how he leads, and how he talks about what it takes to win when the pressure is at its peak.
And make no mistake - Jones has been a tone-setter for Seattle’s defense all year long.
At just 26 years old, Jones may not have the years of service of a grizzled veteran, but he plays like one. His presence has been a driving force behind a Seahawks defense that’s consistently made life miserable for opposing offenses.
With 126 total tackles and five interceptions on the season - despite missing three games - Jones earned a spot on the NFL’s Second Team All-Pro. But ask him what matters most, and he won’t point to the stats.
He’ll point to execution.
That’s the message he’s been preaching heading into this playoff rematch with San Francisco.
“I'm sure they have a couple things schemed up for us,” Jones said this week. “But, you know, it's always been about our execution and how we play.
I think the same thing applies this time around. Ultimately, it takes one game at a time.
We got to handle San Fran first, then whoever they send next to us, so we can get to the ultimate goal.”
That mindset - laser-focused, grounded in experience - is exactly what you want from one of your defensive leaders heading into a do-or-die playoff game. And it’s not just talk.
Seattle’s defense has backed it up on the field all season long. In 18 games, they’ve held opponents to 10 or fewer points four times, including a shutout.
They’ve kept teams under 20 points in 11 games - and that includes one they didn’t even win. That kind of consistency speaks volumes about the unit’s discipline and execution, the very things Jones keeps hammering home.
Even with the missed time due to injury, Jones has been everywhere - stuffing the run, dropping into coverage, flying to the ball. He’s the type of player who doesn’t just make plays - he makes statements.
And when he talks about what it takes to win in January, it carries weight. After all, he’s been through the fire and come out the other side with a ring.
Back in 2022, it was Jones and the Rams who executed their way to a championship. That team had a new quarterback in Matthew Stafford, a defense that stepped up when it mattered most, and a belief in sticking to the plan. They held Joe Burrow and the Bengals to just 20 points in the Super Bowl - not by reinventing the wheel, but by doing their job at the highest level when it mattered most.
That’s the blueprint Jones is bringing to Seattle now. And if the rest of the Seahawks - especially on offense - are listening, they’ll understand that this isn’t just playoff hype.
It’s a proven formula. The kind that wins in January.
The kind that wins in February.
So when the Seahawks take the field this weekend, they won’t just be bringing a top-tier defense. They’ll be bringing a leader in Ernest Jones IV who knows exactly what it takes to survive and advance. And that could make all the difference in round three.