“Ernest Jones IV is ready to take another leap in Game 2 with the Seahawks”

The two moves meant Jones, his wife Tyra and their newborn son Ernest Jones V moved from LA to Nashville in August and then back west to Seattle last week, all before the youngest Jones turned four months old.

“Damn, these last three months have been crazy,” he said. “I mean, we had a three-month-old, got swapped, and got swapped again close, but that helped us learn that even though I know Tennessee and she’s kind of similar, we’ll always support each other. It’s still a little different. So it was a whirlwind.

And while the last few months haven’t been at all how Jones envisioned last season, he can now confidently say that despite everything that’s happened, he’s doing better and has a great support system around him.

“(I learned) that mentally I’m a tough guy,” he said. “I have a great support system. Many people wouldn’t be able to sit here and smile or go about their daily lives. A lot of people would have allowed themselves to be traded and have that pressure get to them.” But I mean, my support system has been great and I know I can do a lot mentally, so I’ve learned that about myself.

From the Seahawks’ perspective, this game is less about Jones facing his former team and more about seeing how he can continue to develop in his second week with the team. Last week, Jones arrived in Seattle late Wednesday night, practiced Thursday and Friday and then played every defensive snap against the Bills, matching his career-high 15 tackles. It was an impressive performance all around, from the build-up to the game to his performance on Sunday, but both Jones and his coaches expect more this time.

“I think our coaches deserve a lot of credit, T-Dot (Tyrel Dodson) deserves a lot of credit, but Ernest is obviously making the most of all of this,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said of Jones’ performance just days after the trade. “This guy is a real looker. We’re going to adjust some things a little bit differently now that he kind of knows how we play. But he’s fun to talk football with and work through things and we’re really excited he’s here.” Expect him to make another leap this week.

Defensive tackle Jarran Reed said: “Ernest is a dog. I already knew he was a dog when I played against him in LA. When we got him I was really excited. He has a game ahead of him. I’m pretty sure we can see more football from him. He was there to stop a lot of plays that could have led to big gains, so I’m excited to see what his future holds.

Jones expects the game to slow down for him this week after having to learn a lot on the fly in his first game with the Seahawks.

“I feel like I could play a lot more calmly and not try to sit around and piece things together while events move,” he said. “I will feel much more confident if I know the job. The coaches have done a great job preparing me, so I’m excited to go out there and play faster this week.”