Ernest Jones IV: "We Have A Lot Of Confidence On The Defensive Side Of The Ball"

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Hello, hello.

SPEAKER_2 (0:04)

Mike was just saying that the game reminds you guys of how good you guys can be when you play like this. Did you guys, did you feel like you needed that at all, or was it good to be able to go out and prove that?

Ernest Jones IV (0:13)

Yeah, I think, I don't know. I mean, needed it, yeah, we needed to win. I think that's just part of this game. But I mean, honestly, that's what we've been, you know, once we execute and do our job, we should have been, you know, doing these things, and it was just good to see it come out today.

SPEAKER_2 (0:28)

To hold that team, that offense, that quarterback in Ken Walker, I mean, to hold them to a single field, what does that say about your defense?

Ernest Jones IV (0:35)

I mean, we can play. We can play.

We go out there, and that's our goal, is to shut you down, you know, shut your lights out. So I think that's big ups to the defense today. You know, we came out there, executed, was able to go out there and stop a real, you know, real good offense.

SPEAKER_2 (0:53)

With the run game in particular, I mean, you guys take a lot of pride in our defense. Ken has been just putting up crazy numbers.

What was the key to keeping him limited?

Ernest Jones IV (1:01)

Just getting after him, man. We knew, I mean, of course, he's been here. We know what type of running back, you know, was coming in here. But we don't allow people to run through our defense. And that was, that's just us. And we were able to, you know, execute against a really good running back today and hold them to minimum yards in that category.

SPEAKER_1 (1:21)

Ernest, you've seen their offense when it can fly as high as it does to be able to, at some lowest points, they've had them a home start in its career to kind of do that. What does that kind of do for you guys to kind of get this victory and do it the way you did?

Ernest Jones IV (1:35)

I think it should give us confidence. I mean, I think we got a lot of confidence on the defense side of the ball. We know when we're clicking on all levels that it's not too many offenses that can move the ball against us. So we should continue to work, you know, fixing things that we need to fix today and just get ready to go next week.

SPEAKER_2 (1:53)

You guys hadn't lost two games in a row for a while.

SPEAKER_1 (1:57)

What did it feel like this past week?

Ernest Jones IV (2:00)

Man, it was, I wouldn't say, nobody was down. It was just like, man, let's get to Sunday. Let's go get a win. We were, we needed a win. We wanted to win. Hadn't played, you know, our style of ball the last two weeks. So we were just itching to get back out there and get an opportunity.

SPEAKER_2 (2:15)

I feel like seeing Nick Emmanwori, you know, on the last scrimmage rush in the past or one play, and then he's springing downfield as a leader worthy.

Ernest Jones IV (2:22)

Yeah.

SPEAKER_2 (2:22)

Stride for stride.

Ernest Jones IV (2:23)

Man, Nick does it all. Nick's really good. Nick has a lot on his plate during these games, but to see him in year or two be able to, you know, handle that and do it, you know, he's playing really well for us.

SPEAKER_4 (2:35)

Ernest, were you surprised at their approach in covering JSN? And then I guess the second part is, why is he able to get open regardless of what the coverage is?

Ernest Jones IV (2:45)

Am I surprised? I don't know if I'm surprised. I think, you know, when you're playing defense and you got a really good defense and you play your system, you live by the sword, die by the sword. So, I mean, I think that's just what they do. They play a lot of man, they trust their corners.

And I think that's just the outcome. You know, you got a good receiver like Jax, you got to do certain things, but they stayed on their stuff.

SPEAKER_5 (3:09)

What did it mean to see Darnold and the offense play the way they did tonight? You know, it just seemed like the running game had a good rhythm and just like you guys were playing lights out to see a complete game like that. What did it mean for you?