As Seahawks outside linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence pulled Max Brosmer towards the Lumen Field turf, the Vikings rookie quarterback decided to try a desperation, underhand throw rather than take a fourth-down sack.

Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV couldn't quite believe what he was seeing, but he was also ready to take advantage.

"I saw DeMarcus holding him, getting ready to bring him to the ground—and when you catch these interceptions, everything slows down—I'm thinking, 'There's no way he's about to throw this,'" Jones said after the Seahawks' 26-0 win over the Vikings.

Throw it Hosmer did, and Jones was off to the races for an 85-yard touchdown, the first touchdown of his NFL career.

"He let it go, then I catch it, and I'm like, 'There's nobody in front of me," Jones said. "So, I immediately started running. I look up at the video board and I'm like, 'Dang, somebody's catching me.' It was Riq (Woolen). Riq was trying to beat me to the end zone. That was my first ever defensive touchdown. It's been a while since I've seen the end zone, so it's great."

That second-quarter pick-six was a turning point in the game, coming almost immediately after the Vikings forced a fumble on a sack of Sam Darnold, giving them the ball at the Seattle 13-yard line. The Seahawks were up 3-0 at the time, meaning the Vikings were in great position to take the lead or at least tie the game, but instead thanks to Jones' big play, the Seahawks had a 10-0 lead and were on their way to a blowout win.

Jones went on to finish with a game-high 12 tackles and added another interception, giving him five this season. That interception total not only leads the Seahawks, it is also tied for the second most in the NFL.

That performance made Jones one of five players to record at least 12 tackles, two interceptions and a touchdown in the same game, according to Pro Football Reference, and one of only two linebackers to do it along with Donnie Edwards, who accomplished it twice, most recently in 2004.

And for his standout play on what was a dominant day for Seattle's defense, Jones was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Jones is the second Seahawks player to earn Player of the Week honors this season along with Lawrence, who won in Week 10 after scoring two fumble-return touchdowns in a win over the Cardinals. Additionally, receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors for October. Jones is also the first Seahawks inside linebacker to win player of the week honors since Bobby Wagner in 2020.

Jones' big performance against the Vikings was just the latest strong game in a season full of them for Jones, who has faced challenges on and off the field this year. Most significantly, Jones lost his father, Ernest Jones Jr., to Ewing Sarcoma in late July. In addition to missing time to be with his father in his final days and then for the funeral, Jones was also limited in his preparation leading up to the season as he worked his way back from offseason knee surgery. Then, in Week 9, he suffered a separate injury that caused him to miss two of the previous three games before his huge performance against the Vikings.

"He had such a great message to the team in the locker room," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. "The guy has been through a lot, it's just the position that we're put in as coaches. That's really the reason you have a team, is that you can be there for your brother when they need you. I know we're in a business and there are transactions and stuff, but at the end of the day these are the relationships you're going to have for a long time hopefully. It's really great to see that the rest of the guys are there to support him.

"And he's playing great football. You know, playing great football and battled through some health things throughout the year as well. I mean, some of the plays he's making in the run game are just really tremendous, really great plays that allows us to really call some defenses that you normally wouldn't call in those situations."

Jones' teammates have all heaped praise on the wise-beyond-his-years, 26-year-old linebacker not just for his on-field production, but for the leadership that helps drive Seattle's defense. It's a trait he even had coming into the league as a 21-year-old rookie playing for a Rams team that would go on to win the Super Bowl.

"I've loved Ernest since he was in L.A.," said receiver Cooper Kupp, who was teammates with Jones for three seasons in L.A. "What he did as he came in as a rookie, the way he carried himself, the way he could command a room as a rookie middle linebacker. Coming in and being able to learn this game, understand it at such a high level, but also be able to call people up to his standard, and being able to set the standard, it was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen.

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He's one of the best leaders I've ever been around. And to be able to go through all the adversity, the traumas, but continue to hold fast and hold strong and overcome, and be the same Ernest, regardless of the circumstance that have been imposed on him, regardless of the things happening in his life, just being able to hold his bearing and be there for the guys over and over and over again, it's an impressive thing. I love Ern, and he knows everyone on this team's got his back. It's just awesome to see him out there making plays and doing what he's doing."