Seahawks Jamal Adams: Devon Witherspoon ‘definitely not ass’; what happened in Cincinnati?
Jamal Adams is three games into in his long return from injury.
His return to the Seahawks has coincided with a revelation: the three games coaches Pete Carroll and Clint Hurtt have moved do-it-all rookie Devon Witherspoon into dual roles.
The third game was Sunday against Arizona. Witherspoon wowed, again. The fifth pick in this year’s draft started at left cornerback outside. But the majority of the game he played inside, as the slot cornerback in nickel defense.
The official statistics from Seattle’s 20-10 victory over the Cardinals show Witherspoon had three tackles and a pass defensed. He was far better than that.
Witherspoon had two big plays, an interception in the end zone plus a sack, both negated by dubious, soft penalties. The flags against Seahawks teammates Boye Mafe for a hand grazing Joshua Dobbs’ face mask and Riq Woolen for running next to a receiver too closely coincide with the NFL protecting quarterbacks and wide receivers.
On the would-be sack, Witherspoon zoomed in so quickly no Cardinal blocker could react to his blitz. He rodeo-threw Dobbs to the ground with a dismissive, twisting hip toss.
Late in the third quarter Witherspoon came off his man outside and drilled Arizona’s Rondale Moore after his catch with his shoulder. His blow lifted Moore off his feet and slammed him to the turf.
Teammates and the crowd let out a huge “whooo.”
Adams played behind and sometimes next to Witherspoon Sunday. Adams was featured in Seattle’s three-safety package with Quandre Diggs and Julian Love that is, with Witherspoon at nickel and Tre Brown at left cornerback opposite Woolen, becoming the Seahawks’ base defense.
What does the three-time Pro Bowl and one-time All-Pro safety whom Seattle gave the richest contract for any NFL player at that position in 2021 think of Witherspoon’s performance in two roles in his first months as a rookie?
“I don’t know. You’ve got ask him on that. Because my rookie year, I was ass,” Adams said.
He was the sixth pick in the 2017 draft by the New York Jets.
“He’s a phenomenal football player,” Adams said of Witherspoon. “Again, hats off to him. He’s very smart. He’s coachable. He listens. It’s a rare find, man.
“There’s a reason why he’s a top-five pick.
“He’s definitely not ass.”
What happened in Cincinnati
Adams was far less colorful talking about his second of two run-ins with an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant on a sideline in as many games last week.
What happened in Cincinnati, in the Seahawks’ previous game, that caused the NFL to fine him $50,000 on Friday?
Adams smiled. He shrugged.
“Ah, man, you know, hey, I just try to...it is what it is,” he said. “I’m not going to speak on it. Just, obviously, excited for the win (over Arizona). That’s an NFL situation.
“And, hey, I ain’t gonna speak.
“All good.”
Adams’ second incident in two games with a sideline concussion consultant came after an NFL concussion spotter had Seahawks receiver Jake Bobo leave the game against the Bengals. That was following a huge hit to Bobo’s head.
The NFL sent to Adams last week a letter that said he “interfered with orderly administration of the game when the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) was walking with Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo to the blue medical tent for evaluation of a concussion.”
A league source told The News Tribune the NFL reviewed video of Adams’ incident with the concussion consultant on the sideline, beyond any broadcast video from game-telecaster CBS. The additional video was definitive in showing the incident the neurotrauma consultant reported to the league.
The source said the fine was not related to Adams berating a neurotrauma consultant on the sidelines after he was concussed in Seattle’s win Oct. 2 at the New York Giants. It was not related to an incident Adams had in 2019 with an NFL concussion spotter while the safety was playing for the Jets.
Adams is sore, and happy
Sunday was Adams’ second full game for the Seahawks in 13 months. It’s his return from the torn quadriceps tendon he got in the opening game of the 2022 season blitzing Denver quarterback Russell Wilson.
Adams had six tackles, including two on the first defensive series, with a pass defensed against the Cardinals Sunday. He was part of Seattle’s defense that held Arizona to zero points and 88 total yards after halftime. That turned a 14-10 game into a two-score victory for the Seahawks (4-2), their fourth win in five games.
“They answered the bell,” coach Pete Carroll said of his defense that’s allowed three points, 17 points and 10 points in the games Adams has played.
Adams said he’s still getting acclimated to returning to play.
“I’m not normal yet,” Adams said, “but I am sore as hell.
“I feel good. I feel better after a win, I’ll tell you that. But it’s just a daily process with me as far as my routine of just how I take care of my body and do what I need to do before the game or after the game.”
Adams said his work for Sunday wasn’t done. It was going to continue into the night.
“When I leave here I have a whole routine at home,” he said, “so I have to get to that. But, obviously, just taking care of the body is a whole different ball game. And, obviously, I had to make some adjustments through the years.
“But I’m really happy of where I am right now.”
This story was originally published October 22, 2023 at 7:09 PM.
