Seahawks’ Kelly Jennings corners big plays

RENTON — Admit it, you didn’t think Kelly Jennings was going to make that tackle.

When Alex Smith completed a short pass to Frank Gore on San Francisco’s opening drive Sunday, there was no chance Jennings, a guy who gives up almost 40 pounds to the 49ers burly running back, was going to stop him in the open field, right?

But in a season-opening victory that featured a number of big plays from the Seahawks’ defense, perhaps no individual effort was bigger than Jennings’ open-field tackle of Gore in the first quarter. When Gore caught the third-and-goal pass from Smith, only Jennings stood in the way of a San Francisco touchdown. Jennings, who is listed at 180 pounds, is slender enough that, early in his Seahawks career, he was saddled with the nickname, “Slim.”

Now, “Slim” is a perfectly suitable handle for a poker player, or maybe a pool shark, but it’s hardly the ideal moniker for a professional football player. But Jennings was up to the task, taking down Gore for a 1-yard gain, forcing the 49ers to kick a field goal. It was the first of three straight series in which Seattle’s defense held strong after the 49ers drove deep into Seahawks territory. And who knows how differently things might have turned out had Gore bowled over Jennings to give the 49ers an early 7-0 lead.

“I’ve been the small guy all the time,” Jennings said. “Tackling is something I’ve been working with the coaches on and trying to improve on. That’s something I look to get better on game by game. ... It was crunch time. You’ve got to make a play, got to make a tackle and get off the field. That’s all I was thinking.”

For Jennings, the play was just the beginning of a solid game that showed exactly why the Seahawks put their faith in the former first-round pick. Throughout training camp, Jennings was in a back-and-forth battle with Josh Wilson for a starting job, but on Aug. 31, the Seahawks traded Wilson to Baltimore for a draft pick. At the time of the trade, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said part of the reason the team felt comfortable dealing Wilson was the play of Jennings, and on Sunday Jennings backed up that faith with an impressive game.

“He played very well,” Carroll said. “Kelly had a really solid game on the couple chances that he had, he made a couple great tackles in the open field. He played the ball well a couple times. He was in the right place throughout the game. He played aggressive coverage throughout, too.”

Jennings has had his detractors since the Seahawks took him with the 31st pick of the 2006 draft. He started 15 games in his second season, but only 12 over the next two seasons while battling Wilson for a starting spot. And while the Wilson trade wasn’t totally a positive for Jennings — the two are close friends and were roommates on road trips — he plans on taking full advantage now that the job is his.

“Stepping back looking at it, I know I haven’t always been in this place,” Jennings said. “I’ve been up and down with some things in my game, and right now I feel like I’m in a place where my game is starting to elevate, my confidence is there. I feel like it’s starting to work out for me.”

When the Seahawks traded Wilson, many felt it was only a matter of time before rookie Walter Thurmond moved into the starting lineup. And while the trade was a sign that the Seahawks have confidence in the fourth-round pick, Thurmond may have to settle for a reserve role for longer than expected if Jennings keeps up this level of play.

“He really earned that spot,” Carroll said of Jennings, “and he came out and played like it.”

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(heraldnet.com)