Defensive end Ziggy Ansah has been waiting for his breakout game with the Seattle Seahawks and he got it Week 12 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
With fellow defensive end Jadveon Clowney inactive with a hip injury, Ansah made the most of his opportunities on Sunday.
“You would have wondered, how are we going to have a pass rush without J.D. after what he did last week?” Carroll said during his post-game press conference. “And we did. We did. So we have taken a new step forward and we’re getting better. And this is really, really important for this stretch run, that the defense can start playing like this. The last two weeks have been really good days for our defense and that’s really important. It ain’t how you start. We got a chance to finish with a really good performance from these guys and it’s going to be necessary.”
.@ziggy_ansah made his presence felt. đȘ#GoHawks x #SEAvsPHI pic.twitter.com/o9le2i0gUn
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 24, 2019
Against the Eagles in Philadelphia, Ansah posted an impressive stat line of four tackles, 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, two tackles for a loss, and a forced fumble.
“He’s the strongest he’s been, he’s the heaviest he’s been right now, he’s been working really hard alongside and beyond what the other guys are doing to make sure that he’s getting better as the season comes down to the stretch here,” Carroll continued. “And I’m really proud of him for understanding that you can keep getting better during the season and he has and maybe that’s why we see him as active today.”
Although Carroll is optimistic Clowney should be available next week, if Ansah is able to continue this level of production, the Seahawks have a real chance of seeing the playoffs again this season.
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