Huard: Seahawks’ nerve-racking win over 49ers is their biggest in 3 years

The Seahawks and 49ers battled it out in a matchup of NFC heavyweights that was as back and forth of a game as you’ll see.

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Seattle topped San Francisco in a 27-24 overtime thriller that was hard-hitting, had multiple takeaways by both defenses and some late Seattle magic in the waning moments of overtime.

With the back and forth nature of Monday’s game came a plethora of feelings for Seahawks fans, or really for anyone watching the game.

Brock Huard joined Danny and Gallant on the Blue 42 segment Tuesday morning and said the game took him on quite the journey emotionally.

“It broke me last night,” Huard said. “I had friends over and I lost my mind multiple times … that game totally broke me last night.”

Voice is Gone
No Words
That was EXTRAORDINARY #Heart

— Brock Huard (@BrockHuard) November 12, 2019

What exactly broke Huard? Was it quarterback Russell Wilson’s interception on the first drive of overtime? Host Danny O’Neil needed to know.

It was on a Seattle turnover that Wilson was involved in, but wasn’t the interception. Huard’s first crisis came when Wilson was being sacked (and being grabbed by his facemask, which wasn’t called by referees) and lost the football. Right tackle Germain Ifedi snagged the ball, but instead of falling down and taking the loss of yards, he turned upfield and ended up fumbling. The 49ers defense scooped it up and ran it back for a touchdown to make it a 21-18 game.

“When Ifedi went to Heisman pose that was the first freakout of the game,” Huard said. “When he thought he was Heisman and high-stepping and oh my gosh, up 21-10. You’re up 21-10!”

As Huard pointed out, a score on that drive, either a field goal or a touchdown, likely would have sealed the win for Seattle in regulation. Instead, 49ers defensive lineman DeForest Buckner was in the end zone with 12:01 left in the fourth quarter, and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo connected with receiver Kendrick Bourne for a 2-point conversion to pull San Francisco within a field goal.

Huard’s second mental breakdown occurred on the last drive of regulation, when linebacker K.J. Wright had a chance to end the game on an ill-advised Garoppolo pass that hit him right in the numbers of his jersey.

“When K.J. dropped the interception I nearly died,” Huard said. “I rewound that three times.”

Huard wasn’t as phased by Wilson’s late interception, in part because it was so close to being a completed pass for a big gain.

“That was kind of a weird deal,” Huard said of the play. “He just missed it. That linebacker goes up and makes his play that, you know what, if (Wilson) gets it six inches over (49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw) it’s (tight end Jacob) Hollister and (former Seahawks cornerback Richard) Sherman at the goal line.”

How big was this win for Seattle?

O’Neil asked Huard to quantify just how big Seattle’s Monday night victory was.

“Brock, it is Seattle’s biggest regular season win since?” O’Neil asked.

“I went back and looked at the last three years… I would say since they beat New England, who does not lose at home with (quarterback) Tom Brady, three years ago,” Huard said.

In 2016, the Seahawks traveled across the country to face the Patriots in a hostile Foxboro environment on Sunday Night Football and pulled off the upset with a 31-24 victory.

There are multiple components that Huard considered when comparing Seattle’s biggest victories to that win in 2016.

“As a regular season game it would have to be on the road, it’d have to be against an incredible opponent and it would have to require your very best, and the Seahawks played their very best that night in New England,” Huard said. “For me, I’d probably have to point to that one, Danny.”

Seahawks’ second most valuable player

Paul Gallant wanted to know if it was true or false that defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is the second most valuable player for the Seahawks in 2019.

Huard leaned towards that being true.

“(Wide receiver Tyler) Lockett would be the other guy (in that conversation) with the season he’s having, but did you see the number of quarterback pressures he had?” Huard said. “It was the second-highest number this season.”

Clowney was a force on Monday with a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. He continually wreaked havoc in both the pass and run game.

For context as to why Clowney’s performance was so impressive, his former Houston Texans teammate, three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, has the most pressures in a single game this season with 11. Clowney had 10 against the 49ers.

“That was J.J. Watt dominance. J.J. Watt defensive MVP dominance when he took over games and you couldn’t block him and he destroyed the edge and destroyed both run and pass (plays),” Huard said. “That was what was so incredible and why I would say yeah, he’s the second most valuable.”

While Clowney’s constant pressuring of 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was impressive, Huard was in awe of Clowney’s ability to stop the run, which has been the 49ers’ strength this season.

“What he did to the San Francisco run game, my biggest fear (Monday) night, was as good as the 10 pressures of the quarterback,” Huard said.

Just how good was Clowney on Monday?

“He was the best player on the field,” Huard said.

Huard also got into the officiating of Monday’s game, as well as more. Listen to Blue 42 at this link or in the player below.

Follow 710 ESPN Seattle’s Brock Huard on Twitter.

More Seahawks coverage

• Seahawks Takeaways: Carroll updates Tyler Lockett’s injury and more
• 710’s Reaction: Seahawks’ OT victory over 49ers
• O’Neil: Seahawks have a new identity — the team you can’t put away
• Moore: Seahawks should be favored to win NFC after D showed up vs 49ers
• Rost: Seahawks’ defense makes a statement against 49ers in OT thriller

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