Huard: Seahawks’ ‘very best shot’ coming with ‘backs against the wall’

The 3-6 Seahawks return home to Lumen Field on Sunday where they’ll take on the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals in a game that very well may decide Seattle’s playoff hopes.

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The Seahawks are coming off their first shutout loss since 2011 after falling to the Green Bay Packers 17-0 last weekend, and at three games under .500 heading into Week 11, there’s little margin for error for this team the rest of the season. Seattle very well may be missing out on playoff football for just the second time in quarterback Russell Wilson’s career, which started in 2012.

Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard joined Mike Salk on 710 ESPN Seattle’s Mike Salk Show and shared why he thinks the Seahawks are going to come into this game on a different level than we’ve seen from them this season.

“This feels like you’re going to get the Seahawks’ very best shot,” Huard said. “Like this is backs against the wall (at) 3-6. They may not individually as players look at the playoff odds, but it’s pretty clear if you lose this one, you’re going to have an earth to move in order to get in and I don’t know (if they’d have to) win out, but pretty darn close to it.”

According to fivethirtyeight.com, the Seahawks have a 16% chance of making the playoffs heading into Week 11. With a win and the Seahawk at 4-6, those odds increase to 28%. With a loss and a 3-7 record? Just 6%.

Despite the offense failing to put points on the board last week in Green Bay, Huard thinks that the defense will be the unit that really comes out in full force.

“I think you’re gonna see an incredible emotional defensive effort,” he said. “I think they’re gonna play very hard.”

That will be key, Huard said, as the 8-2 Cardinals have arguably the most offensive firepower in the entire NFL, though it’s worth noting that Huard’s conversation with Salk came before Arizona ruled out star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins Friday morning.

“Just matchup-wise, if A.J. Green is healthy and … the running backs are healthy and (quarterback Kyler Murray, who has missed two games with an ankle injury) can run around, they’re going to move the ball up and down the field and then it’s going to be whether or not you can stop them in the red zone like they did to (Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers) a week ago.”

Huard agreed with Salk that this week is a more winnable game than last week in Green Bay, which was Wilson’s first game in roughly a month due to a finger injury and the fact that it was snowing and the Seahawks haven’t won at Lambeau Field in the 21st century.

“But this is to me maybe a toss up, a 50-50 proposition in one that the Seahawks are going to have to win on emotion knowing that their backs are against the wall,” Huard said. “And Arizona has a bye week next week and has a lot of margin for error.”

Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the player below.

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