Talanoa Hufanga isn’t playing like someone who’s started just seven games in the NFL.
In his second season, the 49ers safety already is being compared to Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu and was dubbed the best safety in the league by NBC Sports Bay Area's Donte Whitner after his remarkable Week 4 performance vs. the Los Angeles Rams.
Hufanga made a late-night house call and sealed San Francisco’s win with a 52-yard pick six in the fourth quarter of the 49ers’ 24-9 win at Levi’s Stadium on Monday Night Football.
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But before taking the nice gift from Rams QB Matthew Stafford all the way to the house, Hufanga broke down the play and admitted that he thought the veteran quarterback might catch up to him.
“We were in man coverage, locked up with the tight end,” Hufanga explained to reporters after the game. “They [have] just been running screens all night so I just saw a different release than I’m used to and instead of going and following my man, I just turned my head and the ball kind of dropped in my face.
“I thought Stafford was going to catch me, I ain’t gon lie. My 40 [-yard dash] time doesn’t help when it comes to that, but definitely grateful to go out there with my guys and have fun.”
Hufanga went into more detail about exactly what he saw in the play. And he had a very unique way of breaking it down.
"Screens are like -- you can smell a rat when it comes to those things," Hufanga said. "Very quick to the flat, they had been doing it all night trying to get it to Kupp. I think they were trying to get back on track, just trying to get things going. Guys are just swarming. The defense was playing lights out."
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Hufanga's rare instincts and recognition helped him get a perfect read and help his team walk away with a win against the reigning Super Bowl champs.
San Francisco 49ers
You can't teach instincts, that's for sure. Only certain players are born with them, and Hufanga definitely is one of them.