Nobody on the 49ers' defense has been better during the first month of the season than safety Talanoa Hufanga. He is the biggest reason for the 49ers' dominant defense rising to another level this season.
That kind of made their Monday night fixture against the Los Angeles Rams quite strange. Hufanga hadn't made a huge play in the first three quarters. As it turned out, however, he was just saving his best effort for the moment that counted the most.
Hufanga masterfully read a receiver screen in the fourth quarter. He leapt into Matthew Stafford's passing lane directed at Cooper Kupp, juggling the ball, and collecting it just before he went off for the end zone. Hufanga's pick-six effectively ended the Rams' comeback efforts and put the rest of the football world on notice.
The 22-year-old Oregon native certainly has the potential to be a top-three defensive player on the 49ers' star-studded defense. Talanoa Hufanga put that MNF game out of reach with his pick-six that demonstrated top levels of anticipation.
TZZ UP FOR BIG HUF
First-career pick 6 for @TalanoaHufanga!
📺 #LARvsSF on @ESPNNFL pic.twitter.com/GmfWfvTjq6
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 4, 2022
So good was Hufanga that, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic:
“Talanoa Hufanga hit over 21 mph on his pick 6. He was the second-fastest ballcarrier of the week in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats.”
Not bad for his first career pick-six in the NFL, eh?
Hufanga's performance also maintained an intriguing defensive pattern for the 49ers. You see, the 49ers' previous five interceptions returned for touchdowns have come against Stafford or Jared Goff, his predecessor in Los Angeles who is now with the Detroit Lions.
Hufanga's 52-yard catch-and-run was also the longest of the 49ers' past five pick-sixes. Interestingly enough, the 49ers won all five of the games where those pick-sizes occurred.
Hufanga was part and parcel of a San Francisco defense that shone in Monday's win. The 49ers kept the Rams out of the end zone and restricted them to a season-low nine points.
Already seen as among the best in the NFL this season, the 49ers defense has appeared to improve as each week goes by. With it, the Talanoa Hufanga hype train gains momentum as well.
For weeks now, Hufanga has drawn comparisons to Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu, and his performance in Week 4 surely fanned the flames even more.
Following the 49ers' eighth straight regular-season victory over the Rams, NBC Sports Bay Area commentator Donte Whitner said unequivocally where Hufanga ranks among NFL safety.
“It's the instincts and the understanding of the defense to me,” Whitner said on “49ers Postgame Live” after the win. “And that's what he's been doing at all levels of the defense. TFL's, he's leading the team in TFL's, playing linebacker, playing safety, D-line, the reaction skills from just being back there and reading the quarterback's eyes. Talanoa Hufanga is the No. 1 safety in the NFL currently.”
Take note that against the Rams, Hufanga had four total tackles and one pass defensed in addition to his interception.
Even Hufanga's teammates have noticed how well he is performing thus far in the 2022 NFL season.
“Oh my god. Did y'all see that play?” cornerback Deommodore Lenoir said post-game. “Man, I just heard the crowd screaming and then I seen Huf going the other way. I feel like I seen a Troy Polamalu flash. Yeah, All-Pro Huf. I'm going to start that now.”
Again, the 49ers' defense has been one of the finest in the league, and Talanoa Hufanga's development is a significant reason why.
Recall that his performance against the Denver Broncos in Week 3 also pleased All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman and Hall of Famer Charles Woodson. The Polamalu comparisons actually started there.
It's nothing more than a Hall of Fame comparison between two Hall of Fame-caliber defensive backs. What a fantastic recommendation, right?
Some say it's the hair, which contains some truth, sure, but Hufanga's game just speaks for itself, too. Keep in mind that he is helping to stabilize the safety position with veteran Jimmie Ward on injured reserve for the first four games.
We love Hufanga's down-to-earth nature, though. Even with Polamalu parallels being made every week, the 23-year-old hasn't found the pressure to be too much.
“Being around guys like that and hearing that from people is an honor, but I would never want to take that away from a great legend like Troy,” Hufanga told Whitner. “I’m very blessed just to be able to train with him, and I think he’s one of the best to ever do it.”
Despite their similarities, Talanoa Hufanga does not want to get ahead of himself and recognizes that everyone is his own player. Recall that during his 12-year NFL career, Polamalu was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time first-team All-Pro. Those are lofty accolades to aim for.
He even worked with Hufanga throughout the offseason and has been his mentor since college. So far, the time with Polamalu has paid dividends for Hufanga, and the 49ers are collectively benefitting, too.
Monday's effort was the most comprehensive for the 49ers defense so far. Still, it was only the most recent in a line of outstanding performances for the unit. Through four weeks, the 49ers lead the NFL in points allowed per game (11.5), yards allowed per game (234.5, tied with Buffalo), sacks per dropback (10 percent), and yards allowed per play (3.8).
The 49ers defense has allowed 3.8 yards per play, #1 in the NFL.
For perspective, the 1985 Bears allowed 4.4 yards per play and the 2000 Ravens allowed 4.3 yards per play
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) October 4, 2022
Remember, too, that this team will see starting free safety Jimmie Ward return from a hamstring ailment this week. Additionally, cornerback Jason Verrett returns from a knee injury soon. Put those two together with Hufanga and, well, the other teams in the league are shaking in their boots.
“I don't think they have given up 20 points in a game so far this year,” tight end George Kittle said. “It means as long as we score 21 points a game we are going to win some football games. It is just on us to put points on the board and hold on to the football.”
We don't have to watch the 49ers every week to realize Talanoa Hufanga has improved the 49ers defense in a big way. There is also no surprise that he has emerged to become one of the most exciting and watchable defensive players in the 2022 NFL season.
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