Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman forced overtime with style, with his one-shoe interception return for a touchdown.
And he was able to do so, he said, having done it two days prior.
Sherman said the play had been drawn up in practice Friday exactly as the Texans ran it (though he didn’t specify which Seahawk played the role of a panicky Matt Schaub making a terrible throw).
“I knew it was coming,” Sherman said, via Angel Verdejo of the Houston Chronicle. “I picked the same play against our scout team on Friday. . . .
“Make the play. It’s like you get on a fastbreak and there’s a layup for the game-winner. You still have to make it. You still have to make the play. It’s not like the ball is going to get in the hoop.”
That Sherman did, and Schaub didn’t, speaks to the trajectories of the two teams.
After falling into an early hole, the Seahawks defense stiffened in the second half. Of the eight Texans possessions in the second half and overtime, six ended in punts and two turnovers.
That speaks to the preparation involved, as well as Sherman hitting his layup when he saw the open lane.