Team chemistry is rarely an issue when a team wins three in a row, as the Seattle Seahawks did earlier in the season. But when a team loses three times in a row, it’s a different story.

It will also likely be a challenge for the manager, especially for a team under a first-year head coach.

Déjà vu: The 49ers dominate the Seahawks on the ground again

FOX Football analyst and former NFL quarterback Brock Huard made the point Friday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, about 12 hours after the Seahawks defeated NFC West rival San Francisco 36-24 in prime time 49ers had lost.

In particular, Huard mentioned Seattle’s starting quarterback Geno Smith and its star wide receiver DK Metcalf.

“My own judgment, my own speculation, without having seen all the tapes, is that when you lose like that, some of those tensions and some of those sparks that these two – especially DK and Geno – have had over the years, gradually easing more,” Huard said.

Huard made it clear that viewers only see so much on a television broadcast, but he believes some things were seen Thursday night – a visibly frustrated Metcalf putting on a headset during the game, presumably to talk to offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, and Smith’s postgame press conference – didn’t paint the prettiest picture.

“We are prisoners of the cameras and the angles we see,” Huard said, initially offering a caveat. “…Did we see Geno having any conversations with DK on the sidelines yesterday?”

Not that that’s entirely unusual. One person seen talking to Metcalf on the sidelines was backup QB Sam Howell, something Huard can identify with from personal experience as the Indianapolis Colts’ backup to Peyton Manning, who had a star receiver in Marvin Harrison at the time .

“I saw Sam Howell down there trying to calm DK down, which is a good move. “That was often the play I had to make for Peyton to calm Marvin down when Marvin wasn’t getting enough touches,” Huard said. “I kind of had to be the one to go down there and do some of it. …God bless Sam yesterday, Sam was the one – ‘Hey, are you going to take care of this guy?’ Are you going to try to help him and calm him down?'”

Now what if there really is a problem and it persists beyond Thursday’s game?

“This will be crucial to calm down. It’s really important for this young coach and this young staff to find a path,” Huard said. “These are no longer 18- to 25-year-olds in college. These are 26-34 year olds who are pretty stubborn and have pretty big egos who talk back and strive for it. Managing this relationship here in the coming days and weeks will be extremely critical for Mr. Grubb and Mr. Macdonald.”

Hear Brock Huard’s full thoughts on Friday’s Blue 88 segment in the podcast at this link or in the player at the top of this post. Huard answers three football questions during Blue 88, which airs at 7:45 a.m. during each edition of Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk (6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays).

More about the Seattle Seahawks

• Two new injuries for the Seahawks’ undermanned secondary
• Immediate reaction from the Seahawks: The 49ers hand Seattle their third defeat in a row
• Rust: What another Seahawks loss to the 49ers reveals about them
• Observations on the Seahawks’ loss to the 49ers on TNF
• Recap: The SF 49ers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 36-24 and moved to the top of the NFC West

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