Before Russell Wilson led the Seahawks on an 80-yard drive to beat Denver 26-20 in overtime, the Seahawks’ hero of the game Sunday probably was punter Jon Ryan, who turned field position in Seattle’s favor all day.

Ryan has had a lot of great days punting in his six-plus years with the Seahawks, but coach Pete Carroll said this was “probably the best day of his career.”

Ryan’s first punt went 61 yards, pinning Denver at its 14-yard line. His next punt went 66 yards. His next two punts pinned Denver at its 7. Then he boomed a 58-yarder that put the Broncos at their 17.

After Marshawn Lynch was tackled for a safety in the fourth quarter, Ryan boomed the free kick 79 yards to the Denver 1.

In all, he averaged 50.1 yards on six punts, putting five of them inside the 20.

“I thought that Jon Ryan just had an incredible influence in this game throughout,” Carroll said. “Taking a safety back there really isn’t the worst thing that can happen if you are fortunate enough to change the field position. … I don’t know how far he kicked it — it might have been 80 yards in the air … but the coverage and the kick and all that was extraordinary.

“But that wasn’t the only one,” Carroll said. “He was banging the ball all day today.”

Ryan has had other great days — this was the eighth time in his six-plus years with the Hawks that he has averaged 50 yards or more on at least six punts.

But the Hawks might never have needed him as much as they did Sunday.

“If there was anybody who was MVP, it might have been Jon Ryan today with his effort,” Carroll said, “because he had probably the best day of his career.”