Earl Thomas on Richard Sherman: 'Never seen a nerd ballin' like that'
Every now and then critics like to point out that Richard Sherman isn't nearly as good as he thinks he is.
By
Ryan Wilson
•
2 min read
Every now and then critics like to point out that the Seahawks' Richard Sherman isn't nearly as good as he thinks he is. Even though, most of the time, he's exactly that -- and then some. Whether you're using the eyeball test or advanced stats, Sherman is reguarly one of the league's best cornerbacks.
We saw the latest evidence on Sunday, when he followed Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant all over the field and held him to 2 catches for 12 yards. For the season, Sherman ranks 29th among all cornerbacks, according to ProFootballFocus. In 2014, he finished fourth, and the year before that, seventh. So while Sherman may not be quite at the level of recent seasons, he's still pretty good.
Just ask Seahawks safety Earl Thomas.
"I never seen a nerd ballin' like that," Thomas said, via TheNewsTribune.com.
Sherman, of course, went to Stanford.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, finished with 97 passing yards on the day, and Sherman had a lot to do with it.
“Fantastic,” coach Pete Carroll said of the cornerback's afternoon. “(Dez) was all pumped up to come back and be a factor in the game, which he always is. I thought Sherm was just there in so many instances.
“Stellar game.”
Bryant, who returned to the field for the first time since breaking his foot in Week 1, wasn't quite so eager to play up Sherman's performance.
"Let me get something straight real quick," Bryant told reporters after the game, via ESPN.com. "Hey man, nobody didn't get locked down over here. Let's get real. Let's get real. I understand our situation. I understand that. C'mon with it, man. Look at the tape, right. C'mon."
When asked if he was suggesting that Sherman didn't get the best of him, Bryant was clear: "This is exactly what I'm saying, man. Them as a defense as a whole, they had a good game. You know we came out with our game plan and didn't execute the way we wanted to. It is what it is."
Sherman, by comparison, sounded reserved when talking about the matchup.
"Any time me and Dez play, it's a total battle," he said. "Nothing but mutual respect, but it is a battle every play. ... I think today I was able to get my hands on a couple. He was able to get his hands on a couple. And that's how those battles go. I think our team came out with a victory, and that's all that matters in the end. It's a ton of respect for that guy. Every play he makes you work."
