In his latest column for Sports Illustrated’s MMQB website, Seahawks CB Richard Sherman ranked his top five quarterbacks in the NFL. Two of the five — Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and New Orleans’ Drew Brees — could play the Seahawks Jan. 11. in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Seattle’s Russell Wilson came in at No. 4. Sherman’s teammate at Stanford, Colts QB Andrew Luck, ranked No. 5 and Peyton Manning was No. 1. However, Sherman, who uses film to study opponent’s tendencies as well as any player in the league, opined a blunt assessment of Manning’s throwing arm.
“When we played Peyton in the preseason, I found a new appreciation for the way he makes adjustments at the line of scrimmage; he controls the protections, and if he sees the blitz coming he slides it,” Sherman wrote. “His arm, however, is another story. His passes will be accurate and on time, but he throws ducks.”
Las Vegas sports book Bovada.com gives Denver and Seattle 11/4 odds of winning Super Bowl XLVIII and New England a 9/1 shot. Should Seattle win its home playoff games, there’s a decent chance it faces the Patriots or Broncos, both of which are led by future Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
In his column, Sherman, named Monday to his second Associated Press All-Pro team in a row, offered a short, restrained evaluation of Tom Brady’s 2013 season. Brady earned an honorable mention designation and a little reluctant praise. The pair exchanged words after a 2012 Seahawks win at CenturyLink Field, which birthed the “U Mad Bro?” meme photos that seemingly refuse to go away.
“It is what it is,” Sherman wrote. “If this were a top six, he’d be in there. Tom Brady is one of the hardest to intercept, and still one of the best arms in the league, but this was the year the young guys took a step forward.”
Marshawn Lynch speaks
It was awkward. It lasted nine questions and a little more than a minute. It lacked any sort of insight. That it happened was monumental.
Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch talked to the media Friday. The brief session ended when Lynch, during a brief pause in questioning, quickly walked away from the podium, nearly trucking one reporter as he said, “Excuse me.”
Lynch hadn’t addressed local media since a Nov. 25, 2012 loss to the Dolphins. The standard player contract in the NFL requires some media participation, and fines are levied for non-compliance. He appeared unenthusiastic about the thought of making up for lost time or saving money.
Asked how his body was feeling after starting 16 regular season games, Lynch was terse.
“Smooth,” he said.
How would he evaluate the season?
“It’s going pretty well,” he said.
How does he feel about the Seahawks in the playoffs?
“I feel good,” he said. “I like our chances.”
Does he have planned another memorable playoff moment, such as the 67-yard “Beastquake” touchdown run that helped the Seahawks beat the Saints in the 2011 playoffs?
“I just hope to win, boss.”
Injury updates
The Seahawks held LT Russell Okung out of both practices this week, coach Pete Carroll said, as Okung rests and rehabilitates the surgically repaired toe he hurt in Week 2 against the 49ers. Okung returned in November but was battling pain in last week’s win against the Rams.
“It was really important. He’s been playing through it,” Carroll said. “We just held him out and rehabbed him all week long. It helped him a lot more than going on it the whole time. We’ll gain something there.”
WR Percy Harvin took another step in his extended rehab process, Carroll said.
“He really did fine. He participated in everything today with the exception of the two-minute drill,” Carroll said. “He looked and, I think, felt pretty good about it. He’s still got a little governor on what he’s doing here, which is the right thing to do.”
Carroll said he doesn’t know when he’ll make a decision about Harvin’s availability for the playoffs. Harvin speaks to the media Thursday.
“I expect that he’s going to be able to make some progress, but that’s barring a setback,” Carroll said. “He stayed right on schedule today. He was fine about it. Had he had any issues we would have pulled him out, but that wasn’t necessary.”
Other notable players making their way back:
- TE Luke Willson, who sustained an ugly high-ankle sprain against the Rams. Willson was carted off the field, lending to erroneous speculation that he tore his ACL. Carroll said he’ll know “by Wednesday or Thursday” if Wilson will be healthy enough to play in the second round of the playoffs.
- LB K.J. Wright (broken bone in right foot) won’t play Jan. 11. That’s the bad news. The good news is that if Wright remains on schedule, he will likely return for the NFC Championship, should the Seahawks advance, Carroll said.
1 Comment
Off the field this teams’s got a whole other level of things to love. You got a coach so full of enthusiasm he sometimes talks like sentences are piling up in his head and can’t wait to get out, a cornerback who’ll talk to anyone at anytime and doesn’t seem to care that every word is dissected by opponents and media, a quarterback who speak as though he got a masters degree in charm and polish, and a running back who only want to speak with his play on the field, and that just to say,”Get outta my way!”