Richard Sherman: The NFC Championship Game was the Super Bowl

[DenBronx]

The Seahawks were crowned NFL champions on Sunday night in MetLife Stadium, but cornerback Richard Sherman said the coronation actually came two weeks earlier in Seattle.

Sherman was referring to the NFC Championship Game victory over the 49ers, a game that ended with Sherman’s much-discussed interview with Erin Andrews on the field and which Sherman says was this year’s real Super Bowl.

“The NFC Championship was the Super Bowl. The 49ers were the second-best team in the NFL,” Sherman said, via Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/02/03/richard-sherman-the-nfc-championship-game-was-the-super-bowl/

[DenBronx]

It's almost as if they had one last game on our behalf just as a courtesy to us. Like we were the little kids on Thanksgiving and had to sit at the little table while the adults dined at the big table.


As much as I hate to admit, the 49ers matched up better with them.

[Tned]

Obviously in hindsight it's easy to say all of that. Vegas had the Broncos as favorites. Very few, if anyone, had the game going the way it did.

[DenBronx]

Yeah I know man. No one expected that really. You then almost have to wonder what the outcome would have been if the 49ers would have won. Their offense is even better. Alot of crazy shitty things happened though that were just so unordinary like the first snap. Nothing was just going to go our way.


Could be worse. You could have bet 10 mill like Floyd Mayweather did on the Broncos.

[Tned]

Yeah I know man. No one expected that really. You then almost have to wonder what the outcome would have been if the 49ers would have won. Their offense is even better. Alot of crazy shitty things happened though that were just so unordinary like the first snap. Nothing was just going to go our way.


Could be worse. You could have bet 10 mill like Floyd Mayweather did on the Broncos.

Niners have a better offense, but not quite as insane a defense, but still a very good one (probably second only to Seattle). We don't get to see a matchup, so we don't know what would happen in a do over. Someone posted the other night that it helps them cope a little knowing that if the Broncos played them three times, they would lose three times (paraphrasing by memory). I'm not so convinced.

As soundly beat as the Broncos were, I think part of it was getting caught up in quicksand. Things went bad early, and the team kind of crumbled. I've talked to friends throughout the year about how the Broncos have not been a team that has looked good playing from behind. It's crazy, considering how good their offense has been, but on both sides of the ball, they play at a whole different level when they have the lead.

I sure as heck wouldn't mortgage my house to bet on the Broncos in a rematch, but would love to see it, because I think without the huge volume of mistakes, it would have been a competitive game. Unfortunately, we won't know. The closest indication we will get is the rematch next year, which will be in Seattle, so in many ways it will be even tougher than in NY.

[Northman]

It's almost as if they had one last game on our behalf just as a courtesy to us. Like we were the little kids on Thanksgiving and had to sit at the little table while the adults dined at the big table.


As much as I hate to admit, the 49ers matched up better with them.

My wife said we looked worse than a little league team out there on Sunday night. :lol:

[BroncoWave]

Well, he ain't wrong.

[BroncoWave]

I've talked to friends throughout the year about how the Broncos have not been a team that has looked good playing from behind. It's crazy, considering how good their offense has been, but on both sides of the ball, they play at a whole different level when they have the lead.

I'm not so sure I agree with this. We came back from double digits to beat Dallas, KC (game 1), and Washington. We also damn near erased a 19 point second half deficit to beat Indy.

I think we were an excellent team at coming from behind this season.

[Tned]

I'm not so sure I agree with this. We came back from double digits to beat Dallas, KC (game 1), and Washington. We also damn near erased a 19 point second half deficit to beat Indy.

I think we were an excellent team at coming from behind this season.

We had some late comebacks, yes. What we have talked about is just the loose feeling that the team seems to have when they have a lead. The defense plays more aggressively, the offense clicks.

[BroncoJoe]

Not sure anyone could put up an argument disputing what he said.

[BroncoWave]

We had some late comebacks, yes. What we have talked about is just the loose feeling that the team seems to have when they have a lead. The defense plays more aggressively, the offense clicks.

Perhaps, as we didn't trail too often this season it's hard to say. The only regular season game that we went down in and didn't put up much of a fight to come back in was the SD loss IMO.

[Shazam!]

SF and Seattle are the two most physical teams in the NFL.

Denver historically does not react well to teams that can play physically dominating ball like that, WI 4th the exception of their 90s teams.

[tomjonesrocks]

Manning waiting around after the game to congratulate this guy is really starting to piss me off.

So he's basically called our coaches incompetent (though I am starting to agree) and now this since the game.

Whether he's right or not he doesn't need to keep talking. 100M people saw Denver get ****** in the ass Sunday by Seattle. It really doesn't need more commentary by this douchebag.

[Lancane]

No one can argue what he said, because from the point of view of many football fans around the globe that statement holds true. As Tned eluded to, it's hindsight, but around the league and to the millions of fans, right now we are the joke of the league. There is not a fan of any other team who does not feel that their team could have done better. And do you know how I know that is true? Because I know the Broncos could have done better, as do all of us on this board and yet, here we are. Worst off is the gross incompetence following the game, what I mean by that is that the blame has been mainly shouldered by one man, despite a couple players stepping forward and saying wait up, the weight of the loss has remained on Manning's shoulders, and no one higher up has really shouldered the blame as should be and that is inexcusable. Also I find the organization's attitude almost as gross and ugly as the game: "They're proud", according to all reports and Denverbroncos.com, the players are still proud of what they accomplished this season? I wouldn't be, I'd be pissed that I let the biggest prize slip through my fingers. Like I said yesterday, the persona of the coach dictates the persona of the football team, Fox was just glad to be in the Super Bowl and lacked the hunger to take it, that humbleness has spread like a virus throughout the team. I don't want them to be happy, I want them to want to take revenge on the whole of the NFL next season. You can damn well guarantee that Harbaugh in San Francisco is thinking that way, don't think Belichick doesn't want to make us pay for the *** beating we laid on them, this team lacks passion and conviction. So yeah, I can see why Sherman might feel that way, because so do most of the fans around the league.

[BroncoNut]

yeah. I can't say he's got no business suggesting that. makes me wonder how many other NFC teams could have beat us in the sb. Sherman knows better than I, so he's probably right. we might be #3.

[chazoe60]

Who gives a shit? They don't give trophies for second place, but if they did no one would have more than us. :sad:

[BroncoNut]

I think Indy is going to make some noise this year

[MasterShake]

Hard to argue with that after the outcome, but there was a lot that went into it being as lopsided as it was.

I think we probably would have had a hard time with the 49'ers but it would have been a closer contest. The thing that struck me about watching Seattle was their speed which I don't think even San Francisco has. Nearly every time our receivers caught the ball they were wrapped up immediately by at least 2 defenders and punished all the way through until they hit the turf. And even when Manning did have time to throw you would see the WR's getting thrown off their routes so it didn't matter if he had time because he had nowhere to go with the ball.

I would be shocked not to see big moves on the O-Line. Getting Clady back will be huge and maybe they will move Franklin to guard and just build a big nasty offensive line to compete with teams like the NFC West has. The good news is we play the NFC West next year so we will have time to try a few things out on our way to another title run. There is no excuse not to make the adjustments now knowing what they know.

[BroncoNut]

when people say we have the NFCW on our schedule, does that mean all 4 teams? if not what does it mean?

I'll take my answer off the air.

[Dzone]

Seattle shocked the world. That's all anyone can say. They shocked the world. They obliterated the greatest offensive attack ever assembled.

[Northman]

Manning waiting around after the game to congratulate this guy is really starting to piss me off.

So he's basically called our coaches incompetent (though I am starting to agree) and now this since the game.

Whether he's right or not he doesn't need to keep talking. 100M people saw Denver get ****** in the ass Sunday by Seattle. It really doesn't need more commentary by this douchebag.

Sherman does rub me the wrong way but you know what they say "to be the champ you got to beat the champ". For the time being they are the champions and say whatever they like. No team can say anything to refute their trash talking and bragging rights.

[aberdien]

Manning waiting around after the game to congratulate this guy is really starting to piss me off.

So he's basically called our coaches incompetent (though I am starting to agree) and now this since the game.

Whether he's right or not he doesn't need to keep talking. 100M people saw Denver get ****** in the ass Sunday by Seattle. It really doesn't need more commentary by this douchebag.

The truth hurts, doesn't it?

[Tned]

when people say we have the NFCW on our schedule, does that mean all 4 teams? if not what does it mean?

I'll take my answer off the air.

Yes, all four teams. San Fran and Arizona in Denver, Seattle and Rams on the road.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forum Runner

[wayninja]

Who gives a shit? They don't give trophies for second place, but if they did no one would have more than us. :sad:

Lamar Hunt says Hi.

[BroncoNut]

thanks Tned!!! I'm glad. we will sweep the RAMs. I hope none of the players gets hit by traffic during the road games.

wait a minute. we will beat the Rams. not sweep. seems like seattle always plays at home

[Joel]

Remember, this is the same Sherman who two weeks ago (the whole season, really) was telling anyone who'd listen what a bunch of posers the '9ers are and how much infinitely better Seattle is. Now SF is "the second best team in the league." For those not paying attention, Seattle's WAY better than the NFLs second best team, and has the SB beatdown to prove it.

Let's stop kidding each other: Since the dawn of time, it's been an athletic axiom that people can be strong OR fast, but only the rarest freaks of nature can be BOTH unless it comes out of a bottle. THAT'S why everyone's been so vocally amazed all season at how much stronger and faster Seattles whole roster is: Because that's impossible.

Remember, we're not talking about a bunch of top ten overall picks either: These are the guys who play with a chip on their shoulders because they were drafted in the 6th round, or 7th—or NEVER. They're also the second youngest SB team ever. Somehow 48 guys NO ONE wanted on Draft Day turned into a team full of All Pros in just THREE years.

Evidently all 32 NFL scouting teams are incompetent. Except Seattles, of course. It's just coincidence they've had 7 suspensions for doping in just 3 years, with nearly as many more overturned when players rationalized excuses. In Shermans case, the excuse was that HE didn't violate NFL rules by bringing a water bottle laced with Adderall to a game, one of his TEAMMATES did, but that's OK because he had a prescription (even though NFL rules STILL bar slipping pills into water bottles during games; no word on any suspension for the anonymous teammate.)

The law of averages says it's very unlikely random drug tests just happened to catch EVERYONE doping; for every player caught, there's probably 2-3 others who just didn't get tested that time.

I still think Pete Carroll's about to add a vacated SB title to his vacated NCAA title. When a guy only took a pro coaching job in the first place because he knew the NCAA was about to strip his team of a title, all their wins for the following year and ban them from the postseason for two years, well, Seattle knew what they were getting: They just didn't CARE. Again, even before the playoffs (when I had serious doubts whether what remained of our team could make the SB) I hoped someone would stop Seattle so we didn't end up here. Oh, well.

There's a reason these guys play with enough 'roid-rage to make Romanowski blush.

[Buff]

Who cares if he's on roids - so is half of the league - and his statement is still correct.

Worst part about losing is that you just have to listen to the winner talk.

[BroncoNut]

Remember, this is the same Sherman who two weeks ago (the whole season, really) was telling anyone who'd listen what a bunch of posers the '9ers are and how much infinitely better Seattle is. Now SF is "the second best team in the league." For those not paying attention, Seattle's WAY better than the NFLs second best team, and has the SB beatdown to prove it.

Let's stop kidding each other: Since the dawn of time, it's been an athletic axiom that people can be strong OR fast, but only the rarest freaks of nature can be BOTH unless it comes out of a bottle. THAT'S why everyone's been so vocally amazed all season at how much stronger and faster Seattles whole roster is: Because that's impossible.

Remember, we're not talking about a bunch of top ten overall picks either: These are the guys who play with a chip on their shoulders because they were drafted in the 6th round, or 7th—or NEVER. They're also the second youngest SB team ever. Somehow 48 guys NO ONE wanted on Draft Day turned into a team full of All Pros in just THREE years.

Evidently all 32 NFL scouting teams are incompetent. Except Seattles, of course. It's just coincidence they've had 7 suspensions for doping in just 3 years, with nearly as many more overturned when players rationalized excuses. In Shermans case, the excuse was that HE didn't violate NFL rules by bringing a water bottle laced with Adderall to a game, one of his TEAMMATES did, but that's OK because he had a prescription (even though NFL rules STILL bar slipping pills into water bottles during games; no word on any suspension for the anonymous teammate.)

The law of averages says it's very unlikely random drug tests just happened to catch EVERYONE doping; for every player caught, there's probably 2-3 others who just didn't get tested that time.

I still think Pete Carroll's about to add a vacated SB title to his vacated NCAA title. When a guy only took a pro coaching job in the first place because he knew the NCAA was about to strip his team of a title, all their wins for the following year and ban them from the postseason for two years, well, Seattle knew what they were getting: They just didn't CARE. Again, even before the playoffs (when I had serious doubts whether what remained of our team could make the SB) I hoped someone would stop Seattle so we didn't end up here. Oh, well.

There's a reason these guys play with enough 'roid-rage to make Romanowski blush.

roids? hmmmmm. they did seem like they need ridalin or something during the game. interesting take, I hope that that happens, it would make us look better. I'm gonna go with this Joel, true or not, I like it

[Joel]

roids? hmmmmm. they did seem like they need ridalin or something during the game. interesting take, I hope that that happens, it would make us look better. I'm gonna go with this Joel, true or not, I like it
Well, see, part of the problem is if I say it anywhere but here it sounds like sour grapes. Even though I've believed it all year. Remember the huge argument about whether Von Miller adding 10 freakin' pounds made him slow? Because only the rarest physical specimens can add mass without losing speed.

Seattle evidently found 48 NFL rejects who ALL did it, in just 3 years, and the dozen positive drug tests since are pure coincidence. Sure....

There's a reason they're always so amped and eager to lay out guys, and it's the same reason Romanowski broke one of his TEAMMATES eye sockets with a punch in PRACTICE. 'Roid rage is a real thing, and it doesn't help that anyone willing to cheat and wreck their bodies for a chance at millions of dollars and a Ring probably won't hesitate to cripple opponents with cheap shots.


Who cares if he's on roids - so is half of the league - and his statement is still correct.

Worst part about losing is that you just have to listen to the winner talk.
I care because of that first statement: "So is half the league." Because, at this very moment, millions of 10 year-olds throughout America are dreaming of being the next Richard Sherman and all thinking the same thing: The whole NFL's on 'roids, and the NBA, and MLB; no one makes the pros without doping, so neither can I....

For those who've never been 10 years old, the typical reaction to that is NOT "Well, I'll just give up my Super Bowl dreams." Setting aside how it cheats guys who play clean like Manning and Champ (and 'roids are a great way for people who don't care about their health to beat Father Time; ask DJ ;)) we've spent far too long telling generations of kids to dope their way to success while destroying their bodies and lives. Lyle Alzados don't stick in their heads the way Richard Shermans do, and even the Lance Armstrongs of the world teach no lesson but "don't get caught."

[aberdien]

Cool conspiracy theory.

[Buff]

I like my pros juiced. That 70 HR season was fun. Just level the playing field and let everyone juice.

[topscribe]

The Seahawks were crowned NFL champions on Sunday night in MetLife Stadium, but cornerback Richard Sherman said the coronation actually came two weeks earlier in Seattle.

Sherman was referring to the NFC Championship Game victory over the 49ers, a game that ended with Sherman’s much-discussed interview with Erin Andrews on the field and which Sherman says was this year’s real Super Bowl.

“The NFC Championship was the Super Bowl. The 49ers were the second-best team in the NFL,” Sherman said, via Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/02/03/richard-sherman-the-nfc-championship-game-was-the-super-bowl/
He's half-right, at least. IMO, the 49ers were probably the best. The Seahawks
were lucky to win that last game.

If Denver were healthy, then I'm not sure Sherman could say that. But with
Von, Vick, Harris, Moore, and Wolfe on the shelf, they aren't going to match
up with either team, IMO.

Even with them in the lineup, a soft offense such as Denver displayed will
always play into the hands of, well, anybody from the NFCW, actually. So I'm
not sure I'm right about Denver's matching up in any case at this point.

[Joel]

Cool conspiracy theory.Athletes come in two distinct varieties: The fast and the strong.

Occasionally a phenom comes along who's both, but not 48 at once on one roster. 31 NFL scouting teams don't ALL overlook 48 phenoms like that. NOBODY wanted these guys, yet they all turned into All Pros overnight. When a whole roster gets much better in a short time, that's a huge red flag, and when they all start testing positive, that's a smoking gun.

[silkamilkamonico]

Crazy to think how much stronger the NFC is than the AFC is right now.

Denver was hands down the best team in the AFC, and I bet they would have finished somewhere in the 3-5 range in the NFC.

[Northman]

I like my pros juiced. That 70 HR season was fun. Just level the playing field and let everyone juice.

I hate baseball but i admit i actually paid attention when McGwire and Sosa had that HR battle.

[Joel]

I like my pros juiced. That 70 HR season was fun. Just level the playing field and let everyone juice.
At least that would be honest though. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eXFYuskXE8

[LawDog]

Yes, all four teams. San Fran and Arizona in Denver, Seattle and Rams on the road.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forum Runner

Do we get to play the Rams in Los Angeles?

[Tned]

Do we get to play the Rams in Los Angeles?

Jury is still out on that one.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forum Runner

[jlarsiii]

Like others have said when you are the champs you get to say whatever you want and everybody else has to eat it until they are knocked off.

I think Seattle may run a program to "enhance" their players, but that is really conjecture and nothing more. If USC taught Carroll anything it would have been to learn to hide such a program better than he did at USC.

I am also not buying the idea that this team is the 3rd to 5th best team in the NFL right now. We suffered a season by attrition and still made the super bowl. I would like to see how the teams that are "better" than this team do with the same scenario. It is all based on over-reaction to a horrible performance in one game. There isn't a person I know who would have made that statement before this last game. Instead, you would have liked your chances against any of these teams in the super bowl prior to what happened this past Sunday.

In the end as we endlessly digest this loss over the coming months and people harp on what they think are the big things, we will all come to realize that it was the little things that cost us this game. Little moments that created large differences. If you can clean up the little things then the final outcome next year will hopefully be better. You don't need a whole new lineup of superfreak athletes (because that doesn't exist...even for Seattle). You need to win on the little details of the game.

[DenBronx]

Crazy to think how much stronger the NFC is than the AFC is right now.

Denver was hands down the best team in the AFC, and I bet they would have finished somewhere in the 3-5 range in the NFC.

Um just the NFCW. I think only 49ers and Sea will give us our moneys worth. Cardinals and Rams are beatable.

[Joel]

Like others have said when you are the champs you get to say whatever you want and everybody else has to eat it until they are knocked off.

I think Seattle may run a program to "enhance" their players, but that is really conjecture and nothing more. If USC taught Carroll anything it would have been to learn to hide such a program better than he did at USC.
And when he got caught he ran off to Seattle just ahead of sanctions, vacated wins and a two year postseason ban, taking the whole show on the road without changing a thing.

As others have said, I guess that's just the NFL now: Headhunt EVERYONE and juice the whole team, because random testing can't catch EVERYONE, so you just have Thurmond replace Browner during his suspension, then Browner replaces Thurmond during HIS, then Thurmond replaces Browner during the one year ban that probably ended his career. With a Super Bowl Ring. ;)

[weazel]

Athletes come in two distinct varieties: The fast and the strong.

Occasionally a phenom comes along who's both, but not 48 at once on one roster. 31 NFL scouting teams don't ALL overlook 48 phenoms like that. NOBODY wanted these guys, yet they all turned into All Pros overnight. When a whole roster gets much better in a short time, that's a huge red flag, and when they all start testing positive, that's a smoking gun.

Brandon Browner went from a pathetic cast-off thrown away to the CFL to a beast that nobody could get around... and he turned himself into that in the CFL where there is absolutely NO drug testing.

[Joel]

Brandon Browner went from a pathetic cast-off thrown away to the CFL to a beast that nobody could get around... and he turned himself into that in the CFL where there is absolutely NO drug testing.
He's also probably DONE in pro football; his latest suspension is for a full year, and no one wants a 31 year old CB coming off his third strike. He still gets a Ring though, and Champ still doesn't.

Their whole freakin' secondary is cast-offs no one wanted, but overnight every mothers son of them is faster AND stronger than the entire NFL. I guess a whole lotta scouts are gonna get fired for passing over a dozen All Pros 5 or 6 (or 7) times in the draft. I guess we're gonna be the NFLs answer to OU, wondering if we'd be champions if our opponent played clean.