Love him or loathe him, the NFL can’t get enough of Richard Sherman.
The Seattle Seahawks cornerback’s outspoken and often arrogant outbursts have seen him become one of the faces of the sport, while he has backed up his big talk on the pitch, becoming one of the most feared defenders in the league, and the number one player in our Seahawks rundown.
Sherman’s explosive post-match interviews have seen him belittle opponents, challenge the media, and generally talk as much trash as he can before the microphone is removed from earshot, something which has made him a darling of the American media as well as a lightning rod for fans tired of the irritating chippiness that abounds in the Seattle squad.
As much as Sherman infuriates opponents with his trash talk, he is equally destructive on the field, his physical defence forcing teams alter their game plans by throw to his side of the field as little as possible, if at all.
Sherman has beef with players on most teams in the league at this stage, but in the Super Bowl there are two opponents in particular that will be determined to see the 26-year-old taken down a peg or two.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has clashed with Sherman in the past, and having beaten Brady in their only previous meeting in 2012, Sherman taunted the Pats star, first on the field and then on Twitter, famously asking ‘U mad bro?’ That was the beginning of the fifth-round pick’s rise to infamy and it would be understandable if Brady was tempted to try and expose him in Phoenix this Sunday.
And while he won’t get to line up opposite him directly, Pats cornerback Darrelle Revis will be eager to shutdown Seattle’s receivers in a bid to reestablish himself as the preeminent defensive back in the NFL, a title Sherman has been quick to claim for himself.
2. Marshawn Lynch
Lynch does all his talking on the field, literally. Lynch’s refusal to engage with the media has become one of the more overblown stories of this NFL season, with the running back clearly uncomfortable in front of the press pack, yet fined when he doesn’t make himself available, leading to a series of the most awkward, monosyllabic press conferences you could ever hope to see.
On the field though, Lynch is a different animal, a crotch-grabbing, Skittles-scoffing, defender-squashing brute of a runner that rarely goes to ground upon first contact. He has made a habit of wearing defences before unleashing trademark ‘Beast Mode’ runs that ultimately crush the will of his opponents.
3. Michael Bennett
The star of the Seattle defensive line, Bennett terrorises quarterbacks with his ability to get pressure from any position on the line of scrimmage. Equally adept in the run game, Bennett’s versatility forces offences to always take an extra second to account for his point of attack, often allowing fellow pass rushers like Cliff Avril and Bruce Irvin to prosper.
Plus, he has the best sack dance ever. Lock up your daughters.
4. Russell Wilson
Seattle’s quarterback is one of most likeable players on the team, but despite his results he has yet to shake the suspicion of many that Seattle’s success is more a product of incredible defence and Lynch’s legs than anything Wilson brings to the table.
It’s a legitimate point, but does take away from the remarkable sense of the moment that Wilson, an undersized wisp of a player, has displayed so far in his young career. He doesn’t have the numbers, or frankly the throwing ability, of ageing passers like Brady or Peyton Manning or younger rivals Andrew Luck and Aaron Rodgers, but his biggest asset is his brain.
He is among the finest at sensing danger and escaping the pocket to either run the ball or scramble to buy his receivers time, showing a rare elusiveness that frustrates and tires defenders.
He is also unflappable. Through 55 minutes of the NFC title game, Wilson was a complete mess, throwing four interceptions and on track for by far his worst game as a pro. But when given the chance in the dying moments, he stepped up and led three touchdown drives in ten minutes, including a game winner in over time that involved recognising single coverage on the outside and audibling to a deep throw to receiver Jermaine Kearse, who was the target on all four picks but who came up with the 35-yeard game-winner.
He will also become the youngest ever quarterback to win two rings if Seattle defends its title.
5= Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor
It’s too hard to separate Seattle’s dominating pair of safeties. The rangy Thomas gets the plaudits for his all-around ability, directing the Seahawks defence from his position in centre-field and excelling both in pass coverage and the run game. But, much in the way Richard Sherman sets the tone of the team with his mouth, it is Chancellor whose thunderous hits that are Seattle’s real signature statement.
