Tag Archives: Richard Sherman

Week 13: San Francisco

Seahawks blow out Sherman’s 49ers, move into playoff position

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san-francisco-logoA week after the Seahawks put together their defining win of the season, at Carolina, they added an exclamation point with a 43-16 win vs. former Seahawk Richard Sherman and the undermanned 49ers.

Russell Wilson threw a season-best four TD passes, each one marked by the receivers’ celebration skits (including an homage to Sherman’s famous Tip); Bobby Wagner played easily his best game of the season, setting a team record with his 98-yard pick-six; and the Seahawks moved two games over .500 for the first time this season — happy to show Sherman they are not a “middle of the road” team as they beat the 49ers for the ninth straight time.

The Seahawks officially moved into playoff position, where they can remain if they beat Minnesota next week and win the final three. (Even dropping one game probably wouldn’t hurt them that much.) If the season ended today, the Hawks would be the No. 6 seed.

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Week 13: San Francisco
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CHAWK LINES -- Sherman returnsRichard Sherman’s return to Seattle is one of the bigger reunion games the Seahawks — or any of the city’s teams — has ever had. Here’s a look at everything being said about it:

Doug Baldwin still hates the way Sherman’s Seattle career ended. Might have to recycle this quote next year if/when Baldwin leaves.

Bobby Wagner had some great good-natured digs at Sherman. Pete Carroll called him a “challenge” to coach but also expressed great respect for Sherman. Shaquill Griffin admires Sherman for mentoring him last year: “That wasn’t in his job description. He didn’t have to do that.”

Sherman basically stuck to the same criticisms of Seattle he made when he was cut. And he also made clear what he thinks of Russell Wilson as a QB (ICYMI: They’re not buds).

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State of the team

After losing his team in 2015, Carroll has taken it back this year

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Logo -- OTAsPete Carroll lost his team in 2015 and finally decided to take it back this year. Will that be enough to get the Hawks back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the debacle that cost Carroll control of his club?

Yeah, yeah, the Seahawks made the playoffs in 2015 and 2016, at one point each season looking capable of winning it all. But they admittedly weren’t really motivated to do it.

Cliff Avril was the latest to corroborate that, saying Carroll’s decision to throw at the goal line in Super Bowl XLIX resulted in a lot of players tuning him out over the ensuing seasons. Michael Bennett, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Warren Moon and former RBs coach Sherman Smith all have said the XLIX loss affected the team in 2015 and 2016, and malcontents Bennett and Sherman admitted they had stopped listening to the coach long before they were both let go this year.

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Schedule

Tough road early, home night games late

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2018 skedThe good news: The Seahawks don’t have to play in Denver and Chicago during the winter. The bad news: They have to open with consecutive road games.

The opener in Denver and the Monday night game in Chicago in Week 2 mark the third time since 2011 the Hawks have started with two straight road games. They opened 0-2 in both 2011 and 2015.

Seattle’s 2018 schedule is weighted toward road games early and home games late: The Seahawks play five of the first seven on the road and four of the final five at home (three in prime time).

They have five prime-time games — four in Seattle, where the Hawks are 17-2 in night games (including playoffs) under Pete Carroll. They are 26-5-1 in prime time overall under Carroll.

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Free agency, The roster

Seahawks are right to avoid distractions

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Logo -- Free agencyThe Seahawks are trying to regain their focus this offseason and rebuild into another Super Bowl winner, which means they are right to avoid Colin Kaepernick if they feel he would be a distraction.

While we support NFL players who choose to use their platforms to make positive social statements and help their fellow citizens, teams have every right to do whatever they think is best in their pursuit of winning titles. Why? Because winning is the No. 1 priority. Good deeds and causes are nice, but not if they interfere with the entire purpose of the franchise’s existence.

Pete Carroll said Seattle’s activism last season became draining for the players, and he clearly wants to manage it better this year.

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The roster, Trades

No deal for Thomas? Expect a trade then

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Salary cap logoWe never thought the Seahawks would dump Michael Bennett or Richard Sherman this offseason, simply because it made no sense to do so. But they did. And now it looks like Earl Thomas will follow them, even if that makes no sense either.

For most of this offseason, the word on Thomas has been that the Seahawks want to keep him but would accept a very favorable trade.

At the owners meetings in Orlando, John Schneider again reiterated the Seahawks are listening to offers for the safety, but he also strongly hinted he is not inclined to give a second extension to Thomas.

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State of the team

Sherman’s comments contain grains of salt and truth

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Sherman AchillesYou can excuse Richard Sherman for being a little bitter about being unceremoniously dumped last week. Most of us agree with him, if only because Seattle eschewed an opportunity to get value for him (in 2016, now or later).

In an interview with freshly retired NFL star Joe Thomas on the “ThomaHawk” podcast, Sherman sounded off about his departure from Seattle — giving some very candid comments about Pete Carroll and John Schneider (quotes via Bob Condotta).

Because Sherman is a bit displeased, we have to take some of his comments with a grain of salt. But there are plenty of grains of truth, too.

Let’s sift through them …

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Contracts, Free agency

Report: Schneider declined to match 49ers’ offer to Sherman

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Logo -- Free agencyRichard Sherman apparently gave the Seahawks a second chance, but John Schneider declined to match the 49ers’ offer.

When Schneider cut Sherman on Friday, he asked him to let Seattle try to match any offer, according to SI.com’s Peter King. When Sherman called Saturday with his incentive-laden offer from the 49ers, Schneider told him, “Incentives (are) a little rich for me.”

Seattle wasn’t the only team to decline. Sherman called Oakland and Detroit, and both turned down the deal.

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Free agency

‘Door’s open,’ but Sherman said nothing about returning

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Salary cap logoA lot of fans seem to be misconstruing Richard Sherman’s quotes to various reporters about possibly returning to the Seahawks.

The essence of every quote was this: The Seahawks let him go so they could gain his $11 million in cap space but are open to him returning at a reduced rate. In his initial comments to those reporters, Sherman said nothing about wanting to come back.

His most extensive comments were to Gee Scott of KIRO Radio: “We’ve had conversations and they’ve told me that they’re going to allow me to go into free agency. But they want me to understand that the door’s open for me to return. They’re just trying to do what they need to do to clear up space and give me and them the best chance at free agency, and I’ve got to appreciate and respect that.”

He said variations of that to several national reporters:

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