Richard Sherman: Crazy Person?

Anyone with even a vague knowledge of the NFL knows that Richard Sherman is one of its biggest characters and most talented players. He talks the talk but can - most importantly - walk the walk.

So, the outrage over one of the NFL's most outspoken individuals saying something, erm, outspoken is baffling.

Last night, following the Seahawks emphatic come-from-behind win over their bitter rivals, Sherman launched into a tirade about Michael Crabtree and the perceived disrespect in the 49ers decision to target Sherman on a scoring attempt late in the game:

"I'm the best corner in the game. When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that's the result you gonna get. Don't you ever talk about me...don't you open your mouth about the best or I'm gonna shut it for you real quick"

Sherman was interviewed minutes after securing his team's second ever super bowl appearance and was, as human beings from all walks of life are prone to do, caught up in the heat of the moment. He was interviewed later that night and was his usual articulate self. His column on SI.com today saw him heap praise on his teammates and opponents.

What he said isn't new. Smack talk has existed within the NFL for decades - and some of the most revered figures in the sport have had some of the biggest mouths - and can only be seen as a verbal manifestation of the more-violent-than-usual nature of the game that had preceded them: a game that immediately went down as a classic.

The week before, Kaepernick openly mocked Cam Newton's patented 'Superman' celebration, and received little-to-no backlash. Throughout the course of the game, and in the week leading up to it, Crabtree himself had been speaking ill of the Seahawks cornerback. Again, he received little in the way of condemnation, least of all from Sherman - who remained silent all week.

Richard Sherman isn't classless, nor is he a thug. He graduated with a masters degree from one of the most academic colleges in the US, has nothing in the way of off-field issues, a criminal record or even a reputation for dirty play on the field.

Sure, from childhood we are taught to be gracious in defeat and humble in victory. To show respect for our opponents and to not gloat - in fear of looking unprofessional, unsportsmanlike and just plain rude. Sherman's behaviour directly contradicts that, but when sports fans tend to idolise forthright characters, it seems a little hypocritical to crucify him for the same thing.

I am of the opinion that the rant was ill-timed and he did little but show himself in an arrogant light, but does he deserve the vitriolic, racist abuse that he's been receiving? Certainly not.

Photo Gallery: The Most Memorable NFL Postseason Games Of The Last Decade

The Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are all one game away from Super Bowl XLVIII, so what better time than Championship Game weekend to reflect on the most memorable postseason games of the last ten years?

As it is one of the greatest games in NFL history, I've included the 2002 Giants/49ers game as it took place in 2003.

Baltimore Ravens @ Denver Broncos, 2012 Divisional Round

The Baltimore Ravens were - on the back of Ray Lewis' retirement announcement - the 'hot wildcard team' heading into the 2012 postseason. After a solid home win against the Indianapolis Colts, the Ravens travelled to Denver to face the heavily-favoured Broncos. The Broncos looked set to win the game, but blown coverage by Tony Carter and Rahim Moore allowed Flacco to complete a 70-yard touchdown pass with seconds remaining in the 4th quarter. After two periods of overtime, Justin Tucker kicked the game-winning field goal on the back of a Peyton Manning interception.

New York Giants @  San Francisco 49ers, 2011 NFC Championship Game

The 2011 New York Giants were very similar to their 2007 counterparts in that they flew under the radar on their way to the playoffs, beat heavily-favoured opposition throughout, and then overcame the Patriots in the Super Bowl. In another instalment of one of the NFL's greatest postseason rivalries, the Giants upset the 49ers after Kyle Williams fumbled a punt and Lawrence Tynes kicked his second career overtime playoff-winning field goal.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos, 2011 Wild Card Round

Tim Tebow had an incredible 2011 season. His first start was a comeback win over the Miami Dolphins in week 6, and several unlikely wins later, he made his last start against the 12-4 Pittsburgh Steelers. Tebow had developed a habit of playing his best football when the odds were stacked against him, and this most improbable of wins came on the back of a 80-yard touchdown to Demariyus Thomas on the first play of overtime.

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks 2010 Wildcard Round

Seeing that the Seahawks emerged as champions of the NFC West with a 7-9 record, it's somewhat of a miracle that the 2013 NFC Championship game will be contested by two NFC West teams. Marshawn Lynch's 69-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter capped one of the biggest postseason upsets ever, with the Seahawks defeating the defending Super Bowl champions 41-36.

Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals 2009 Wild Card Round

The Arizona Cardinals didn't suffer a Super Bowl 'hangover' after their loss to Pittsburgh at the end of the 2008 season - they made the playoffs again in 2009, and their meeting with the Aaron Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers turned out to be the highest-scoring playoff game in history. After the Cardinals raced to a 17-0 lead, and were up 31-10 in the second half. Rodgers was flawless in the second half, and tied the game at 45-45 with 2 minutes remaining. before having a fumble returned for a game-winning 17-yard touchdown in overtime. Kurt Warner finished the game with a record-breaking passer rating of 154.1.

New England Patriots @ Indianapolis Colts, 2006 AFC Championship Game

The best rivalry of the 2000s came to a head in yet another AFC championship game. Peyton Manning and the Colts were 0-2 against Tom Brady's Patriots in previous postseason encounters, but overcame a 21-3 deficit to win 38-34. Three touchdowns were scored by interior linemen (Jeff Saturday and Dan Klecko for the Colts, and Dan Koppen for the Patriots), and the win arguably marked the end of the Patriots dynasty.


Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts, 2005 Divisional Round

One year prior to their triumph over the Patriots, the Colts suffered another meltdown at the hands of the Steelers in one of the most bizarre endings to a playoff game ever. The Steelers were leading 21-18 late in the fourth quarter when Jerome Bettis took the ball close to the Colts goal line. Colts linebacker Gary Brackett forced Bettis' first fumble all season, and a flailing Ben Roethlisberger inexplicably managed to tackle Nick Harper and prevent the winning touchdown. Peyton Manning drove the Colts to the 42 yard line, Mike Vanderjagt shanked the field goal attempt to tie the game, and the Steelers travelled to Denver on their way to a Super Bowl XL victory over the Seahawks.

New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers, 2002 Wild Card Round

Thanks to a controversial ending, the 2002 edition of the Giants/49ers postseason rivalry is still a source of bitterness for Giants fans. Thanks to a stellar performance by Kerry Collins (342 yards, 4 TD), the Giants had a 38-14 lead late in the third quarter and advancement to the divisional round looked likely for Big Blue. Jeff Garcia then led the 49ers to 25 unanswered points, but Collins led the Giants to the 49ers 23 yard line with 6 seconds left on the clock. The snap on the ensuing field goal was bad but rather than spike the ball (giving the Giants another shot on fourth down), holder Matt Allen threw an incomplete pass. The Giants were penalised for an ineligible receiver, even though it emerged that Giants guard Rich Seubert was eligible and that the 49ers had committed a pass interference penalty against him.

Here's hoping tonight's games produce some moments as memorable as these.

Fixing The New York Giants

The New York Giants' season is officially over. Their lifeless, "pathetic", 23-0 shutout at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks last weekend put the final nail in the coffin and had Giants fans turning their gaze towards next season.

Ask a fan what he or she thinks the Giants can do to turn things around next season and there's a very good chance that the first thing they'll say is 'fire Kevin Gilbride'. It might not be as simplistic as that, but 'fixing' the Giants starts with the coaching staff - and they should clear house.

Tom Coughlin's past achievements speak for themselves and he has done a great job of keeping the Giants competitive in spite of their many flaws, but I think Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor has a point when he says that Coughlin has done everything he can for the organisation. Firing him isn't an option - he has earned the right to call time on his career whenever he wants - but this season might be the one to retire after. Conversely if the Giants are going to rebuild, having Coughlin steer the ship wouldn't be a bad idea.

Regardless, the majority of the coaches beneath him need to go; his coordinators - Kevin Gilbride, Perry Fewell and Tom Quinn - have been repeatedly out-coached this season and the Giants will not be contenders if they retain them. Gilbride has enjoyed consistent success in New York, but the Giants' offensive production has regressed in recent years with a difficult-to-execute but easily-defended scheme.

Even so, there is only so much a coach can do - and much of the Giants' struggles this year have been down to the personnel on the field. Many are - through no fault of their own - just not good enough, and some (Hakeem Nicks) have all the talent in the world but aren't playing at a level expected of them.

The good news is that there are a number of young players - including Jason Pierre Paul, Victor Cruz, Prince Amukamara, Linval Joseph, John Conner, Justin Pugh, Rueben Randle, Damontre Moore, Will Hill and Jacquian Williams - around whom Jerry Reese can build a contender.

Much of the Giants' struggles have come from a sizeable number of ineffective veteran starters. If we're 'fixing' the team, guys like Chris Snee, David Diehl, David Baas, Mathias Kiwanuka, Brandon Jacobs and Corey Webster will be finished in New York and others - like Justin Tuck, Kevin Boothe, Mike Patterson and Trumaine McBride - have some value (somewhere close to veteran's minimum) but their days are numbered. Short-term contracts will see important locker room leaders like Tuck help ease the transition, but salary cap restrictions mean that Antrel Rolle would, despite his superlative play this season, be leaving the team.

Without Rolle, and with an offensive line in desperate need of repair, it is vitally important the Giants spend the money they do have (expected to be somewhere around $28 million) wisely in free agency. So who do they go after? The interior offensive line has been a liability all season, and I think Jerry Reese needs to make a move for some underrated talents to fix it - Brian De La Puente (centre, New Orleans Saints) and Jon Asamoah (guard, Kansas City Chiefs) are the stand-out linemen on offer. Prince Amukamara is developing into the player the Giants hoped he would be, but the Giants should turn to the 49ers' underrated cornerback Tarell Brown to help him out.

A lot of fans and pundits are making the point that the past achievements of many Giants players and coaches means that the organisation should resist change in the hope that they once again deliver a championship. This school of thought overlooks the fact that what once worked for the Giants no longer does. The Colts, after a radical overhaul following their disastrous 2011 campaign, made the playoffs in 2012 and 2013. The Chiefs, after posting a 2-14 record in 2012, are 11-4 in 2013. These teams, along with other contenders such as the Seahawks, 49ers, Eagles and Dolphins, experienced major personnel overhauls within the last three years and prove that - in today's NFL - you have to adapt or die.

Moving The Chains: A Weekly Review Of The NFL - 1/12/2013

Hero of the week:
Russell Wilson

Meet Russell Wilson: MVP Candidate. After a very good first season in the NFL, Wilson has emerged as the true king of the 2012 quarterback draft class. He has outperformed all of his contemporaries - Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden and Brock Osweiler, and now shares the company of Brady, Manning and Brees as league MVP contenders. He has undoubtedly benefited from the Seahawks phenomenal defence, but the talents of Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas have little to do with Wilson's passer rating over the last two seasons (third, behind Manning and Rodgers). This season he has thrown 22 touchdowns to 6 interceptions, has posted a passer rating over 100 eight times and - most recently - demolished the New Orleans Saints with a clinical 310 yard, three touchdown performance.

Villain of the week:
Giants @ Redskins officials

One of the most blatantly poor officiating mistakes in recent memory, Jeff Triplette and co. mistakenly announced that the Redskins had converted on second down, when they were - in fact - still on third down. The Redskins, unsure of the down, nonetheless attempted a deep pass which was dropped by Fred Davis. With 1.31 on the clock, the referees announced that the Redskins were on 4th-and-short and the Giants won the game following Will Hill's strip of Pierre Garcon.

Fail of the week:
Mike Tomlin

I firmly believe that Tomlin did not mean to do this but, given the issues this season with players and coaches wandering into the sideline perimeter - a response to the Jets' coach tripping a Dolphins player a few years ago - why put yourself in this position?

My team:

The most impressive win of the season thus far.

I still firmly believe that the Giants - and Giants fans - shouldn't think about playoffs, but it's hard to feel bad about knocking the Redskins out of playoff contention. On Sunday, the Giants put together an ugly-but-tough performance underscored by the 'never say die' spirit of the 2007 and 2011 Super Bowl-winning teams. The Redskins raced to an early 14-0 lead, but the Giants clawed their way back into it with touchdowns from Andre Brown (his first of two) and Brandon Myers. Eli Manning played some of his best football this season (22-of-28 for 235 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception), Jon Beason was solid in both pass and run defense - notching 17 tackles, and Justin Tuck recorded 4 sacks.

The win sees the Giants improve to 5-7 and keeps their slim playoff hopes alive - but the Giants' quest to win out the rest of their schedule gets considerably tougher with trips to San Diego and Detroit, and a visit by Seattle.

Throwback Uniform Gallery #4: 1961-62 Dallas Cowboys

No 'throwback player' this week due to my busy week, but in honour of Thanksgiving - and the fact that they won't be allowed to wear them any more - here's a selection of Dallas Cowboy's rather fetching 1960's throwback kits worn in previous Thanksgiving games:

and here are the modern versions:

Moving The Chains: A Weekly Review Of The NFL - 24/11/2013

Due to a particularly hectic week, I've only just gotten round to writing my weekly take on the weekend's festivities. Let's get to it, shall we?

Hero of the week:

Cam Newton

Superman returns. After a mixed 2012, Cam Newton - with some help from a stingy defence - has the Panthers bulldozing their way to the playoffs. After knocking off the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots in consecutive weeks, Newton (who scored on a rushing TD earlier in the game) engineered a late-game comeback to beat a tough Miami Dolphins unit. They proved they can knock off big teams, and now the Panthers are proving they can finish strong and win close games - their ability to do both will make them a potent force in the postseason.

Villain of the week:
Kevin Gilbride

I'm biased as a Giants fan, but see 'My Team' for more on Gilbride.

Game of the week:
Patriots' unlikely comeback topples Broncos

Despite his reputation for late-game heroics, it seemed unlikely that Tom Brady would be able to bring the Patriots back from 21-0 down at half time. He did. Brady and the Patriots offense put up 31 points on Denver's suspect defence in the second half, before Stephen Gostkowski kicked the winning field goal in overtime. Credit to Bill Belichick for sticking with a game plan that eventually shredded the Broncos linebackers and secondary.

Fail of the week:
Bruce Carter and Jeff Heath

For temporarily forgetting the rules of football




My team:

An embarrassment. The struggling Giants offence faced off with the terrible Cowboys' defense...and laid an egg. Despite Andre Brown and Brandon Jacobs gashing the Cowboys for over 200 yards, dire offensive playcalling by Kevin Gilbride - in which he routinely abandoned the run game in favour of passing in adverse weather conditions at inopportune moments - prevented the Giants from scoring touchdowns on three of their possessions in the Cowboys' redzone.

Defensively the Giants were sound, but couldn't halt the Cowboys offence during the last four minutes of the game. The Giants fell to 4-7 and realistically are only playing for pride from here on out.

The Importance Of 'Plan B'

2013 has been The Year of the Backup Quarterback.

Today we will see Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning - unquestionably the best rivalry in NFL history - for the fifteenth time, but the biggest quarterback-themed story this season has been about replacement quarterbacks.

The injury epidemic involving starting quarterbacks - particularly the one suffered by Aaron Rodgers - has stressed the importance of teams having a capable backup.

In the NFC North alone, three teams have had to replace their starters: in Chicago, Josh McCown stepped in following Jay Cutler's groin injury. In Green Bay, Seneca Wallace replaced Aaron Rodgers, and then Scott Tolzien was forced to step in for Wallace when he was injured. Minnesota saw both Matt Cassell and Josh Freeman replace Christian Ponder in the wake of Ponder's rib injury.

Seventeen NFL teams have turned to backups in the wake of injuries, and in many cases their on-field performance has been elevated after the arrival a new signal caller. The Philadelphia Eagles have a 4-1 record under Nick Foles, the Bears are 2-0 with Josh McCown at the helm and the Cleveland Browns went 3-0 after Brian Hoyer replaced Brandon Weeden as starter (before Hoyer himself went down injured). Matt McGloin also led the Oakland Raiders to a win in his first game as starter.

However there are many teams that have struggled in the wake of injuries to their multi-million dollar franchise-leading investment, and it's probably unfair to criticise any team that does so. Despite this, it is becoming abundantly clear that teams cannot afford to overlook their starting quarterback's potential replacement.

So what do what do teams look for in a backup quarterback? Looking beyond the obvious questions of talent and tangible factors, it is important to consider the intangibles. Recent trends suggest that well-run teams look to tick a number of boxes when trying to find a viable replacement.

Firstly, they first need to consider whether the quarterback fits their system and how familiar they are - or will be. It's no coincidence that Scott Tolzien (Wisconsin) and Case Keenum (Houston) have ended up playing for the Packers and Texans, respectively. Those teams will have seen them extensively at the collegiate level and know whether they can fit into their system. The same goes for players who have been called up from the practice squad to the main roster.

Tolzien wasn't with the Packers until after training camp, which brings up the question of how adaptable a quarterback is: are they intelligent enough to pick up the playbook quickly and make smart, safe decisions on the field? In many instances, physical talent might be overlooked in favour of someone who can manage a game efficiently.

Finally, character is a major deciding factor when it comes to picking a last-resort quarterback option - NFL teams frequently turn to players with unblemished disciplinary records and no character concerns (ever wondered why Vince Young can't land a job?). They look for players who are competitive - players who have gone to countless workouts and hopped from team to team in search of an opportunity. Being hungry is a sign that they will be well-prepared when they

This is, of course, not a concrete formula - but it is no coincidence that many successful backups (you can see some of the best here) conform to many of these criteria.