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Richard Sherman Podcast - Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl Pick: Maye vs. Darnold, Seattle D, Pats X-factors | Richard Sherman NFL
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- [00:00]
Richard Sherman
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
- [00:05]
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- [00:35]
Stugots
Stigatz here. I have a podcast empire that I have brought here to iheart and I'm also hosting a daily live radio show from 3 to 5pm Eastern called Stegazon Company Live, which is available in podcast form right when the show finishes every single day, you can expect a lot of laughter, great guests, a ton of calls, and a lot of fun. Listen to Stegots Co. Live at and our original podcast, Stugots Co. And God bless Football. And you can check all of those out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [01:10]
Richard Sherman
Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast and I just want to say I appreciate you guys. You're gonna be getting your NFL content from anywhere, but you're here with me. I'm thankful for you. So hit that sub button so you can get the notifications when I'm dropping a new episode. All love. Hope you guys are having a great New Year's, accomplishing all your New Year's resolutions and staying healthy. Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast. And it's the end of the line. The super bowl preview between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. The game that we've all been waiting for. And I know you Seattle 12s have been waiting for this for far too long. It's revenge time. A revenge tour. I know. New England, y' all feel good. You're like Drake May. Mvp Canada. Mvp. Mvp. Nah, it's over with. It's over with. This is ending this week. Well, next week on Sunday. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know we gotta wait to get through the whole preview, but y' all know how I feel about this one. I'm incredibly biased. And. But. But the biasness is. Is rooted in fact and structure. This team is good, Mitchell. They are great.
- [02:26]
Mitchell
They've earned the right to be here. Richard. And you called it. From the onset of this season, this Seattle Seahawk team has shocked a lot of people. But I don't know if they necessarily shocked you. And kudos to you, my friend. Kudos to you. You said the energy in that building was different in training camp. And here we are on the brink of super bowl week, and the Seattle Seahawks are in Santa Clara ready to strap them up. Richard, there's going to be a lot of storylines going into this game, but I think the biggest one is how well Seattle's defense can contain Drake May. Listen, I know the guy's young. I know he's, you know, he's come onto the scene here pretty darn quick, and he's taken the lead by storm. Whether or not he wins the MVP this year, which I don't think he will, but he's, he's earned the right to be in that discussion. He's elevated this New England Patriots team from the depths of this league. And credit to him and Mike Vrabel. Richard, I know you're high on the Seattle Seahawk defense, but what challenges do you see Drake May presenting to the Seattle Seahawk juggernaut defense?
- [03:34]
Richard Sherman
Well, we can get into it. Drake May presents a plethora of issues for the Seattle Seahawks. He's mobile. He's got 141 yards on the ground. Had 66 against the Denver Broncos. I mean, had 65 against the Denver Broncos, 66 in the wild card matchup against the Chargers. And those were pivotal plays, critical plays. When things broke down, he used his legs and really flipped the field in a lot of those situations. So the Seattle Seahawks are going to have to be wary of that. This is a fast, swarming defense. So I know that Mike McDonald is going to try to get him to speed up his clock. There's a reason Mike McDonald has had so much success against these young, young quarterbacks. Against quarterbacks under 23 years old, Mike McDonald is 6 0. The quarterbacks have thrown one touchdown and they've thrown eight intersection and been sacked 22 times. His looks are complex. They, they, they just make you pause just long enough to, to diagnose, hey, is it what I thought it was or is it something else? He does a fantastic job manipulating the eyes, manipulating what you expect to see. But Josh McDaniels is going to do a good job trying to prepare him for some of these looks. But again, this is a young quarterback who's played at a really high level. But in this playoffs, you got to give him a lot of credit. He's gone through some of the toughest defenses you're going to see in his National Football League. He struggled against the Chargers in that game, especially early on. That game was 3, 6 for a long time. And then, you know, things start snowballing. Houston Texans gave him all he could handle. And of course Everybody knows how C.J. stroud struggled in that game. A lot of turnovers. The game got out of hand. Drake May made the plays necessary for his team to win. And then you get to the Denver game. He only had 86 yards passing. He almost ran for as many yards as he passed for in that game. And we all know the elements were an issue, the snow and all that. But there's not a huge like big time go to receiver in this game for the New England Patriots. Now Stefan Diggs is a, is a household name. A guy who has had a lot of success in his league, who can, who can get you a, a first down when you need it. Kaan Booty made a huge play in that Houston Texans game against one of the best corners in the National Football League. First team all pro. Derek Stingley went up top one handed in the end zone, showed, hey, regardless of circumstances, regardless of the elements, I'm a big time player. And his draft stock fell because of some off the field issues, some things that don't need to be talked about. But he's showing that he can be a big time factor in this league. And I think he's their best receiver and there's no question about that. But again, this scheme that Mike McDonald employs, you don't necessarily need a guy in that. That way the pressure will get them, the looks will get them, but they have great corners. Tariq Woolen, if you look at Tariq Wool and Josh Job and, and Devin Witherspoon, those three corners have allowed, I think the least yards per catch and per reception in the National Football League. And they're all on the field. Mike McDonald keeps them all on the field at the same time. You already know Nick Mm War. He's gonna factor into this game. He may be guarding Booty, he may be garden Trayvon Hendrickson, he may be G guarding Randre Stevenson, he may be garden Hunter Henry, he could be anywhere. He may be blitzing, he may be at D tackle. You never know where you're going to find Nick Ammon Warrior. It's like Where's Waldo, like where you find him. The action usually will be though Mitchell, but I think I, I just, I assume that Drake May will struggle in this game. Not that he won't be he, not that he won't be accurate, not that he won't be effective, but I expect him to struggle. He struggled in A lot of these games, especially early on, but this, the difference between these guys and the other guys is this defensive line will come in waves there. There's going to be a lot of guys rotating in there. They're not going to get tired. And this offensive line has already allowed him to be sacked 15 times in these playoffs. He got sacked five times each game and he's been beaten up. He's questionable in this game. Obviously he's going to play. Everybody's questionable. Everybody with a Q next to their name and is playing. But there's a reason he's beat up. It's because of this offensive line. And I know Mike McDonald will make it hard for him again in this game. They run the ball pretty well, but this is the number one team against the run in the Seattle Seahawks. They're not going to allow them to run the ball. They're going to make Drake May beat them and he. Is he going to have enough time to operate in the way he wants to? Is he going to be able to take advantage of the matchups? I know the Patriots fans are like, look what Stafford did. I think in this game you're going to see the difference between Matthew Stafford and a young Drake May. Not that Drake may won't eventually get to where Stafford is, but he does not see the game as well as Matthew Stafford does. I'm sorry Patriots fans if that's news to you, but that's going to be news. I know you want the young kid to be MVP and I'm sure he's going to have an MVP in his future. It's not going to be this year. I'd be very surprised if they gave it to him this year. That'd be very disappointing because of the season that Matthew Stafford has had. But if you want to see the, the clear difference between Matthew Stafford and Drake May, you will watch how they play these two games. You just watch Matthew Stafford play a phenomenal game against the Seattle Seahawks. I mean, twice in the last, what month played really great games. One time he had, last game he had 374, I think. And the game before that he had 457. That does not happen often against the Seattle Seahawks defense. Now you're going to get to watch your, your, your pride and joy Drake May against the same defense in a. In. In great conditions. They're going to be in Santa Clara, California. So not going to be snow, it's not going to be rain, it's not going to be wind, it's not going to be elements and you're going against a really great defense and you're going to see it's, it's easier said than done throwing the football against this defense. But I know Josh McDaniels and, and, and Mike Vor will have a great plan for him. Can they execute? We shall see. On the flip side of that, what can this Patriots defense do? They do a lot of things well. They do a lot of things well. They, they play a lot of man coverage in the back end. When they play zone, they do a great job of disguising it. They got a big time playmaker in Marcus Jones, whether it's in the special teams, pump return game, kick return game, whatever it is. If he gets his hands on a football with the interception. He had a pick six against the Houston Texans where he's the, is the best athlete on the field and there's no question, there's no debate about that. And then you, you, you, you talk about Christian Gonzalez, who I think is the best player on that defense, and then coach Carlton Davis, a guy who, who plays the game at a very high level and a very underrated player in this defense. I believe he had two interceptions in the game against two interceptions in a game against Houston that were critical plays and one of them was on a short route. He just plays the game the right way. He's where he's supposed to be. He's a perfect hand and glove fit for this scheme and what Mike Rabel wants to do. But it's, it's Milton Williams and Christian Barmore that are the lynch pins in this defense. If you cannot move them, you will not run the ball against this team. And then you got Clayvon Chase on a guy who, who you know was a, was a high round draft pick, a very high draft pick who didn't necessarily work out. And I think it was Jacksonville. But he comes here and he just fits with Mike Vrabel. It's, it's like, it's symbiosis. These guys fit what they're trying to do. He shows his players a lot of love and a lot of respect and there's so much, so much care in that building. You could see the, the respect and love that he has for his players and how inspiring that is to them. Those guys go out there and push it to the limits, get everything they can out for their coach. And I feel like the same way for the Seattle Seahawks, but I just feel like the Seattle Seahawks are the better team in this game. I, I do believe. I don't. There's no accident that the New England Patriots are here. They're. They're here because they have earned it. They have. Now, did they run into fortuitous circumstances in, in some respects, no question about it. But, hey, you play who's in front of you. Hey, did they. Could they have beaten Bo Knicks? Maybe, but they barely beat Jared Stum. So could that have gone different if. If B Knicks plays? Maybe. But who cares if if was a fifth? You know the rest. They have to compete against Sam Darnold, who's playing some of the best football of his life. He played against the Rams, and that was the opponent. I think most skeptics and critics would have said, hey, that's the team he doesn't want to see. If the Rams would have lost Chicago and Sam Darnold would, would have played a great game against Chicago, everybody been like, oh, man, he got lucky the Rams didn't show up. He got lucky, the Rams didn't win. But the fact that he had to go against the MVP of the league this year, which I'm assuming, and Matthew Stafford, and Matthew played a fantastic game. Go against Chris Shuler, who he struggled against not only in the, in the game in LA this season, but last season in the playoffs, where he was sacked nine times and pretty much rode his ticket out of Minnesota because of that game, because they said he could not handle the pressure. So to be forced to face that team in an NFC Championship game with the season on the line and to play at the level and standard that he played at, for him to compete, be accurate and deliberate with the football. Threw for over 300 yards, hitting Jackson, Smith and Jigba. He gave the ball to everybody who needed it. I started the game off with a bomb to Rashid Shahid. Rashid Shahid's first go route, I think they've thrown to him since. Since he's gotten here. And it was a, it was a completion early in the game. They got the look that they wanted. He. He put it up for his guy to make a play. Rashid Shahid ran under it. Huge play in the ball game. And that was early on, letting him know, hey, it's not that kind of game. It's not going to be. And I think they're going to do the same thing in this game with the New England Patriots. They're going to set the tone early. They're going to say, hey, we know you guys are excited. We know what, what you think of this quarterback. And you think, oh, man, we can, we can rattle him. I think he's going to go out there and show him it's a different guy. It's not that kind of day.
- [13:28]
Mitchell
This resurgence from Sam Darnold, it's going to be a conversation all week. You know, he finally has found his footing in Seattle. I mean, he had a heck of a season last year with Minnesota. Obviously, they made a mistake in letting. So is it safe to say that Sam Darnold is proven that he is a legitimate franchise quarterback in the NFL with his showing this season with the Seattle Seahawks?
- [13:50]
Richard Sherman
Yes. I think the simple answer is yes. Sam Donald has proven he's a franchise quarterback. He's also proven that sometimes circumstances matter. I. I can't. Can't say sometimes circumstances matter all the time. And what would have happened if he was put in better, in a better position early on in his career? When with one of these offensive coordinators who do develop schemes and quarterbacks better than others, would he have had success earlier if he was surrounded by a little bit more talent early in his career? Could things have gone differently? I believe so. But I love the attitude and approach that Sam Darnold has with these things. He's like, hey, I don't. I don't have a bad word to say about the Jets. I don't have a bad word to say about the Carolina Panthers, any of those teams. Regardless of how things went, it was all part of my journey, all part of the things that got me to the position I'm in, to have the success I'm having. And it's a blessing. And I love that. I love that for him. I love that for his family. He's obviously been raised right. But I think this is a lesson in a. In a real. A message to general managers out there that, hey, offensive staff matter. Quarterback development matters. You're not getting. Always getting. Sometimes you're getting clay. You're not getting a finished product. And I think sometimes they get lazy and say, hey, we're getting a number one pick. We're gonna have a guy. We don't need to coach him. We just need to put a playbook in front of him and let him work. No, like, there has to be work on both sides. There still has to be coaching and teaching. And I think sometimes teams get lazy in that respect. And that's why you have the same teams over and over that have success in this league. You look up, you look at the Rams and, and whoever, McVeigh, Shanahan, Tree, whatever falls off that tree, quarterbacks go there to have success. You talk about Kevin o', Connell, the quarterback whisperer. Quarterbacks go there, they develop, they have success. Other places, it's almost like they're. They're going to school, it's going to quarterback school, and they're learning, hey, this is how you. You become a great NFL quarterback. This is the progression you go through. This is. And once you give them a steady foundation, people can grow and build off of that. But sometimes when your foundation is sand, it's hard to build off of it. So I think Sam Darnold is right where he needs to be. I think he's going to be a franchise quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks for a very long time. And this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership for both sides.
- [16:14]
Mitchell
And to that point, Richard, credit to Clint Kubiak and the job he's been able to do. I think the issue with a lot of coaches, you know that some coaches are stubborn and they want certain guys to fit in their scheme. Clint Kubiak has done an exceptional job of seeing the players that he has from a personnel standpoint and building his offense around that. I'm assuming he's in line to get this Raiders job. That's what the rumors are, and he has certainly earned it. That being said, the pieces that are in play here are the likes of Jackson, Smith and Jigba. And credit to John Schneider for realizing that they have the guy in house that can take them to the next level. They moved off the DK Metcalf and they put all attention on jsn. They brought in a vet to help him and Cooper cup, who has thrived in this offseason as well. He's bringing that veteran experience. He's won a Super Bowl. Richard jsn, this is really his first rodeo. And I know when you were young, in 2013 came around, you guys going to that Super Bowl. Talk to me about, you know, the nerves that are. Are there any nerves? For a guy like him, he seems so poised. What's different about this game for a young player?
- [17:24]
Richard Sherman
I can't speak for every player because every player is different and unique. But you, this is an old saying. Act like you've been there before and you're nervous before. Every great player I know is nervous before every game they, they, they play because the expectation and the standard for yourself is so high and you're going out there not. It's not about disappointing outside people. It's more about not disappointing yourself and living up to your own standard. And sometimes even you walk away disappointed in a game where everybody in the outside world would be like man, that was a great game. You played your butt off, but there were three or four mistakes that you were chasing in that game that really, you felt like, hey, I let myself down today. I didn't have this play. I dropped that pass there. And sometimes you can't get. And then there are other times where you run into a game where you, you felt like, hey, I achieved the goals that I came into this game with. I fired, fought my butt off. It didn't go exactly how I wanted it to, but it's fine. I think he's gonna be. When you get to this point in the season, you're not walking to the super bowl and, and trying to make stuff up. He knows what he's done. He has a tremendous amount of confidence built in himself, and that confidence is built off of the work ethic and the foundation that he set. It's not luck. Every, every game he showed up in a big way and executed and helped this team get to this position. So I don't think he's nervous. I, I think his teammates believe in him. Obviously his quarterback believes in him because he's earned this right. That's the difference between what people going in, you're nervous and you're like, hey, am I going to do well? Yes, I'm going to do well because I earned this right to do well. I practice hard, I do things the right way. I, I, I put the work in. It's not luck that I've gotten here. It's, it's consistency, it's dedication, and that's why it's going to work out. This is, this has been already written, Mitchell. It's already written. Sometimes you put the work in and you, you, everything works out. And sometimes people throw the ball at the one yard line, it doesn't work out, but hopefully go there, Richard. Hopefully, you know, outside of something crazy like that happening, it works out.
- [19:30]
Mitchell
Listen, you already broke down this. The Patriots roster, they've got a slew of cornerbacks they can throw at jsn, one being Christian Gonzalez. And you. Touchdown. This guy was a stud coming out of Oregon. Obviously battled a few injury issues early in his career, but now he's kind of found his level as well. He had a huge pick against Denver to seal that game. What do you make of his game? And how do you go into this game knowing you're going to be matched up against one of the Premier League wide receivers in this, in this league, in jsn?
- [20:00]
Richard Sherman
I don't think it bothers them. I don't, I Don't think they, they think that way. I don't think Clint Kubiak thinks that way. It's very, very difficult to isolate and, and lock in on Jackson Smith and jig. But he's he, and if they do, if they say, hey, this is going to be a game, we're going to follow you with Christian Gonzalez, understand this. Clint Kubak's going to put him in the blender, bring him to the locker room. So send him to the backfield. I mean, he's going to be everywhere with him. He's going to, he's going to be in positions he's unfamiliar with. And once you can get a corner in positions you're unfamiliar with, you start to force him to get involved in a run game. Hey, motion Jackson Smith and Jigba into the backfield. Now run the football. Now Christian Gonzalez. Figure out which gap you got. Figure out what's your run responsibility. Hey, motion him into the backfield. You got him. Christian Gonzalez. Perfect. Now let's snap it. And when the ball snapped, which way did, which way did he go? Did he go left or did he go right? Can you see past the line of scrimmage? So I don't think they'll play that game with them. Especially as much as Clint Kubiak, Motions Jackson, Smith and Jigba. It'd be a difficult matchup to say, hey, we're going to be man to man coverage. And if they can give Sam Darnold those kind of identifiers, you're going to allow him to shred this defense. And I, I, so I don't think they'll play that game. Maybe they will. Maybe they just say, hey, Christian Gonzalez, he can do it from anywhere. He can guard him from anywhere. And we feel comfort with it. And if he, if he stops him and he has success, then that's an incredible player and you, you tip your cap off to him. But that's a tough position to be in all game long to, to say, hey, we're going to follow him and I'm going to have to navigate all these things. It was just like the play against the Rams where Kyron Williams sprung free and everybody was like, what happened on that play? What happened to the linebacker? And it was obvious Puka Nakua came and picked off the linebacker on that play and freed up Kyron Williams because it's difficult to play man coverage when you can do that as an offensive player. If you can run guys, bodies into, into somebody and then run the guy he's supposed to be Covering the opposite way, it's very difficult to cover that. That. And so if you have Christian Gonzalez in those situations, you run into too many scenarios where your best player is being put in compromised positions. And I don't think the Patriots are going to play that game. I know Mike Brables smart enough to understand that that's what the tape says.
- [22:18]
Mitchell
You talked about it and we've seen a little bit of it this off season or this postseason rather. The Seahawks love lining JSN up in the backfield, and I know it's given defenses fits. It seems like they're targeting him every single time they line him up in the backfield. I don't want you to give all the secrets away. But Richard, if you're the Patriots, how are you game planning in those scenarios? What, what do you think would be most successful in terms of, you know, you're, you're checking at the line, your hand signals in the backfield. How do you think they're going to address JSN lining up in the backfield?
- [22:54]
Richard Sherman
It's going to be tough because schematically, if you just take the play, the corner route that he ran for a touchdown, it's a play that Kyle Shanahan ran against us when he was in Atlanta with a running back, and it's a seven cut, a scissors out of the backfield, and there's really no answer for it outside of your linebacker knowing the play and then pretty much racing the receiver there to the corner of the end zone. Because schematically, every defender did their job on that play. Hey, the post route goes. The cornerback drives it to the safety and they close that gap and they sandwich the post route. And then number two, if he comes off and runs that out, he'll hold the nickel. And then when the running back comes out, you're not expecting a 7 cut. He's. The linebacker is responsible for that. He's going to attach to the hip of that guy. And if he runs a 7 cut, it's just a bad matchup for you. So it's not really like, hey, we're going to check this because he's in the backfield, because you can't necessarily bastardize your entire defense for one guy, especially when he's in the backfield. That's a, that's the last person you're expecting a vertical threat from, which is why it works so well against that defense. So again, man coverage is probably the only way you can deal with that. And if they're running that consistently and they're not Running it a ton. They're not running it enough for you to say, hey, we're going to spend all our time game planning for this one play. Because then you run into situations that you're not prepared for. The things that they, they run most commonly. There's going to be a few wrinkles in this game that the New England Patriots are going to have to, that they're going to see that they're, that they haven't seen all season. And if you play too shallow, you play too concerned about Jackson, Smith and Jigba and you leave Rashid Shahid one on one. Even if it's Marcus Jones, that's a tough matchup. That's a tough matchup. He has the entire field and he has 4:2 speed. So even with Marcus Jones, who probably can match him stride for stride, it's still a difficult matchup to play. And so it's, it's a, it's a, it's a give and take kind of situation with the New England Patriots. They're gonna have to, they're gonna obviously do everything they can to take Jackson, Smith and Jigba away, but you got to be cautious because the scheme is still very difficult to manage and other guys can get open.
- [25:06]
Mitchell
Let's talk about the running backs. Richard Ramandre Stevenson has had a resurgence this year. He's had fumbling issues in the past and he seemed to be able to hold on to the rock this year. And then they drafted the rookie Travion Henderson. They've got a two headed monster there. What do you do as a Seattle Seahawks to contain these guys? We've already talked about the importance of Drake May and his, his legs on the ground. But to set the tone, they're going to have to run the rock with Ramond Dre and Travion. How do you think the Seattle Seahawks are going to approach these guys?
- [25:40]
Richard Sherman
The Patriots run some duo. They run a lot of duo which is a double team on the, on the 2D tackles and then they move up to the linebackers. But the problem is running against the Seattle Seahawks is Byron Murphy and Leonard Williams do a fantastic job against those double teams, especially Byron Murphy. He does a great job splitting those double teams and that kills those plays. That's the reason the, The San Francisco 49ers run game was dead. Especially in Santa Clara. In that game, the last game for the one seed, he, he was blowing those plays up. And it's not even always him making the tackle. It's him freeing up the linebacker and not allowing the the offensive lineman to move him out of his spot and that kills those plays. So, um, I think they're going to have a tough time. There's a reason the Seattle Seahawks are number one rush defense in the National Football League. Sure Ramon Dre Stevenson has been fantastic. Trayon Henderson has been a big play machine for this team, but there's a reason he hasn't played as many snaps because he's been vulnerable in pass protection and he's made some mistakes there. And I'm sure if the, if Mike McDonald sees him, sees him in the ball game express, expect an exotic pressure to, to force him into a tough situation because he hasn't handled it well this season. Those are the, the, the, the, the things, the little chess matches, the small matchups within a game that really determine these things. And Ramandre is better in the past game, but it's not as explosive. Better in pass protection, but he's not as explosive as a runner or in the in the past game. So I think, I think the Seattle Seahawks do a good job against their run game. It's going to be how Drake may can decipher this defense and execute that's going to going to tell the tale.
- [27:25]
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- [27:56]
Stugots
Stugatz Here I have a podcast empire. It continues to grow and I have brought it here to Ivar. I'm also doing a live radio show from 3 to 5pm Eastern because my wife wanted to kick me out of the house. It's called Stegotson company Live which is available in podcast form right when the show finishes every single day. Some of the biggest names in sports. A lot of phone calls.
- [28:21]
Richard Sherman
I love you guys show. It's one of my favorites.
- [28:23]
Stugots
A lot of interaction. Guys not taking themselves too seriously. Those are just some of the things that you could expect from Stugots Co. And Stugots Co. Live. So listen to Stegotson Co. Co. Live and our original podcast. Please subscribe, rate and review ST company and God Bless football. Taylor's livelihood depends on it. Do it today and you can check all of those out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [28:58]
Richard Sherman
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- [29:33]
Mitchell
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- [30:10]
Richard Sherman
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- [30:32]
Mitchell
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- [31:03]
Richard Sherman
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- [31:28]
Mitchell
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- [33:28]
Richard Sherman
I, I think he's been fantastic. He's been everything they could imagine, everything they could wish for and everything that John Snyder thought he'd be in more. Let's go and more. Because I can't imagine even John Snyder could have imagined a 10 win season in his first year and then a Super bowl trip in his second year. I mean that's a dream scenario for any coach, any gm picking a coach and saying hey, I told you guys, I did not tell you it was going to happen like this. And John Snyder needs to be commended and deserves a lot of credit for what's happening. He's had tremendous draft classes. The he trade mid season was a masterful trade and really has has had a huge impact on this season for the Seattle Seahawks. But the thing that has helped Mike McDonald and has, I think, really allowed him to flourish is his, his ability to, to pivot. And we can talk about Ryan Grub in his decision to hire Ryan Grubb in his first year. They still win 10 games. Not a lot of people are gonna, gonna move away from an offensive coordinator when you win 10 games. And he was like, hey, this didn't work for me. I appreciate you. You did a solid job. I want us to go in a different direction. Shake hands, wash your hands of it, and then move on to Clint Kubiak. And I think in that respect, you can see that, that kind of decision making in a lot of facets of this, of this organization that has worked out. Now, obviously it's been in hand inand with John Snyder's decisions, but you go back and look at Gino Smith's decision and Gino wanted out. He, he didn't feel good about this. He wanted more money. They st stood pat and said, hey, we're not giving you more money. If you want to be traded, we'll try to, we'll try to acquiesce to your needs and your desires. And they traded him to the Raiders to Pete Carroll for what they got. And then they picked up Sam Darnold. And even I question it's changed at a critical point, at a critical position. And again, what happened and how the season ended last year for Sam Darnold. There, there were a lot of questions about how he could handle pressure, could he handle. The Seattle Seahawks offensive line was not great the year before. They had a lot of issues. They, they have since secured those gray Zable has had a phenomenal rookie season. You talk about a guy who's had one of the biggest impacts of all the rookies International Football League. But you don't just talk about offensive lineman a lot, both culturally within the building and, and how he talks, the swagger, the confidence he brings, the relationship. I mean, you talk about the respect Leonard Williams has for him and, and, and that, that conversation on the sideline where he tells Leonard Williams to attack the beat gap and Leonard Williams goes out there and gets a sack, I think maybe a drive or two later. And you talk about listening to a rookie tell a veteran who's been in the league 11 years or so, hey, do this, and I think it'll work out. And he goes and it. And it works out in the playoffs, for that matter. There's been so many changes like that. And then move on to DK Metcalf and And Tyler Lockett being able to move away from those guys, that's. That's a tough decision for a head coach. DK Metcalf was the number one receiver at the time. And sure, with everything JSN has done this season, you could say, oh, man, it was a great decision. But did anybody know that at the time, you're getting rid of a proven receiver, a proven go to receiver for you. And I think those decisions are the ones that have helped enhance the culture and even culturally within the building. There's so many things where he's been laser focused on trying to get things right, tweaking the system just enough to. To, hey, what guys there? Stephen HKA is in there with. With Dr. Gervais and having conversations with the head coach, just making sure the culture and the knobs are turned just the right way to get guys where they're supposed to be, to not to push the guys, but not push them too far. And I think his awareness and his humility with all of these things are what are allowing him to have a great amount of success in the National Football League as a head coach, because players respect that. He's being honest, he's being transparent, he's being human. But he's also taking care of his guys and putting them in great positions, and you can only respect that on.
- [37:35]
Mitchell
The other side of the ball. Mike Vrabel, I mean, we talked about this guy a ton this season. He certainly deserves to be in that conversation for coach of the year. And let's look at this. I know you don't think the Patriots are going to win the Super Bowl. Reality is, Mike Vrables won a couple of Super Bowls, and now he's fighting for that, that first one as a coach. You know, what type of impact do you think his personal super bowl experience as a player can have on this team, especially a team that. That has young players in key positions?
- [38:05]
Richard Sherman
It definitely matters. His experience definitely matters. It'll be a. It'll be a huge factor. And just the way he relates to his players, I mean, he does not. It's. It's. He. He really blurs that line between player, coach, relationship. And you can see it. Even when there's conflict on the sideline, he's right in the middle of it. And usually when you see that with coaches, you're like, oh, man, this is getting rough. Mike Vrabel doesn't shy away from it. Doesn't. Doesn't make a big deal out of it. He looks guys in the eye, says, hey, I got you like, cool, that was on me. Or, hey, you got to be better than that. It has grown men and super alphas. You can recognize a dog. Can recognize a big dog. Mitchell, you can recognize a big dog. I saw him and Christian Barmore go at it. What game was that? Was the Texans. It was. It was one of the games. They were on the side, they were drawing, and I think they were winning in the game, but it didn't matter. He was. He was perturbed about something and brable. Usually coaches are like, hey, man, I don't want to get, like, get the security, like, deal with him. Bravel didn't shy away from that. He said, get out of my way. I'll talk to him like, hey, what's up? Like, let's. Let's figure this out right now. I don't care if it's in the public. I don't care. You. You can get mad, you can get all this, but let's get to the bottom of this. And I think that's the difference between coaches that are former players and coaches that are not former players. And these are two different guys. Mike McDonald, not necessarily a former player, great football coach. And Vrabel, former player, great football coach. It's two different ways to skin a cat. But you can see their per. Each person's personality within their team. You can see Mike Vrabel and the way his players are responding to him. Players that have not played as well as they are playing for him, for other teams. Guys that are going out there and putting their bodies on the line, putting their. Their health and their well being on the line for this coach and this team. And they're buying into what he's saying because they know that he has the same love and respect for him for them as they do for him. And I think there's no. There's no calculating. There's no measuring that. And I think that's a big reason why they are where they are and they're going to have a lot of success long term. And again, that's another reason. We don't know what the heck y' all doing in Tennessee, but don't get me started there.
- [40:09]
Mitchell
It worked out for Robert Sala, at least. Richard, you gotta. You gotta at least enjoy that a little bit. But I'm with you.
- [40:15]
Richard Sherman
Yeah, I. I enjoy that.
- [40:16]
Mitchell
I'm with you. And we gotta look at this, too. I mean, this is a rematch of sorts. I know it's a what? Shoot 13 years later, but Josh McDaniel was OC back then. Richard, Josh McDaniel was the OC back then, and you had to go against his offense. Do you see any similarities here? As you, as you've been watching the Patriots offense, you see any similarities to when you played them? I know Tom was at the helm, but there's got to be some, at least play calls that are pretty. Pretty. What's the word? Fill it in for me, Richard.
- [40:51]
Richard Sherman
Familiar. I mean, similar.
- [40:53]
Mitchell
There you go.
- [40:55]
Richard Sherman
They. They run what they run and they. He does a great job, just like New England Patriots always have. They used to be so multiple that every game would. Regardless of what scheme they're playing it. It's. It sometimes will look like an entirely new playbook. You. They'd be running gap scheme, run game against the Broncos, and then they're running outside zone against the Colts, and you're like, ah, so which one do you do? And it's really based on the defense that they're getting. So that's changed. And, and Rabel spoke to that. He's like, hey, I want to just get familiarity, especially on the defensive side of the ball. We're not going to go and switch the scheme. I want to get guys in position do things they do well. That's similar to what we did in Seattle and just let them play football. Sure, we'll make the adjustments, sure will understand the weaknesses of what we're doing. But I mean, some people live in the. The whole world of a jack of all trades, but a master of none, and some would say a jack of some is still better than a master of just one. And I. I don't know if I. How I feel about that. I think if you master. If you do what you do. Well, we've had a lot of success at that. We won Super Bowls. He got to another Super Bowl. Could have got to a third super bowl story for. For a different day, but I think there's something to that. But I think McDaniel is going to look at and study this scheme. He's going to study what the Rams had success with. He's going to look in his playbook and say, hey, we have that play. We have Dagger. Can we put Dagger in where we're pushing the safeties up and running that dagger cross. Hey, can we go post corner? Could we go dig reverse and, and so, hey, when those corners are biting on that dig, bounce back outside and. And there's an opening there. Can we check the football down? Hey, Drake May, don't be greedy. Don't be too aggressive, don't be too impatient. Pushing the ball down the field. Sometimes we can just let them back up. And that was, was something Tom Brady was fantastic at. Hey, defense is backing up. Give it to Ramandre Stevenson. That's seven yards. Let's keep moving the ball down the field. We don't have to. We, we can be death by a thousand cuts if that's what it takes. But a lot of times young guys get impatient. So I think, I think I've seen similarities, but how he's going to attack the Seattle Seahawks defense is different than how they would attack our defense. It's. It. They're running too high for the most part. We were a cover three team predominantly. They do run some cover three. They, they can live in it at times. First and second down where they're, they're stacking the box and guys are down there. But a lot of his complicated, exotic pressures and things like that come from too high and he's able to, to stop the run with, with in a too high defense. So I think the way Mike McDaniel is going to try to attack him is the same way Sean McVay had success. And I think Mike did a good job of closing some of those holes and, and shoring up some of those defensive matchups, but we'll see. That's the chess game. You know what, what the Seahawks do well is what they do. Drake May has been proficient down the field as a passer this season. Not as much in the playoffs. He's hit some down the field throws, but he was much better during a regular season. That's kind of slowed down and you can blame some of the weather for that, but I would expect him to try to go back to that this week.
- [44:01]
Mitchell
Richard, this defense, they're going to have their hands full. They're going to see an opponent they have not seen before. That being said, there's already a conversation. You know, it's only going to pick up throughout the week that this team, this defense is starting to draw comparisons of your team, the Legion of Boom. Do you see any similarities between these defenses?
- [44:23]
Richard Sherman
Not a ton, you know, and I. Other than him having a Seattle Seahawks jersey on. Different, different styles, different teams. Schematically both great defenses in their own right, fly around, they're hitting, playing with a lot of energy, a lot of depth on the defensive line. You talking about Byron Murphy being a potential, could have been an all pro this season. And he's rotating in off the bench behind guys that are fantastic. You got a guy, DeMarcus Lawrence in his, in his 12th season, getting going to his first Super bowl and has had as much of an impact on his team as anyone. Ernest Jones, a guy who was who was traded to multiple teams, a cast off from the Rams and Rams said hey, we don't want him. He's too injury prone or his knee may not be good enough. And he's come to the Seattle Seahawks mid season last year and become a household name and a stalwart. And in the middle of that defense making big plays in the past game, in the run game. The only interception that the Seattle Seahawks got in the playoffs this year was him against Brock Pie this year in the, in the divisional round and he's been fantastic. Then you go in the back end, you got Julian Love and those guys. So you got Devin Witherspoon who, who was an all pro this year. This year you got Reek Woolen who had the big mistake last week but has overall played fantastic this season, especially the second half of the season. I think he's going to play fantastic and have a huge factor in this game. So it's different. It's different. We, I think we had more household names. We probably had a few more all pros on our team. A lot of bigger personalities. They don't necessarily have the personalities, but they have the talent and their numbers speak for themselves. I expect them to win this game. I expect them to be sound. Those guys are running and hitting. And again, the name you're going to hear, New England Patriots fans get prepared for it. Nick Emman worry that's a name you will hear a lot in this league. I expect him to be in the defensive player of the year conversation for a number of years to come. Unless they're trying to ignore Seattle, which they're not going to be able to after this game.
- [46:26]
Mitchell
Richard, you said it already. You had a lot of prominent VO voices and leaders in your locker room. I mean between yourself obviously, Cam Earl, Mike B. Cliff, you know, K.J. bobby, you know, the list goes on and on and on and here we see, you know, John Schneider go out and pluck Demarcus Lawrence from the Dallas Cowboys who said rather emphatically that he's going to Seattle to win a Super Bowl. Who do you think has stepped up in similar role that you guys have with these leaders on your defense with this current team?
- [47:00]
Richard Sherman
I mean you could say anybody. It's been by committee. I mean you've seen leadership from the young guy, Nick Emmon Warrior. It looked like conflict on the sideline with, with Tariq Woolen, but that's accountability. And for a young guy to go up to a veteran like that and say, hey, come on, we better than that. We got to be better than that. It just shows you the hierarchy and the way things are around that team. And I think Reek had a lot of respect for that. He's frustrated at the moment, but I don't think he was. There was any maliciousness towards it either way. I think there was respect. Leonard Williams is a huge defensive leader on this team. He's his tone setter. Devin Witherspoon tone setter on this defense. But DeMarcus Lawrence is the engine. When, when you talk about a guy who plays with a relentless effort, every single play he plays like every game is a Super Bowl. You see the forced fumble against Brock Purdy. It's a play that they've had multiple times this. This season. He's had because of his effort. His effort was rewarded with turnovers and his effort was rewarded a few times when Tariq. Tariq's knight knocked the football out a few times. And here comes DeMarcus Lawrence picking it up for multiple touchdowns on this season. So in the back end, Julian Love. I think Julian Love is a leader. Kobe Bryant, named after the late great is, has been a phenomenal player in this league. Has been a. He moved from corner. He was a corner when they, when they drafted him, found his niche at safety, got a little banged up and. And they went with Auda for a little while. He's back in the lineup and again, he just stabilizes that defense. So it's by committee. There's so many leaders, but this is a, this is a defense that is just really well coached, really disciplined, all three levels. And they cause a lot of issues because of how well they're coaching, how well they tackle.
- [48:39]
Mitchell
I'm going to bring you back to 2013, Richard. If you could pluck one player off the Seattle Seahawk defense and have them suit up with you in that super bowl, who would it be.
- [48:50]
Richard Sherman
In this Super Bowl?
- [48:51]
Mitchell
I'm sorry, in your super bowl and the super bowl you played in against the Patriots. If you were to take one defensive player off of this current team and have them line up with you, who would it be? I mean, could you imagine Nick Amenwori playing there with Cam Chancellor and Earl. I mean, DeMarcus Lawrence, I know you had a ton of vets on the D line, but you know, somebody like that, obviously you had the two big D tackles in the middle. Who do you think would benefit your defense the most?
- [49:18]
Richard Sherman
I Don't know. It'd be, it'd be hard to take anybody off the field, if I'm being honest. You're gonna take off, you're gonna take off the, the hall of Famer at Mike linebacker. You gonna take off, take off the Super Bowl MVP or K.J. wright or who are you gonna take off? Mike Bennett, Cliff Averil? Who you gonna take off the field? I, I, I, Again, that's why it's two different ends of the fight. But I just don't see, you know, I, I think they would say the same thing. You know, I think they feel comfortable with the group that they have and confident in the guys that they have in their building because these are the guys that they went to battle with. So it's hard for me to say we're getting rid of anybody off that defense and get into that same spot. I think sometimes it's a rhythm, sometimes it's you ride with who you came with and these are the guys they came with. These are the guys they did it with and went to battle with all season long. These are the guys they want to line up with when, when, when it's for all the marbles. And I respect that. So I'm not going to say we would have picked up anybody off their defense and I don't think they would have picked up any off our defense. It's always easier to say, you know what I mean, in hindsight because, you know, we've already ran our race and, and got it and got the all pros and you know, got our accolades. These guys are at the beginning of their run. So I'm looking forward to seeing how far they can take it.
- [50:27]
Mitchell
That's a very politically correct answer, Richard. I appreciate it. I know where you're coming from.
- [50:32]
Richard Sherman
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- [51:04]
Stugots
Stigatz here I have a podcast empire. It continues to grow and I have brought it here to imar. I'm also doing a live radio show from 3 to 5pm Eastern because my wife wanted to Kick me out of the house. It's called Stagatsu Company Live, which is available in podcast form right when the show finishes every single day. Some of the biggest names in sports, a lot of phone calls.
- [51:29]
Richard Sherman
I love you guys show. It's one of my favorites.
- [51:31]
Stugots
A lot of interaction, guys not taking themselves too seriously. Those are just some of the things that you can expect from Stugots Co. And Stugots Co. Live. So listen to Stugots Co. Live and our original podcast. Please subscribe, rate and review Stugatson Co. And God bless football. Taylor's livelihood depends on it. Do it today and you can check all of those out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
- [52:05]
Mitchell
I know exactly where you're coming from.
- [52:07]
Richard Sherman
Something else.
- [52:10]
Mitchell
Richard. This game's going to be played in Santa Clara. I know this is a spot you're very familiar with. Obviously the Seattle Seahawks have played there numerous times as well. It's similar to how the two teams played in 2014 in Super bowl and Glendale. Do you feel that playing in a division rivals building plays to the advantage of the Seahawks in this one?
- [52:30]
Richard Sherman
To a degree, yeah. I mean, I, I think it's familiarity. It's not a stadium they're unfamiliar with. It's a stadium they've played in, they've had success in. And I think that that helped us in 2013. You know, we went to, we're going to MetLife and we, we beat the heck out of giants in MetLife. We had one of our best games. And to go back there, confident, understanding the turf, understanding you've had success here, the lights are brighter, but I mean, does it really matter? We could have played that game on the moon. It would have been the same result. And so I think just the confidence of, of going to somewhere that you've been and obviously there's, there's a stat going out that the team that's traveling from east to west usually wins this game, not the team that's traveling. But, but if we wouldn't have thrown at the one yard line, that's, that's, that'd be. Probably be different. But again, this is about as short of a trip as the Seattle Seahawks could take and not be a home game in their own stadium. They're wearing, they're wearing the navy blue, the all navy blue Metroid. All the elements are there for it to, for it to just exercise these demons and let's move forward and I need it in my life. So yes, familiarity with the stadium with the team, with the environment. Definitely helps their practicing at San Jose. Apparently, neither team wanted to practice at the 49ers facility because of this. This station. This. This electricity station deal. Conspiracy. That's.
- [53:56]
Mitchell
What do you. What do you make of that, Richard? Was that discussed at all when you were playing in San Francisco?
- [54:02]
Richard Sherman
Not that I can remember. I. I don't remember.
- [54:04]
Mitchell
I mean, there. Maybe there's some truth to it with all these injuries over the last few years for San Francisco, but it's wild to hear about it just out of nowhere.
- [54:15]
Richard Sherman
It is. It is really wild. But, you know, it's always something to talk about. It'll be a conversation. It's off season, but it's a. It's a tough situation because you're not moving that and you're not moving the stadium. Maybe you can move the practice facility, but even then, it's a tough situation when they're in the stadium that they. They practice at the stadium and they've never. Yes, they have. They. When they were in Candlestick, they practiced in the same spot. So that's what Jerry Rice was saying. He was like, hey, we won two Super Bowls practicing in the same spot. So nobody talked about it then. It's not like this is a new facility, Mitchell. This is not like a new place. They started practicing. They. They've got. Had a lot of success there. It only becomes a story when. When it becomes a story, you know, when. When it was 2012 and 2011, they were in the super bowl, nobody was like, oh, man, what about this station next door to your facility? It's like, hey, maybe if you had to run the ball at the one, you know, you would have beat the Baltimore Ravens that day. You know, maybe if you don't throw at Richard Sherman for the game in the NFC Championship Game, you might have a chance in that game. But, you know, I don't think it was about the substation.
- [55:15]
Mitchell
You got to bring that up. And I love.
- [55:16]
Richard Sherman
I love it. Just. Just selling. You want to.
- [55:21]
Mitchell
Well, I'm glad they didn't go elsewhere with that play, Richard. I think things would have been a little bit different. It certainly certainly shaped your career early on, Richard.
- [55:30]
Richard Sherman
Last.
- [55:30]
Mitchell
Last episode, we were talking about, you know, what it's like this week, you know, leading to super bowl, the. The by week before Super Bowl. But now, as we enter the week of super bowl, you know, what. What do guys do to stay focused? I know there are a lot of distractions in. In the host city, and you hear tales from the past of them but what did you guys do in this week of the super bowl to stay focused and locked in and remove distractions?
- [55:56]
Richard Sherman
Well, again, it's, it's when you have a disciplined team, they don't just become disciplined. The week of the super bowl, you know, you haven't heard a lot of news. You haven't heard a lot of issues or distractions coming from the Seattle Seahawks or the New England Patriots all season long. You know, I think there was a little bit of an issue, you know, some legal issues in New England for the last couple weeks, but we don't talk about legal issues. We're not lawyers in this podcast. But for the most part, the Seattle Seahawks have, have their rules. They stay within the rules. Mike McDaniel, I mean, Mike McDonald runs a very good program. Players have a lot of respect for him. They know not to get out of it outside of it. It's not, thank goodness, it's not an exciting city. It's not Las Vegas, it's not Houston, it's not Miami. So there are less opportunities to, to be susceptible to in San Jose, California. Not that they're, you know, you can find trouble anywhere if you, if you look hard enough. But I think the week of the super bowl, guys understand, hey, this is a one week trip. This is a one week trip for a lifetime of glory. And I think that that's the conversation a lot of these veterans are having with them. A lot of the leadership you talk about. Leonard Williams has never been to a Super Bowl. I don't know if he's ever been to a playoff game before this season and had the kind of success. So DeMarcus Lawrence been to a playoff, has never gone to the NFC Championship game or moved past the divisional. Julian Love, the same thing is true. Ernest Jones has won a Super bowl with the, the Los Angeles Rams, but again, knows what it takes. I think Sam Darnold locked in. These guys understand that this is their moment. And will you, will you sacrifice for another week to have a lifetime of glory? Is it worth it to you? Is, is h going out and having a few drinks on a Wednesday really worth it during the super bowl week? Like, is that really going to take you to where you need to go? Is that worth it for what you're sacrificing and what you, what you could be able to achieve if you just stay locked in? And I think that's the messaging and that was the messaging for us. You just got to lock in now. There are a ton of distractions and things that are different this week when you land, there's going to be a lot of cameras, there's going to be a lot of fanfare, there's going to be people in your face. You got to slap hands. And it is different. It's not the same as every other week, so you can treat it like every other week, but there are certain media obligations for guys that probably aren't used to being at media, doing medians, having conversations. So you're having those conversations. Hey, don't promise any wins, don't guarantee anything. Don't talk about their team sucks. Don't give any bulletin board material. We don't need that. Just say the right things. They're a great opponent, great team, happy to be here, looking forward to a great matchup. That should be everybody down the line. And that's what reporters are going to be doing at the big media day. Every single person, all 69 men on the roster are going to get a mic in front of their face. Whether they're on the big stage or are just off to the side, they're going to get a conversation. If somebody gives a sound bite, it doesn't matter if you're Sam Darnold or the guy they just picked up a couple weeks ago. If it's coming from a Seattle Seahawks player, if he says, man, we feel really good about this matchup, I don't think they match up well with us. It would be the same coming from everybody. So I think Mike McDonald and this staff is going, are going to emphasize that to these players. And same thing with Mike Vrabel and his staff. They're going to emphasize, hey, let's not give any bulletin board material, but hopefully the players make it fun. You get to learn about the players. You're going to see them on platforms like it's, it's, it's different. It's a lot of pressure on these guys. That's going to be different for them. But you got to stay locked in, get your routine, get your massages and get back to your room.
- [59:28]
Mitchell
I, Richard, we need you up there to give PR guidance because, man, oh, man, I, I, I think that you going up to these guys and saying, hey, I'll give you the bulletin board material. Richard Sherman on the mic, it's, it's safe to say you would say every, every wide receiver on the Patriots is mediocre. I mean, you were talking a little bit about it off air. I mean, I know you'd like Keyshawn Booty and Stefan Diggs and Demario Douglas, but, man, those are some mediocre wide receivers. Richard.
- [59:57]
Richard Sherman
Mitchell. Mitchell. I say all the right things. It's about great opponent, great team. I'm just, you know, looking forward to a great matchup. Yes, yes, yes, I'm here. Yes, yes.
- [60:09]
Mitchell
I know everyone's excited.
- [60:11]
Richard Sherman
That's what I've done. Three media.
- [60:12]
Mitchell
I know you're, I know you're well equipped with knowledge in that environment. Richard. I know everyone's anxious to hear who you're going to pick and I, I feeling everyone knows who you're going to pick. But before we go on to your pick, we got some actual breaking news that was just released here. Clint Kubiak is. Rumors are reports are coming out he's going to the Las Vegas Raiders as their head coach. Do you like that fit if this holds true? Fernando Mendoza.
- [60:46]
Richard Sherman
It's just a, like Richard Ashton Genti. It's a low quality draft, Mitchell and it's a, it's a, you're taking the guy that you have to take because you, you know, is, is, is would Mendoza go in a draft with, with Jaden Daniels and, and, and you know, and all those guys with, with, with Caleb Williams, like would he go one in that draft? Would he go one if, if somebody, if Drake May was in the draft, if, if there were other guys available in this draft, would he still be in this position? And so that's the, the, the thing. And, and then again talking about a quarterback who I think did a great job, has all the build, has all the potential but again, in order for a young quarterback to have success, it's, it's offensive and I think they're getting a good offensive coach, a guy who can get it, put him in positions. But is there enough talent around him to allow him to thrive? Sure. There's Brock Bowers. What is Ashton Genti gonna be in, in Kubiak scheme? Maybe that's a great scheme for him, maybe that unlocks him and what he can do, but it's just not enough information right now. Mendoza may be great, but is he set up for success with his team? And I think that's the, the part that's difficult. Now if you said, hey, Mendoza is going to Minnesota with Kevin o' Connell and Justin Jefferson and Addison and a great run game and a defense that can get the job done. Then you're like, okay, I can see it happening, he just got to do his part. But when you ask for a lot of a rookie quarterback, I think you set the expectations so high it's hard to get there.
- [62:25]
Mitchell
Last episode you were Talking about the 49ers vacancy at D.C. you were pounding the desk for none other than Jim Schwartz. And they go off and hire Raheem Morris as their DC Richard, you, do you like this fit with Raheem Morris in San Francisco?
- [62:40]
Richard Sherman
Yeah, I like it. There's familiarity. Either he was going to be there or he's going to be with the Rams. I mean, he was going to go back to his buddies. These guys are all really good friends. McVeigh, Shanahan, the floor, all these guys are, are a small, close knit group of friends. Obviously, Kyle and Raheem were together in Atlanta for a little while and they've been together multiple spots. It's a good fit. Guys. They have relationship. He has a ton of respect for. He likes the scheme that Raheem runs. And I'm sure he'll keep Gus Bradley around in the same role that he's been in, just continuing to, to just be a voice of reason, somebody they can, can pass ideas off with, continue to challenge the concepts, continue to challenge the guys. And I think it's a good fit. I mean, Raheem is a great coach. It's the reason he was given a head coaching position. I'm disappointed that Atlanta let him go. I thought he, I thought he had that team playing well at the end of the season. It just didn't work out well enough. But it is what it is.
- [63:37]
Mitchell
And then finally, Richard, there's reports coming out that the Seattle Seahawks are going to be sold after the Super Bowl. I mean, it's safe to say they're selling at a high if they win this game. Your thoughts on this, though?
- [63:49]
Richard Sherman
Well, I want to be involved in that. You guys, you guys need an extra investor. I got, I got a few dollars, you know, to put in on that, but, yeah, you know, it, it was part of Paul's estate sale as part of the plan going in. When Jody took over the team, this was always the expectation that it would get sold. It was, it was actually written in the agreement. I think the league, they said the League Finder $5 million for not selling it when, when, when it was supposed to be sold. The league is pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty adamant about that because when team sale, it, it ups the value in valuation of other teams. You know, other teams get a piece of certain things. And I think, you know, there's going to be a lot, there's been a lot of money in Seattle. And you talk about the, the companies that have come up in Seattle and the companies that have been a Part of this, this great city, the Amazons, uh, the Microsofts of the world, uh, I think, you know, those kind of people will be involved in and, and at least have throw their hat in the ring to try to be a part of this. But it, it, it is what it is. It's part of the business. Football. Paul Allen was a fantastic owner. I think Jody did her best and did a great job of just trying to continue his legacy and continue what he wanted. And I think he'd be very proud of, of the job she's done, the job John Snider and the staff have done, getting them back to a Super bowl. And, and I think if this, if this is the end of her tenure as a, as an owner of the Seattle Seahawks and they go off with a Super bowl champion championship and a Super bowl ring and holding the trophy up, I think that's a beautiful ending to a fantastic story of the Allens and their ownership of the Seattle Seahawks. And the city and the team will know nothing but love and joy and appreciation for their time owning the team and look forward to what's new next in the future.
- [65:36]
Mitchell
Richard, it's finally that time. I'm gonna ask you a very simple question. Who do you think is going to win this super bowl and give me a final score. Give me a final score. And I want some level of, like, you know, flow of the game, you know, like who's going to make an impact? Like, give me your full little breakdown here.
- [65:57]
Richard Sherman
So you're looking for the Richard Sherman podcast picks.
- [65:59]
Mitchell
That's exactly what I'm looking for.
- [66:02]
Richard Sherman
Foreign. Here are the Richard Sherman podcast Super bowl picks. All odds and lines come from our partners at Hard Rock Bet. We've got the New England Patriots vs. The Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Hard Rock Bet as the Seattle Seahawks as a 4 1/2 point favorite over the New England Patriots. And I got the Seahawks winning this game. Mitchell, you want to know how it's going to go? Seattle Seahawks are going to win this game by running the football, K9, controlling it early and often. They're going to. They're going to drive down the field, first drive of the game, set the tone. It's going to be a mixture. They're going to try to double JSN and take him out of the game. But you're going to get a little bit of Barner, some K9, little bit of Cooper cup, then a Shaheed pass. Maybe you might get a little sprinkle of Bobo in there. Mitchell, just understand it's going to be a little bit of everybody, but Sam Darnold is going to be a magician, a technician, all those things, and they're going to go down and score. New England's going to get the ball. They're going to feel good. MVP candidate in the backfield feel really good. The young kid isn't overwhelmed. He's ready for this moment. But is everybody else? Are they being overwhelmed by the Seattle Seahawks defensive line? He was sacked 15 times. They are, Mitchell. They start kind of slow. They start sluggish. In a lot of these games, they again start sluggish against this great Seattle Seahawks defense. They punt the ball away it goes, it go, it. It goes back and forth. A few punts, punt, few plays, punts, punt, you know, not three and outs, but not a lot of scoring going on. You look up at halftime, Mitchell. It's. It's 13 to 3. Seattle Seahawks are in the league. They're feeling really good about this game. They're in control. But New England doesn't go quietly into the night. They come out after half, get the football, drive it down the field, score a touchdown. Now it's 10 to 13. It's the kind of dog fights you expecting in the Super Bowl. It could go either way. But then Sam Darnold shows you, this is a new Sam Darnold and I got Jackson, Smith and Jigba, and that is the wave they ride the rest of the second half. JSN has his way, has a day. Clint Kubiak gets deep in his bag and the Seattle Seahawks walk away with a decisive victory 24 to 10 over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Book it. Great season for the New England Patriots and Mike V's rookie season. A coach of the year type season cementing themselves as a contender for many seasons to come with a. With a young super bowl appearing quarterback, a really good defense, and a really good foundation for the future. But the Seattle Seahawks walking away with this one.
- [68:50]
Mitchell
Is the Richard Sherman podcast. Super bowl picks gonna possibly give an MVP winner here.
- [68:59]
Richard Sherman
MVP of this game. You would think. Oh, man. Jackson, Smith and Jigba. It's got to be him, right? He's been fantastic. He's probably offensive player of the year. No, it's going to go to Sam Darnold. Mitchell. Sam Darnold, the guy. And that's gonna be the. The exclamation point on his. His resurgent season, his resurrection as a number three pick. It doesn't seem as surprising anymore because he was the number three pick in a draft. It seems obvious but this MVP throws him back in the conversation of elite quarterbacks. And I know everybody out there is like, he had 20 turnovers this season. What about the 20 turnovers? But winning matters in the National Football League. And this man has won a lot in the last two years. You got to say that two different teams, 28 wins. I mean, you, at some point, it got to have something to do with him. And I feel like he gets an mvp. To cap that off, the first MVP of a quarterback in Seattle Seahawks super bowl history goes to Sam Dar.
- [69:59]
Mitchell
I'm going to join this Seattle Seahawks bandwagon with you, Richard. I love this team. The way they're playing right now.
- [70:05]
Richard Sherman
They're.
- [70:06]
Mitchell
They're the hotter team. I know New England's got few losses, but the reality is Seattle's been rolling people, and they've been playing, I think, more challenging opponents along the way. I got Seattle winning this game. I got them covering the spread, and I got K9 running away with the MVP of this game. I, I. It sucks that the Seattle Seahawks lost Zach Charbonnet, But I think K9 is built for this moment right here. He's obviously an unrestricted free agent after the season. He's got a lot to prove. Not only does he have motivation to win the super bowl, but he's got motivation to get paid next season, too. I think he runs away with two touchdowns in this game. I also like JSN to find the end zone. And finally, on the other side of the ball, I like Hunter Henry, Richard. I mean, this guy has been steady for the New England Patriots. I think he's going to be that veteran presence that they need. Richard. I too think that the New England Patriots are going to take a little bit to find their footing. I got the, I got the Seattle Seahawks jumping out to a lead. The game inevitably gets tight, but I think that the Seattle Seahawks outscore these guys. I'm gonna go 31 to 20. Final score again. K9 waltzing out a Santa Clara with that MVP trophy as well.
- [71:19]
Richard Sherman
I like that. I like that, Mitchell. I like it a lot.
- [71:24]
Mitchell
Heck, yeah. Well, Richard, we are going to be in San Francisco this week. Excited to see some of the fans on the. Richard is always a pleasure sitting down with you every. Every weekend and we do this. It's been an awesome time all year. I will let you sign us off, my friend.
- [71:40]
Richard Sherman
As always, we appreciate you guys joining us. You could be anywhere in the world, but you're here with us and we surely do appreciate you. Thank you so much. Obviously, hit that sub button. If you're new, make sure you're getting the notifications the next time we're on air. We're going to be super bowl live. We're going to have guests, we're going to have a lot of people coming by. We don't know who exactly who is going to be there, maybe some hall of Famers, but we'll see you there. Can't wait.
- [72:10]
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- [72:40]
Stugots
Stugatz Here I have a podcast empire that I have brought here to iheart and I'm also hosting a daily live radio show from 3 to 5pm Eastern Cold Central and Company Live, which is available in podcast form right when the show finishes. Every single day you can expect a lot of laughter, great guests, a ton of calls and a lot of fun. Listen to Stew Gotts Co. Live and our original podcast Stugots Co. And God bless Football and you can check all of those out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
- [73:14]
Richard Sherman
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.