Richard Sherman has talked a big game and played one, too. It's been a winning combination for the Seattle Seahawks' fourth-year cornerback. We can debate where he stands among the NFL's top corners, but there's no debating his relevance.
Sherman became a story in Week 1, when the Green Bay Packers avoided throwing to his side of the field. He was a leading story again in Week 2, when the San Diego Chargers claimed to have "exposed" him after completing a few short passes into his area. With Seattle's Super Bowl rematch against the Denver Broncos looming in Week 3, we checked in with an NFL quarterback, receiver and defensive coach to get their insights on whether there's any sort of blueprint for exploiting Sherman, and what we should read into his performance in the Chargers game.
Let's get this out of the way: The Chargers didn't 'expose' Sherman
Not at all. Pro Football Focus registered six targets against Sherman, but the defensive coach I consulted counted four times when Sherman was at the point of attack in coverage. The Chargers completed passes for 42 yards on those four plays, with 27 of those yards after the catch. There were "traffic" issues on two of the plays, meaning the Chargers used route combinations to impede Sherman's ability to cover cleanly.