SEATTLE — Richard Sherman insisted he was speechless although he was talking non-stop, talking about making a game-saving play and talking about the Seahawks beating the 49ers to reach Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium.
“To make the Super Bowl is unbelievable,” Sherman was saying after the Seahawks outlasted the Niners 23-17 Sunday for the right to face Peyton Manning and the Broncos on Feb. 2 for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. “I really can’t put it into words. Every ounce of energy, every ounce of focus, every moment spent watching film has been worth it. To make that play to give our team a chance to go to the Super Bowl is unbelievable. I’m blessed and I’m speechless. This is me being speechless.”
Speechless and Richard Sherman don’t fit in the same sentence, which assures him of being the center of attention when Super Bowl week arrives. The loquacious cornerback has never been shy about expressing his opinion, as 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree found out after Sherman out-dueled him to make the play of the game.
Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick looked to be driving his team to a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds. But on first-and-10 at the Seahawks 18, he got greedy. Crabtree ran a fade pattern into the end zone. Despite blanket coverage by the All-Pro Sherman, Kaepernick lofted a high pass to Crabtree.
It wasn’t high enough. Sherman reached up and tipped the ball in the air and into the hands of linebacker Malcolm Smith. The interception, with 22 seconds left, handed Seattle the NFC Championship and its first trip to the Super Bowl since the 2005 season.
“I think everybody in the stadium was surprised,” Sherman said of Kaepernick’s decision to test him. “This was a mistake.”
Let’s just say Crabtree won’t be getting any Super Bowl tickets from Sherman, who wasn’t happy with something the 49ers receiver said during the offseason. They jawed after the interception and after the game.
“He knows what he said and he knows it will be tough on him the rest of his career,” Sherman said.
He added Crabtree, who caught four passes for 52 yards Sunday, didn’t deserve to be among the top 20 receivers taken in a fantasy draft.
“He’s a mediocre receiver,” Sherman said. “When you try the best cornerback in the game with a mediocre receiver, that’s what happens.”
Crabtree didn’t have much of a retort.
“Sherm made a good play,” he said. “That’s probably the only play he made in the whole game. If you cut up the film and look at it, guys were beat. We were doing our job, whatever it takes. We just came up short at the end.”
Sherman said he began working on tipping passes during the offseason, feeling if he’d made a similar play in the playoffs last season, the Seahawks could have beaten the Falcons. He has deflected passes to his teammates at times during the regular season, including during a victory over the Giants at MetLife.
“I knew if I tipped it up high enough, one of my teammates would get there,” Sherman said.
Smith was ready.
“I just happened to be the guy to catch the ball,” the linebacker said. “It was a team effort. Our defense rose to the occasion. Anytime you put the ball in the air against Sherm, he’s going to have a chance.”
Sherman hasn’t met a microphone he doesn’t like and should be the loudest voice during Super Bowl week. He has gained plenty of attention by praising himself and being critical of opponents. But he said he won’t bother trying to taunt Denver quarterback Peyton Manning.
“You’re not going to get in Peyton’s head,” he said. “If you get in Peyton’s head you’re going to get lost.”
Sherman speechless in Seattle? Not a chance.