Richard Sherman probably had his nest season in 2014. Like many other Seahawks, he suffered a midseason slump, surrendering 197 yards (exactly half his season total) in a four-game stretch against the Pan- thers, Raiders, Giants, and Chiefs. Rookie phenoms Kelvin Benjamin and Odell Beckham both beat him for memorable recep- tions. And then Sherman caught re, not allowing a single completion in his next three games, shutting out the Cardinals, 49ers, and Eagles. He gave up only 15 rst downs all season, only six third-down conversions, and not a single touchdown. These numbers are even more impressive when we consider that the Seahawks nally took advantage of Sherman’s talents and occa- sionally moved him away from the defensive left to track the opponent’s top receiver, such as Dez Bryant in Week 6. (Seattle’s “CB by Sides” number in the Strategic Tendencies table was 85 percent after being 99 percent in two of the last three seasons.) And then, somehow, he improved in the playoffs. Cam Newton, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady threw a combined 120 passes against Seattle’s defense. Only ten of those passes were thrown in Sherman’s direction, resulting in three catches, 26 yards, one rst down, and two interceptions. Aaron Rodgers—league MVP, DVOA king, and pretty much everyone’s choice for best passer alive—completed one pass against Sherman in two games, and that one catch was a 6-yard gain on third-and-10. It will be very, very hard to top this performance in 2015.
