These birds need sharper talons
The Julio Jones-Richard Sherman battle is an intriguing one — just not as juicy as we’d like
Atlanta Falcons all-pro wideout Julio Jones made some pointed comments this week about Richard Sherman. There was a time when fans and the media would have grown giddy waiting for the response from the Seattle Seahawks cornerback.
Come to think of it, there was a time when the Seahawks’ underdog status heading into the NFC divisional round playoff game would have sparked a loud response from the Pacific Rim. The Seahawks, it seemed, were quicker to play the us-against-the-world card than a Kardashian plays a credit card, but things have changed with Pete Carroll’s team.
Don’t know what that means about Saturday’s matchup. Do know it doesn’t make for the liveliest copy before the Seahawks’ meeting with the Falcons.
“It is what it is,” Jones said of Sherman. “But you’ve got to alert (the referees). Some refs just let you play. It’s like, ‘All right you’re going to let us play? Then we’re going to out there and play. If you’re going to call it, call it. Just let me know how you’re going to officiate this game.’ ” Over to you, Richard. “He’s a great player. He’s a worker. He works the whole game.”
Yawn. You just hope he comes up with a better effort on Saturday.
For a matchup that’s dripping with juicy storylines, the Seahawks and Falcons did their best to turn the pre-game by-play into Pablum. Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is the Seahawks former defensive co-ordinator. The Falcons’ last playoff win was over the Seahawks in 2013, a loss that, according to Seahawks lore, set the stage for their Super Bowl win a year later.
Earlier this season, the Seahawks handed the Falcons a 26-24 defeat in a game where they blew a 17-3 halftime lead, watched Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan throw three touchdown passes in the third quarter, then won on a late interception by Earl Thomas before Sherman got away with pass interference on Jones on the Falcons’ last offensive play.
There was, in short, ample fodder for some lively by-play but both sides were all business as Saturday’s meeting approached.
Take the question of the potential heavyweight matchup between Jones and Sherman. In the regular season meeting, Jones caught seven passes for 139 yards and a touchdown and the presumption was he lit up the Seahawks’ volatile corner. But, according to ESPN, Jones caught just three passes for 40 yards on the snaps where he drew one-on-one coverage against Sherman. Thomas’s game-deciding interception also came off a Ryan pass that deflected off Jones and off Sherman to the Seahawks safety.
“One of those angels-in-the-outfield plays,” said Thomas, who’s since suffered a season-ending injury.
Still, if the Seahawks have special plans for Jones with Sherman on Saturday, they weren’t announcing them publicly.
“It’s tempting but we’re not sure,” said Seahawks defensive co-ordinator Kris Richard. “We want to make sure we stayed locked in. Obviously it’s still a great matchup but we just want to go out there and do what we’re accustomed to doing.”
Carroll was asked how he’d deploy Sherman before the team flew to Atlanta on Thursday.
“I haven’t thought about that yet,” he said with a straight face. “We’ll get that done on the flight. We’ll figure out what we’re going to do. We’re not quite sure about that yet.”
But whatever they decide to do, the Seahawks are going to have their hands full with Ryan and the Falcons offence. Ryan, a leading MVP candidate, led all NFL quarterbacks in efficiency rating this year and yards per attempt and was second in yards passing and touchdowns. Jones was second in the league in receiving yards. Running back Devonta Freeman ran for 1,079 yards. Collectively, the Falcons’ offence was second in total yards and led the NFL with 540 points, 71 more than second-place New Orleans.
“They’re good at everything on offence,” Carroll said. “They have a tremendously experienced quarterback and there’s nothing that fazes him. You can’t fool him. You just have to try to out-execute him.”
As for Jones, it turns out the Carroll has given him some thought.
“We made a couple of mistakes in (the regular-season game) that were really uncharacteristic,” Carroll said. “There were a couple of issues that happened that we have to eliminate. If we do that again, it will be easy for them. He’s a great player. He’s going to make plays.”
The Seahawks’ best chance to contain Ryan, in fact, might be their own offence. In their 26-6 wild-card win over Detroit last weekend, Thomas Rawls run for a playoff franchise record 161 yards and the Seahawks held the ball for 36:39. Rawls missed the regular season meeting with the Falcons along with safety Kam Chancellor and rush end Frank Clark. Seahawks rush end Michael Bennett was also injured during the game. All will be back on Saturday.
“We talk about having a championship opportunity, how every game is a championship opportunity for us,” said receiver Doug Baldwin. “We truly believe that in the regular season so when we get these moments in the playoffs it’s the same thing.
“It’s not the team we’re facing. It’s about us.”
Which wasn’t his best stuff, but maybe, like his teammates, he’s saving that for the Falcons.