Richard Sherman vs. Patrick Peterson: A Fight with No Winner
By Todd Pheifer
Richard Sherman versus Patrick Peterson.
Richard Sherman versus Darrelle Revis.
Richard Sherman versus Aqib Talib, Joe Haden, Alterraun Verner and anyone else that you want to add to the list.
Who is the best cornerback in the NFL? Does it really matter? Apparently it does…to the corners themselves. Peterson is chirping now, suggesting that Sherman is perhaps a bit overrated and wouldn’t do well in the Arizona Cardinals system.
These arguments are somewhat interesting, but they get tiresome very quickly. Sherman might struggle in Arizona’s system, but he doesn’t play for the Cards. He plays for the Seattle Seahawks, and they are the reigning Super Bowl champs.
Scoreboard.
Sherman versus Michael Crabtree is more interesting because at least they play against each other. At no point will Peterson and Sherman suit up and go head-to-head. Therefore, talk of which CB is the “best” will always be purely theoretically.
Here is the other problem with comparing corners. At some point comparisons will often come down to numbers. The problem is that a truly great corner may have minimal statistical accomplishments during a game. If quarterbacks are afraid to throw at a particular corner, that player may not have many opportunities for tackles, pass deflections and interceptions.
Last season, Peterson had 42 tackles, 13 passes defended and three picks. He also returned 33 punts.
Sherman had 48 tackles, 16 passes defended and eight interceptions.
Is this just a numbers game? Not exactly. Cornerback is not just about numbers, it is about swagger and reputation.
Who is the best corner in the NFL? No one really knows, and in the end what matters is whether your team wins. Right now, that advantage goes to Richard Sherman.