Unlike several of his San Francisco 49ers teammates before Saturday, Richard Sherman already knew what it's like to win playoff games. Now, they all know that feeling and the team is just one win away from a trip to the Super Bowl.
Skeptics were waiting, though. They were waiting for what they felt were the real 49ers to reveal themselves. They were waiting for the Kyle Shanahan-led squad to finally stumble.
The 49ers revealed what they are during Saturday's dismantling of the Minnesota Vikings. They are a championship-caliber team. Sherman has been trying to tell people that since the beginning of the season. It's just that no one wanted to listen.
They are listening, now.
Sherman spoke with Deion Sanders following this past weekend's 27-10 win over the Vikings and shared his message to his teammates as many of them prepared for their first NFL playoff game.
"We do what we've done to get here," Sherman told Sanders. "It's not an accident that we're here. It's not like we had some magic formula throughout the whole season to go 13-3, and, oh my God, now you've got to make up something to win this next game or else you're going to lose. Guys just need to do their job. You come out, and you execute.
"In the playoffs, it's just the team that executes, the team that makes less mistakes is the team that's not going home. That's what's cool about our team. There isn't one guy that you've got to focus on. There's not one defensive player where you're like, 'Man, if this guy as a bad game, they're going to lose.'"
The 49ers will host the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 19. It will be a rematch of the Week 12 game between the two teams that saw San Francisco rout Green Bay 37-8.
"I'm just thankful for the position we're in," Sherman said. "We've got a great ball club. We've got a great D-line. We've got a great coaching staff. We've got a great offense. I can appreciate the journey."