Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Richard Sherman: 49ers, not Cowboys, are the “best team in the NFL”
Sep 13, 2023 at 5:11 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The Dallas Cowboys looked impressive in their 40-0 Week 1 win over the New York Giants. However, Richard Sherman has a problem with anyone, like
The Athletic this week, declaring the self-anointed "America's Team" the best in the NFL. Is that an overreaction? The All-Pro cornerback believes so.
Which team does Sherman view as the league's best? That would be none other than the San Francisco 49ers, who went into Pittsburgh on Sunday and routed what Sherman considers a "really solid" Steelers team 30-7.
RELATED "Purdy's no fluke": 49ers No. 1 in most Week 2 power rankings
"They (The Athletic) know that the best team in the National Football League currently is the San Francisco 49ers," Sherman told Skip Bayless and Keyshawn Johnson during FOX Sports' "Undisputed" on Wednesday. "They did everything they could to show you that the other day, both offensively and defensively, and going out to Pittsburgh, playing a really solid Pittsburgh team, and [head coach] Mike Tomlin, and going out there and having their way.
"TJ. Watt had a Defensive Player of the Year-type day, but it wasn't enough to help his team. ... A judge of how great a player is, isn't what he can do when he's got the ball. It's the players around him and what they do when they don't have the ball. You see how they're fighting to get [RB]
Christian McCaffrey in the end zone. They wanted that man in the end zone as bad as he wanted to be in the end zone.
"That's a team that's playing for one another, that trusts one another, that wants to see themselves be successful and doing everything they can."
Sherman is very familiar with the 49ers. He played many years against them as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. Then, in 2018, the cornerback joined the division rival, playing for the Niners for three seasons.
"Defensively, they got lockdown defenders," Sherman continued. "They got pressure on the quarterback,
Charvarius Ward, who never gets enough credit, give me a book. Everybody blocking for him. Big-time playmakers on the defensive side, lockdown corners, pressure on the inside, All-Pro linebackers.
"Now, can we get a linebacker that can cover? Because the best linebacker in the National Football League, All-Pro
Fred [Warner], he can cover too. And then when he covers, then All-Pro [S]
Talanoa Hufanga gonna get the ball, and he's gonna say, 'Let's have a little fun out here. Let's pitch it and go.'
"They're out here having fun like they in the backyard. This is the National Football League, Skip. They got no pressure. This is the best defense in football, and they just out there having a good time. They're having a good time. Let's pitch it. Let's play in the backyard. Let's have a good time. That's what they're doing, and I appreciate them. I appreciate watching them."
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Ambry Thomas showing 49ers there's "not that many out there better than me"
The San Francisco 49ers' defense delivered an impressive performance in Sunday's 42-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite reportedly exploring options for another starting-caliber cornerback before the October trade deadline, the team ultimately stuck with Charvarius Ward and Ambry Thomas on the outside.
Thomas playing outside has allowed Deommodore Lenoir to move to the slot corner spot. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks seems to have found a recipe for success.
Thomas has been impressive in recent weeks, earning his highest-ever overall Pro Football Focus grade (90.2) on Thanksgiving night against the Seattle Seahawks. We'll have to wait until Monday morning to learn how his performance against the Eagles compares, but it's evident that Thomas is
49ers 'not surprised anymore' by Brock Purdy's MVP-like performances
Last season, it was probably easy to look at Brock Purdy's early starts and be shocked by the rookie quarterback's ability to step in and play like a veteran. Then, as he turned in impressive performance after impressive performance, his San Francisco 49ers teammates became less surprised. Everyone was forced to acknowledge that Purdy could play in the NFL and do so at a high level.
As the last overall pick in the draft, a player passed on multiple times by every team, including the 49ers, Purdy has defied expectations.
Purdy entered this season as the starting quarterback despite coming off surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) he suffered in the NFC Championship Game. The 49ers quarterback has been playing at an elite level this season,
The (Not So) Curious Case of MVP Brock Purdy
The 49ers traveled to Philadelphia on Sunday to take on the Eagles, the team with the best record in the NFL and the team with whom many believe (believed?) to be the MVP front-runner in QB Jalen Hurts.
The 49ers left Philadelphia with a resounding 42-19 victory in which QB Brock Purdy completed 70% of his passes for 314 yards, 4 TDs, and more importantly, 0 INTs or turnover-worthy plays.
On the other hand, Jalen Hurts put up what looks like decent stats: 26/45 for 298 yards, 1 TD, and 0 INTs. However, if you watched the game, it was evident that the Eagles were not in the same class as the 49ers, and their 19 points weren't anywhere near enough against a 49ers squad that scored touchdowns on six straight drives (after an admittedly slow start in the
No Huddle Podcast: 49ers Thanksgiving Revenge And Philly Week
(Episode 289) - Brian Renick is joined by Jason Aponte, the host of the Sprint Right Option podcast and also a Niners Nation contributor. The guys react to the Seahawks' win, the biggest takeaways on offense and defense, the NFC playoff picture, and Philly week!
The audio for the show is embedded above. Don't forget to subscribe!
You can listen to the latest "No Huddle Podcast" episode above, from our dedicated podcast page, on
