Is Richard Sherman playing tonight vs. Patriots in Week 4?
For roughly a decade, Richard Sherman was the epitome of what a shut-down cornerback should be. He was physical enough to press the toughest receivers, yet had the mental acumen of Peyton Manning.
His former head coach Pete Carroll was comfortable allowing Sherman to play man-to-man or zone and take away a player or an area of the field.
Just this week, Richard Sherman signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is right in the nick of time for the much-anticipated primetime game when the Buccaneers face off against the New England Patriots in Foxborough.
Buccaneers fans were ecstatic over Sherman's signing.
@LukeEasterling Its awesome, it helps with depth and gives the room a All pro Veteran presence to learn from. I love it
But since he has only been with the team for a few days, will he be ready to suit up tomorrow night for the pivotal matchup?
Is Richard Sherman a go for Sunday night?
#Bucs coach Bruce Arians said newly signed FA CB Richard Sherman will be active on Sunday. Sounds like he had a good week of practice.
Richard Sherman was asked when he would be ready to play. Here's what Sherman had to say:
"I need at least a week of practice to really hone things in to play at the level I'm capable of. I think it would be foolish to expect me to come out this week and play at a super high level. If I did it, it would be another thing to chalk up as a cool thing I did. But I think the expectation is for me to train, to get in shape and to give me an opportunity for the following game."
It appears as if Sherman may have spoken too soon.
On Friday, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians stated that Sherman would indeed be active for Sunday night's game against the New England Patriots. Perhaps the decision to have him active was related to the fact that Sherman is a veteran and may have some type of familiarity with the defense run by defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
The decision may have been based on the fact that the Buccaneers secondary has recently been decimated by injuries. Starting cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting is on injured reserve with a dislocated elbow sustained in the first game of the season.
Third cornerback Jamel Dean, who has been nursing a knee injury, has also been ruled out of the game. Bruce Arians may have determined that healthy bodies in the secondary are currently more important than Sherman being completely acclimated to their system and defensive calls.
For a veteran and potential Hall of Famer like Sherman, it's likely a safe bet that if he plays, he should be able to maneuver and understand the defense well enough to stand his ground and help the Buccaneers win one of the most important games of the season.