Seattle Seahawks Find Themselves in Pivotal Moment After Richard Sherman’s Outburst
On Thursday night, the Seattle Seahawks won the NFC West Division title. Their 24-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams helped to secure a playoff berth for the fifth year in a row. Russell Wilson rediscovered his passing proficiency and the defense handled a dismal Rams’ offense. It was the performance that Seattle needed after last week, when the Green Bay Packers handed them their worst defeat since 2010. It was the type of game that brings a team together; a moment that rallies the troops.
But in the third quarter, a 1-yard touchdown fade to Doug Baldwin left Richard Sherman livid. The star cornerback was visibly angry with Seattle Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell, yelling at him on the sidelines over his play calling decisions. After the game, Sherman defended his stance telling the media, “I was making sure Pete knew we’re not comfortable with you throwing the ball at the 1.” Sherman became more personal about the play calling saying, “We’ve already seen that,” a reference to both the near interception intended for Jimmy Graham in the back corner of the end zone on Thursday night as well as the infamous Malcolm Butler interception during Super Bowl XLIX.
Head Coach Pete Carroll worked to calm tensions between the coach and player, but reports said that a postgame discussion between Carroll and Sherman went poorly. On a night of celebration, the Seattle locker room experienced a tremor and schism, though how long that rift will remain is unsure.
Sherman broke Carroll’s first rule on Thursday night: Protect the team. Publically airing a complaint about Seattle’s play calling achieves little while showing clear infighting within the team. The negative attention that will be given to Seattle over the next week, this article included, has the potential to further increase the conflict.
Instead of focusing solely on another division rival, coaches and players alike will have to comment on the altercation. Players like Russell Wilson and Jimmy Graham who were not directly involved will be asked for their opinions. It will be a major distraction that could have been largely avoided had Sherman strategically chosen to wait until after the game to sit down and talk about his concerns with Bevell.
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With the additional scrutiny of Bevell’s play calling, it could certainly adversely affect his duties. In a role that requires a supreme confidence and conviction, Bevell will have to keep those qualities in spite of Sherman’s doubt. At times, it could cause Bevell to act indecisively. At the worst, it could cause players to rally behind Sherman if Bevell’s play calling continues to be perceived as poor. The rift could widen between the offensive and defensive units; we could even see some offensive players side with Sherman.
Beyond the criticism of the offensive coordinator, Sherman’s comments also show a sense of distrust in the ability of Russell Wilson and his receiving corps at the goal line. More than the tension between coach and player, clashes between players can be especially detrimental. After all, they share the field together.
And more than that, publicly showing a lack of faith in a team leader like Wilson can foster doubt around him as well. It leaves players unhappy and stuck with thoughts that they should be free from on the football field. It adds an unnecessary pressure that Pete Carroll has tried to fundamentally eradicate from his team’s environment so that his players can play with a quieted mind. Sherman’s comments are divisive for a team nearing the playoffs.
On the other hand, while Sherman’s actions and clarifying comments are certainly critical, it could be a blessing in disguise. Darrell Bevell could have productive reflection on this instance and turn it into a more efficient play calling performance in future weeks. As for the passing attack that Wilson leads, it could find itself reinvigorated in the red zone to prove itself as a viable scoring threat. If Sherman, Carroll, Bevell, Wilson, and Baldwin handle this the right way moving forward, it could shift from being something negative to being the spark that Seattle needs to really ignite its offense.
Sherman’s passionate outburst leaves Seattle at a pivotal moment in its season. It leaves the Seahawks at a fork that could define their season and how far they can go in the playoffs. If Seattle uses Sherman’s energy positively to ignite the team, they will be a contending for a championship. But if the strife is not mended, Seattle could find itself in trouble not only this post season, but for the future too.
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