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NEW YORK -- Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has been relatively low-key this week (he's also been great for the media, by the way), but as you probably know, he's not afraid to say what's on his mind. So, you might remember a few weeks ago when he ranked the top-five smartest quarterbacks in the league, and he had Peyton Manning No. 1.
But he also managed to throw in a quick insult to Manning as well. Writing for theMMQB.com, here's what Sherman theorized: "Nobody else has both the authority to do that within their offense and the understanding to know when it's appropriate. His arm, however, is another story. His passes will be accurate and on time, but he throws ducks."
Manning was asked about this Thursday, and characteristically, he used humor and self-deprecation to gave an engaging answer. So, Peyton, what do you think about Sherman and his "throwing ducks" comment.
“I believe it to be true," the Broncos quarterback said. "They say he is a smart player, and I think that’s a real reach with what he is saying there. I do throw ‘ducks.' I’ve thrown a lot of yards and touchdowns 'ducks.' I am actually quite proud of it.”
Yes, everybody who watches Manning can see he throws wobbly passes on occasion. But those who are catching those throws don't seem to care.
"It doesn't matter what the ball looks like, it's always in the right spot," said receiver Demaryius Thomas. "That's the main thing with him. I still remember the first day I was throwing with Peyton, throwing the ball, it probably wasn't the prettiest ball but it was always in the right spot and it was easy to catch. I've never had a quarterback like that, so I enjoyed it.
"It's like catching tissue paper. It's so easy to catch, it really doesn't matter if it's a spiral or wobbly."
Manning was also asked to make his own list -- a list of his top-three favorite quarterbacks. Predictably, the political Peyton didn't necessarily play along.
"I don’t have a list," Manning said. "I think I could describe the perfect quarterback. Take a little piece of everybody. Take John Elway’s arm, Dan Marino’s release, maybe Troy Aikman’s dropback, Brett Favre’s scrambling ability, Joe Montana’s two-minute poise and, naturally, my speed in there.
"I could take a piece of everyone, of some of my favorite quarterbacks, and I could take 30 traits from different guys, and put them in that perfect quarterback. That is how I like to look at it. I don’t have the list. I know a lot of people have lists. ‘Anytime,’ as John Elway once said, ‘you might be kind of in the conversation of someone talking about some of their favorite quarterbacks, that’s a nice compliment in itself.’”
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