Sherman's Sideline Tantrum and the Value of Vulnerability
Tantrum. Tirade. Breakdown. Existential crisis. Whatever you want to call it, Richard Sherman was not happy on the sidelines on Sunday after blown coverage resulted in a 36-yard touchdown pass to Julio Jones. After allowing just a field goal in the first half, the top-ranked Seattle defense imploded in the third quarter in a way that is largely foreign to Carroll’s well-oiled machine. With Kam Chancellor sidelined by injury, and Kelcie McCray in as his replacement, the defense lacked the communication and the chemistry that usually defines them.
Sherman was apparently set off by this lack of communication that left him playing man while the rest of his defense playing zone. While we may never know the true catalyst for Sherman’s sideline tirade that rivaled Odell Beckham Jr.’s beating of the kicking net, what we know was the emotion was real. Raw. Passion manifesting into a spectacular meltdown that is great for the NFL’s waning ratings. Instead of isolating Sherman, and allowing the national media to speculate possible fault lines in the brotherhood that has long defined Seattle’s identity, it was the same teammates who he was so angry with that rallied around him.
As Bobby Wagner told Seahawk.com’s John Boyle, “Emotions sometimes get high. He’s a very passionate dude, but we love him. I love him like a brother. We got him cool, and everything was good.” Carroll echoed Wagner’s remarks by stating “I really like living on the edge with these guys and being able to dwell there.”
While Sherman’s teammates consoling on the sidelines stopped him from further lashing out on defensive coordinator Kris Richards, their intervention did not stop the bleeding. Atlanta managed to squeeze two more touchdowns out of Seattle’s defense because of their faltered communication, and blown coverage. Sherman continued to fume. He walked off of the field in silence, uninterested in celebrating the victory. But the Seahawks managed to get the W. Due to a fourth quarter Earl Thomas interception and arguably, a missed PI call, the Seahawks survived.
The top-ranked defense showed it is anything but perfect. Unapologetically flawed. Despite its foundation of veterans with Pro-Bowl accolades, they too are capable of self-destruction. It wasn’t pretty, but Sherman’s tantrum, and more importantly his team’s handling of it, gave us valuable insight to two distinguishing factors of the Seattle defense.
I might be going out on a limb here, but Seattle needs Kam Chancellor. As Carroll told 710 ESPN, Kelcie McCray was supposed to relay the coverage information to Sherman, which he failed to do. McCray’s hiccup resulted in the Sherman’s apparent confusion, and a 36-yard Julio Jones TD. Essentially, McCray’s error was reflected on Sherman, who if you haven’t noticed, does not like getting beat. It’s easy to point the finger to McCray, however the communication and chemistry faltered, demonstrating their importance to the prowess of this defense. Carroll commented on Chancellor’s value, stating “What was clear to me, was that Kam is a big factor. He has such a connection and the skill in communicating and all that.” Coverage was blown, and Sherman was blamed for the mistake. This lack of communication demonstrates Chancellor’s role in maintaining the chemistry of this defense, and shows how vital it is that he gets healthy soon.
The Carroll dogma is working. Pete Carroll’s Southern California let’s-talk-about-our-feelings rhetoric is largely suppressed in other NFL locker rooms, but is precisely the reason why this team is so damn good. He doesn’t ask his players to stay silent. He feeds off of their energy, and they feed off of his respect. Instead of getting into it with Sherman during his tirade, Carroll let his players talk (or should I say yell) it out. Because of Carroll’s hands-off approach, his players trust each other. They can express their distress without fear of being benched. They are encouraged to get emotional. Debate. Discuss. Come together. And win. Huddling around Sherman, shielding him from him imminent self-destruction, the defense was able to contain the problem but making Sherman feel his frustration was validated.
He was listened to. The problem was found. The communication was fixed. This is what separates this team. Brotherhood. Chemistry. Trust. Pete Carroll’s unprecedented tactics that encourage emotional awareness and keep this team breathing in the face of adversity. Valuing vulnerability is what makes this team so great.
