Last week against the Falcons, the 49ers allowed Julio Jones to erupt for a huge performance. He caught 13 of the 20 passes thrown his way, gaining 134 yards and scoring two touchdowns – including the game-winner.
It’s no coincidence that Richard Sherman wasn’t on the field for that game.
The 49ers’ best cornerback was out with a hamstring injury, but he’s set to return on Saturday night against the Rams. That’s bad news for Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks, who will assuredly see Sherman in coverage at Levi’s Stadium.
The Rams have faced Sherman for nine years dating back to his days with Seattle, so they’re very familiar with his style of play. Sean McVay just joined the NFC West in 2017, but he’s well aware of how good Sherman is.
He heaped praise on the 49ers cornerback Thursday during his press conference, explaining what makes Sherman an elite cornerback.
“I think you can see – very talented, he’s got great concept recognition, elite ball skills. That’s the one thing that you see with him,” McVay said. “Then, he seems like a guy that, when he does recognize those concepts, he’s excellent in being able to trigger and you feel like, ‘All right, this might be a guy that’s a good double-move candidate.’ But, he seems like he’s always ready for those. Plays with good technique. You can see he plays with great vision back to the quarterback and he understands how the quarterback’s timing – in terms of his footwork, his drops – are married with route combinations and where that ball can come out.
“I think that’s why you see some elite production from him. You look at a couple of the picks that he’s had this year, it’s great concept recognition, he’ll come up and tackle. He’s a complete player, he’s been doing it at a high level for a long time. When you get a chance to talk to him a little bit, this is a player that has a really unique, big-picture understanding – extremely intelligent. I’ve always been a big fan of him and very impressed with what he’s done. It’s not surprising, but he’s playing at a high level.”
Sherman has three interceptions and 11 passes defensed this season, allowing catches on 41 of his 65 targets with zero touchdowns. His 5.4 yards per target ranks near the top among all cornerbacks, coming in at No. 11 in that department.
Jared Goff may not test Sherman much, which would be a wise decision. He’s having yet another great season for the 49ers, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl, as well.