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Richard Sherman and the Seahawks will host the 49ers on Sunday in their Week 15 showdown. The controversial cornerback met the media on Thursday and had plenty to say, including a number of comments relating to the 49ers:
On Harbaugh stating that the Seahawks defense is good at diagnosing and how it has improved/sharpened since last year...
I don't know if we were sharper than we were last year. I think last year we were pretty sharp. But I think that's something we learned last year as a defense, as a whole. I think certain players were better at diagnosing than others at different points last year and I think at one point we came together as a defense and started recognizing formations as an entire unit. Recognizing what we thought was coming, what plays were coming, what formations dictated certain things, understanding down and distance and not just individuals like I said but as a unit and I think that has carried over to this year. I think that's what's helping us on this journey.
This good run we're on as a defense and as a team. It's recognizing the formations, understanding how they're trying to attack you, and that goes back to the continuity I talked about earlier this year. Having Bobby [Wagner] back, getting everybody back, Kam [Chancellor], Byron [Maxwell], having everybody out there because those are the guys who are used to being in those situations. There's a different level of communication with those guys than there are with the young guys like Brock Coyle and KPL (Kevin Pierre-Louis). Those guys play with tremendous effort and talent but I think their understanding is a couple years behind guys like Bobby [Wagner] and Kam [Chancellor].
On what he thinks of what San Francisco is going through and the impact it has...
We don't think about them at all. We don't watch them. Unless we're playing them it really has no bearing on what we do. We have to focus on what's in our building and what we're doing. So that's all that matters.
On how he's seen Colin Kaepernick change over the past few years playing against him...
Not much honestly. He hasn't changed much. Their offense is built around him. They do the pistol formations. They throw the ball down the seam while he throws a seven cut. They're going to run what they run just like we're going to run what we run.
On the line in the running game from 2012 and the vulnerabilities...
Not really. I see the same guys that I saw then. You see [Anthony] Davis, [Mike] Iupati, the center is gone, but Joe Staley is still there. They're the same guys and [Frank] Gore is still back there. You still got Anquan [Boldin], you still got all the pieces still there. You don't see any weaknesses. You know those guys are big time players in this league and I think anytime you have them on the field they're going to play like big time players. They have pride in their game.
On knowing Colin Kaepernick's tendencies compared to other quarterbacks...
To a degree. It's like you know all the teams in your division's tendencies a little better. I'm sure they know Russell's [Wilson] tendencies a little better than every other quarterback. Just from playing them so much -- I think this is the third time we've played them in 2014 so you see a team so much you've got to get something unless you're just not paying attention.
On if he thinks it would take away from the rivalry if Coach Harbough wasn't coach anymore...
I don't know. I don't think so. I think it would take away from a few story lines but the rivalry would be just the same between the teams and the fan bases. I don't think the fan bases would care who the coaches are on either team. I think they have their own disdain for one another.
Seattle Seahawks media services contributed to this report
