Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, but he hasn't strayed far from the football scene.
Most recently, Sherman contributed to the *Players' Tribune *and put together a list of **wide receivers he has covered and considers underrated**. Sherman wrote:
Last season, I broke down A.J. [Green] and Julio [Jones] as two of the toughest receivers I've ever covered. But today, I'm going to break down five guys who didn't make that list. Because it's not just the guys who put up big numbers who are difficult to cover. There are plenty of receivers who do a lot of little things — the things that don't show up in the box score — that can make life difficult for a DB on every snap.
Included on Sherman's list was Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs.
He's what some guys might call a thundercat — a young kid who comes into the league and is incredibly explosive. He's fast, he's quick, and he's a home run hitter. He can burn you on a deep route or he can catch a slant and take it 70 yards.
But what really stands out is his double move. He is so dangerous in the flats and on short routes, so you have to respect his first move — which sets up his double move really well.
Sherman then broke down a play in which Diggs caught a 36-yard touchdown pass from Teddy Bridgewater against the Lions in 2015. The cornerback said the plays demonstrates "the athleticism and the great hands with that incredible catch," but what made the touchdown possible in the first place was the way Diggs did "a great job of selling the out route" and being patient, waiting for Lions CB Rashean Mathis to commit before breaking free into space.
Sherman added:
We played him twice his rookie year, and we locked him up pretty good. But he's a heck of a football player. He's already had a few big games this year, so I don't think he'll be underrated for too long. He's really developing into a big-time threat.
The other receivers in Sherman's list were Jermaine Kearse, Julian Edelman, Golden Tate and Marvin Jones, Jr.
Harrison Smith among players who 'matter most' in Week 15
As the regular season winds down and the playoff picture becomes clearer by the week, Marc Sessler of NFL.com put together **a list of players that he feels “matter most”** to Week 15 outcomes.
Sessler included Vikings safety Harrison Smith on his list at No. 8. He wrote:
*You are the Minnesota Vikings. Your task is to [defeat the] Bengals on Sunday before facing the … Packers in Week 16. Your defense is littered with battle-tested warriors, none having a finer season than Smith, the bone-crushing, versatile safety who finds a way weekly to make a difference. Your offensive line is plagued with injuries, meaning the defense must do its part to secure a bye – maybe home-field advantage – and knock the suddenly dangerous Packers out of the picture after kicking Cincy into oblivion. *
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has not played since Week 6 against the Vikings but was medically cleared this week to return, was on Sessler's lineup at No. 2. Leading the charge for Sessler was Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, who will look to help Pittsburgh (11-2) defeat New England (10-3) on Sunday.
Eagles QB Nick Foles came in at No. 3 as the backup to Carson Wentz, who suffered a torn ACL against the Rams. The Eagles currently hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC, one spot above the Vikings.
With games left against the Giants, Raiders and Cowboys, the Eagles have a serious chance to finish 14-2 with home-field command of the NFC playoffs. Nobody can replace Wentz, who morphed Philly into a yardage- and points-generating beast with a glowing Super Bowl aura. Foles arrives as one of the league's top backups, though, offering a 20-16 career record under center and enough upside to give the Eagles a shot.
New Star Wars *film gets a Vikings twist*
There's lots of buzz surrounding the latest film in the Star Wars *saga, *Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which was released this week.
Vikings team photographer Andy Kenutis took to Photoshop and had a little fun with the trending topic:
Vikings offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles also tweeted about the flick.
