Getty Veteran NFL cornerback Richard Sherman tossing it around in pregame.
The San Francisco 49ers have clawed their way back to even, and the rest of the NFL is beginning to take notice.
The Niners trounced the Jacksonville Jaguars 30-10 on Sunday, November 21 to move to 5-5 on the season. The team is 3-1 over its last four games after losing four in a row.
San Francisco’s dramatic turnaround has revived the franchise’s playoff hopes. It also evoked a strong reaction from one of the Niners’ former All-Pro defensive backs over the weekend.
ALL the latest 49ers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on 49ers newsletter here!
Richard Sherman Has Fresh Praise for Former Team
GETTYRichard Sherman, of the San Francisco 49ers, looks on during the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium on January 19, 2020, in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Cornerback Richard Sherman, who played his last three seasons in the Bay Area before signing with the defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year, called his former team one of the “most talented” in the entire NFL.
He made the comments as part of The Richard Sherman Podcast with Pro Football Focus on Saturday, one day before the Niners defeated the Jags in Florida.
“At the end of the day, they’re one of the most talented teams in football. They got one of the best MIKE linebackers (Fred Warner), obviously George Kittle one of the best tight ends in the league, and they got one of the best offensive minds,” said Sherman, referring lastly to Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“Jimmy (Garoppolo) is playing unbelievable football, and he has over the past four or five games. They haven’t won them all, but he has been doing his part and playing his part,” Sherman continued. “The secondary has come together. Jimmie Ward is getting healthy, and you see he shows up in primetime — two huge plays, the interception and the pick-six. He’s one of the best safeties in the National Football League.”
Niners Back in Playoff Hunt in Big Way
GettyJimmy Garoppolo, of the San Francisco 49ers.
San Francisco’s mini-run has brought them firmly back into playoff contention.
After 10 weeks, the Niners occupy the 8th position in the NFC, making them the first team on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. However, San Francisco has the same record as the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints, teams that would be the 6th and 7th seeds in the NFC if the postseason began today.
San Francisco’s schedule over its final seven games presents several challenges, but also offers a handful of very winnable games. Home contests against the Atlanta Falcons and the Houston Texans figure to be must-win matchups for the Niners considering the rest of their slate. San Francisco will also have a chance to earn a potential tiebreaker with the Vikings less than a week from now in another home contest.
The rest of the Niners’ schedule is on the road against tough opponents in the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans and the Rams.
Four other NFC squads are within a game of the Niners in the standings, which should make the stretch run wildly entertaining, as seven teams compete for three NFC Wildcard berths. But the way divisions have beat up on one another this season, a record of 9-8 could prove good enough to earn the Niners a postseason look.
If San Francisco really is as talented as Sherman says, then the rest of the conference better watch out, because the Niners appear to be peaking at the opportune time.