Sherm drops business take on Deebo-Pepper sideline fight originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman is all about responsibility.
And after Jake Moody missed three field goals in San Francisco’s 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Sherman believes 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was completely justified in telling the kicker to “lock in.”
The sideline led to an altercation between Samuel and Taybor Pepper after the long snapper defended Moody – something Sherman believes Pepper should not have done.
“Yes, it is frustrating,” Sherman said Sunday on “The Richard Sherman Podcast.” “Before the injury, I think [Moody] was 14 out of 15, looked pretty good, looked like he took away all the doubts people had, all the worries. But then you come back from the injury after the two kickers you replaced were virtually flawless on PATs and field goals, if I’m not mistaken…the third [missed] kick, you start to get a lot of questions, and you start to see frustration from both players and fans
“And when Deebo Samuel goes upstairs [Moody] and says “lock in,” and apparently that’s what he said — that’s what Taybor Pepper said he said — you don’t defend him from that. You can’t defend him from the responsibility of the team, if I give up a touchdown pass and one of my teammates says, ‘Hey, come on. Shut up, no one will come in and save me.
‘You have to be tough. This is the National Football League.”
Pepper told reporters after the game exactly what led to Samuel punching him in the throat during the fourth quarter, as well as why he felt the need to stand up for Moody.
“[Samuel] told [Moody] to lock us up,” Pepper said. ‘We know what our job is. We have us. It’s hard to be a specialist. As a young development specialist like Jake, the best mental exercise you can do is — I mean, I don’t know how much better it gets than missing three straight games and having to play a nearly 50-yard game. winner.
“So I’m super proud of Jake.”
Sunday’s win marked Moody’s first return to action after missing three games with a high ankle sprain, and the kicker ultimately made a game-winning field goal from 44 yards out as time expired. If the 49ers offense continues to struggle in the red zone, the team will certainly continue to rely on Moody to make every kick.
Sherman knows that accountability is one way to ensure success under pressure.
“Unfortunately, the San Francisco 49ers are not converting at a high rate in the red zone this year, so they are settling for a lot more field goals than normal. You have to make the kicks,” Sherman continued. “This match wasn’t supposed to be this close, and it comes down to the last kick because of missed kicks. And so I’m completely with Deebo here. There are better ways to deal with it, and I kind of understand what Taybor means. ” does, tries to defend his man, but you can’t defend people from responsibility.
“I don’t care, not in this game. You can defend yourself against people who go overboard, or call him names, or tell him you’re bad, or something like that. Then protect him from that. But if [Samuel’s] and tell him to lock himself up, get out of the way and let him tell him. Let him look [Moody] in his eye and tell him to close in.”
Despite the drama, Moody still managed to “close in” and secure San Francisco’s fifth win of the season. Whether the sideline fight has anything to do with it is up for debate.
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
