You hear it all the time. A corner makes a great play. People call him a “shutdown” corner. What does that even mean? To be taken literally, “shutdown” means the opposing receiver was shutdown by a corner all game long, meaning he had little to no production. That takes a VERY rare talent to do so, yet we hear the term used so frequently.
Recently, Arizona Cardinals cornerback, Patrick Peterson, made headlines by calling his divisional rival, Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks, not a shutdown corner. Both are among the best cornerbacks in the NFL today. However, the question still remains: Is either one of them a shutdown corner?
What is a shutdown cornerback? The first example nearly anyone will point to is Deion Sanders. In the 1990’s, there was no one better in coverage than him. He was regularly put on an island with the top receiver of the opposing team and left to cover him man-on-man. The result? Sanders’ opponents rarely caught a pass. The receiver was effectively “shutdown” for the whole game. See how that works?
The fact is, the ability to lock up with a receiver on your own and shut him down is extremely rare. There have only been a handful of guys who deserve to be called a “shutdown” corner. Along with Sanders, you can also point to Mike Haynes, former cornerback for the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Raiders. When he became a Raider, as all Raider corners did under Al Davis, he played almost exclusively bump-and-run man coverage. He was so confident in his abilities, that he was well known for telling safeties to ignore their responsibilities of giving him help over the top when the scheme called for it. The result? One Super Bowl victory, five all-pro selections, and a Hall of Fame induction. Receivers just could not get open against such a rare talent.
The most modern example of a true shutdown corner is a peculiar one. Between 2008 and 2010, Nnamdi Asomugha had arguably the best three year stretch any corner has ever had. At the time he played for the Oakland Raiders and, like Mike Haynes, played almost exclusively bump-and-run coverage. During that span he allowed just 37 catches and one touchdown while being targeted 87 times, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s over three seasons! Like Sherman, he only covered one side of the field until he personally asked to shadow the other teams’ best receiver for the 2010 season (he allowed only 13 catches and zero touchdowns that year on 29 targets). After that he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and was asked to play in zone coverage more often than not, thus falling off his throne at the age of 30. At a time when age was beginning to catch up with him, he was asked to stop doing what he was so good at doing. Those three years of dominance came and went very quickly but there is no denying that he was a “shutdown” corner during that time. While at the Pro Bowl one year, Peyton Manning introduced Asomugha to his father, Archie, calling him the best corner in the NFL. So how do the best corners in the league today stand up against Nnamdi Asomugha in 2010?
In response to Patrick Peterson’s comments about him, Richard Sherman was kind enough to supply this graphic from NFL Network, via his Twitter account:
The above chart displays stats of four of the top corners from the 2013 season, including both Sherman and Peterson. As you can see, Sherman allowed the fewest receptions (30) on the fewest pass attempts his way (59) and the fewest touchdowns (2). When you compare that to Asomugha in 2010 (13/29/0), Sherman was clearly is not shutting down receivers in 2013, and neither were the other three players from above. All four corners are phenomenal players. They have a huge impact on the game when they play and they change the way offenses game plan for their team. However, none of them are deserving of being called a “shutdown” corner. This could change however. Asomugha was drafted in 2003, after playing safety for the University of California, Berkeley. It took him five years to master his new position in the NFL. It is possible that a true shutdown corner can emerge in this upcoming season. However, there is no one worthy of that title right now.
*Side note: Before anyone brings up Darrelle Revis in his prime, consider the fact that in that same 2010 season he allowed 29 receptions on 67 targets. Clearly he was, and still is, a great corner. Not a shutdown corner though.
In conclusion: No, Richard Sherman is not a “shutdown” corner. However, neither is Patrick Peterson. Both are very talented, young players who every team would love to have. Having said that, the term “shutdown” corner should be saved for those who truly shutdown their opponent. There are only a handful of cornerbacks in NFL history that can rightfully lay claim to that title. So everyone please, stop using the term so freely. Show some respect to those who have earned it.
And just for fun, here is a video of Asomugha against Larry Fitzgerald in 2010. Asomugha allows 1 reception for 18 yards all game. Eventually Fitz gets in the endzone when Asomugha is in a cover 4 zone and is not responsible for him. Oops!
Images courtesy of:
http://socialmediatoday.com/sites/socialmediatoday.com/files/richardsherman.jpeg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BoSd_e2CYAMqgqp.jpg:large