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Richard Sherman vs. Darrelle Revis: Best cornerback debate heats up

PHOENIX — They won't cover each other, much less be on the field at the same time.

In the same vein of quarterbacks such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning not having a true rivalry because they don't truly go head to head, the same can be said of two of the best cornerbacks in the NFL — Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis — who will be featured in Sunday's Super Bowl.

Still, it's hard not to wonder, and it's fun to debate, just who the best cornerback in the NFL is.

But asking Sherman and Revis to be part of the discussion proves difficult. It's clear from listening to them speak this week, they each feel they're the best at what they do. Two years ago, when Sherman was rising to fame with the Seattle Seahawks and Revis was an established star with the New York Jets, the two had at it on Twitter over who was best.

The two have been a bit mild-mannered on the topic this week, dancing carefully between giving mutual respect without overdoing it, but there's also a healthy level of respect from the coaches and other players of the Seahawks and New England Patriots over how good the two are.

"I'm sure people will make comparisons," Sherman said. "They always do. But we play the game two different ways."

Sherman's right. He's 6-foot-3 with long arms and a lean frame at 195 pounds. He looks like a wide receiver because that's the position he came into Stanford playing. Sherman thrives in the Seahawks' scheme, which relies on a lot of cover-3 zone and perhaps a bit more man (often cover-1) than in years past.

Revis is more compactly built at 5-11 and 198 pounds, running in the high 4.3s — compared to Sherman's 4.5s — in the 40-yard dash prior to a 2012 knee injury. The Patriots run a variety of coverages — man, zone, off, press — depending on the situation and the opponent, and are not married to any one scheme. They'll change their approach weekly, and Revis is adept at all coverages, even if he's perhaps best in man.

If Revis is more of a polished, technique-savvy player, Sherman might have more of an unconventional style. Comparing them proves difficult.

“Both of those guys play with a recognizable style of awareness and savvy and instinct that I think separates guys from being really good to being great players," Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said. "They can make plays in crucial situations. They make unusual plays. They see things before other people see them and they respond with the courage that comes from being a confident premiere type of player."

According to Pro Football Focus, Sherman and Revis actually ranked third and fourth, respectively, among all NFL cornerbacks, with only the Denver Broncos' Chris Harris and the Indianapolis Colts' Vontae Davis finishing higher in their grading system. Sherman, who had four interceptions in 2014, was targeted 65 times; Revis, who had two picks this season, was thrown at 79 times but had far more passes defended (11, to Sherman's four).

"It’s interesting," Carroll said, "I would say as I look at it technically, they don’t play within the same style, but yet the results are really similar."

The Patriots nabbed Revis in a fairly swift and stunning move in free agency after Aqib Talib left to sign with the Denver Broncos. Revis had tormented Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for years when Revis was with the rival Jets, and Revis made his presence felt immediately in New England by picking off Brady several times during training-camp practices.

Brady has seen, from afar and up close, just how dominant Revis can be. And in the Patriots' 2012 meeting against the Seahawks, Sherman picked off Brady and then taunted the QB with his famous "U Mad Bro?" caption after the Seahawks erased a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to win, 24-23.

"They're different players," Brady said. "They get the job done in different ways. I love playing with Darrelle; I'm glad I don't have to play against him. I played against him for a number of years and he's phenomenal.

"Richard is a great player in his own right. He does a great job as a ballhawk. He's got 24 interceptions in however many years; he's a great interceptor of the ball. He's got a lot of range, a lot of length, a lot of recovery ability. He does a great job of playing the ball down the field. He has phenomenal balls skills [and] great timing when he jumps. He has made a lot of big plays in a lot of big games. He plays with a lot of confidence. You have to understand what you're going against."

And what the Patriots are going against is a very talented secondary around Sherman, too, which includes rangy and hard-hitting safety Earl Thomas and fellow cornerback Byron Maxwell, who could be one of the more coveted free agents on the market this spring.

Likewise, Revis is surrounded by good talent as well. Safety Devin McCourty has flourished after transitioning from cornerback; he is a high-priority free agent, too. Starting opposite Revis at corner is Brandon Browner, who — while penalty-prone — has made his share of impact plays this season.

In fact, who better to ask about the Sherman-Revis debate than Browner, who played alongside Sherman for three years from 2011 to 2013?

“Yeah, we play a lot more man to man over in New England," Browner said. "They play a lot of cover-3 in Seattle. [Sherman] plays to his leverage, knowing where help is coming from. He is a cerebral football player and so is Revis. Revis, he just has a nice balance about his game. It never seems like he takes a false step left or right. His game is pretty smooth and polished. It seems like he isn’t running as hard as the guy he is covering. The guy he is covering always seems like he is sprinting and [Revis] kind of has a jog about his game.”

Browner might not be picking sides, claiming to be friends with both men. And though Revis and Sherman clearly are not close personally, it appears some of the ice has thawed since their 2012 Twitter battle — at least based on what they were saying about each other.

What does Sherman do best according to Revis?

“Just the ability to shut down your side, whatever side you’re on," Revis said. "Sherman, he plays left corner and he does great. He’s great at what he does. I’m not really knocking him on what he does. He’s a playmaker and that’s what he does for his team.” 

And Sherman on Revis?

"I think everybody has a unique style about their game that you can put into your game, but if you’re asking about him specifically, I’ve got nothing,” Sherman said.

OK, so that's Sherman: brash and unyielding.

Still, it would be hard to imagine these players not having their tangible impact on this game in some form or fashion. 

On the one hand, Super Bowl XLIX features two quarterbacks in Brady and Seattle's Russell Wilson with some of the lowest interception ratios in history — Brady at 2.0 percent, and Wilson just behind him at 2.1. But on the other hand, we're also talking about two of the best cover men we've seen in the NFL in the past quarter century. Sherman believes they've helped change the football narrative with their high-level play.

“I think it says that the game’s changing a little bit," Sherman said. "I think it also says something to the level of play that we’re playing at, and also how fantastic of a season we both must be having if we’re bringing that much attention to the game. It’s appreciated.

"Obviously as corners and elite corners, there’s a certain respect level and admiration because you understand what it takes to play this position at a high level, and how fragile the praise is. You give up one pass for 10 yards and they say the world’s over. You get two interceptions in a game and they say that’s what you’re supposed to do. That’s just what comes with the territory.”

Perhaps this debate can be settled after Sunday's game, even if they won't truly go head to head at all.

[Watch Super Bowl XLIX live here and on NBC Sports - Sunday at 6 p.m. ET]

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!