Minutes after we reported that Green Bay Packers cornerback Tramon Williams attempted to hijack the "Optimus Prime" nickname from Richard Sherman, the Seattle Seahawks defender fired back.
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Sherman visited NFL Network's "NFL AM" on Thursday and heard what Williams had to say about the Seahawks' Week 8 encounter with Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin "Megatron" Johnson, whom the Packers face Sunday.
"I'm definitely Optimus Prime," Williams told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this week. "Guys like Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman, they talk about how physical they are -- but Calvin was pushing those guys around the field like it was nothing."
"Yeah, we were pushed around to the tune of 46 yards, I believe," Sherman said. "Not too much pushing. I don't understand that shot, he took a shot at us. Last I checked, we've never given up 250 yards to anybody (close to Megatron's tally against Williams and the Packers in a meeting last season). We barely give that up in a game. To give that up to one player, I mean that was the last time they played him I believe. I don't really know if he'd be the one (to) come talk to us about playing coverage."
Sherman has a point. Williams has done plenty of talking for being tied to a defense that was unable to stop anyone -- much less Calvin Johnson -- a season ago. The Packers have improved to 14th overall on defense in 2012 and 20th against the pass, but neither figure should elicit proud talk from any of Green Bay's cornerbacks.
Everybody wants to be "Optimus Prime" these days, but not us. Our needs are simple. We'd be content if grown men stopped wrestling over robot nicknames.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
