National Football League

Manning, Sherman agree on Broncos QB's 'ducks'

Published Jan. 30, 2014 7:09 p.m. ET

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Peyton Manning and Richard Sherman can agree to agree.

No war of words between the record-setting Broncos quarterback and the star Seahawks cornerback who will try to slow him down in the Super Bowl.

In his regular column for MMQB.com, Sherman ranked Manning as the smartest quarterback in the NFL a few weeks ago.

After gushing about his adjustments for a few sentences, Sherman added: ''His arm, however, is another story. His passes will be accurate and on time, but he throws ducks.''

Not exactly a revelation to anybody who has watched Manning toss a football. Asked about the ''ducks'' on Wednesday, Sherman said, ''Well, I still feel the same way I felt.''

''He is a great quarterback. He does a great job,'' he added. ''At the same time, when he catches the ball he doesn't necessarily catch the laces all the time. He throws an accurate ball in regards to how he catches it. He just gets it on time and delivers it accurately.''

And so Manning was asked about that comment Thursday and wasn't the least bit offended.

''I believe it to be true,'' he quipped.

''I do throw `ducks,''' he said. ''I've thrown a lot of yards and touchdown `ducks.' I am actually quite proud of it.''

Told later Thursday of Manning's response, Sherman said: ''I agree. That's exactly what I said.''

Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas described Manning's' passes as ''like catching tissue paper.''

''It's so easy to catch, it really doesn't matter if it's a spiral or wobbly,'' he said.

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SPIRIT OF 12: A Boeing 747-8 jet decked out in a Seahawks paint scheme to honor the team playing in the Super Bowl took its support a step further Thursday.

The plane flew over Eastern Washington after taking off from Seattle's Boeing Field with a flight plan that spelled out 12. The flight path stretched from the southern border of the state between Washington and Oregon almost to the eastern border of Idaho to completely spell out the two numbers.

The plane - normally used for flight testing - featured a 12 on the tail and the phrase ''Spirit of 12s Go Hawks'' on one side of the plane. The new paint scheme was unveiled Wednesday.

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CRAM SESSION: Having two weeks to prepare for the Super Bowl can sometimes lead to too much study of the opposition.

That's especially true when getting ready for an offense like Denver and all the different formations and adjustments Manning uses.

It's been thought that Sunday could be filled with checks and changes from both Denver's offense and Seattle's defense. But strong safety Kam Chancellor said he expects the Seahawks to stay with their basic defensive principles.

''I think you can do too much. I think you can kind of look at too much also,'' Chancellor said. ''Once you find your formula and what you need to know, I think you need to stick with that and go with it. And if it's something you didn't see on film, you just have to run and react. Be athletic, be disciplined to the coverage that you are in.''

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MUSEUM JERSEYS: The signed jerseys of four players from the Seahawks and Broncos will be on display when the National Museum of African American History and Culture opens. NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith announced Thursday that the players' union was donating jerseys from two players on each team taking part in the Super Bowl.

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and cornerback Richard Sherman and Denver linebacker Von Miller and cornerback Champ Bailey are the four. The museum, part of the Smithsonian, is currently under construction on the National Mall in Washington.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org