NFL Super Bowl Conspiracy: Richard Sherman Cracks Peyton Manning's Hand-Signal Codes

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman revealed this week that the Seahawks indeed cracked the code of Peyton Manning's audible and hand signals, which paved the way to their 43-8 blowout victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium.

During the post-game party following their epic victory in this year's NFL Championship game, Sherman admitted he, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor had figured out Manning's hand-signals and audibles in the first half, allowing them to disrupt the Broncos' high-octane passing game and build an insurmountable lead at the break.

"All we did was play situational football," Sherman told Monday Morning Quarterback Robert Klemko . "We knew what route concepts they liked on different downs, so we jumped all the routes. Then we figured out the hand signals for a few of the route audibles in the first half."

Gamble Pays Off

According to Sherman, Manning could have destroyed them if he decided to shift gears and change his tactics during the game. The Pro Bowl cornerback added that it was indeed a big gamble for the Seahawks defense to jump Manning's routes.

"Me, Earl [Thomas], Kam [Chancellor]... we're not just three All-Pro players. We're three All-Pro minds," Sherman added. "Now, if Peyton had thrown in some double moves, if he had gone out of character, we could've been exposed."

Larry Brown Sports indicated that it was not the first time a linebacker from opposing team figured out his audibles and hand-signals in a Super Bowl game. In 2009, New Orleans Saints' Tracy Porter also claimed that he read the signal-caller's signs and jumped the routes, which allowed him to pull off the game-winning interception against the Indianapolis Colts.

"This would actually be the second time in a Super Bowl that a defensive player beat Manning by learning about his tendencies. You may recall that Tracy Porter said he jumped the route in the Super Bowl between the Saints and Colts because of what he had studied of Manning on film. That led to a game-clinching pick-six for Porter," Larry Brown Sports reported.