Peyton Manning says he is proud of his ‘ducks’

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Peyton Manning did not duck the question.

The Denver Broncos quarterback responded Thursday to a comment Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman wrote last month in a column for the Monday Morning Quarterback website.

Sherman listed Manning No. 1 among the five smartest quarterbacks in the NFL, praising him for his expertise at making adjustments at the line of scrimmage.

But he added: “His arm, however, is another story. His passes will be accurate and on time, but he throws ducks.”

Manning did not flinch.

“I believe it to be true,” he told reporters, drawing laughter. “They say he’s a smart player, and I think that’s a real reach what he is saying there.

“I do throw ducks. I’ve thrown a lot of yards and touchdowns ducks. So I am actually quite proud of it.”

Manning said he does not make his own list of top all-time quarterbacks, but he attempted to describe a perfect one.

“Take a little piece of everybody,” he said. “Take John Elway‘s arm, Dan Marino‘s release, maybe Troy Aikman‘s drop-back, Brett Favre‘s scrambling ability, Joe Montana‘s two-minute poise [and] naturally, my speed in there.”

Punchy answer

A crowd of reporters and camera operators crammed into a semicircle near a hotel elevator as Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch took questions for more than seven minutes from a selected panel of reporters.

Lynch had said Wednesday that he showed up for the mandatory media sessions only to avoid being fined.

Asked Thursday what he thought of offensive line coach Tom Cable when the former Oakland Raiders head coach arrived to join the Seahawks staff, Lynch said, “Being from Oakland, all I knew about him was he punched people. That’s my type of person.”

In 2009, Cable was accused of punching a Raiders assistant in an alleged altercation.

Concussion update

The number of concussions in the NFL dropped 13% from 2012 to 2013, according to the NFL.

The league also reported a 23% decrease over the last two seasons in the number of concussions caused by helmet-to-helmet contact.

“Our perspective is that rules changes, culture change, the enforcement of the rules and the elimination, over time, of dangerous techniques is leading to a decrease in concussions,” Jeff Miller, the NFL’s senior vice president of health and safety policy, said at a news conference. “Now all of that said, we’re talking about a small sample size of only a couple of years.”

Cougar pride

Seahawks defensive tackle Brandon Mebane will be the latest player from Los Angeles Crenshaw High to play in the Super Bowl.

“I always felt it was possible to achieve my goals,” said Mebane, who attended California and was selected by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2007 draft.

Crenshaw’s Wendell Tyler rushed for 60 yards in the Los Angeles Rams’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl that concluded the 1979 season. Tyler also rushed for 65 yards for the San Francisco 49ers’ in their victory over the Miami Dolphins in 1984.

The late Clint Sampson caught two passes for the Broncos in their loss to the New York Giants in 1986. And Eric Yarber caught a punt in the Washington Redskins’ victory over the Broncos in 1987.

Crenshaw Coach Robert Garrett is not surprised by Mebane’s success.

“He was different from most kids,” Garrett said. “When he wasn’t in class, his best friend was the weight room.”

Guaranteed victory

Ontario Colony High and Fullerton Troy are assured of a Super Bowl champion from Sunday’s game.

Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner and Broncos cornerback Omar Bolden played at Colony.

Seahawks running back Derrick Coleman and Broncos long snapper Aaron Brewer played at Troy.

gary.klein@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimesklein

Associated Press contributed to this report.