Dominant Luke Kuechly Keying Panthers' Improbable Playoff Run

During the fourth quarter of the Carolina Panthers’ 27-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Saturday’s NFC Wild Card matchup, Luke Kuechly made a play on the ball as a Cover 2 linebacker that reminded me of Brian Urlacher defending the middle of the field.

With Larry Fitzgerald running the inside seam route, Kuechly read the eyes of quarterback Ryan Lindley, created an angle to the ball and climbed the ladder to tip the pass up in the air.

That play—which resulted in a basket pick for safety Tre Boston in the deep half—highlighted the Panthers’ ability to essentially make Cover 2 look like a three-deep shell because of Kuechly’s range and athleticism to match speed up the field.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

But that’s just a sample, a quick look at what Kuechly brings to a defense that has been the catalyst for the Panthers’ five-game winning streak as Ron Rivera’s club now begins to prep for the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional playoffs.

Going back and watching that game versus the Cardinals, Kuechly was all over the field. Whether that was filling the hole against the run, dropping into coverage or showcasing the lateral movement to pursue the ball, the Panthers middle linebacker came to play.

Here’s an example on Kuechly’s interception with the Cardinals forming a bunch alignment to run the “spot” concept (corner-curl-flat combination).

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The idea behind this route combination is to clear out the top of the secondary with the 7-route (corner), widen the underneath defenders on the flat and create a hole for Fitzgerald to run the curl (or spot).

But with Kuechly inside, the linebacker can take his drop, get his eyes on the quarterback and “push” to the curl.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

The Cardinals get the look they want as the tight end works up the field to occupy the top of the secondary, with the flat route widening the edge of the defense. That gives Lindley the opportunity to target Fitzgerald on the curl.

However, Kuechly shortens his drop, looks up the receiver and then gets his eyes back inside to “push” (or jump) the curl. 

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

There is no question Lindley gets this ball out late—and there is pressure up the field. But my focus here is Kuechly's ability to identify the route combination and finish the play in a crucial game situation.

Along with veteran Thomas Davis, this Carolina defense can drop seven, play coverage and force the ball underneath given the speed and tackling ability it has at linebacker.

These guys close on the ball quickly, and they wrap up on contact. Physical, downhill players with the acceleration to get to the edge, chase down the bubble screen and match up to offensive skill guys.

That’s a beautiful thing when paired with a front four that can get home. Play more coverage, take away the intermediate throwing lanes and put a tent on the top of the secondary.

The Panthers also showed double A-gap pressure, sent the linebackers on blitz stunts and defended the run game to completely suffocate the Cardinals offense. That was a defensive clinic from Carolina that produced three turnovers while only allowing 78 total yards.

Kuechly’s performance versus the Cardinals should draw some national attention: 10 tackles, a pick and a key PBU (pass broken up) that led to another turnover. Those are legit numbers on the playoff stage.

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

But after watching tape of Kuechly throughout this season, I can’t say I’m really surprised. He can be a dominant player at the middle linebacker position, one that produces on a consistent basis because of his overall skill set and the ability to identify offensive concepts.

Looking ahead to this weekend, I can’t wait for Kuechly to play against the defending champs out in Seattle.

Just think about the linebacker filling the hole versus Marshawn Lynch, matching Russell Wilson in the read-option scheme or closing the middle of the field when Seattle wants to throw the seam route.

That’s good football. And it's also what we should expect in the postseason tournament. Get the best players out on the field and let them compete under the lights.

It would be considered an upset for the Panthers (or any team in the NFC) to win out in Seattle this January. But with Kuechly leading a Carolina defense playing its best football of the season, don’t count the Panthers out just yet. 

Seven-year NFL veteran Matt Bowen is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report.

Follow @MattBowen41