Defensive Stud Kam Chancellor Has Seahawks Flying High in January

Kam Chancellor’s performance Saturday night in the Seattle Seahawks’ 31-17 divisional-playoff win over the Carolina Panthers was the type of stuff you see on teaching tapes.

The physicality, the speed, the technique, the impact plays...it was all there for Chancellor in a game he dominated because of the ability to produce in a scheme that specifically caters to his unique skill set and size (6’3”, 232 lbs) at the safety position.

Drop to the curl-flat in zone coverage and close on any throw underneath. Come downhill to fit up the run. Identify the screen pass and beat the offensive lineman to make the tackle in space. Play fast and deliver a violent strike on contact to finish ball-carriers. And that was before Chancellor closed out Cam Newton and the Panthers with a 90-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter.

Remember the hit on Mike Tolbert at the end of the first half? Chancellor didn’t give the running back room to create an angle like we see so often with safeties who break down early. They hesitate, play not to get beat and eventually miss the tackle as they lunge at the running back’s legs.

Not with Chancellor. Nah, this guy came downhill like a missile and put a helmet on Tolbert in the open field. It was the kind of hit that shows up on highlight reels. Hey, Tolbert is a big boy (245 lbs), and Chancellor dropped him.

The strong safety also showcased his athleticism when he jumped over the long snapper (twice) on consecutive field-goal attempts like he was doing a box jump in the weight room during an offseason workout.

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

That was ridiculous. Think about it: A 6’3”, 232-pound safety leaping over guys with the body control and flexibility to make it look easy.

We talk about defensive players being a “fit” for certain schemes all the time in the NFL. Whether that is the defensive front (3-4 vs. 4-3), core coverage (zone vs. man) or pressure-based concepts that cater to the secondary, coaches and talent evaluators are always searching for the right guys to put in their system.

That’s Chancellor when looking at the brand of defensive football the Seahawks play under Pete Carroll and the actual scheme we see on game days. This unit has speed and length on all three levels. The technique in the back seven is some of the best I’ve seen on tape all season, and they shut down opposing teams playing basic, single-high safety defenses.

Cover 3? That’s a three-deep, four-under zone defense that Seattle has tailored to fit its personnel with specific techniques at the cornerback position and a free safety in Earl Thomas who closes the middle of the field consistently. But this isn’t a championship-style defense without Chancellor playing the curl-flat drop, breaking on the throw or tackling at the point of attack.

Check out Chancellor’s interception of Newton in the Cover 3 shell with the safety dropping to the top of the numbers versus a 3x1 formation.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

As a general pre-snap alert in the NFL, a 3x1 formation in the red zone equals the “tare” combination with No. 1 (count outside-in) on the clear-out fade, No. 2 to the flat and No. 3 on the stick-out.

Here, the Panthers try to sneak tight end Greg Olsen (No. 3) into the end zone on the “Y-Shake” (double move/stutter.) However, with Thomas pushing to the inside vertical in the middle of the field, Newton has to hold this ball.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Chancellor gets to his landmark drop and widens with the flat route (can’t be out-leveraged in Cover 3). This allows Chancellor to get his eyes back inside on Newton. With Chancellor now in the proper position, the safety can sink his hips and break downhill on the throw to create an angle to the ball.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Here’s a look at the finish with Chancellor stepping in front of the receiver to make this play. Yes, Newton was late to get this ball out. We all saw that. But don’t forget about Chancellor playing within the scheme of the defense to take his drop (proper depth/leverage) before closing quickly on the throw.

This is the play that stands out from the Seahawks’ win, but after watching that game again, Chancellor’s overall value to this unit is much deeper. He can drop down into the box, roll to the middle of the field and play with a physical style that intimidates opposing teams.

With Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers coming to Seattle this Sunday for the NFC Championship Game, the Seahawks are going to play their system on defense. Cover 1, Cover 3 and some pressure. That won’t change.

It’s a system that truly caters to the talent on the field, and Chancellor is the perfect fit at the strong safety position. 

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

Follow @MattBowen41