Kam Chancellor, S, Seattle Seahawks
When: The Legion of Boom carved a legacy of havoc and dominance with back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. The secondary will be need another memorable performance Sunday to push Seattle into the NFC championship game with a road win over top-seeded Carolina.
What’s up: Chancellor provides the bass, the thump, the boom, in Seattle’s secondary. Broncos fans can tell you where they were when Chancellor knocked down wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in the first quarter of the Denver-Seattle Super Bowl, setting the tone for demolition. Seattle’s secondary is potent, but vulnerable when blitzing. Chancellor caused a huge fumble by Vikings star Adrian Peterson last weekend, but his pass interference on Kyle Rudolph and ill-timed break on a pass to the tight end moments later should have lost the game.
Background: The Panthers are 15-1 but don’t have a true No. 1 receiver. Tight end Greg Olsen, however, is a star. He torched the Seahawks on Oct. 18, catching seven passes for 131 yards.
Renck’s take: As the season advanced, the Seahawks used more blitzes, leaving Chancellor in manto-man coverage. That is risky. Richard Sherman is a lockdown cornerback. Free safety Earl Thomas roams with ferocity and intelligence. Chancellor is a punisher at strong safety. But if he can’t keep up with Olsen, Seattle won’t win Sunday. The Seahawks have won six consecutive road games, outscoring opponents 152-43. Carolina quarterback Cam Newton will make plays, but it’s the seam routes to Olsen that figure to determine the outcome of Sunday’s game.