The Seahawks and the Panthers had a great non-divisional rivalry for a few years when both franchises were Super Bowl contenders. Both teams were built in much the same way, too – designed to win by running the ball, playing tight defense and relying perhaps just a little too much on a mobile quarterback with a big arm to bail them out of tight spots.
One of the key elements for Carolina’s run was a future Hall of Fame middle linebacker named Luke Kuechly – who was easily the best off-ball linebacker of his era outside of Bobby Wagner. Kuechly was a guest on NFL Live yesterday and he listed the five toughest guys to tackle that he played against. Naturally, Marshawn Lynch came in at No. 1.
