{"id":932,"date":"2015-09-14T20:04:47","date_gmt":"2015-09-15T00:04:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=932"},"modified":"2019-06-26T16:51:55","modified_gmt":"2019-06-26T20:51:55","slug":"you-left-a-team-no-option-the-seahawks-need-kam-chancellor-in-the-worst-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=932","title":{"rendered":"You Left a Team No Option: The Seahawks Need Kam Chancellor in the Worst Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

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You may have heard that Seahawks’ safety Kam Chancellor is holding out for a new contract. \u00a0Chancellor, one of the starting safeties on Seattle’s super bowl teams of the last two seasons, is making $5.65 million against the cap in 2015 and also\u00a0has two more years left on his contract. \u00a0The hard-hitting stalwart of the Legion of Boom thinks he can get more than that, but his organization isn’t budging.<\/p>\n

And while the Seahawks have been unwilling to pay Chancellor, they may soon be left with no other choice.<\/p>\n

The Hawks, who led the NFL is total defense last season (with Chancellor) gave up 352 total yards to their opponent, the St. Louis Rams, on just 52 plays. \u00a0The L.O.B. gave up 276 of those yards to Rams’ quarterback Nick Foles; 37 of them came on a game tying touchdown pass from Foles to Lance Kendricks with 53 seconds to play.<\/p>\n

To be completely fair, the Seahawks at least partially lost to St. Louis because of, well…\u00a0themselves<\/em>. \u00a0They tried to sneak an onside kick past Jeff Fisher’s squad at the commencement of overtime. \u00a0It was really meant to carry much further down the field, but kicker Steven Hauschska accidentally kicked it about the same distance as a typical onside kick would go; the Rams recovered and subsequently kicked a field goal.<\/p>\n

After that, the Seahawks drove into Ram territory but were held to a fourth and one. \u00a0Needing a first down with one yard to get, Pete Carroll rightly decided to hand the ball to Marshawn Lynch, in a turn of events from the end of Super Bowl XLIX. \u00a0The result was… yeah, he didn’t make it.<\/p>\n

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4th and short. Game on the line. Give it to #BeastMode<\/a>? STUFFED. Rams Win. #SEAvsSTL<\/a>http:\/\/t.co\/EdIKwFm7Rq<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And it’s true: the Seahawks didn’t lose on Sunday just because of Chancellor’s absence. \u00a0Bleacher Report’s Mike Tanier wrote to this point\u00a0today<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Russell Wilson<\/a> endured six sacks. Lynch rushed for 73 yards but needed to break about 63 tackles to do it. When you watch Lynch get stuffed in overtime, watch right tackle Garry Gilliam get shoved into the backfield by Michael Brockers.<\/p>\n

Gilliam is one of the Seahawks’ pet projects. Instead of drafting a tackle in a fairly deep draft for offensive linemen, they tinkered with Gilliam, an undrafted 2014 rookie who started his college career at tight end. They talked themselves into naming Gilliam the starter when Justin Britt moved inside to guard. The Seahawks hadn’t bothered drafting a guard until the fourth round, either.<\/p>\n

Even with the offensive line blocking like ushers at a free concert and the secondary operating at 75 percent capacity, the Seahawks still had a chance to avoid an upset at the hands of the Rams thanks to Nick Foles<\/a> getting surprised by a shotgun snap, Isaiah Pead somehow getting meaningful carries that led to meaningful fumbles and Cary Williams making a spectacular defensive play and then pulling a Cary Williams by taking the rest of the afternoon off.<\/p>\n

The Rams won the overtime toss and chose to receive, making the Seahawks’ path to victory clear: Pin the Rams at or inside their own 20, unleash the Legion of Boom, get good field position and either parlay that into a win.<\/p>\n

Instead, the Seahawks onside-kicked, giving the Rams great field position for their cannon-legged field-goal kicker and a chance to win the game with their <\/em>defense, the one the Seahawks couldn’t block at all.<\/p>\n

Self-outsmartment.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

All of this is true; it isn’t just because of Kam. \u00a0(Interesting side note: Gilliam’s claim to fame is catching a touchdown pass on the\u00a0fake field goal in last year’s NFC Championship game.) \u00a0But the Seahawks absolutely need him, and this is why: their defense is a shell of itself without him.<\/p>\n

Rookie Dion Bailey filled in at Chancellor’s position on Sunday, and he failed miserably, particularly on the most important play of the game:<\/p>\n

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Down by seven. Less than a minute left. Nick Foles + Lance Kendricks = 37-yard game-tying TD! #SEAvsSTL<\/a>http:\/\/t.co\/wJjpQVNXfq<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On the play, Bailey fell down, leaving Kendricks open and giving the\u00a0Los Angeles<\/del> Rams new life. \u00a0While it is impossible to say for sure, it isn’t likely that something like this would happen to Chancellor, even considering the knee problems he suffered at the end of last season.<\/p>\n

And there’s something else that Chancellor brings: physicality. Intimidation. \u00a0Demorilization. \u00a0A physical offense and a hard-hitting defense have been the hallmarks of this golden age in the Pacific Northwest, and Chancellor brings to the offense what Lynch brings to the offense: attitude, determination, and the will to destroy the opponent and rally the troops. \u00a0The Seahawks have missed both with him gone.<\/p>\n

Consider this hit he made on Julian Edelman in the Super Bowl:<\/p>\n