Looking for the next Ray Lewis? Watch the Panthers' Luke Kuechly

Jim Corbett | USA TODAY Sports

BALTIMORE — The most dynamic playmaker on the M&T Bank Stadium field during the Carolina Panthers' 34-27 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night wasn't reigning Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco or third-year dual-threat quarterback Cam Newton.

It was Carolina's havoc-wreaking middle linebacker, Luke Kuechly, who channeled a young Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher with a dominant performance that wasn't done justice by Kuechly's numbers (7 tackles, forced fumble, interception).

Kuechly baited Flacco into a red-zone interception that he might have returned for a touchdown had he not slipped with only Flacco left to beat on the runback. And the whirlwind linebacker almost had a second interception that was negated by replay review.

As last season's defensive rookie of the year, Kuechly racked up 164 tackles, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions while becoming the catalyst for a Carolina defense that has been a rising force since the former Boston College tackling machine settled in at middle linebacker in Week 5 following Jon Beason's season-ending knee injury. (After Kuechly moved into the middle, the ranking of the Panthers' defense climbed from 24th to finish last season at 10th overall.)

Following the retirements of Lewis and Urlacher in the offseason, the middle linebacker position league-wide is in a state of flux and largely devoid of star power outside of Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman, the San Francisco 49ers' all-pro tandem. Washington Redskins fixture London Fletcher is in his NFL twilight at age 38. Kuechly, Dallas Cowboys middle man Sean Lee and the Seattle Seahawks' Bobby Wagner are looking to fill the void.

"I've always been a huge fan of Luke's," Newton said. "I know what a competitor he is and how hard he works. ... He's only reached the tip of the iceberg."

Expect more of the iceberg to be explored in 2013.

"I really do believe he has an opportunity to be one of the really good ones," Panthers coach Ron Rivera, a former Chicago Bears linebacker himself, says of his defensive star. "He has to stay healthy, first and foremost, and continue to develop as a linebacker."

Kuechly, who twice led the nation in tackles while in college, figures to be even better this season with the Panthers utilizing their first two draft selections on a pair of big-bodied defensive tackles, Utah's Star Lotulelei and Purdue's Kawann Short, who are expected to keep blockers away from Kuechly.

Forcing turnovers — they led to 24 Carolina points Thursday — has been a training camp emphasis for coordinator Sean McDermott's 4-3 unit.

"It starts up front with some pressure," Kuechly says. "Guys are able to jump in front of the ball and make some plays."

There may have been no more eye-popping play Thursday than Kuechly bursting through a gap in the Ravens' zone blocking scheme to rake the football free from tailback Bernard Pierce. Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis scooped up the loose ball and scored from 2 yards out.

Kuechly wasn't touched on the play, surprising fullback Vonta Leach, who couldn't react in time to get a hand on him.

"I scraped tight off the edge, and I don't think Pierce honestly saw me coming. So I was able to get a hand in there and kind of punch it out," Kuechly said. "And Thomas made a great play, scooping it and scoring."

Typical Kuechly, spreading the credit elsewhere.

"He's a very humble young man. So I'll do it for him and tell you that he has an opportunity to ascend," says Rivera.

"And if he continues to grow, we'll most certainly be talking about him in the same way as those great linebackers."

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Follow Jim Corbett on Twitter @ByJimCorbett