Seahawks week 5 happy stuff: Michael Dickson and his greatness

Yes, the Seahawks week 5 game versus the Rams was terrible. The team is now 2-3 and doesn’t have Russell Wilson. But Seattle does have punter Michael Dickson for the next decade and that is a very good thing. In fact, when you think about it, Dickson is probably going to be with Seattle when Wilson and Pete Carroll are long gone.

I don’t mean that as throwing shade at Wilson and Carroll. Those two are great in their own right to various degrees. But Dickson is going to be helping Seattle win games for longer than those two will be. The punter is only in his third year. If he isn’t with Seattle in his 13th year, something is wrong.

On Thursday versus the Rams, Michael Dickson did something most of us had never seen before. And if you have seen a double-punt before then congrats but when and where? This means you would have seen a double-horned unicorn twice in your life. You’re one of the lucky ones.

I do have to admit that maybe the punt wasn’t entirely legal. There is some gray area as to whether there is some random new rule that a double-punt isn’t allowed but the bigger illegality is that Dickson appeared to crossed the line of scrimmage before the second punt. The bottom line? I don’t care.

Seahawks punter Michael Dickson is special

Because while there are physical freaks out there like Von Miller and Derrick Henry and Russell Wilson, Michael Dickson is one in his own right. He punts balls with consistency and length that most mortals have not and cannot do. Dickson currently leads the league in yards-per-punt at 47.6 and leads the NFL in punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line (13). In 20 years, Dickson will be in the Hall of Fame.

And one of the plays he will be remembered for happened against the Rams. In the third quarter with Seattle backed up in its own territory, Dickson dropped back to punt only to see it get blocked by the Rams. The ball did not get beyond the line of scrimmage which meant (maybe) that Dickson could punt the ball again. (Though really, who he thinks about doing that? Well, a player who has played Australian Rules Football, as it turns out, does.)

So the punt gets blocked and the ball goes to Dickson’s far left. One of the remarkable parts of the play is that Dickson is able to go to the ball and pick it up while the ball is still spinning with one hand. If you don’t think this is difficult I’ll give you a minute to go try this on your own right now.

(Interlude music while you are trying this at home: Everlong by the Foo Fighters.)

How did you do? Great. So I now have another task for you. Go back out and pick the spinning ball up again while running and then take eight steps, stop suddenly and then punt the ball 50 yards in the air but you have to kick it in a way so that the ball rolls 20 more yards.

(Interlude music while you are trying this at home: Nearly Lost You by the Screaming Trees.)

Could you do it? No? Well, Michael Dickson did and made it look relatively easy. Because at the end of the day, the Seahawks likely have three definite Hall of Famers on the current roster. One is Bobby Wagner, the other is Russell Wilson and the third is Michael Dickson. The good thing for the Seahawks is Dickson will be in a Seattle uniform for many years to come.