It was always going to be hard for Seattle Seahawks punter Michael Dickson to top his rookie campaign.
After all, the Australian out of the University of Texas immediately quieted those who questioned Seattle’s decision to trade up in the fifth round to draft him, earning a Pro Bowl nod and All-Pro recognition in his first NFL season.
This year, despite a slow start, Dickson has managed to come on as of late and is thriving at the perfect time for this Seattle team.
“I think Mike has really found his groove,” coach Pete Carroll said on Wednesday. “I think early on, for whatever reason, he wasn’t quite as sharp with his consistency. I don’t know, at least six or eight weeks of it, maybe it was longer than that, he really hit it. He’s doing great. I think he was not hitting the ball as cleanly as he had hoped. I know he felt that was [the case]. He’s been on it at least since the bye it seems. It was probably the time it seems like it turned around I think.”
Despite winning the fan vote, Dickson was not selected to the Pro Bowl this season, or even selected as an alternate. His yards per punt average dropped from 48.2 last year to just 44.9 this season, but recently his accuracy in pinning teams down within the five yard line has improved, an area he struggled at the beginning of the year.
Dickson has all the tools to be among the league’s best punters for the next decade or so. Small growing pains in year two are nothing to worry about, especially since he seems to have already put them aside.
The Seahawks will play their second-to-last home game of the season on Sunday afternoon against the Cardinals. Kickoff is slated for 1:25 p.m. PT.
