Seattle Seahawks: 3 Big takeaways from win vs. Chiefs in Week 16
By Samuel Teets
The Seattle Seahawks are back to looking like a legitimate postseason team after a big win against the Kansas City Chiefs.
A few weeks ago, the Seattle Seahawks looked like they were about to lock down the fifth seed and punch their ticket to the playoffs. Then the team failed to handle business in Week 15 and lost to the then 3-10 San Francisco 49ers.
Things became a lot more difficult for the Seahawks because two teams were breathing down their neck for the fifth seed in the NFC. After a great win in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle was looking for another signature win and they got it Sunday night.
The Seahawks beat the Kansas City Chiefs 38-31 in a game that came down to an onside kick in the final two minutes. The win elevates the Seahawks to 9-6 on the season and keeps them in form control of the fifth seed. With an easy divisional matchup next week, the Seahawks should enter the playoffs riding a two-game win streak.
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Before we start looking too far ahead though, I want to look back at this recent game and go over some takeaways, starting with a rather playful punter.
Michael Dickson is just fun to watch
Dickson had to do a drop-kick kickoff when Sebastian Janikowski was injured and not feeling well enough to do the kickoff after hitting a short field goal early on in the third quarter. The kick pinned the Chiefs return man, Tremon Smith, deep and Smith’s return didn’t get out near the 25-yard line.
The drop-kick kickoff is a dead art that used to be used back in the old days. Obviously, no one uses the drop-kick anymore though and players prefer to just kick the ball off of a tee. Dickson did have another kickoff later in the third quarter that went out of bounds and incurred a penalty, but I think the team and fans will forgive him.
Dickson went to college at the University of Texas, but he was born in Sydney, Australia. That’s why Dickson is a master of the drop-kick because of Australian rules Football. Apart from being able to pull off some cool kickoff tricks, he makes quite a show out of punting. Sunday night Dickson punted three times for 104 yards and one of those punts landed within the 20-yard line.
It wasn’t his finest performance, but it will still end up going down as part of his 2018 Pro Bowl resume. And he’s put up a great rookie year. He was the Week 8 NFC Special Teams Player of the Week and had 27 of his 71 punts stay within the 20. I know punters and kickers are generally mocked for their limited roles on teams, but Dickson is a Pro Bowler and a fun star in his own right.