Watch: Seattle Punter Converts Stunningly Gutsy 1st Down from the Back of His End Zone
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll nearly ended up involved in the second-worst play call of his coaching career toward the end of the fourth quarter of Seattle’s 28-14 win over the Detroit Lions in London Sunday.
Luckily for Carroll, this time the call worked and iced the game.
Rookie punter Michael Dickson, whose athletic roots are in Australian rules football, showed that Aussies don’t just kick the ball Down Under.
With fourth-and-8 on the Hawks’ own 3-yard line, Dickson spotted an open running lane, took off upfield, gained nine yards, and allowed Seattle to maintain possession and eventually run out the clock.
The Aussie can do it all! ??@mdcksn | #SEAvsDET pic.twitter.com/YiyzxcCeed
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 28, 2018
As risk/reward plays go, this one’s right up there with the best.
After all, had Dickson fallen short of the first down mark, Detroit gets the ball, first and goal, two minutes left, and a touchdown followed by an onside kick followed by another touchdown?
Sure, it’s terribly unlikely, but stranger things have happened in pro football.
Had Dickson simply punted the ball away, Detroit likely gets the ball somewhere in Seattle territory, presumably between the 35 and the 50, where it’s not out of the question for a quick score and an onside kick and another quick score.
And had he taken the intentional safety, then it’s 28-16, Detroit gets backed up to the West Midlands on the ensuing safety punt, and that’s a whole different issue trying to drive most of the length of the field rather than half of it or just one play’s worth of it.
For what it’s worth, Carroll’s initial call, according to the man himself after the game, was for the intentional safety, ideally after burning some clock.
Pete Carroll said “the Aussie sweep” was designed for Michael Dickson to take a safety, but “he saw a situation and took advantage of it. That’s what great players do.” #Seahawks
— John Boyle (@johnpboyle) October 28, 2018
The play even has a name for the ages now: “The Aussie Sweep.”
And indeed, seeing an opportunity and taking advantage of it is absolutely “what great players do.”
This could have been a case where Dickson was the goat.
Instead, as fake punts go, this looks like the GOAT.
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