Aussie Dickson stuns NFL with drop kicks

Tuesday, 18 September 2018:

Australian rookie punter Michael Dickson has continued to amaze the NFL by introducing a drop kick to America's most popular sport.

But Dickson's Seattle Seahawks were not so impressive.

They lost 24-17 to the Chicago Bears to remain winless after their first two regular season games.

Dickson stunned the crowd at Chicago's Soldier Field and an audience of 10 million American TV viewers on the Monday Night Football broadcast when he was called on to perform drop kick kick-offs.

ESPN commentators Joe Tessitore and Jason Witten were left scratching their heads watching the Sutherland Shire-raised Dickson.

"A drop kick kick-off?" Tessitore asked.

"We are going to send our stat folks into overdrive here, but I'm going to put it out there.

"You tell me the last time you ever saw a drop kick kick-off in the NFL?"

"I don't know if it ever happened Joe," Witten, a star tight end for the Dallas Cowboys for 15 years, replied.

Seahawks' 19-season veteran kicker Sebastian Janikowski usually kicks off and uses a tee, but Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is known for using non-traditional methods and gambled with Dickson's rugby method.

Dickson's first went deep into the Bears' territory.

With just 14 seconds to go in the game and the Seahawks needing a touchdown to tie, the Australian attempted a short drop kick hoping his team would recover.

They didn't and the Bears held on for the win.

Seahawks' quarterback Russell Wilson had a dismal game, fumbling twice and losing the ball another time while connecting with 22 of 36 passes for 226 yards.

"We're still a work in progress," Carroll said.

Dickson led all punters after his debut NFL game last week against the Denver Broncos with 57.5 yards net average per punt and he continued that form early against the Bears with booming pinpoint 40, 54, 53 and 55 yard efforts in his first four punts.

Midway through the second quarter he showed he was human when he shanked his fifth punt and it only travelled 10 yards over the sideline.

Dickson was also let down by his coverage unit, with the Bears' punt returner Tarik Cohen averaging 14 yards on four returns, including a high of 32 yards.

Dickson, a former Sydney Swans Academy member, had seven punts for an average of 36.9 yards.






AAP






Check out FREE Full Race results for nine separate countries.