Seahawks 'Teams' Units Off to Special Start
Through the first quarter of the 2020 NFL season, the Seahawks have been one of the league's most explosive offenses. They have a mediocre at best defense, at least to this point. However, while improving to 4-0 for just the second time in franchise history, there's an elite unit that isn't generating enough buzz. In case you haven't noticed, Seattle's special teams have been fantastic.
Of course, when discussing special teams, we tend to primarily look at the kicker and the punter, the two most obvious members of the unit. But special teams, or "teams" as coach Pete Carroll will refer to them, can easily turn the tides of an NFL game. We all know this and yet, we take it for granted. But the Seahawks need a great teams unit to complement their below-par defense and that's exactly what they're getting through the first quarter of the season.
With the obvious caveat that it's still early, Michael Dickson is on pace to produce his best season ever. Dickson has punted 17 times for 866 yards, a 50.9-yard average, good for fourth in the league. But more importantly, Dickson has done a great job of avoiding big returns, using a variety of big hang time or directional kicks to aid his coverage team.
Dickson also ranks fourth in the NFL in net punting averaging (45.5 yards) and is tied for third in longest punt (67 yards). He's also tied for first in punts downed inside the 20-yard line (10). The former First-Team All-Pro is having his best year yet and is a clear improvement over his 2019 self.
But it's not just the punting that is on point thus far. Jason Myers hasn't missed a kick all season. He's 18 for 18 on extra points and has made both of his field goal attempts, including a 55-yard kick Sunday in Miami. Myers was okay in 2019, nailing 82.3 percent of his kicks and 91 percent of his extra points, but with the defense playing as poorly as it is, every point counts and he hasn't left any on the table thus far. Seattle is one of only four teams that hasn't missed a kick in 2020.
The coverage on kickoffs has also been quite good. The Seahawks rank sixth in average yards allowed on kickoffs (17.1). Seattle also has three players in the top 50 in special teams tackles. Nick Bellore ranks third with five tackles, Travis Homer is tied for 14th with three tackles, and Ryan Neal is tied for 41st with two tackles.
If there is an area the unit can improve, it would be in the return game. The Seahawks 21.4 yard kick return average is middle of the road. However, they've been quite selective on punt returns, having only attempted three punt returns and finding success on those limited chances. David Moore has averaged 11.7 yards in those returns, good for sixth in the league.
When you combine all of these factors, Football Outsiders gives the Seahawks the third-best unit in the league for special teams DVOA, falling just behind the Ravens and the Dolphins. By just about any measure, including the eye test, the unit coached by Larry Izzo is the best it has looked in quite some time. And with the team still searching for answers on defense, a good teams unit is a fantastic counter-balance to help this football team continue winning games.
