Christine Michael is ready this time around, and the Seahawks’ offense is better because of it

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: this is going to be the year when Christine Michael breaks out!

No, seriously.

I know that Michael has been a disappointment so far in his career for the most part, but I really do believe that he is finally poised to become a major contributor for the Seattle Seahawks’ offense.

That isn’t to say that I think Michael will be the starter once the regular season rolls around. If Thomas Rawls is fully healthy by Week 1, then he’s likely going to be the bell cow this season. But Michael showed me a lot in his second stint with Seattle at the end of last season.

He ran with a lot of power and determination and ended up running for 70 yards or more in three out of the five games he appeared in. It might not have always been pretty, but it was damn sure effective. Even as a backup, I would expect his numbers to greatly improve this year.

Michael’s impressive speed is something that was attractive about him as a prospect coming out of college three years ago, but what struck me most about him at the end of 2015 was how he was pressing the hole and running with power.

Instead of trying to bounce everything outside, he would put his head down, hit the hole and take the 3 or 4 yards that the defense was giving him. Every time he hit the pile, he kept his legs churning instead of just going down. He also wasn’t doing much dancing, whether in the hole or when he got up into the secondary. He got north and south for the most part and let the chips fall where they may.

With the Seahawks’ commitment to running the ball downhill, that kind of running style, even in a backup role, should allow Michael to maximize his production.

On the off-chance he gets into the secondary, he could house quite a few long touchdowns this year. He isn’t exactly a “big back” by today’s standards at 5’10, 210 pounds, but Micheal has the ability to break arm tackles. If he can get through the line it becomes a foot race, one that I think he’ll win a lot.

It also appears that going through getting traded to the Dallas Cowboys before last season, subsequently getting cut, getting picked up by Washington for its practice squad and getting cut from there before finally being picked up again by the Seahawks has gone a long way in helping Michael to mature. For some guys it takes those kinds of wake-up calls before they finally “get it.” All available evidence would suggest that Michael is finally woke AF, and considering his physical talents, that should spell big trouble for opposing defenses.

While I understand the perception of Michael after his first two-and-a-half mostly underwhelming seasons in the league, it’s at least partially because he has underachieved so far that makes him a prime breakout candidate. Even with his strong finish last season, Michael is still just under 500 yards rushing for his career and has yet to score a rushing or receiving touchdown.

With Marshawn Lynch retired and Rawls coming off that ankle injury, I could easily see Christine Michael with at least 500 yards rushing and five touchdowns this season, as long as he stays healthy. While that may still not be the superstar type numbers that some once expected from him, it would be one hell of an upgrade from his production to date.