Seahawks' Lockett unlocks Rams' defense

Sep 21, 2017 - 7:49 PM SEATTLE -- Usually, Tyler Lockett is third in the pecking order of Seattle Seahawks wide receivers. On Thursday, though, he took advantage of a rare start to finish with seven receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown.

The score came on a 57-yard bomb from Russell Wilson in the fourth quarter to provide the final points in the Seahawks' 24-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Lockett tied a personal single-game high for receptions and set a new mark for receiving yards.

The second-year pro also added two kick returns for 48 yards and two punt returns for 16 yards.

Wilson said the deep ball to Lockett was exactly the sort of play his team needs to start hitting more frequently as the playoffs inch closer.

"Plays like that are crucial. We want to be in attack mode," Wilson said. "(Lockett's) a tremendous player. The great thing about our offense is we have so many different guys."

--Lockett's contributions were needed considering the difficulty the Seahawks encountered in the ground game. Running back Thomas Rawls carried the ball 21 times for just 34 yards. Punter Jon Ryan, who gained 26 yards on a mad dash up the middle on a fake punt, was nearly the team's leading rusher.

"We were counting on that for our rushing yardage," Seattle coach Pete Carroll joked.

One major reason for the tough sledding: the Rams' fearsome front four. Defensive tackles Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald were able to get consistent penetration against the Seahawks' offensive line.

"Those guys are really tough up front, you saw how hard it was for us to run the football," Carroll said. "But we were determined to keep doing it."

--Despite the firing of coach Jeff Fisher and the team's underwhelming 4-10 record, the Rams made clear that they have no intention of letting up.

"The last couple weeks, we've just got to find a way to finish out strong because that's what we want to do," center Tim Barnes said. "The guys in this room don't quit."

Interim coach John Fassel's debut didn't go quite how the former special teams coordinator hoped. Still, he saw positive signs.

"It was an emotional couple days leading up to the game," Fassel said. "I told the guys afterward I was super proud of them. ... With two weeks left, we've just got to do what we do best, which is prepare and stick together and finish strong."