Wilson hangs out at corner

Published 10:22 pm Sunday, September 21, 2008

SEATTLE — Through 14 NFL games over one-plus professional seasons, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Josh Wilson had seen plenty of action as a nickel back and return man.

On Sunday, he finally got to fill the role that he most covets.

With teammate Kelly Jennings nursing a broken rib, Wilson stepped into the starting lineup for the first time and made the most of the opportunity. A second-round pick in the 2007 NFL draft, Wilson saw plenty of action while helping contain a high-powered St. Louis Rams passing game.

“This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Wilson said after the Seahawks’ 37-13 win. “I didn’t come in here to be on the team; I came in here to contribute and help the team win.

“When I got the opportunity, it was my time to step up. I was ready to go and prepared to do what I needed to do.”

Wilson saw most of his action lining up against Rams receiver Torry Holt. The Pro Bowler caught four passes but was relatively quiet despite concerted efforts to get him the ball.

On the first play of each of the Rams’ opening two possessions, St. Louis quarterback Marc Bulger threw the ball to Wilson’s side.

“I didn’t mind it,” Wilson said. “I like to be in the action. I don’t like standing over there watching the action; I want to be a part of it. The safeties were talking to me, and we went out there and got this win.”

Jennings, who broke his rib eight days ago, played in the game but in a limited capacity. The Seahawks hoped he could protect his rib by not playing on probable run downs, so Wilson saw the bulk of the action.

“Josh did a great job,” Jennings said. “I knew that he would.”

Taylor benched: Wide receiver Courtney Taylor, who started the Seahawks’ first two games of the regular season, ran out of the tunnel as a starter Sunday but didn’t come into the game as an offensive player until well into the second half.

Taylor struggled as a starter and had his job taken away from him as the team tried to find the right combination of receivers.

Taylor was not available in the post-game locker room Sunday, but he said late last week that he expected the demotion.

“It’s tough, but at the same time it’s a business,” Taylor told The Herald last Friday. “We need a solid group together to win games, so that’s how I’m looking at it. I’m not looking at it like a demotion.”

Taylor played mostly special teams on Sunday, although he did catch an 11-yard pass in the second half.

Matt Hassel-block: Much of the post-game talk centered around the game’s most improbable block.

During a Julius Jones run in the first quarter, Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck ran into the St. Louis secondary and delivered a block that took out the ankles of two — yes, two — Rams defenders at the 5-yard line. When both players went down, Jones practically walked the final few yards to cap off a 29-yard touchdown run.

“That was so sweet,” Seahawks offensive lineman Mike Wahle said. “It gets us so fired up when the quarterback does something like that because it’s so unexpected.”

Hasselbeck got plenty of congratulations on the Seattle sideline, but at least two people looked less than enthused. Quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor grinned as he gave Hasselbeck a don’t-do-that again look, while head coach Mike Holmgren was genuinely miffed.

“I would rather he didn’t do it,” Holmgren said after the game. “We can’t win the battle and lose the war. He is the one guy that must stay healthy.”

Locklear is back: Offensive lineman Sean Locklear made his 2008 debut on Sunday, but not in his typical role.

Locklear, who is coming back from a knee injury he suffered in the preseason, saw limited action on special teams, as a tackle-eligible and while filling in for left tackle Walter Jones during garbage time.

Locklear has been the Seahawks’ starting right tackle since 2005, but Ray Willis has filled in for him the past three games.

“He’s got three games under his belt, and he played well,” said Locklear, who expects to resume his starting role after this weekend’s bye. “I think I’m coming back, but when he filled in he did a good job. I’m healthy, I feel good, and I got my feet wet a little bit.”

Give them a hand: Amid all the talk about Seattle’s injured receiving corps, the aching body parts on the other side of the ball have almost gone unnoticed.

Three Seahawks Pro Bowlers — middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu, cornerback Marcus Trufant and defensive end Patrick Kerney — played Sunday’s game with soft casts on one of their hands. Yet Seattle’s defense gave up just 240 yards and a single touchdown Sunday.

“That’s a great job by them,” linebacker Julian Peterson said. “It shows the character of what they bring. They’ve continued to work hard and stick a nose in there — or a broken hand in there, if need be.”

The upcoming bye will not only help Seattle’s offense heal up, but also some of the broken body parts on defense.

Booooo-rown: Former Seahawk Josh Brown got a raspberry welcome back to Qwest Field on Sunday. He got booed every time he took the field.

“I wasn’t surprised by any level of booing,” he said. “I was hoping for 50-50 (boos and cheers). We were expecting full-out (booing), but we were hoping. It didn’t affect me. It’s another game.”

Brown played five seasons with the Seahawks before signing a five-year, $14.2 million deal with the rival Rams in late February.

“If people think I’m a Judas, I don’t know who I betrayed,” Brown said Sunday, “because my family is awfully happy. And those are the people I care about most.”

St. Losing: The Seahawks’ 1-2 start looks like a Super Bowl run compared to what Sunday’s opponent is going through.

In three games this season, the Rams have been outscored 116-29. St. Louis has just 35 first downs this season, as compared to 77 for its opponents.

“Everyone looks down on us now,” quarterback Marc Bulger said. “It’s real popular to beat up on us, and we deserve it.”

Until late in the first half of Sunday’s game, the Rams had not been in the red zone all season. They had six plays in the Seahawks’ red zone but had minus-2 yards to show for it.

O-tackle U.: Three of the four starting offensive tackles in Sunday’s game were products of Florida State University. Seahawks left tackle Walter Jones played there in the mid-1990s, while right tackle Ray Willis and Rams right tackle Alex Barron were teammates there three years ago.

Qwest quickie: Running back Julius Jones has now played four games at Qwest Field, two as a Dallas Cowboy and two with Seattle. In those games he has 577 rushing yards, an average of 144.3 yards per game, and five touchdowns.

Quick slants: Seahawks defensive end Patrick Kerney said that he will appeal his $5,000 fine from the league after an incident in last Sunday’s loss to San Francisco. Kerney was fined for unnecessary roughness after putting his hand on 49ers running back Frank Gore’s facemask after the whistle. Kerney said Sunday that both he and Gore know that the contact was inadvertent. … In the first quarter, the Seahawks held the ball for 11:11. St. Louis had it for just 3:49. … Running back T.J. Duckett continues to shine in short-yardage situations. He converted five of six opportunities when the Seahawks needed four yards or less, with two touchdowns and two fourth-down conversions. … Guard Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack tweaked his hamstring. Holmgren said Womack was OK.

Herald writer Todd Fredrickson contributed to this story.