Seahawk notes: Graham surprised by his quick return

Published 1:30 am Sunday, September 18, 2016

LOS ANGELES — Jimmy Graham’s not only surprised the Seahawks with how quickly he’s come back from a major knee injury.

He’s surprised himself.

“Me?” the $40 million tight end said in the tunnel of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum following his three catches for 42 yards in his second game back from a torn patellar tendon suffered Nov. 29. “I think I’m back earlier than everyone thought I’d be.”

Then he chuckled and walked to the Seahawks’ team bus following their 9-3 loss to the Rams Sunday.

Tyler Lockett was on the sidelines with a sprained knee for most of this offensive slog. Doug Baldwin was saying he was “feeling like crap” playing with a knee that will need an MRI this week plus back spasms. So Seattle’s offense could have used Graham. More than it used him, at least.

Especially in the red zone.

Stop us if you’ve heard that before.

Russell Wilson targeted his 6-foot-6 man four times Sunday. Late in the first quarter, with the Seahawks with second and third downs from the Rams 5, Wilson didn’t throw to Graham.

The quarterback got pressured into a throwaway out of the end zone the first time.

On third down Graham was the only receiver to the right, tight on the line. He ran an out route in the end zone. But Wilson didn’t look that way or wait for Graham to make his cut there. He went instead to the opposite side to covered Jermaine Kearse on an out route. Los Angeles’ Lamarcus Joyner broke up the pass. That forced a field goal, Seattle’s only points.

It was the only time the Seahawks got inside the Rams’ 20.

Graham has five catches on six targets among Wilson’s 78 pass attempts through two games. Yes, he is back months ahead of when many thought he’d be following an injury and recovery that sidelined the New York Giants’ Victor Cruz for two seasons.

But Graham is not satisfied. Neither is Seattle’s offense, which has 15 points with one touchdown in eight quarters.

“Satisfied? No. I’m trying to win,” he said. “I’m trying to get in the end zone and I’m trying to play better and better.

“We better figure some things out here and put some points on the board. … We’ve got to do better than three points. That’s not good.

“I feel fine. I feel the same. I feel like a beast. I’ll play more and more and I’ll get more and more opportunities.”

Locket plays through pain

Lockett walked slowly into the locker room in the first half, and his return was ruled questionable because of a knee sprain. He didn’t come out of halftime onto the field with the rest of his teammates.

But Lockett eventually got back on the sidelines, declared himself able to play — and not only returned to the game but came up with a 53-yard reception that kept the Seahawks’ hopes alive in the final two minutes.

“It hurts a little bit, but pain is only temporary,” Lockett said. “I’m not gonna stop fighting or quit. I can play with anything I have, regardless what it is.”

Lockett led the Hawks with 99 receiving yards on four catches. In his absence, receiver Paul Richardson was put back to return kickoffs and returned one for 20 yards. Cornerback Richard Sherman fielded punts, making two fair catches.

When Lockett got back on the field for the last drive, he went to everyone in the Seahawks huddle and slapped their shoulders or poked them in the chest.

“I was just saying, let’s go, forget about everything that happened,” he said. “That last series, that was the only one that mattered.”

Lockett is obviously becoming a favorite of Wilson. He has 12 targets in two games, with seven catches.

Rawls hurt again

Christine Michael could be the Seahawks’ main man in the backfield, post-Marshawn Lynch, after all.

No. 2 to begin the game with the return to starting of Thomas Rawls, Michael emerged as the focal point — just about the only point — of the Seahawks’ running game. That’s because Rawls missed the final 2½ quarters with a leg injury.

This was Rawls’ first start and second game since he broke his ankle Dec. 13. He’s got some new rehabilitation to do before he can play next Sunday at home against San Francisco.

“He got kicked in the lower leg. He’s got a contusion,” coach Pete Carroll said. “But the X-rays were fine. So he’s just going to be sure and he’s got to come back from that.”

Extra points

This was the first time in the 36-game series between the Seahawks and Rams that the winning team scored fewer than 14 points. … It was Seattle’s fewest points against the Rams since Carroll’s first season as its coach, Oct. 3, 2010, a 20-3 loss in St. Louis.