Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is hit from behind by Los Angeles Rams defensive end William Hayes in the first half of Sunday’s game in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is hit from behind by Los Angeles Rams defensive end William Hayes in the first half of Sunday’s game in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)

Seahawks’ offense punchless in 9-3 loss to Rams

By Gregg Bell

The News Tribune

LOS ANGELES — In any other year — on any other ankles — Russell Wilson might have pulled this one out, too.

The relentless quarterback came within 35 yards of yet another miraculous victory Sunday. But with the Seahawks’ offense the way it is behind its new, sputtering line and Wilson playing on a sprained ankle, he can’t mask all of Seattle’s offensive ills. Not every week.

Wilson’s 53-yard strike down the left side to Tyler Lockett, who had spent most of the final three quarters on the sideline with a knee injury, got Seattle from its own 12 to the Rams’ 35 in the final minute. It felt like a repeat of Wilson’s 86-yard drive to the winning score the previous week in a 12-10 escape past Miami.

“I thought I should have kept my knees up so I could have broken the tackle (for a touchdown),” Lockett said, even though one of those knees was sprained. “I thought we still had a chance.”

But on third down, Christine Michael tried to bull through two Rams while seeking a first down at the Los Angeles 25. Safety Mark Barron knocked the ball free. Linebacker Alec Ogletree recovered the fumble and the Seahawks lost their first game this young season, 9-3 at the packed, roaring Memorial Coliseum.

“We know we are better than this,” tight end Jimmy Graham said outside a sweltering locker room, following his three catches for 42 of Seattle’s 306 yards.

Magic Johnson, the city’s mayor, Olympic hero Greg Louganis and the pregame-playing Red Hot Chili Peppers turned out among 91,046 for the NFL’s first regular-season game in this city since 1994.

They saw the fewest points by the Seahawks in five years — and the Rams beat Seattle for the third consecutive time.

“Really disappointed,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of his return to the stadium in which he restored a dynasty for USC. “To come out and play like that, not give us a real shot to get ahead was tough. … I never thought we’d go the first couple weeks having scored one touchdown.”

The Seahawks (1-1) managed their fewest points since Oct. 23, 2011, a 6-3 loss at Cleveland. That was in Carroll’s second season leading Seattle, his only one in which the Seahawks didn’t reach the playoffs.

Again, the defense did its job. Los Angeles gained 283 yards and managed just three field goals, yet won for the fourth time in five meetings in this division series.

The Seahawks had won their past 19 games when holding opponents to that many yards or fewer. The last such loss: Oct. 19, 2014 — to the Rams.

Seattle has allowed 19 points and just one touchdown this season. Asked if he is happy with how the defense has played through two games, Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett said: “I’ve been happy with the way this defense has played for five years. We played great defense. We just have to play better as a team.”

Specifically, on offense.

Carroll said his line with new starters in four of the five positions and a fill-in guard, J’Marcus Webb, playing right guard for injured No. 1 draft choice Germain Ifedi, is not the issue.

The coach said the issue is not converting on third downs. The Seahawks were 4-for-13 Sunday and are 9-for-29 (31 percent) through two games.

They were 46.5 percent converting third downs to extend drives last season.

But …

The NFC West-rival Rams (1-1) looked awful in losing their opener last week 28-0 at San Francisco. They weren’t a ton better Sunday.

But the Seahawks were even worse.

Wilson couldn’t pull plays out of his magic hat so readily because of the gimpy ankle that kept him from eluding swarming defenders and extending plays as he often does.

New lead back Thomas Rawls started for the first time since he broke his ankle in December — but left in the first half for good after he got kicked in the leg. He finished with seven carries for minus-7 yards.

That’s not good.

Michael had 60 yards rushing but didn’t get to run it consistently — just 10 times in Seattle’s 61 offensive plays. An offense that averaged 141.8 yards rushing led by now-retired Marshawn Lynch and Rawls last season is averaging 84.5 yards on the ground through two games, albeit against two of the better defensive fronts Seattle will face this season.

The Seahawks also had 12 penalties called on them. They appeared to get a big stop with 2½ minutes left in the game when Cassius Marsh sacked Los Angeles’ Case Keenum. But Marsh grabbed the quarterback’s facemask while doing it. Instead of fourth-and-Gardena, the Rams got a first down near midfield — and forced Seattle to start its next drive at its own 12 with 1:53 left instead of up near midfield with more time left.

“That was huge,” Carroll said of the call.

Marsh was incredulous.

“I didn’t get any explanation. I didn’t grasp any facemask. There was no pulling his head; it didn’t twist in any way,” he said. “Couldn’t have been a cleaner sack, to me. … That’s just the way this game is today (with quarterbacks protected by rules and officiating).”

First-and-10 at the Rams’ 34 in the first half became first-and-10 after consecutive false starts by left tackle Bradley Sowell and center Justin Britt. Then first and goal at the L.A. 3 became first down at the 13 because wide receiver Jermaine Kearse got called for pass interference picking a defender in the end zone on an incomplete pass.

“Is this like the NBA: If you talk about the officiating (you get fined)?” Kearse asked. “I would disagree.”

That drive ended with Seattle’s only points, Steven Hauschka’s tying, 23-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

Los Angeles untied it after a blown coverage by the Seahawks on tight end Lance Kendricks’ long route behind linebacker Mike Morgan. Keenum rolled right then threw back left to Kendricks underneath a clear-out route that sent Seattle safety Earl Thomas deeper. The 44-yard pass set up Greg Zuerlein’s second field goal for the Rams’ 6-3 halftime lead.

“Trick play,” Thomas said, calling it “the only way they can beat us.”

Doug Baldwin and Lockett joined Rawls in going off injured under trainers’ watches in the first half. Lockett, who’d been targeted by Wilson on passes 11 times in the season’s first six quarters, did not return until late with what the Seahawks announced as a knee injury.

Baldwin said afterward in the Coliseum’s tunnel he “felt like crap” with back spasms on a hard hit he took from behind following a third-down catch plus a knee that will require an MRI exam. His week before next Sunday’s home game against San Francisco (1-1 after a loss Sunday at Carolina) will be full of treatment.

Yes, this team has looked bad in recent early seasons — then rebounded with fantastic Decembers and into the playoffs the last four season and two of the past three Super Bowls. Thus, it has earned the benefit of all your doubts right now.

Not that that makes you feel any better.

“We’re going to be fine,” Lockett said. “It’s only Week 2.”

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