Hawks piece together top offense

KIRKLAND, Wash. – The NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks, now 5-2, have been taking the scenic route to leading the NFL in total offense.

“We’ve been building this offense for five years now,” said running back Shaun Alexander, the NFL’s touchdown leader with 12 and its third-leading rusher with 776 yards entering Sunday’s division game at 2-5 Arizona.

This season has been remarkable for its twists and turns – with Seattle always adjusting.

The first came before training camp, when Alexander initially balked at the franchise player designation. He agreed to the one-year tender offer mandated by the franchise tag only after Seattle agreed not to use the designation on him after this season.

Now he’s talking about how much he wants to remain with the Seahawks in a long-term contract, to win “four or five Super Bowls” for the title-starved city.

The next twist came when presumed starting right tackle Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack injured his left triceps. Enter Sean Locklear, a 2004 third-round draft choice who had yet to start an NFL game. Seven games later, Locklear has become a force, along with five-time Pro Bowl tackle Walter Jones and Pro Bowl left guard Steve Hutchinson. He is also next to veteran center Robbie Tobeck and right guard Chris Gray.

In fact, Locklear has taken Womack’s job. Womack, a five-year veteran, is healthy again following a strained quadriceps that derailed a comeback attempt Oct. 9. But in Thursday’s practice, he was on the scout-team offensive line blocking for Cardinals’ plays.

“I think Sean has done a marvelous job at right tackle for being a young player,” coach Mike Holmgren said. “One of the reasons we’ve gained a lot of yards is because we have a good offensive line.”

Locklear, whom Alexander called “a surprise,” said the tight bonds among linemen who have been together over the last three-plus seasons have eased his transition.

“We are so close-knit,” Locklear said. “It is showing now in the way the offense is going. We’re No. 1 in the league (390.3 yards per game).”

The other obstacles in Seattle’s offensive road were actually cracks and tears. Top receiver Darrell Jackson tore the meniscus in his right knee. He had surgery Oct. 5. Three days earlier, fellow starter Bobby Engram cracked two of his ribs on the first play of an eventual overtime loss at Washington. He hasn’t played since, though he’s set to return – with heavy padding – Sunday against the Cardinals.

But just as Jackson and Engram’s 56 combined receptions went out, resourceful quarterback Matt Hasselbeck discovered fill-ins Joe Jurevicius, D.J. Hackett and Jerheme Urban, plus re-emerging tight end Jerramy Stevens. Jurevicius had nine catches and was NFC offensive player of the week in his first game as the de facto go-to receiver. That was Seattle’s season-defining win over a St. Louis team that had beaten the Seahawks three consecutive times.

Hackett had never started an NFL game until last month. His 13-yard catch while toeing the sideline with 52 seconds left on Oct. 23 against Dallas led to Hasselbeck’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Stevens two plays later that tied the game. Seattle eventually won on a last-play field goal.

Urban had a 22-yard catch to begin that startling, 81-yard scoring drive in the final 2 minutes against the Cowboys.

Stevens, who began last season as a starter before admittedly tiring late in the year, has 22 catches. The third-year veteran’s career high is 31.

All these new parts, yet the Seahawks remain the NFL’s top offense seven games into the season.