Locklear ready for next challenge

KIRKLAND – Sean Locklear has had plenty of reason to celebrate this year, if not much time.

Every Sunday, it seems, the Seattle Seahawks’ starting right tackle holds his own against a Pro Bowl defensive end. And every Monday, he’s right back to preparing for another one.

“It’s crazy,” Locklear said. “Every week I come into the team meeting, read the scouting report, and it’s like, ‘Ugh.’ Every week, you’ve got to bring your lunch to work.”

The run of studly defensive opponents started three weeks ago, when Locklear held the St. Louis Rams’ Leonard Little without a sack. That challenge behind him, Locklear had to face San Francisco’s Bryant Young last Sunday.

This Sunday, Locklear faces another Pro Bowler in Michael Strahan of the New York Giants.

“He’s been around a long time, and he’s a good player,” Locklear said of Strahan, who had an NFL-record 22 1/2 sacks in 2001. “I think he’s the best all-around player that I’ve been against as far as quickness, reading blocks, using his hands, different moves – all that stuff.”

Locklear has held his own against some of the game’s best already this season. In the opening week, which marked Locklear’s first game as an NFL starter, he faced Jacksonville’s Reggie Hayward, who was coming off a 10 1/2 -sack season. He’s faced Little twice, Arizona’s Chike Okeafor twice and faced Young for most of the first half of Sunday’s victory before the San Francisco star left the field with a high ankle sprain.

Young is the only one from that group to get a sack.

So Locklear has had his share of success, just not much time to bask in it.

“Right after the game, on the plane ride home you might be like, ‘Wow, I just played Leonard Little and didn’t give up a sack,’ ” he said. “But then by Monday, that’s over. Last week, it was time to prepare for Bryant Young, and this week it’s Michael Strahan. There’s not time to think of that.”

Etric who?

The Seahawks are happy with the play of starting safeties Michael Boulware and Marquand Manuel, but there is concern about depth.

Because of an injury to reserve John Howell, the only other true safety is second-year player Etric Pruitt, who saw limited action in three games with the Atlanta Falcons last season but has yet to play for the Seahawks.

“He’s another piece of the puzzle ready to work hard,” Manuel said. “He knows what to do. He’s been here for a while, and we talk, so you’re never not going to know what to do.”

Pruitt is a second-year safety who was known for his playmaking ability at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he had 11 interceptions, five forced fumbles and six blocked kicks during his career.

“It’s real different” this week, Pruitt said. “I’ve got to prepare more and have more responsibility on me. I’ve got to be on top of my game.”

Injury report

Defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs (calf) and linebacker D.D. Lewis (knee) practiced sparingly during the week and remain questionable for Sunday’s game.