Locklear faces big test lining up against Little
KIRKLAND, Wash. – Sean Locklear has done almost everything asked of him since being thrown into the Seattle Seahawks’ starting lineup a few days before the regular-season opener.
Now they’ll be asking him to do something close to impossible.
While Floyd Womack continues to work his way back from a torn triceps, Locklear will face the unenviable task of trying to contain one of the best in the business. St. Louis Rams defensive end Leonard Little lines up on the left side, meaning he’ll go head-to-head with Locklear, Seattle’s starting right tackle for one more week.
“He’s a good player,” Locklear said. “I had a chance last year to watch him go against (Womack), and he’s a good player. He comes off the ball fast, and he’s good at rushing the passer.”
If Locklear doesn’t sound overly intimidated about facing one of the best pass rushers in football, that’s because he’s not.
“I study him just like any other player,” Locklear said of Little, who has 49½ sacks since 2001 and currently ranks fourth in the NFC with 3½ this season. “I don’t study him any more than I would any other guy.”
Locklear has faced some pretty good competition so far, including Jacksonville’s Reggie Hayward (10½ sacks last season) and former Seahawk Chike Okeafor (8½ sacks in 2004). But Little is at a different level.
“He’s a Pro Bowler,” said Womack, who was scheduled to return to his home state of Mississippi this week because of a family emergency but is expected to join his teammates Saturday in St. Louis.
Locklear has been effective while filling in for Womack as the starter. On Sunday, he matched up one-on-one with Washington Redskins defensive end Renaldo Wynn, without much help from running backs or tight ends, and shut him down. Wynn had only two tackles and no sacks in the game.
Locklear opened holes for several of Shaun Alexander’s runs, including a third-quarter touchdown. He kept defenders away from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, including a key third-down play in the fourth quarter in which Locklear made a diving block on Charlie Clemons to give Hasselbeck time to complete a pass.
Perhaps the greatest compliment Locklear could collect came from his quarterback.
“It really hasn’t been an issue,” Hasselbeck said of being without Womack. “We’re not really talking about it, so that’s usually a good sign.”
Notes
Running back Shaun Alexander could be two or three weeks away from setting the franchise rushing record. Alexander is third on the list, with 6,382 career rushing yards. He needs 323 to catch Curt Warner for second place (6,705) and 1 more additional yard to catch franchise leader Chris Warren (6,706). … Alexander has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in each of his past three regular-season meetings with the Rams.