NFL: Seahawks make it 10 in row over Rams, 27-17
By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer
ST. LOUIS — The Seattle Seahawks ended their road woes in an environment that was far from intimidating, a stadium half-filled at best.
Justin Forsett set career highs with 130 yards and two touchdowns and the go-ahead score came on the Seahawks’ third defensive touchdown of the season in a 27-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.
Never mind that the Rams have lost 10 in a row at home and have one victory this season, it was an upbeat Seattle locker room.
“No matter what their record is, you’ve got to celebrate, be happy and keep it going,” said cornerback Josh Wilson, who had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown near the end of the first half. “If it wasn’t for the ’W’ I wouldn’t be doing this interview with a smile on my face.”
Seattle (4-7) had been 0-5 on the road but ended the drought against the Rams (1-10), who have lost 11 in a row at home and 10 in a row to the Seahawks.
“Yeah, that was a step backward,” Rams defensive end Leonard Little said. “I think we’ve got a long way to go, so we can’t afford to take any steps backward.”
Olindo Mare added field goals of 29 and 38 yards, tying the franchise record of 16 in a row shared by Rams kicker Josh Brown. The Seahawks had been outscored 161-73 during an 0-5 road start, and kept the Rams down by intercepting Kyle Boller twice and sacking him four times.
The announced attendance of 47,475 was their worst in 15 seasons in St. Louis.
Steven Jackson was the lone bright spot for the Rams with 89 yards rushing on 23 carries and a late score after missing three days of practice due to back spasms. He fell short of a fifth straight 100-yard game while running behind a makeshift offensive line much of the way, with two starters inactive and center Jason Brown (right knee) sidelined near the end of the half.
“It wasn’t 100 percent but I think we all know that,” Jackson said. “It was enough to get me through the game.”
Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry said it was fun going against the 235-pound Jackson for the second time this season. Seattle won 28-0 in the opener.
“The first time I played him he verbally assaulted me,” Curry said. “But he’s a good dude. I think it’s like who’s going to lose their cool first, and it isn’t going to be me.”
Matt Hasselbeck has been the quarterback for the Seahawks’ past eight victories over St. Louis and this time beat them despite one of his worst statistical days of the season, going 14 for 25 for 102 yards.
No worries after the Seahawks rushed for 170 yards, one week after mustering only 4 yards in a 35-9 loss at Minnesota. Forsett averaged 5.9 yards on 22 carries, scored for the third straight week and topped his previous best of 123 yards set two weeks ago at Arizona while filling in for the injured Julius Jones.
Mora said Jones didn’t feel right even before pre-game warmups, and missed his second straight start with a lung contusion. Jones leads the Seahawks with 392 yards but is only 7 yards ahead of Forsett.
“We’ve been working very hard getting the run game going and it was definitely a point of emphasis,” Hasselbeck said. “The fact we had some breakout runs, some explosive gains in the run game, it’s really a good thing.”
The Rams’ run defense struggled for the third straight week. Opponents have totaled 556 yards and a 6.2-yard average.
Seattle ran only six plays in the second quarter while the Rams got a 1-yard touchdown pass from Boller to Donnie Avery plus a season-best 55-yard field goal by Brown to end the half. Still, the quarter was a success because of Wilson’s return of a fourth-down pass that was tipped by Kelly Jennings for a 14-7 lead with 1:38 to go.
“As soon as I caught it I was thinking ’I’m getting in the end zone no matter what it takes,”’ Wilson said. “I knew it was going to be a big play in the game.”
Wilson has two of Seattle’s defensive scores this season, also scoring on a 61-yard interception return against the Lions on Nov. 8.
NOTES: The Rams have been outscored 60-16 in the first quarter. ... The previous worst crowd for the Rams was 47,971 on Nov. 29, 1998, against the Falcons. ... The Seahawks finished a stretch of three straight road games, allowing 65 points the previous two weeks in losses at Minnesota and Arizona. ... Forsett has 385 yards and a 6.8-yard average, Jones 392 yards and a 3.7-yard average. ... Mora said Seahawks DE Cory Redding has a concussion. ... Brown said X-rays showed a sprain and he hoped to be back in the lineup next week at Chicago.