Seattle Seahawks: Is Tyler Lockett Ready To Have A Big Week?

Coming into the season, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett was expected to make a statistical leap. Will that start in Week 6?

Although Tyler Lockett has appeared in all four of the Seattle Seahawks games to this point, he is just fifth on the team in targets and receptions. In spite of this, only Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham have more receiving yards than Lockett, who continues to be the team’s best big-play outlet in the passing game.

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Lockett dazzled in the team’s Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, catching four passes for 99 yards. The Seahawks have explained that Lockett’s lack of a role in the offense recently is due to the knee injury he suffered in the second quarter of that game. It makes sense for the Seahawks to be cautious with a key player early in the season, but it is worth noting that Lockett caught a 53-yard pass in the fourth quarter of that Week 2 game when he returned from the injury later in the game.

According to the Seattle Times’s Bob Condotta, both offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and Lockett admitted that the goal was, in the receiver’s words, “to see the bigger picture.” Giving a key player who is mildly injured limited snaps early in the season is a common strategy. It’s one we’ve seen another elite team, the New England Patriots, use often. Just this year, the Patriots have played Rob Gronkowski sparingly, even though he’d be able to suit up and perform if there were more urgency.

At 3-1, the Seahawks sit atop the NFC West, and they never overreact to early losses either.

That said, if a player is ready to contribute to the best of his abilities, then there isn’t much of a point in taking him off the field. Now that Lockett’s knee is feeling better, ESPN’s Sheil Kapadia reported that there are “no restrictions” on Lockett in Week 6, per Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.

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The Seahawks Week 6 opponent is an Atlanta Falcons team that is on fire right now. The Falcons just ran all over the Denver Broncos and the NFL’s best-scoring offense also boasts wins over the Carolina Panthers and Oakland Raiders. Atlanta has bounced back nicely after a Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just as the Seahawks have gotten back on track after their Week 2 defeat at the hands of the Rams.

Lockett may be in line for more snaps in Week 6, but can we expect a day similar to his 99-yard performance against Los Angeles? That could be the case if Matt Ryan continues to have success throwing the football against the NFL’s best secondary. Ryan had 267 passing yards and no interceptions against the Broncos defense. A good outing from him could lead to Lockett receiving more looks if Russell Wilson has to match Julio Jones and Co. play-for-play.

Based on the matchups at hand, the three leading receivers for the Seahawks could be Doug Baldwin, Jimmy Graham, and C.J. Spiller.

There may not be a team with a more dubious record against tight ends this season than the Falcons. Graham was the Seahawks leading receiver last week against the New York Jets. As for Spiller, he caught a touchdown in his Seahawks debut, and it could be worth giving him a bigger role against a Falcons defense that allows 73.2 receiving yards per game to running backs.

The Falcons may have a shutdown corner in Desmond Trufant, but Baldwin moves all over the field. Atlanta’s coverage over the middle of the field can’t handle tight ends or running backs, so why should we expect them to handle Baldwin?

Lockett’s numbers will depend on the flow of tomorrow afternoon’s game, because his ability won’t be a question if he’s 100 percent. Based on what we saw in his rookie season, Lockett is one of the league’s best receivers at tracking the ball and getting open.

This week’s game is about more than numbers for Lockett, because the important thing he needs to do is show the coaching staff that he can hold up without restrictions. Lockett’s increased presence on the field could cut into Baldwin’s numbers (82.5 receiving yards per game), but there’s a school of thought that a good No. 2 receiver can help the No. 1 guy become more efficient. Since Baldwin is averaging 10.65 yards per target as it is, this should be a scary thought for the Falcons defense.

Beating another top NFC opponent is critical, and the Seahawks have another important game against the 2-3 Arizona Cardinals in Week 7.

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Since Lockett has already been playing, there’s no real rust to shake off. He’s itching to make some big plays, and we know that he can change the complexion of the game in one moment. Whether it’s as a receiver or returner (his role on returns has not been confirmed yet), Lockett is the Seahawks “RKO,” and I expect a couple of #OuttaNowhere plays on Sunday against a Falcons defense that is 27th in passing yards allowed this season.

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