Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett breaks out after injury-marred year

Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett runs the ball in the first half against the Panthers at CenturyLink Field on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016. Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett runs the ball in the first half against the Panthers at CenturyLink Field on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016. Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 110 Caption Close Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett breaks out after injury-marred year 1 / 110 Back to Gallery

It's been a tough second act for Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett.

After making an impact as both a receiver and a returner in his rookie season with Seattle in 2015, Lockett was slowed with injuries for much of 2016 after suffering a partial PCL tear in the Seahawks' Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The 24-year-old has resembled his former self over the last several weeks, but hasn't had the kind of production he showed down the stretch in 2015, when he caught 30 passes for 404 yards and five touchdowns in Seattle's last seven games and led the NFL with 14.8 yards per touch.

He finally had the kind of game in Sunday's 40-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers, catching five passes for 63 yards, rushing for a 75-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and compiling 58 return yards, including a 46-yard kickoff return in the second quarter.

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After the game, Lockett told reporters his injury-plagued season taught him some valuable lessons.

"It seems like sometimes you feel like you want to give up. You question everything and you don't know what's going on," he said. "For me I just had to continue to depend on my faith and continue to press on. The biggest thing is that I just had to continue to fight and continue to press in and continue to accept the game plan and everything that the coaches were doing and just trust it. I knew that it was going to come and it came today."

Lockett was involved in the Seahawks' game plan early, taking a screen pass for a 40-yard gain on Seattle's second drive of the game. That came just plays after an 18-yard punt return was nullified due to a penalty on safety Kelcie McCray.

On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, Lockett finally had a chance to show off his trademark speed after taking a handoff from Russell Wilson on a fly sweep, cutting upfield past Panthers defenders and racing down the sideline. Carolina safety Michael Griffin looked like he had an angle to bring Lockett down short of the end zone, but the 5-foot-10, 182-pound wideout turned on the afterburners, beating Griffin for the 75-yard rushing score.

"I don't think I've seen someone run faster on the football field," wide receiver Doug Baldwin said from the Seahawks locker room after the game. "I'm so happy for him. He struggled through those injuries, and for him to be back and doing what he's doing, it's unbelievable."

Lockett went without a catch in Seattle's Week 12 loss at Tampa Bay even though he was targeted six times. But where those were primarily long-developing downfield targets, Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell seemed determined to get Lockett the ball more quickly versus Carolina. That decision paid off, leading to a career-high 138 yards from scrimmage.

"He's a great football player," head coach Pete Carroll said after the game. "Give him the opportunity, and he's going to show you that. I don't know that I've seen a guy look faster than when he finished that run tonight."

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