Making History, Tyler Lockett Caps Off Fantastic Week With 'Marvelous' Performance vs. Texans

HOUSTON, TX - In a bit of a factual oddity, Seahawks star Tyler Lockett and Hall of Famer Steve Largent share the same September 28 birthday and were born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Now, following Seattle's 33-13 win in Houston on Sunday, the two iconic receivers have another thing in common: they are the only players in franchise history to record three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

“Man, that's a blessing," Lockett smiled. "It’s just pretty funny that just something like that was to happen. Ultimately, I just thank God for even putting me in this position."

Capping off an eventful week for the player in which he was named Seattle's nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, Lockett scorched Houston's secondary with five receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown, averaging nearly 30 yards per catch and recording four receptions of 24 yards or more. In addition to a 55-yard touchdown catch to close out the first half, he also reeled in a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to extend his team's advantage to 14 points.

What made those jaw-dropping numbers even more impressive for Lockett? The degree of difficulty for several of those catches, including a pair of receptions where he exhibited incredible body control and acrobatics getting both feet down inbounds along the sideline. His two-point conversion reception on a crossing route in congested traffic in the end zone wasn't a cake walk either.

“It’s different when you're in it then seeing it. I didn't really see the replay or anything like that," Lockett said of the two-point attempt. "But I definitely knew that it was a small window that he had to throw it into. I knew there was a reaction that had to be there because otherwise, if I didn't move out the way before, me and Diss [Will Dissly] would have ran into each other.”

While many may finally be taking notice of the criminally underrated Lockett's greatness, after watching him make highlight reel-worthy grabs and exhibit toe drag swag on a weekly basis for the past several years, coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson don't expect anything less from the star wideout these days.

"Nothing Tyler Lockett does surprises me. Our man of the year. Our guy. He does everything right," Wilson gushed. "He approaches the game with everything that he has. Just his ability to maneuver his body. One of the first third downs of the game, I threw one down the sideline to him and just took a shot to him and put it over the top of the defender. Tyler was able to just put his hands up and catch it, one-two. Those are the kind of plays that make him so special. Obviously, the touchdowns and things he does too, but his craftiness is amazing.”

"I mean, this was another masterpiece today of just body control, getting open, using the sideline, the balls that Russ threw to him," Carroll added. "Just such a graceful, beautiful athlete. I was thinking about Lance Alworth, a guy who back in the day used to be so graceful. Tyler was just unbelievably on it today and did a great job. A bunch of yards and the big touchdown right before the half. Russell [Wilson] threw a great deep ball right there to get score before half."

Ironically, when asked about the comparison to Alworth, who starred for the Chargers in the 1960s and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, Lockett didn't know who he was. He may want to take a few minutes and watch a few highlights of the legend while recovering on Monday, as the two wideouts do have plenty of similarities size and skill set-wise.

While he appreciated the Alworth comparison dished out by Carroll, Wilson believes Lockett has earned the right to be viewed as a unique talent of his own in what he called a Hall of Fame type career. Seattle's franchise quarterback would know, as he's completed 419 passes for 5,703 yards and 42 touchdowns with a 122.0 passer rating when targeting him since the two became teammates in 2015.

"I don’t think there’s anyone like Tyler Lockett. I think Tyler Lockett’s his own man," Wilson remarked. "I think he’s a guy that’s creating opportunities for guys all over the world. He’s a smaller player, but he plays big. He’s able to catch everything and able to play outside. I think that Tyler Lockett will be one of those guys that is forever remembered... I don’t think people talk enough about him and what he’s been able to do."

The performance pushed Lockett to 1,023 receiving yards on the season - the eighth highest total in the NFL - with four games still left to play. He's currently on pace for 1,337 yards, which would obliterate his previous career-high of 1,057 yards.

Few receivers in the league have been more consistent or efficient than Lockett. Since 2017, he's one of only nine players with 4,500 receiving yards and 35 touchdown receptions, achieving those totals on 476 targets, nearly 80 targets less than the next player on the list.

Nonetheless, as coaches and teammates know and respect him f Lockett isn't one to flaunt his own greatness or bask in the limelight and continues to take his individual accomplishments in stride. While he appreciates being recognized for everything he's achieved on and off the field, that's not why he plays the game and his focus remains on helping the Seahawks finish the season on a high note and impacting the lives of others.