Seahawks Notebook | Kerney keeps pressure on

ST. LOUIS — The cramping in his arm made Patrick Kerney unable to hold a cell phone to his ear, so the radio interview in the locker room was over.

One could hardly blame the defensive end for calling it a day. For what a day it was for Kerney.

Three sacks, a forced fumble and an interception to lead a good defensive effort from the Seahawks in their 24-19 comeback victory Sunday over the St. Louis Rams.

Kerney is on a roll of late with seven sacks in the past three games — three last weekend and three Sunday — and hasn't done that, he said, since 2004.

"You get to a point in the season where mentally you feel right, physically you feel right and then once you feel like your game is getting closer and closer to where you want it to be, then your teammates hopefully also have the same feeling," Kerney said. "Pressuring and sacking the quarterback's a team thing. I'm just reaping the benefits."

The Rams fielded a battered, patchwork group of offensive linemen and Kerney was a load all day. Kerney almost single-handedly kept the Seahawks in the game early with an interception, a sack and a forced fumble. He also came up huge when he tackled Rams quarterback Gus Frerotte on third-and-nine from the Seattle 35 with the Seahawks down 19-17, needing to keep the Rams from scoring early in the fourth quarter.

"Whatever it is, keep eating the same breakfast," coach Mike Holmgren said when asked what's gotten into Kerney lately. "He had a marvelous game. We needed every one of his big plays."

Kerney leads the Seahawks with 10 ½ sacks.

Burleson Chronicles

Nate Burleson's day didn't start so well. The Seahawks receiver lost a fumble on a first-quarter punt return that led to a Rams touchdown. He also got crossed up with quarterback Matt Hasselbeck on a route, watching the pass sail over his head and into the arms of Rams safety O.J. Atogwe for an interception in the end zone late in the first half.

On the route, Burleson read the coverage differently than Hasselbeck, and consequently, the ball was where Hasselbeck thought Burleson should be.

"The ball came out a little early and I couldn't find it," Burleson said. "It's being able to read the same thing on the fly."

The Rams knew all too well what Burleson is capable of. He'd torched them for return touchdowns earlier this season and once last season.

"I don't know if they were keying on me but they were kind of pumped up, you know, talking a little stuff underneath the huddle and the piles and stuff," Burleson said.

Burleson contributed in the second half with some good returns and a long catch, an over-the-shoulder grab along the sideline despite pass interference.

"You just have to stick with it, man," Burleson said.

Neon Deion

When Deion Branch catches a touchdown, it's almost a sure thing his team is going to win. Branch caught one in the third quarter, his first since Week 3, and his teams are 18-3 when he scores.

"My thing is just to get open," Branch said.

Branch caught five passes for 92 yards for his best outing in almost two months.

Flag football

Seattle safety Deon Grant was penalized for pass interference against wide receiver Isaac Bruce in the fourth quarter, putting the Rams at the Seattle 15. Replays didn't show much contact. Replays didn't show the whole story, either.

"It was smooth," Grant said. "I've got to toot my own horn."

Translation: Grant almost got away with one Sunday. He saw Bruce get by the cornerback. He wasn't going to let him run free so he did something subtle to slow up Bruce, drawing a flag from side judge David Wyant.

"I wasn't letting nothing get behind me," Grant said. "That's what they brought me in for."

Tatupu hurting

Linebacker Lofa Tatupu said, and Holmgren confirmed, that he injured an oblique muscle in the first quarter and played in pain. Tatupu had X-rays taken right after the game, which were negative.

"I couldn't run too well after the first quarter. I really didn't have my feet under me," Tatupu said.

He was not on the field in several nickel-defense packages, replaced by Niko Koutouvides. Tatupu agonized on the sideline as the Rams drove down the field in the final minutes. Tatupu finally rushed back onto the field for the Rams' last four plays of the game, when the Seahawks were in goal-line defense.

At the end of the game, Maurice Morris jumped on Tatupu's back in celebration, apparently not knowing Tatupu was hurt.

Hackett out for awhile

It's not known how severely yet, but Holmgren said wide receiver D.J. Hackett re-injured his previously sprained right ankle and called the injury "problematic."

Holmgren said it could take some time for Hackett to return.

Hackett suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 and missed the next six games. He returned and had two 100-yard games the past two weeks, finishing with four catches for 41 yards Sunday.

Hackett had to be helped to the bench early in the third quarter after catching a 10-yard pass and didn't return.

NOTES

• The San Francisco 49ers' overtime victory at Arizona gave the Seahawks a boost, elevating them two games up on the 5-6 Cardinals in first place in the NFC West. The teams meet Dec. 9 in Seattle.

• The Seahawks gave up five sacks, tying a season high.

• Seahawks CB Marcus Trufant intercepted his team-high fourth pass of the season and his second against the Rams.

• The Seahawks allowed their second safety of the season in the first quarter when Morris was tackled in the end zone by Kennewick product Adam Carriker.

• The Seahawks were penalized six times, a season high.

Times staff reporter Danny O'Neil contributed to this report.