The Seahawks' offense clearly is going to struggle early in the season as it develops its reworked offensive line, but fortunately football is a three-part game -- and the Hawks have the two other elements well covered.

This year, they might have the best special teams they have had under Pete Carroll and special-teams coach Brian Schneider.

On Saturday in San Diego, special teams accounted for all of the points in Seattle's 16-15 win as Tyler Lockett returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown and Steven Hauschka nailed a 60-yard field goal with 16 seconds left.

Hauschka also hit two other field goals, from 40 and 27 yards. On top of that, Jon Ryan averaged 51.9 yards on seven punts and the Hawks' coverage teams held the Chargers to just 24 yards on three kick returns and 28 yards on four punt returns. That's a pretty dominant performance by every element of the special teams.

Lockett now has two touchdowns on returns in three games -- he ran back a kickoff in the opener against Denver.

"Special teams have really been a great factor in this preseason," Carroll said. "… Of course, to see Tyler get another return like that -- just another incredible run."

Carroll said the Seahawks have more core special-teams players than they have had in previous years. That includes guys such as Mike Morgan, Derrick Coleman, Brock Coyle, Cassius Marsh, Kevin Pierre-Louis and Dion Bailey -- not to mention the starters who play on various teams.

Marsh and Pierre-Louis were especially active in San Diego, with Marsh forcing a fumble out of bounds on one punt.

"They’re fast and young and fired up," Carroll said. "It makes for a really good group that we can build from and have some flexibility.  

"To have the returns add to that kind of athleticism on our special teams gives us a real advantage if we can keep that going."

The Hawks spent four draft picks to get Lockett near the top of the third round in May, and he already has proven to be well worth the investment.

"He's for real and is the factor that we hoped (he would be)," Carroll said. "He's got great feel; he's got all the guts you need to be a great returner. He has really terrific vision to use the whole field for that return.

"We really shouldn't be that surprised. He's done this forever," Carroll said of Lockett, who was a two-time Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year and was a second-team All-American as an all-purpose player in 2014.

"We won't always be able to hit returns like that for touchdowns, but it's a great threat, and that will help us in many situations to come."

The Seahawks have had excellent special teams under Schneider. In 2013, they allowed a mere 82 yards on punt returns; in mid-December, they were at 19 and threatening the NFL record of 27.

In the playoffs last season, Schneider's units were huge. He saw a flaw in Carolina's field-goal blocking scheme and had Kam Chancellor leap the line twice in a row to try to block the kick. It didn't work, but it was a great play call.

Then, Schneider's guys basically won the NFC title game -- with Ryan throwing a TD pass on a fake field goal and Hauschka and Chris Matthews teaming up on an onside kick to help Seattle complete an improbable comeback and get back to the Super Bowl.

It's a good omen that the Hawks' kicking teams are doing so well already -- especially for the opener in St. Louis, where the Rams always seem to beat the Hawks on special teams.

Especially early in the season, Schneider's units will have to win their segment of the game -- giving the offense time to get in gear.

Image via Wikipedia