Six consecutive opponents have rung up more than 100 rushing yards against the Rams, and veteran defensive end Leonard Little has seen enough.

"We're not tackling like we're supposed to," he fumed Sunday after Seattle rolled up 170 yards on the ground in turning aside the Rams 27-17 at the Edward Jones Dome. "We're professionals. If you don't know how to tackle, you might not need to be in this business."

Little wasn't pointing any fingers, but if he had, he would've needed both hands. The Rams' inelegant breakdown vs. the run has been a shared experience.

"It's a team defense, it's a team sport," James Hall said. "At the end of the day, all 11 of us are responsible for it."

Fellow defensive lineman Chris Long called Sunday's pratfall "a step backward . . . and we can't afford to take steps backward."

The Rams (1-10) ranked 28th in the 32-team NFL run defense heading into the contest against the league's least-productive ground attack. But the Seahawks (4-7) piled up a season-best total, more than doubling their season average of 84.4 a game.

Seattle's previous high was 167 yards vs. the Rams in the season opener. Julius Jones had 119 yards on 19 carries in that 28-0 Seahawks win, the only time all season he's reached triple figures.

With Jones out with a chest injury, little-known Justin Forsett did the bulk of the damage this time. Forsett scooted for 130 yards on 22 carries and scored twice, on runs of 3 and 2 yards.

"No matter who's back there, you have to get off blocks and tackle, stay in your gap and trust the other guy to be in his gap," cornerback Ron Bartell emphasized. "I don't know what's going on, but obviously something's wrong."

Coach Steve Spagnuolo, whose defenses with the New York Giants were renowned for their run-stopping ways, said the Rams' problems are far-reaching.

"It's not one thing, it's not one person," Spagnuolo said. "I don't believe it's scheme, although we'll look at that. ... They have 11 players, we have 11 players. When they run the ball, someone's got to tackle the ball-carrier."

Seems simple enough, but it's been very difficult for the Rams recently. Over the last half-dozen games, they've been gashed for 1,005 rushing yards. The deficiency has been even more glaring in their last three outings, when foes have run 90 times for 556 yards, a 6.2-yard average.

"It's not like we're getting physically dominated," said rookie linebacker James Laurinaitis, who was credited with nine tackles, including his first NFL sack, in the unofficial press box stats. "I think it's just maybe guys are out of place, a responsibility thing. ... You can make the calls and set the front, set the coverage, and then once the ball's snapped, each individual's got to get where he needs to be."

Forsett, a second-year pro from the University of California, established career highs for carries, yards and TDs. "He did his job," Bartell said. "They gave him the ball and he made some things happen."

Grumped Little: "He's not the best back we've faced all year. ... When you don't tackle well, it's easy for people to get some long runs on you."

Forsett zipped for 10 or more yards four times, including 26- and 25-yard bursts. He also had four 9-yard runs and is putting up some pretty impressive totals. For the season, Forsett has rushed 68 times for 385 yards, a gaudy average of 5.7 yards.

"People don't always believe that a guy my size can run the ball," the 5-foot-8, 194-pound Forsett said.

"Sometimes he gets in there and disappears for a little bit, and then he pops out," Seattle wideout Nate Burleson said. "It's good that he's little and strong."

On Monday, the defense will relive the ugliness, then start preparing for next Sunday's game in Chicago.

"We'll go watch the film and ... try to correct it," Laurinaitis said. "That's the only way you can get better: be humble and critical of yourselves and just keep moving forward."