"The hit had to hurt. That was apparent to anyone who saw Marshawn Lynch go down last Sunday.

"He got stuck by a linebacker pretty good," Seahawks tight end Zach Miller said. "And the first thing he does is he stands up and starts screaming in excitement."

Welcome to the Marshawn Lynch Experience, where the volume's always cranked up to 11, the script is being written on the fly, and the only thing certain is that whatever Lynch does will be as unexpected as it is entertaining.

He is a free spirit and a fierce runner who has scored a touchdown in his last five starts entering Sunday's game in St. Louis, and he comes with an alter ego. Meet Beast Mode, which isn't a nickname so much as a state of mind for Lynch's relentlessly aggressive style when running the ball or cracking a joke.

"He has so much enthusiasm," Miller said, "and he's kind of crazy with it."

Lynch is becoming the face of Seattle's team with a smile that includes two gold teeth and one sweet tooth. He asked fullback Michael Robinson for candy during last week's game."