RENTON, Wash. -- Thomas Rawls spent part of his Christmas Eve playing a bit role in the Seattle Seahawks' victory over the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, which was actually more than what he had played in any game over the previous five weeks.

He then spent part of his Christmas Day playing the role of Santa Claus. The third-year running back handed out presents to homeless people and a few passersby back in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood, which is located between the city's downtown and CenturyLink Field.

Yes, Santa came to town with a bag of blessing!!🔴 #Christmas #Tradition pic.twitter.com/MJKkzqXngm

— Thomas Rawls (@TRawls810) December 26, 2017

"It was just crazy," he said, "because they just knew me as Santa and not Thomas Rawls."

That's because Rawls was dressed in full Santa attire: red suit, red hat, white beard, black boots ...

"I had on the glasses and everything," Rawls said. "Old St. Nick."

He also had a giant red sack that held gender-specific gift bags. They included earmuffs, socks, scarves and personal-hygiene products. Rawls got help organizing the outing from his girlfriend as well as her mother and sister. He said it'll be the start of a new Christmas tradition.

"It was a humbling experience and I'm glad I did it," he said.

A day earlier, the Seahawks brought Rawls out of mothballs. He rushed for 20 yards on five carries in a 21-12 victory that kept Seattle's playoff hopes alive. While that may not seem like much, it was compared to how little Rawls had been used during a recent slide to the bottom of Seattle's running back depth chart.

His 10 offensive snaps Sunday doubled the number he had played over Seattle's previous five games combined. Rawls was a healthy scratch for two of those games as the Seahawks instead went with Eddie Lacy and J.D. McKissic as the active backups to starter Mike Davis. He carried only one time for 4 yards during that five-week stretch.

"I was ready to go," Rawls said, comparing the feeling to road rage. "Got a chance to get out there and make a couple plays and contribute to the team. I had a fun time doing it."

Coach Pete Carroll said he liked how Rawls attacked the line of scrimmage on his five carries. He ripped off a 15-yard run to begin a fourth-quarter drive that ended in Seattle's third and final touchdown. That was his second-longest run of a season in which little has gone according to plan, neither for Rawls nor Seattle's running game.

He appeared to be the favorite to begin the season as the starter ahead of Lacy, but a high ankle sprain in the preseason sidelined him through Week 1. That opened the door for rookie Chris Carson, who started the first four games before landing on IR with ankle and leg injuries. But Rawls couldn't reclaim the leading role in Carson's absence, splitting time with Lacy until Seattle decided to give Lacy a shot to take over.

Rawls hasn't rushed for more than 39 yards or carried more than 11 times in any of his 11 games this season. He's averaged 2.7 yards per carry (149 yards on 55 attempts), continuing a downward trend from 2015, when he led the NFL with a 5.6-yard average as an undrafted rookie.

But Rawls' performance against Dallas likely earned him a larger role in this week's regular-season finale against Arizona and maybe beyond, if there's a beyond for Seattle. At the very least, he's likely moved ahead of Lacy on the depth chart. Lacy has carried one time over the past four games and was a healthy scratch for two of them. His contract includes per-game active bonuses worth $62,500 apiece, giving Seattle added incentive to dress Rawls instead.

"There's no reason for us not to," Carroll said when asked if Rawls has earned more carries. "What he had this last time out was favorable and we'll just respond to that, I think, accordingly."

Rawls gave a team-first response when asked about how his season has gone, though he acknowledged that it's been frustrating. Carroll used the same word.

"I think it's been frustrating for him, without question," Carroll said. "He wants to play more and he had intentions of playing more and so did we. It just didn't quite come together that way. He's been great attitude-wise and working hard, busting his tail every day. I'm hoping he'll have a contribution that he can put in this weekend and try to end on a good note for the regular season and see what happens as we move forward."