Seahawks foot race between Brandon Coutu, Olindo Mare too close to call

Seahawks foot race between Brandon Coutu, Olindo Mare too close to call
The Seahawks will release five players Tuesday to trim their roster to the NFL-mandated 75 players. It's virtually a given that neither...
By José Miguel Romero
Seattle Times staff reporter


The Seahawks will release five players Tuesday to trim their roster to the NFL-mandated 75 players.

It's virtually a given that neither kicker on the roster, veteran Olindo Mare and rookie Brandon Coutu, will be one of the five. Their competition for the job is too close to call.

Each had different duties the first two exhibition games. Coutu handled kickoffs and Mare field goals at Minnesota. Then Coutu kicked the field goals and Mare kicked off against Chicago. Neither has been able to separate himself, either positively or negatively, going into tonight's Seahawks-Chargers prime-time matchup at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

"Both are doing well," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said last week. "We have a number of tough decisions to make, it appears, going down the stretch here, and that has to be included in that group."

Coutu hit all five of his field-goal tries in the win over the Bears, including one from 48 yards, one from 46 and the game-winner from 36 in overtime. All but one of his kickoffs at Minnesota landed inside the 5-yard line, and one went 2 yards into the end zone.

The seventh-round pick from Georgia doesn't lack confidence, and he gained even more from the Chicago game.

"It was definitely nice to go out there and show that I can compete at this level," Coutu said. "All you can ask for is the opportunity, and I feel like I got it here [in Seattle]."

Coutu also thinks he's getting better as a kicker. Maybe the last game didn't make everyone forget about former kicker Josh Brown — who left in free agency as perhaps the best kicker in franchise history — but Coutu opened a lot of eyes. And he has a bit of a swagger.

"I'm definitely confident in my abilities, and every time I walk on the field I'm confident," Coutu said. "I wouldn't be out there if I couldn't make it. I feel like I'm a much better kicker than I was in college."

Mare was not the field-goal kicker against the Bears, but he had a hand in the 29-26 victory by effectively neutralizing one of Chicago's best weapons, Pro Bowl return specialist Devin Hester. Mare, a Pro Bowler in 1999 with Miami, had touchbacks on his first two kickoffs and hit his third into the end zone. Six of his eight kickoffs went into or out of the end zone and three were touchbacks. Brown had 13 touchbacks all last season.

Mare, who has 12 seasons of NFL experience, also made both of his short field-goal tries at Minnesota. He and Coutu have been about even in field goals made in practice, with more than 100 attempts for each, Mare said.

A key to his success, he said, is all the rest he got in the offseason. Mare didn't kick off in the minicamps while working his way back from a hip injury.

"As you get older you learn to kick less and just get more quality," he said. "I'm still trying to work on my kickoffs. I was a little excited how well I did in the game without practicing much.

"I gave it a little extra because there's a young guy back there who's pretty good, you know?" Mare said, referring to Hester. "I think I'm getting too old to catch that guy in a race."

The coaches' approach with the pair figures to change, beginning tonight. Special teams coach Bruce DeHaven indicated last week that Mare and Coutu would still take turns on field goals and kickoffs during exhibition games, but with a twist: one kicking a field goal and the other kicking off after that attempt, then alternating in midgame.

Both are focusing on what they can control.

"I'm worried about myself," Mare said. "I can't worry about Brandon or anybody else, or what they're [coaches] thinking all the time. I'm sure they're happy with both of us."

DeHaven likes having two kickers playing well instead of choosing between two who aren't. He's impressed with young Coutu's composure.

"They're doing everything we've asked of them," DeHaven said.




http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/seahawks/2008136199_hawk25.html