Published: Monday, December 7, 2009
Mare sets team record with 18 straight field goals
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Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald
The Seahawks’ Jon Ryan (9) congratulates Olindo Mare after Mare kicked a game winning 30-yard field goal as time expired on Sunday.
SEATTLE — In August, for the second time in as many summers, Olindo Mare was competing for the Seattle Seahawks kicking job.
Ten weeks ago, it was fair to wonder if Mare would keep that job after he missed two field goals in a six-point loss to the Chicago Bears, and was subsequently berated by Seattle head coach Jim Mora.
But on Sunday, Mare was not only still kicking for the Seahawks, he was drilling the game-winner in a 20-17 victory and setting a team record.
Mare put the Seahawks ahead of San Francisco by three in the fourth with a 25-yard boot, giving him 17 consecutive field goals. That broke a franchise record. Then with time running out, Mare made it 18 in a row with a 30-yard field goal as time expired to give Seattle the victory.
Mare celebrated the victory on the field with his teammates, marking a drastically different scene than what took place at Qwest Field after a Week 3 loss to Chicago.
“Not acceptable,” Mora said following that September loss to Chicago. “Absolutely not acceptable. . . . We’re not going to fight our asses off and have a field goal kicker go out there and miss two field goals and lose the game. Not going to happen.”
Fast forward 10 weeks and Mora was standing at the same podium where he made those remarks, but this time he was praising Mare, who has not missed a kick since that game against the Bears.
“I think it has very little to do with my very direct and probably overbearing criticism of him on that day,” Mora said. “I think it’s just a testament to the type of professional that Olindo is. Whether I said anything to him or not, he has a lot of pride in his performance and he takes it very serious, and that’s one of the reasons that he’s had so much success in this league as a kicker.”
Mare dismisses the significance of those two misses and the harsh words from Mora, saying, “Unfortunately that happened to us, but that feels like a long time ago.”
He also insists he never worried about his job security that day, even after Mora said change would be considered.
“Honestly you can’t really think about that, because if you do you’ll kick not to miss,” he said. “Everyone is going to miss kicks. You can’t miss a kick and think your job is going to be in jeopardy, because then you’re going to be kicking not to miss instead of kicking to make it.”
As for that job competition with Brandon Coutu, a rookie last year who the Seahawks kept on the roster for a year before cutting him in September, the always-confident Mare said he never really felt like his job was threatened.
“It was up for grabs to people who thought it was,” he said. “I thought I had a Pro-Bowl year last year. We were in the top couple in touchbacks, we missed three kicks all year, and I know a lot of teams would be happy with that. Brandon was a young kid and he was doing well. They made us compete and that’s what you do. If you back down or you’re not good enough to beat a guy who hasn’t proven himself, then they’ve got other things to worry about. I never felt any competition because I didn’t feel that I was challenged enough, that many people can compete with the way I’m kicking off right now.”
Indeed Mare’s kickoffs have been even more impressive than his field-goal kicking, as he ranks third in the league with 21 touchbacks.
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
Ten weeks ago, it was fair to wonder if Mare would keep that job after he missed two field goals in a six-point loss to the Chicago Bears, and was subsequently berated by Seattle head coach Jim Mora.
But on Sunday, Mare was not only still kicking for the Seahawks, he was drilling the game-winner in a 20-17 victory and setting a team record.
Mare put the Seahawks ahead of San Francisco by three in the fourth with a 25-yard boot, giving him 17 consecutive field goals. That broke a franchise record. Then with time running out, Mare made it 18 in a row with a 30-yard field goal as time expired to give Seattle the victory.
Mare celebrated the victory on the field with his teammates, marking a drastically different scene than what took place at Qwest Field after a Week 3 loss to Chicago.
“Not acceptable,” Mora said following that September loss to Chicago. “Absolutely not acceptable. . . . We’re not going to fight our asses off and have a field goal kicker go out there and miss two field goals and lose the game. Not going to happen.”
Fast forward 10 weeks and Mora was standing at the same podium where he made those remarks, but this time he was praising Mare, who has not missed a kick since that game against the Bears.
“I think it has very little to do with my very direct and probably overbearing criticism of him on that day,” Mora said. “I think it’s just a testament to the type of professional that Olindo is. Whether I said anything to him or not, he has a lot of pride in his performance and he takes it very serious, and that’s one of the reasons that he’s had so much success in this league as a kicker.”
Mare dismisses the significance of those two misses and the harsh words from Mora, saying, “Unfortunately that happened to us, but that feels like a long time ago.”
He also insists he never worried about his job security that day, even after Mora said change would be considered.
“Honestly you can’t really think about that, because if you do you’ll kick not to miss,” he said. “Everyone is going to miss kicks. You can’t miss a kick and think your job is going to be in jeopardy, because then you’re going to be kicking not to miss instead of kicking to make it.”
As for that job competition with Brandon Coutu, a rookie last year who the Seahawks kept on the roster for a year before cutting him in September, the always-confident Mare said he never really felt like his job was threatened.
“It was up for grabs to people who thought it was,” he said. “I thought I had a Pro-Bowl year last year. We were in the top couple in touchbacks, we missed three kicks all year, and I know a lot of teams would be happy with that. Brandon was a young kid and he was doing well. They made us compete and that’s what you do. If you back down or you’re not good enough to beat a guy who hasn’t proven himself, then they’ve got other things to worry about. I never felt any competition because I didn’t feel that I was challenged enough, that many people can compete with the way I’m kicking off right now.”
Indeed Mare’s kickoffs have been even more impressive than his field-goal kicking, as he ranks third in the league with 21 touchbacks.
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
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