Forsett, Coutu impressive in Seahawks’ win

Published 11:46 pm Saturday, August 16, 2008

SEATTLE — If rookies Justin Forsett and Brandon Coutu are going to make the Seattle Seahawks’ roster, they had better make an impression in preseason games.

On Saturday night, the Seahawks’ two seventh-round draft picks certainly did.

Forsett ran for 136 yards and played a major role in three scoring drives, while Coutu’s fifth field goal came 3:28 into overtime to give the Seahawks a 29-26 win over Chicago in a preseason game at Qwest Field.

On a night when the Seahawks were plagued by mistakes — special teams gave up two blocked punts and a return touchdown, while quarterback Charlie Frye threw three interceptions while playing the entire game — the stars of the extended night were the two late draft picks who played nearly flawless.

Forsett set up the tying touchdown with a pair of long runs midway through the fourth quarter. Teammate T.J. Duckett finished that drive with a 1-yard touchdown, tying the score at 19.

Just over two minutes later, with 5:22 left in regulation, Forsett put the Seahawks (2-0) ahead with a 10-yard run that saw him plow through Bears safety Craig Steltz at the goal line. Seattle’s 26-19 lead looked safe, especially when considering that the Bears were using undrafted rookie Caleb Hanie at quarterback.

But Hanie engineered a seven-play, 77-yard drive that culminated in the tying score, a 9-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis with 2:50 left in regulation.

Seattle’s next drive ended in familiar fashion when punter Reggie Hodges had a kick blocked for the second time. Chicago recovered the ball and ran one play before Pro Bowl kicker Robbie Gould came onto the field to attempt a 47-yard field goal with three seconds left on the clock.

Gould’s kick sailed wide left as time expired, sending the game into an extra session.

Forsett, who had 63 rushing yards in the fourth quarter alone, started overtime with a 37-yard run. He added two more carries for 15 yards to help set up Coutu’s final field-goal attempt.

Coutu delivered from 36 yards out to keep the Seahawks unbeaten this preseason.

“I was excited,” said Coutu, who is battling veteran Olindo Mare for a roster spot. “The offense kept moving the ball all night and putting us in position to score. I was just excited to have the chance.”

If Coutu was the game’s final star, the 5-foot-6 Forsett was its biggest. He had 261 total yards, making an impression both as a runner and as a return man.

The Cal product made several nice returns in the first half, but he saved his best moves for the final 33-plus minutes.

“The little guy can really play,” coach Mike Holmgren said. “I said that from the get-go. He’s a really good player, but he’s small by today’s standards. He doesn’t think he’s small.”

Forsett and Coutu helped the Seahawks overcome several mistakes, the most notable of which came on special teams.

A blocked punt resulted in Chicago’s first points in the game when Seattle’s Lance Laury intentionally swept the ball out of the end zone for a safety. The Seahawks led 9-5 at halftime but quickly fell behind after Frye’s third interception was returned for a touchdown.

Frye, who played the entire game while Matt Hasselbeck rested a strained back, had some solid moments but made too many mistakes. His worst came midway through the third quarter, when Frye avoided a safety by throwing an ill-advised pass that was returned for the go-ahead touchdown. After Frye escaped the grasp of defensive tackle Matt Toeaina, he dump ed the ball into the right flat in hopes of a harmless incompletion.

But the pass fluttered into the arms of Chicago defensive back Corey Graham, who returned it five yards for a touchdown and a 12-9 Chicago lead.

A few minutes later, a breakdown by the Seahawks’ special teams opened a huge hole for Chicago return man Earl Bennett, who ran 75 yards for a touchdown.

The two teams went back and forth from there, but in the end it was the Seahawks’ rookie tandem who finished the job.

“It feels good to be a spark, especially in a close game like that,” Forsett said. “It’s exciting. These are the best fans in the league, and it was fun to get them cheering.”