SEATTLE — It’s not the way they wanted it to go down, but the Seattle Seahawks’ roster decision at the wide receiver position got a little easier Friday night.
Ben Obomanu, a third-year veteran who was battling for extended playing time in the regular season, broke his clavicle during the first quarter of Seattle’s 23-16 win over Oakland.
Coach Mike Holmgren said that there is a “possibility” that Obomanu could end up on injured reserve, which would end his regular season before it began.
“He got off to such a great start,” Holmgren said, referring to the two receptions Obomanu had in Friday’s game before getting hurt. “It’s too bad.
Obomanu suffered the injury on a 33-yard reception.
He was one of four receivers battling for serious playing time this season while starters Deion Branch and Bobby Engram recover from injuries. With Obomanu out of the picture — at least for now — the Seahawks are almost certain to keep Nate Burleson, Courtney Taylor, Jordan Kent and Logan Payne, along with Branch and Engram, on the roster.
Holmgren said late Friday night that the Seahawks might get Branch back this week.
“It is just an unusual situation with the numbers at wide receiver right now, with the injuries we’ve had,” he said, adding that Washington State University rookie Michael Bumpus is also in the mix. “We just have to see how it’s going to work.”
“It sucks that another guy goes down,” said Payne, who may have secured a roster spot because of the injury. “… But we’ll be all right. Bobby and Deion are getting healthy, and we’ll have to hold it down until they do.”
Branch is coming back from knee surgery and could miss the season opener, while Engram is expected back sometime around the Week 4 bye.
Burleson is the only healthy receiver expected to make the roster who has more than five career receptions in the NFL.
“It’s tough,” Burleson said of the rash of injuries at the receiver position, “but it’s the nature of the business — especially in the preseason. Lately, you’re seeing it all around the league.
“… That’s why you set the dominoes up, so when guys go down, there will be someone there behind them.”
Kickers both shine: In what was their final audition for the right to replace Josh Brown as the Seahawks’ kicker, veteran Olindo Mare and rookie Brandon Coutu did Friday night what they have done for most of the preseason.
That is, they made the decision a tough one.
Mare and Coutu both made all their field-goal attempts in Friday’s 23-16 win over the Oakland Raiders, leaving them a combined 11 of 12 in the preseason. The only miss by either kicker in four preseason games came when Mare was wide left from 50 yards in Monday’s loss to San Diego.
“That’s a tough one,” Holmgren said of the decision on Seattle’s kicker. “They’re both good.”
If there is an area that might separate the kickers, it might be on kickoffs. Mare, 35, continues to outshine his younger competition by booting the ball into the end zone. He forced touchbacks on each of his first two kickoffs, including one that nearly landed on the back line of the end zone.
Coutu had to make two tackles near midfield on his kickoffs.
Coutu was good on field goals from 28 and 21 yards Friday, while Mare hit a 34-yarder.
The Seahawks will trim their active roster to 53 players this afternoon, and only one of the kickers is likely to make the final cut.
Spencer starts: First-string center Chris Spencer made his preseason debut, starting the game and playing two series before giving way to Steve Vallos.
Spencer missed most of training camp because of a bad back. The injury did not appear to affect him at all in Friday’s game.
Healing up: Spencer is one of several starters who missed part of the preseason but is expect to play in next Sunday’s regular-season opener.
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (back) and middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu (knee) are among those also slated to return to action this week. Neither of them played in Friday’s preseason finale.
Wide receiver Deion Branch (knee) and right tackle Sean Locklear (knee) are among the players whose status for the opener is still undetermined. Wide receiver Bobby Engram (shoulder) is unlikely to play against the Buffalo Bills in eight days.
Tui sighting: Former University of Washington star and Woodinville native Marques Tuiasosopo came into the game for the Raiders in the fourth quarter and threw a touchdown pass to fellow ex-Husky Marcel Reece. Tuiasosopo also engineered a long drive that resulted in a turnover on downs at the Seattle 4-yard line.
Four former Huskies are on the Oakland roster: Tuiasosopo, Reece, running back Louis Rankin and defensive end Greyson Gunheim.
Western Washington University rookie Shane Simmons, a linebacker, also played for the Raiders.
Quick slants: Defensive tackle Craig Terrill, who missed practice this week because of a back injury, started and played much of the first half Friday. … Quarterback Charlie Frye was in uniform and available to play, but did not enter the game. Frye suffered a minor knee injury in Monday’s loss to the Chargers. … Punter Ryan Plackemeier is a good candidate to make the roster, but he didn’t help himself with a 16-yard punt that went off the side of his foot Friday. Plackemeier handled all the punting duties Friday while Reggie Hodges watched from the sideline. … Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski attempted a 66-yard field goal in the third quarter but was at least five yards short.
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