Jim Mora Not Thrilled With Olindo Mare

Olindo Mare has made over 80 percent of his field-goal attempts during a long 14-year NFL career. So let's just say that Sunday was not his finest effort.

It's rare that a coach will single out a player after a loss -- and even rarer that he'll more or less blame an entire defeat on the efforts of one guy, but that's what Seattle coach Jim Mora did to Mare after the Seahawks kicker missed two of six field-goal attempts in a 25-19 loss to Chicago.

"There' s no excuses for those," Mora said in his post-game press conference of Mare's misses. "If you're a kicker in the National Football League, you should make those kicks. Bottom line. End of story. Period. No excuses. No wind. Doesn't matter."

Now, coach, to be fair, you did have to settle for six field-goal tries ...

"You've got to make those kicks," Mora said, "especially in a game like this when you're kicking and scratching and fighting and playing your tail off and you miss those kicks? Not acceptable. Not acceptable. Absolutely not acceptable."

OK, but how about those two turnovers and the defense letting Jay Cutler do whatever he wanted in the second half? Surely, this was a team loss ...

"We're not going to fight our asses off and have the field goal kicker go out there and miss two field goals and lose the game. It's not going to happen," Mora added.

Wow.

For the record, Mare's hooks came from 43 yards just before halftime, and 34 yards with Seattle down 14-13 in the third quarter. He did hit on four tries, providing the last 12 Seahawks points after an early touchdown. But Mora won't soon forget the pair of shanks -- especially since Seattle wound up losing by the six points Mare booted away.

Mora went so far as to say that Seattle will "look at changes everywhere" when asked about Mare's status, perhaps indicating that the Seahawks will bring back Brandon Coutu, the rookie out of Georgia that they cut after camp.

Mare, regardless of how unfair the criticism hurled his way was, took his medicine: "Just bad kicks," Mare said, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "Just two terrible kicks. It kind of cost us the game, put the team in a bad spot and put the [pressure] on Seneca [Wallace, Seattle's quarterback] at the end to score a touchdown.

"All the guys in here worked so hard all week, to let it come down to one guy, I screwed it up for everybody. It's a tough pill to swallow, but I'll be back."

He might, but there's a good chance it won't be in Seattle. Mora will probably make sure of that.

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Seattle Seahawks' Nate Burleson strips an interception out of the hands of Chicago Bears' Zackary Bowman at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington, Sunday, September 27, 2009. (Dean Rutz/Seattle Times/MCT)

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 27: Devin Hester #23 of the Chicago Bears celebrates their victory against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field on September 27, 2009 in Seattle, Washington. The Bears defeated the Seahawks 26-19. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Devin Hester

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 27: Lance Briggs #55 of the Chicago Bears celebrates his interception against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field on September 27, 2009 in Seattle, Washington. The Bears defeated the Seahawks 26-19. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lance Briggs

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 27: Deion Branch #83 of the Seattle Seahawks warms up before their game against the Chicago Bears at Qwest Field on September 27, 2009 in Seattle, Washington. The Bears defeated the Seahawks 26-19. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Deion Branch

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 27: Seneca Wallace #15 of the Seattle Seahawks passes the ball as Lance Briggs #55 of the Chicago Bears dives to stop him at Qwest Field on September 27, 2009 in Seattle, Washington. The Bears defeated the Seahawks 26-19. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Seneca Wallace;Lance Briggs

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 27: Running back Julius Jones #22 of the Seattle Seahawks rushes for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears on September 27, 2009 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. The Bears defeated the Seahawks 25-19. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Julius Jones

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Chicago Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox hits the pylon for a go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter against Seattle Seahawks' Kelly Jennings at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington, Sunday, September 27, 2009. (Dean Rutz/Seattle Times/MCT)

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Seattle Seahawks Julius Jones breaks free of Chicago Bears' Charles Tillman a touchdown in the first quarter at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington, Sunday, September 27, 2009. (Dean Rutz/Seattle Times/MCT)

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Seattle Seahawks Olindo Mare (10) made his final field goal try in the second half against the Chicago Bears at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington, Sunday, September 27, 2009. (Dean Rutz/Seattle Times/MCT)

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Chicago Bears' Devin Hester ran untouched into the end zone for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington, Sunday, September 27, 2009. (Dean Rutz/Seattle Times/MCT)

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