Jim Mora Not Thrilled With Olindo Mare

Posted Sep 28, 2009 1:25AM By Chris Burke (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Seahawks

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 Photos

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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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

9-28-2009 @ 6:15AM

boltdaddy said...

well if we would have drafted sanchez we might not have this problem

9-28-2009 @ 11:19AM

D.Goldman said...

OOOOppppssss!! Sorry, I thought this was about the PATHETIC EXAMPLE OF A "FIELD GOAL KICKER" that is squatting on the Pittsburgh Steelers team. Mora is right -- all a kicker is to do, repeat, ALL THAT A KICKER IS TO DO, is MAKE THE KICKS. No learning plays, no worry about getting his shirt held on a play, no worry about ANYTHING BUT MAKING THE KICK!! PERIOD!!!! You folks and the Steelers have the same problem --- A BAD INVESTMENT. And don't give me the "well, he did this and that" crap. The story is: What have you done for me LATELY??? Apparently THEY BOTH SUCK!!!

9-28-2009 @ 4:23PM

bigblue said...

Stop whining, Seahawks just suck. NO D. NO O-line. They gave up 25 pts and thats not the kickers fault. Seahawks will be 2009 version of the Lions...

9-28-2009 @ 6:17AM

well we should have drafted sanchez. seneca isn't quite good enough and hasselback is broken. stupid seahawks.

9-28-2009 @ 7:17AM

horatiowrd said...

shouldve drafted Sanchez? Do you guys have a Rex Ryan Brat Scott lead D? Do you guys have a a 9 win team from last week that wouldve made playoffs if there QB wasnt playing with an injured throwing shoulder?

as good as sanchez is, please believe it it is as much about where he is than who he is.

9-28-2009 @ 7:35AM

ckevinbaldwin said...

Are you kidding me???? It was poor player selection at the draft and in the off-season, combined with crappy coaching that costs the team this game. The kicker is no more to blame than the receivers who couldn't catch, the QB who threw an interception, or the defensive back who missed his coverage!!!!!

Blaming it on the kicker is the pu$$y's way out!!

9-28-2009 @ 10:50AM

W said...

THANK YOU; POINT BLANK; PERIOD. he came off makin 4 of them so when you narrow it all down THE KICKER made 12 of the teams 19pts. SMFH

9-28-2009 @ 1:41PM

Thad said...

it's a team loss period.that coach is a jerk off. i dont even like seattle but to blame the game on one guy? come on. get in the red zone and score touchdowns! if the kicker would have made all 6 kicks, 18 points,by one guy! i bet the coach has never felt the kind of pressure that a kicker feels out there on the field.

9-28-2009 @ 7:37AM

Mora, if you want to find the guy who lost this game, LOOK IN THE MIRROR! The dumba$$ will be looking you in the eye!!!!!

9-28-2009 @ 7:49AM

tim said...

Bottom line, his field goal kicker was the only one scoring for Seattle on sunday. He scored four times, the offense scored once and he's to blame for the loss? Had he made the other two field goals, they are'nt assured a victory. Fire the player or persons responsible for such an anemic offense but don't blame the kicker.
Mora is wrong for singling him out. After a Niners loss years ago, the press asked Walsh why he wasn't blaming the field goal kicker as he missed a couple of field goal, either one of which would have given them the victory.
He said it was the offense's responsibility to score.He felt that the entire team fails when they rely on one guy to win the game for them.

9-28-2009 @ 7:50AM

LAZ said...

THIS GUY MARE IS A REAL JACKASS. I KNOW BECAUSE I DID A SOFTBALL GAME YEARS AGO WHEN HE WAS WITH MIAMI AND HE WAS VERY RUDE AND THOUGHT HE WAS DAN MARINO OR SOMETHING GLAD HE'S A SCREW UP!!!! GOOD FOR MORA!

10-18-2009 @ 8:40PM

Michelle Rus said...

I've known Olindo and his family since he was on the NY Giants practice squad before he came to Miami to play for the Dolphins. He's a great guy with a down-to-earth personality and is very generous.Angela and Gino raised him well.I'm glad to see he's doing well at Seattle. Keep up the great work and tell Sandy I said "Hi"!
____ Michelle

9-28-2009 @ 7:53AM

genelord said...

In how many NFL games does a team try 6 field goals?!? Classless act as the so-called head coach!!!

9-28-2009 @ 8:08AM

ted said...

I dont see it that 1 player can be blamed for there loss,I thought they played like a team and lost as a time,mybe the team should blame him for his coach.I quess the coach never had a bad day but they lost so he is part to blame to your is it the water boys fault too?Point blank there team SUCKS so get over yourself coach and move to next week loss,it will be the hotdog boys fault next week.

9-28-2009 @ 8:09AM

billbs said...

get a quarter back, how many seasons are you going to wait for hasselbeck to get healthy?

9-28-2009 @ 8:11AM

dirtystinknape said...

A coach in the NFL should be more professional. The success or failure of the team rides on HIS shoulders. Any beef he had with specific players should be taken up behind closed doors not with the media. Thats just bad business.

9-28-2009 @ 8:16AM

gdaddy721 said...

Mora is an A$$, why he couldn't get it done in Atl, same will happen in SEA....2 kicks cost him the game, geez...if ya had an offense, thouse kicks should be TD's......JERK....

9-28-2009 @ 8:30AM

ryan said...

Another classic example of a guy getting a job off his Daddy's name. Jim Mora Sr. may never have won it all, but no way would you hear him blaming a kicker for his own failures. This Mora Jr. has never won ANYTHING yet he still lands the head coaching gig? Obviuosly their GM or whoever hired him should be fired. PLAYOFFS? You're talkin bout PLAYOFFS?

11-03-2009 @ 7:07PM

Jeanette Barnes said...

Jim Mora is a horrible coach. I grew up in New Orleans when the Saints were called The "Aints" He couldn't win here in Atlanta either. Why is this guy still getting coaching jobs he couldn't win a football game if given a 3TD Handicap. Is there not some halfway competent high school football coach who isn't available. He shouldn't coach Little League!!! He is the loser. What team goes for 6 Field Goals. Had the guy MADE those two he would've had what 18 POINTS MADE FOR THE WHOLE TEAM outta 25 points!?!?! Atl got rid of Mora after a 3 yrs, we suffered through countless winless seasons in NOLA.

9-28-2009 @ 8:35AM

time2getreal2012 said...

Mora, you are a TERRIBLE coach. You have zero leadership and even less talent and ability. Your TEAM lost yesterday...not your kicker. What an ass. If I were you, I'd make that first change in my own resignation. You suck!!!!