Hold that thought: Cooler coach Mora U-turns on Mare, says he will remain Seahawks’ kicker

Seahawks’ Mora changes tune on kicker

RENTON, Wash. — Jim Mora admits he’s still learning in his second go-round as an NFL coach.

The latest lesson came Monday. Already facing a two-game losing streak and the prospect of playing on the road this weekend against Peyton Manning and the undefeated Colts without injured quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, the Seahawks’ head man recanted his blistering criticism of veteran Olindo Mare from a day before.

Mora said Seattle will not have a new kicker Sunday against Indianapolis, as he had all but proclaimed in an angry postgame venting the day before.

Mare missed two field goals in a six-point loss to Chicago.

“Games are emotional, you know? Boy, you just kick and you scratch and you fight to win them. And you have to do a good job of gathering yourself before you say something you regret. And that’s something I’m certainly getting better at,” the former Falcons coach said Monday.

Sunday, Mora said with mounting ire after his third game as Seattle’s coach: “No excuses … You’ve got to make those kicks, especially when you’re in a game like this kicking and fighting and scratching and playing your tail off and you miss those kicks. Not acceptable. Not acceptable. Absolutely not acceptable.

“We’ll look at making a change everywhere. We’re not going to fight our (rears) off and have a field goal kicker go out there and miss two field goals and lose a game.”

The former Pro Bowl kicker for Miami has missed three kicks in three games after missing three all last season. So no wonder Mora was hot.

“When the question was directed at me I answered it honestly, but probably with just a little bit too much … um, you fill in the word,” he said Monday.

“I think I let the emotions of the game get to me. We’re all paid. It’s our jobs, as professionals, to make plays and make correct decisions as coaches. There are times maybe you set the bar a little too high sometimes.”

Mare did make four field goals in Seattle’s 25-19 loss, yet it was the first time he had missed twice inside of 45 yards in a game since Oct. 19, 2003, when his Dolphins lost to New England in overtime. Had he made one more kick Sunday, backup Seneca Wallace would not have been throwing incomplete on fourth-and-2 from the Bears 29 with 30 seconds left. Mare would have been kicking to send the game into overtime.

“You’re only supposed to do your job and I didn’t do it very well,” a solemn Mare said Sunday.

When asked if he felt the need to meet with Mare on Monday, Mora said “no, we’ve had a team meeting.”

Otherwise, it was a normal Seahawks Monday — more injuries.

Mora said whether Hasselbeck plays against the Colts after sitting out the loss to Chicago with a broken rib depends on how the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback feels late in the week. Hasselbeck, who was hurt Sept. 21 at San Francisco, probably won’t practice Wednesday.

An MRI exam showed left guard Rob Sims strained his oblique Sunday, a side muscle that is key to repelling charging defenders. Mora said Sims will be questionable to play against Indianapolis. Mansfield Wrotto would likely become the eighth starter on the offensive line this season if Sims can’t play.

Brandon Frye replaced Walter Jones at left tackle Sunday and played through a strained groin. Frye, released early this month by Miami, earned Mora’s respect for handling Bears pass rusher Alex Brown while hurt. He’s likely to miss some practices but the team is hopeful he will play against the Colts.

That’s if Jones doesn’t make his season debut. His road back from microfracture surgery last winter and arthroscopic knee surgery in August remains slow.

“I’m sure I sound like a broken record when I talk about Walter,” Mora said. “Walter’s fighting through some things. … We have to keep in mind the severity of that injury. He’s a big man. And he has a certain level of expectation in play that he feels is necessary to meet. I respect that.”

Mora did have good injury news: Lofa Tatupu ran well Monday and the team expects to have him back this week. The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker missed the loss to Chicago with a hamstring injury.