Coutu Kicks Seahawks Past Bears In OT
POSTED: 12:25 am CDT August 17,
2008
Seattle, WA -- (Sports Network) - Brandon Coutu kicked a 36-yard field goal to cap a 69-yard drive in overtime and Seattle squeaked by Chicago, 29-26, in preseason action.Robbie Gould missed a 47-yarder as time expired in regulation after Seattle's final drive resulted in the second blocked punt of the game for the Bears (0-2). Mark Bradley swooped in and deflected Reggie Hodges' punt attempt with 34 seconds remaining and the Bears had time for one play from scrimmage, a two-yard run from P.J. Pope, before calling timeout with three seconds remaining. Gould's kick was wide left, sending the game into overtime. Seattle's Justin Forsett had runs of 37 and 15 yards to help Seattle get into position for Coutu's overtime game-winner. Forsett gained 136 yards rushing including a 10-yard touchdown for the Seahawks (2-0), while Jordan Kent led all receivers with four catches for 50 yards. Charlie Frye was under center for Seattle for the duration as Matt Hasselbeck did not play much. Frye completed 20-of-35 passes for 209 yards and three interceptions. Coutu was the difference throughout for Seattle, hitting on all of his five field goal attempts and finishing with 17 points. Chicago's quarterback situation remains muddled after the offense tanked. Rex Grossman started and was 9-for-15 for 74 yards and a pick, while rookie Caleb Hanie, out of Colorado State, came on to engineer a Bears comeback going 5- for-9 for 46 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Kyle Orton also saw time under center completing five of nine pass attempts for 43 yards. Kellen Davis caught three passes for 55 yards and a touchdown that sent the game to overtime. Seattle took an early first-quarter lead on two Coutu field goals from 48 and 26 yards out. Chicago got on the board when Darrell McClover blocked a punt on Seattle's opening drive of the second quarter resulting in a safety as the ball skipped out the back of the end zone. Coutu extended the Seahawks lead with a 46-yard field goal and Gould matched him with a 39-yarder in the waning moments of the first half to cut the lead to 9-5. The Bears struck first in the second half when Corey Graham picked off Frye on a second-and-ten from the Seattle five-yard line, and waltzed in from six yards out for a 12-9 lead. The Seahawks ensuing possession was a three-and- out, forcing a Hodges' punt that Earl Bennett took 75 yards to the house and Chicago suddenly had a 19-9 lead through three quarters. Seattle battled back in the fourth with a 21-yard field goal from Coutu that capped a drive started in the third stanza. T.J. Duckett scored from one yard out on the next Seattle posession to knot things at 19-19. The 'Hawks then forged ahead after Kevin Hobbs picked Hanie at the Bears 26-yard line, Forsett found the end zone from 10 yards out for a 26-19 lead. Hanie then marched the Bears 77 yards on seven plays and found Davis from nine yards out to tie the score at 26-26 with 2:50 remaining.
Copyright 2008 Courtesy of The Sports Network.





