The Sports Xchange

ST. LOUIS — The Seahawks kicked themselves into a corner Sunday with a showdown at Green Bay looming.

Head coach Pete Carroll denies ordering the call for an onside kick to begin overtime and kicker Steven Hauschka was a willing fallguy for the questionable gaffe that set up the St. Louis Rams’ game-winning field goal, a 34-31 decision sealed when Seattle was stuffed on in short-yardage to end the game.

“I’m not going to go into detail about exactly what was planned. But I didn’t execute the kick the way I wanted to,” Hauschka said quietly from his locker Sunday.

Carroll had explained moments earlier that the Seahawks wanted to kick it “way down the field.” It was the second time in as many games that mattered that the Seahawks came up short in dramatic fashion. Carroll fell on the sword for Seattle’s decision to pass on 2nd-and-goal in Super Bowl XLIX.

On Sunday, running back Marshawn Lynch got the ball on 4th-and-1 at the Rams’ 42, and was slammed for a loss. Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he wasn’t surprised to see No. 24 get the ball.

“Did you see the way (Lynch) was running today?” he said. “It was 4th-and-1. We’re expecting the run.”

The Rams didn’t expect the onside kick to open overtime. Referee Jeff Tripplette said Sunday that if the Rams had touched the ball but the Seahawks recovered, it would have counted as St. Louis having the “opportunity to possess.” Then a field goal by Seattle would have won the game.

“It was a free kick — it would have counted as (the Rams’) possession,” Triplette said.

The Seahawks began last season 3-3, including a loss to the Rams, before the team started to look like a Super Bowl threat again. Carroll sounded confident Sunday that Seattle will thrive this season.

That will not be easy. Week 2 brings a trip to Green Bay for a Sunday Night Football showdown at Lambeau Field.

“Tough day for us,” Carroll said, “We will regroup and get going. We will do all of that.”