Seattle Seahawks kicker Steven Hauschka (4) kicks a field goal out of the hold by punter Jon Ryan (9) against the New Orleans Saints during the first half of the 2013 NFC divisional playoff football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Both the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks have two of the best kickers in the game, as Matt Prater and Steven Hauschka are among the most accurate kickers in the NFL and are also held in high regard for their ability to generate touchbacks. Prater is the better kicker due to his strong leg, but Hauschka might be more accurate and is more underrated. He’s an excellent kicker in his own right, even if an awful lot of people in New York couldn’t recognize him on the street.
The Seahawks obviously have full confidence in him, and head coach Pete Carroll also trusts his judgement his great deal, as we a saw in that famous fourth-down call in the NFCCG. Per Seahawks official site writer Tony Drovetto, Carroll was asked how much confidence he had in Hauschka’s ability to nail a game-winning field goal on Sunday- should the Seahawks need Adam Vinatieri-like heroics out of the 28-year-old N.C. State product- and his response was unsurprisingly brimming with confidence.
He said, “We totally trust him.”
It’s a blunt and completely true statement, and Hauschka certainly has the full trust of the Seahawks organization and fan base when he goes up to kick field goals, no matter the situation. And he deserves every bit of that confidence, too, as he nailed 33 of 35 of his field goals in an incredible year. More impressive was his 14-15 mark on field goals of 40+ yards, and it’s rare to find a kicker nearly as accurate as Hauschka.