Seahawks May Give Punter Boot

Kyle Richardson’s job security isn’t too secure.

The punter the Seattle Seahawks signed Nov. 11 to replace injured Rick Tuten has had two punts blocked and also mishandled a snap in two games.

In Sunday’s 19-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Richardson had a punt blocked, leading to a safety.

Coach Dennis Erickson on Monday stopped just shy of saying Richardson’s stay with the Seahawks is over. But Seattle is studying other options because Tuten, who has had just two punts blocked in seven seasons with Seattle, might miss the rest of the season due to a pulled pelvic muscle, Erickson said.

“We’re not sure what’s out there,” Erickson said, adding that vice president of football operations Randy Mueller and special teams coach Dave Arnold are scoping out potential replacements.

“If we are going to bring one in, it’s going to be a veteran who has done it,” Erickson said.

Richardson, who suffered a concussion while making a tackle on Sunday, is a rookie. He punted 11 times for an average of 43.6 yards in three games with Miami earlier this season as a replacement for John Kidd. Richardson also held on the Dolphins’ field goals and PATs.

With the Seahawks, however, Richardson has had trouble punting and holding. In an overtime loss to New Orleans two weeks ago, kicker Todd Peterson wasn’t happy with Richardson’s holds on two missed field goals.

On Sunday, Richardson had to leave his feet to retrieve a high snap. Obviously, that wasn’t his fault, but Erickson said Richardson “took a little too long to get off” a punt that was subsequently blocked.

Backup quarterback John Friesz could be used as a holder, Erickson said, but that will depend on whether a new punter, if one is signed, has previous holding experience.

Erratic special teams play continues to overshadow strong performances by Seattle’s defense.

Still searching

Seattle (6-6) remains winless against opponents with winning records.

In terms of records, Seattle’s best win is a 16-13 victory over Tennessee (6-6). The combined record of Seattle’s six victims is 21-51, including Oakland’s 31-3 loss to Denver on Monday night. Seattle’s six losses are to teams with a combined 49-21 record, including 4-8 New Orleans.

“To be considered a good team we have to be competitive and beat the good teams,” defensive end Michael Sinclair said.

“Every week is a playoff game for us to have any chance to get into the playoffs,” Erickson said.

Pain update

Cornerback Jeremy Lincoln, who injured his ankle against the Chiefs, should be available for Sunday’s game with Atlanta.

Offensive linemen Howard Ballard (broken forearm) and Derrick Graham (neck/ankle) are question marks, Erickson said. Safety Bennie Blades (back) has a chance of returning, the coach said.

, DataTimes