Seahawks | Matt Hasselbeck's back gets back to work

RENTON — Matt Hasselbeck was back at practice Monday.

Wait. His back has been such a sore subject for the Seahawks that perhaps it's best to use a different word entirely.

Hasselbeck returned to the field Monday and stayed through the duration of practice for only the second time since Aug. 8, and he expects to be ready for the Seahawks' season opener at Buffalo.

"I think I'm 100 percent healthy," he said afterward. "I'm probably not 100 percent in shape. That's what this week is for."

The Seahawks had a light workout Monday, which lasted less than an hour and was not in pads. Linebacker Lofa Tatupu, tackles Walter Jones and Sean Locklear and wide receiver Deion Branch did not participate. The league does not require injury reports be given out until Wednesday.

Hasselbeck played the first quarter of Seattle's first exhibition game, but sat out the final three games. He practiced just twice in the previous three weeks, and one of those two times he left the field because of a sore back.

So what was wrong? Hasselbeck said the problem started before the exhibition game in Minnesota.

"My back was just in spasm because of one incident that happened on the field in practice," he said. "It was just one of those things where it was like, 'Let's just get this to go away before Buffalo.'

"So mission accomplished."

Hasselbeck did say that if the past three games had been in the regular season, he certainly would have played despite the injury.

Monday marked the first time since training camp began back in July that Hasselbeck took snaps from starting center Chris Spencer during the 11-on-11 portion of a practice. Spencer suffered a back injury early in the first practice of training camp and did not play in an exhibition game until the finale.

Hasselbeck said Monday wasn't the first time the two have worked on exchanges during training camp.

Hasselbeck played two series in the first exhibition game. He threw eight passes and completed seven. He was asked if the fact he hasn't played since would affect his readiness for the regular season.

"Ideally, you'd like to play a little more," he said. "But the situation is what it is. I've gone into regular seasons where I wasn't 100 percent healthy. If I could take one or the other, I'd take healthy with not as many reps."

Mare wins kick competition

Seattle had two kickers turn in quality training-camp performances. The difference came down to quantity. Olindo Mare had longer kickoffs and a little bit more experience, and he has been told he will be the Seahawks' kicker when the regular season begins in Buffalo.

Rookie Brandon Coutu kicked well enough for the Seahawks to keep him on the 53-man roster this week.

"I know that it was good for me to have a guy like Brandon in camp," Mare said. "I'm sure experience had something to do with it, and I'm sure kickoffs had a lot to do with it."

Special teams coach Bruce DeHaven said the two were pretty even in terms of placekicking during training camp, but Mare had an edge in the distance of his kickoffs.

The only field-goal attempt Mare missed in an exhibition game was from 50 yards.

"I just did as good as I can to prove that I'm healthy," Mare said. "And show I can do what I've always done."

This will be Mare's 13th season in the NFL. He played 10 years in Miami before spending part of last season with the Saints and signing with Seattle this offseason.

Coutu remains on the team, but Seattle will have to clear two roster spots if it wants to activate defensive tackle Rocky Bernard and defensive back Jordan Babineaux after they serve their one-game suspensions this weekend.

Note

• Rookie David Hawthorne made the Seahawks' regular-season roster, and he changed his number to 59, the number Julian Peterson wore the past two seasons. Baraka Atkins, who was wearing 59 in training camp, will be No. 91.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com