Olindo Mare will kick today vs. Houston

HOUSTON Olindo Mare lived to kick another Sunday. Mare won the kicking competition with newly-signed rookie Adi Kunalic and will retain his placekicking duties today against the Texans. Panthers coach Ron Rivera hinted that Mare would be the choice Friday when he said Kunalic had gotten a little sore after his first week of serious kicking since the Panthers released him Sept. 3. Mare has missed two fourth-quarter field goals that would have tied the game or given the Panthers the lead, including a 36-yarder last week in a 31-23 loss to Atlanta. The Panthers signed Kunalic last week and Rivera said it would be an open competition for the job. Mare, 38, who signed a four-year, $12 million deal in July, ranks second in the league in touchbacks but is 30th among 35 kickers in field goal accuracy at 76 percent. Besides Kunalic, the rest of the Panthers' inactives are: QB Jimmy Clausen, CB Darius Butler, LB Kion Wilson, DE Eric Norwood, WR Darvin Adams and WR Seyi Ajirotutu. With Bu...