"At times, Matt Hasselbeck sounds more like a guy running for office than one who runs an offense. Whenever the Tennessee Titans' new veteran quarterback meets the media, he makes sure to address specific talking points. Never mind the question; he takes at least one opportunity every time to pump the tires of his offensive linemen.

It's smart. It's savvy.

In politics, it's a great way to secure backers. For a quarterback, it's the best possible way to make sure the guys in front of you have your back.

Early last week, for example, he responded to a query about his own progress in the offense with the following: "I'm way more comfortable. The relationship between me and the center is good. We're communicating really well. He does a great job. We've got some really smart offensive linemen, so that makes my job easier. … Having the line be as confident as they are really helps."

No one but he mentioned the line.

It's not often anyone does. Offensive lineman is one of the most thankless jobs in all of professional sports, which is exactly why any successful quarterback or running back goes out of his way to thank those guys with mid-week dinners, postseason gifts and the like. Chris Johnson bought each of his blockers one-of-a-kind watches after he rushed for better than 2,000 yards in 2009.

Hasselbeck, of course, is the guy who offers the promise of better days in the wake the football equivalent of a recession - back-to-back seasons without a playoff appearance. His presence inspires hope in the wake of five years of uneven - and sometimes unsettling - performance at the position courtesy of Kerry Collins and Vince Young, neither of whom ever fully earned the public trust."