"When last seen by New Orleans Saints fans in a context that mattered, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was guiding the Seattle Seahawks to a wild-card playoff victory over New Orleans last January.

On that day, Hasselbeck passed for 272 yards and four touchdowns, completing 22 of 35 attempts with a gaudy quarterback rating of 113. Saints quarterback Drew Brees had typically impressive statistics, passing for more than 400 yards and two touchdowns, but the Saints lost.

On Wednesday, as the Saints prepared to face the Tennessee Titans, now quarterbacked by Hasselbeck, in Nashville on Sunday, Brees acknowledged that playoff loss stung. He has a lot of respect for Hasselbeck and is friendly with him off the field, but defeat has a way of stimulating the competitive juices."