Matt Hasselbeck News

"As the befuddling Washington Redskins' coaching search took owner Dan Snyder and right-hand man Vinny Cerrato to the desert yesterday, site of Sunday's Super Bowl, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck thinks one candidate is being overlooked. Jim Zorn. Hired as the Redskins' offensive coordinator last week, Zorn was the Seahawks' quarterbacks coach the last seven seasons."

"Mark Hatley, who at the time was the Bears' vice president of player personnel, made a call to Brandt offering Hasselbeck a contract to join the Bears' roster. Hatley, who since passed away while working for the Packers, even told Brandt that Hasselbeck could start for the Bears that season."

"Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who played as a backup to Brett Favre in the 1999 and 2000 seasons, knows a thing or two about snowstorms and cold weather."

"Hasselbeck is entertaining, no doubt about that. But is he a showstopper? We haven't seen that. Not in the playoffs. At least not yet."

"Saturday, his teammates are hoping Hasselbeck can do even more: Like leading the Seahawks to their first road playoff victory since after the 1983 season."

"Right or wrong, it always comes back to the quarterback. Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren often throws the weight of success or failure on his shoulders: For a team to do well in the NFL playoffs, it needs a quarterback to be efficient and productive."

"Seattle lost 33-27 in 2004, after Green Bay's Al Harris intercepted Hasselbeck to propel the Packers to victory in a NFC wild-card game. Hasselbeck, in his seventh season as the Seahawks' quarterback, returns to Green Bay ready to avenge that defeat."

"Four years ago, after winning the overtime coin toss before a wild-card game here, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said into the coach's microphone: 'We want the ball and we're gonna score.'"

"It turns out few players on the field four years ago heard Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's 'We want the ball, and we're going to score' comment."

"The crushing hit to his thigh that Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck shook off Saturday could be a problem this week."

"Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck wore designer jeans, a sweater and a smirk as he stood on a podium and started his postgame news conference. His Seahawks had just thumped the Washington Redskins on Saturday, which set up another playoff game this weekend against the Green Bay Packers, which meant Hasselbeck would be asked dozens of times about nine words he uttered four years ago."

"Matt Hasselbeck took part in practice Tuesday, which was somewhat surprising and even more comforting to the Seahawks as they began preparing for Saturday's playoff opener against the Washington Redskins. The status of the team's starting quarterback appeared to be in question after he fell on his right wrist Sunday during a 44-41 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. There was, however, no questioning what Hasselbeck was able to do on the practice field Tuesday."

"Being sheepish typically isn't an attribute associated with Matt Hasselbeck. But when the Seattle Seahawks quarterback wanted a titanium-laced vinyl necklace from Phiten, which claims its products help athletes recover more quickly from aches and pains, he said he was too "embarrassed" to make the purchase, so he asked his wife to buy it for him in downtown Seattle. "Now, I'm kind of hooked," said Hasselbeck"

"The Seattle Seahawks quarterback threw two touchdown passes in the 27-6 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at Qwest Field on Sunday to establish a career high of 27. He also passed for 199 yards before coming out midway through the fourth quarter."

"It can be argued that the man at the helm of the confirmed No. 3 seed, Matt Hasselbeck, gives his team as good a chance as any in the conference to be pool boys in Phoenix for the inevitable AFC champion New England Patriots in the Super Bowl."

"Seahawks heaped praise on their leader and quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck. For good reason. Hasselbeck has been rock-steady all season long, but he took his game to a higher level in the Seahawks' 42-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. "

"The Cardinals didn't have to hire a search company to find someone to imitate Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in practice this week. Hasselbeck's younger brother, Tim, is the Cardinals' third quarterback."

"In Seattle this morning, the big news is that Shaun Alexander will almost certainly be in the Seahawks' backfield for the first time since injuring his knee early last month. Count Jim Johnson underwhelmed, however."

"As good as Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has been this season, he still has a little cowboy in him."

"Matt Hasselbeck dreamed of becoming a starting quarterback in the NFL during his rookie season. But he knew better. He wasn't ready."

"Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck began his career with Andy Reid as his quarterbacks coach in Green Bay. But in 1998, Reid had bigger concerns than teaching a sixth-round draft pick out of Boston College who was simply trying to hang on to his job, not be a star."

"One of the things that Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren likes so much about quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is what Holmgren calls Hasselbeck’s 'deviousness.'"

"Hasselbeck has taken a beating in the Seahawks' past two games, especially in the first half as the offense has adjusted to handling -- or mishandling -- new-look blitzes and defensive fronts thrown at them by the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams. Now comes Johnson, the blitz-happy defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles -- the team the Seahawks face Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field."

"Hasselbeck spent four quarters in the crosshairs of a blitz-happy defense as the Rams employed every implement short of the kitchen sink. And while the Seahawks avoided defeat, their quarterback took a little beating and spent a few minutes hunched over the bathroom sink."

"The game was barely a minute old Sunday and the Rams already had sacked Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck twice. Or twice as many times as they dropped him in their loss in Seattle last month."

"Matt Hasselbeck, the quarterback with the tender ribs, was supposed to do some light throwing on the side during the Seahawks' practice Friday. That according to Mike Holmgren, the coach who never has been guilty of throwing caution to the wind when it comes to injured players."

"Quarterback became a sore subject in Seattle this week. Not much practice for Matt Hasselbeck. A whole lot of ice. The question is: How sensitive the subject will be moving forward."

"When Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren was working under Bill Walsh in San Francisco, the legendary 49ers coach wanted Holmgren to install the shotgun snap into the West Coast offense. Holmgren spent hours developing every aspect of the formation, from the snaps to the drops to the timing with receivers. He put together a minicamp to work on it with his quarterbacks. He had it just right – he thought."

"The Seattle Seahawks got a dose of good news on Friday when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was able to participate in most of practice, taking the majority of snaps with the first team. Hasselbeck injured his ribs in Seattle’s victory over Chicago on Sunday and had not practiced previously this week."

"After missing Wednesday's practice and taking Thursday to continue rehabilitating sore ribs, the Seahawks quarterback made an unexpected return to practice Friday. What's more, he took much of the snaps in team drills with the starting offense, making it look as though he will start tomorrow."

"For the past two games, they’ve put the ball in Hasselbeck’s hands, told him to go win with it, and he has. He’s got the Seahawks offense playing at a quicker tempo; he’s getting rid of the ball under pressure, buying time when needed by scrambling and patiently working his way through his progressions."

"With Mike Holmgren leaning even more heavily on the passing arm of Matt Hasselbeck the past two weeks, it can't hurt that the Seahawks finally are getting back to full speed with the receiving unit that completes that aerial circus."

"Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck knows exactly what Rex Grossman has been through this season -- going from being a starter to getting benched and then back to a starting role. Been there, done that."

"Before Sunday, the Saints had trouble putting consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Against Seattle, the Saints went on a sacking frenzy. They sacked Matt Hasselbeck five times for losses totaling 29 yards. "

"Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck didn’t really know what to say after the fact, only that he was grateful something catastrophic didn’t occur. It was the most bizarre part of an odd evening, NBC’s overhead camera dropping out of the sky like some otherworldly flying saucer, nearly hitting Hasselbeck in the head."

"Like many healthy young couples, the Hasselbecks role play in the bedroom. But no, this isn't what you think. We're not invading anyone's privacy here. This is all about football, all about how much the game and his team and this season mean to Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Nothing more. Nothing less."

"What came out of that pass was a victory over Cincinnati. What went into it was even more important for Seattle's season because it captured so many of the reasons Hasselbeck is off to what might be the best start of his NFL career."

"Matt Hasselbeck might be turning 32 Tuesday, but don't think another birthday will diminish his alleged foot speed or sense of humor. In addition to completing 24 passes Sunday, the Seahawks quarterback almost caught one too."

"Then, there is the opponent Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings. On Oct. 22 of last year, the Vikings came into Qwest Field and pounded the Seahawks 31-13 to break Seattle's 12-game home winning streak. In that game, the Seahawks also lost Hasselbeck to a strained knee ligament early in the third quarter when Vikings linebacker E.J. Henderson rolled into Hasselbeck's legs."