Tag Archives: Matt Hasselbeck

by | August 10, 2011 · 1:00 pm

Glaring Similarities–2011 Huskies & Seahawks

The commonalities began last season, when Pete Carroll was brought in to lead the Seahawks. He brought a few USC guys, and we couldn’t help but notice that the Huskies had done the same thing one year prior with Sark and Holt. The 2010 seasons played out quite similarly, with both teams accomplishing much more than their record would have indicated; the Huskies went 7-6 and won the holiday bowl, while the Seahawks finished 8-10, won their division, and even came within 1 game of hosting the NFC championship. Nice accomplishments despite unimpressive records were not the only parallels.

Husky avg. margin of victory-9; won by less than a TD in 4 wins
Hawks avg. margin of victory-12; won by less than a TD in 3 wins

Husky avg. margin of loss-26.5; loss by more than 3 TD in 4 losses
Hawks avg. margin of loss-21; loss by more than 3 TD in 3 losses

Heading into 2011, the glaring similarities continue with our 2 local football teams. Here is a list I’ve compiled, without stretching it too far (i.e. yes, they both play in Seattle, and yes, both play on field turf)

1. Inexperienced QB following the exodus of a legend- Price following Locker, TJack following Hasselbeck

2. Emphasis on running the ball- A talented but young offensive line to create lanes for Polk and Lynch, both known for hard, all out style

3. QB waiting in the wings- 2012 draft or free agency as well as Montana/Lindquist/Miles

4. Strong receiving core- Kearse, Aguilar, Kasen, KSmith for UW, Rice, MWill, Tate, Obo for Hawks

5. Newcomers- WRs Kasen and Rice, TEs Sefarian-Jenkins and Zach Miller are the headliners

6. Focus on acquiring and developing bigger, faster, stronger athletes- The USC way!

7. Leadership void on defense, specifically MLB- Mason and Lofa are gone, both were vocal leaders, and heart of the defense

8. Counting on the class of 2010- Both 2-deep depth charts are littered with guys entering their 2nd year. This comes as no surprise, given that 2010 was Sark and Carroll’s first class of “their guys.” A few similar positions that come to mind are safeties Sean Parker, Taz Stevenson (UW) Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor (Sea). O-lineman Erik Kohler, Colin Porter, Ben Riva, Colin Tanigawa (UW), and Russell Okung (Sea). WRs Kevin Smith, DiAndre Campbell (UW) and Golden Tate (Sea).

9. Expectations- Had UW landed Jake Heaps, we might be talking about 8-9 wins, and if the Hawks re-signed Matt, the same would be true. As it stands today, 6-7 wins is the number I hear most for both.

10. 1-2 years away from championship contention- Ty Willingham and Tim Ruskell each left their program/team in shambles, meaning Sark and Pete inherited a major re-building situation. It looks as though each are building towards championship contention around 2012-13 (same with the Mariners!)

Other less notable similarities–Question marks at fullback and linebacker, possible strengths at tight end and D-line. Last but not least, the punting game looks promising!

-Dan

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by | July 27, 2011 · 10:22 pm

Here Comes the Sun

Yesterday was a dark, dark day in Seattle sports.  One of the worst I can remember, to be honest.  I take no pleasure in recounting it, but, for the sake of this post, I’m going to anyway.

It was a Tuesday, a grey and wet day in Seattle.  Much like the rest of the Summer has been.  It was also grey and wet in New York, which just so happened to be where the Mariners were playing their game.  Were it not for the rain, that threw off C.C. Sabathia’s groove, the Mariners’ were at a very high risk of getting no-hit.  Thankfully, the rain delayed the game for a while and C.C. lost a little bit of his rhythm.  The Mariners’ were one-hit and lost their 17th straight game.  What a relief.

17 straight losses is a franchise record.  17 straight losses is the most consecutive losses in the past 6 years and one of the worst losing streaks of all time.  Jeff Sullivan, at Lookout Landing, mentioned that 17 straight losses has happened less times than perfect games have been thrown in baseball.  It’s amazing.  There was also this look at it from Matthew at Lookout Landing.

But, it could have been worse.  The Mariners could have had a perfect game thrown against them.

Of course, it was worse for Seattle sports fans.  Earlier in the day, before the 17th straight loss, we found out that Matt Hasselbeck would be leaving the Seahawks, via free agency, and the team was going to sign Tarvarias Jackson.  I’ve mentioned that I’m not a huge Seahawk fan (or NFL fan) before, but I was still a bit upset by this news.  Hasselbeck had been quarterback of the Hawks for as long as I’ve paid attention to them.  He led them through the best years that Seattle NFL fans have ever known.  We let him get away and then signed a backup quarterback from Minnesota who no else seemed to want?

Looking back, a lot of the reactions I heard yesterday may have been overreactions. But, at the time I thought they were completely justified.  One of our teams had just lost their 17th game in a row.  The other team had just lost the player that was the franchise icon.  And who knows if the Sonics will get to play this year because of the NBA lockout….. Oh, wait.  Yes, yesterday was a ‘Seattle Sports Fan Day’ by definition.

But, the sun rose and, fortunately, sports move on. Continue reading →

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by | January 20, 2011 · 6:30 pm

Matt Hasselbeck and Seattle Star Treatment

This post probably carried more weight a couple weeks ago following the Seahawks win over St. Louis, when Charlie Whitehurtst was trending well in Seattle, and Matt Hasselbeck was not. The same Charlie who completed one pass that traveled more than 10 yards. But anyways, onto my point: Matt Hasselbeck, the greatest quarterback in franchise history, seems to be a polarizing name in Seattle. Most agree he is a great guy and all, but for whatever reason, a lot of people aren’t fans of him. This is a perplexing topic and a major pet peeve of mine. I realize this sort of thing happens in other cities (i.e. Donovan McNabb), but for as few championships as Seattle has seen, you’d think Matt and the few stars we have would be well loved. Some are and some aren’t, but I am particularly curious why Matt is not unanimously loved like an Edgar Martinez or Steve Largent.

My two all time favorite athletes are Gary Payton and Matt Hasselbeck. My reasoning is simple. Twice in my lifetime have I seen a Seattle professional franchise reach the championship. In 1996, Payton (and Kemp) led the Sonics, and in 2005, Hasselbeck led the Hawks. Payton is a well liked name in Seattle, and you won’t find many fans who disliked him. But Hasselbeck, despite his 5 playoff wins, witty humor, and general likeability, still has plenty of haters.

I had multiple sports debates surrounding Matt Hasselbeck this year. Like I mentioned, he is up there with Gary Payton as my all time favorite athlete, so of course I am biased towards defending him. Even so, I couldn’t believe the amount of ignorant fans calling for Charlie Whitehurst, and booing Matt Hasselbeck this season. This guy took us to a Super Bowl. He’s played in 3 pro bowls, and he is the greatest quarterback in franchise history! I know that it’s about “what have you done for me lately,” and sports are results driven. Fans aren’t remembering 2005 when they boo Matt, I get that, and I was frustrated as any fan watching Matt committ 13 turnovers during a 4 game stretch this year. But all you need are a good pair of eyes and a 1/2 functioning brain to see that Matt still gave us the best chance to win.

This past season, Ken Griffey Jr, despite all his past greatness, reached a point where he was not helping the team. Lots of fans, including me, felt that his everyday DH role should be taken, but I didn’t hear many fans booing him or trashing him on sports radio. In this circumstance, fans treated Griffey well until the very end. I wish the same could be said for Hasselbeck and some of our other stars. I’ve seen this star treatment, or lack thereof, play out numerous times. Shaun Alexander, Ichiro, Jake Locker, and Mike Holmgren to name a few. They are all Seattle sports legends that have given this city plenty to cheer about. Alexander and Ichiro each won an MVP in Seattle. Locker committed 5 years of his life to re-build a university that he owed nothing to. Holmgren coached the Super Bowl team, and led the Seahawks to 5 division titles and 6 playoff appearances in 10 years. Fans should love players and coaches like this. They all deserve statues in my opinion. And yet, plenty of “fans” criticize these icons, even dislike them.

My point is this. If you must boo, then direct it towards Richie Sexson, TJ Houshmandzadeh, Carlos Silva, or the whole team’s performance. Trash them in the chat forums and on the radio if that’s your thing. But respect the guys who have worn Seattle on their jersey for many years, played in all star games, and taken our teams to championship games. We are on the map because of these guys, and frankly, we don’t have a lot of them, so please, embrace the few icons that we do have–guys like Matt Hasselbeck.

-Dan

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by | January 8, 2011 · 7:00 pm

Seattle Sports Twilight Zone

Amazing day in Seattle sports. I’m not really sure all of this happened:

The Seahawks win despite being largest home dog in NFL Playoff history, continuing their improbable run deeper into the NFL playoffs.

Matt Hasselbeck looked like a spry 23 year old out there dropping dimes to Stokely and Williams. Hard to believe since he had his hip drained this morning.

Marshawn Lynch’s run was the greatest ever. Period.

The Huskies hang 63 on the Beavs in the second half en-route to a 31 point blowout and a 4-0 start to Pac-10 league play.

The Huskies football team land a big commit, James Sample, today during the Army All-American bowl. Things just keep getting better for Sark and the Dawgs on the recruiting trail.

I am certain something good happened to the Mariners today, I’ll back to you on that.

One day closer to the Hornets moving to Seattle.

And finally, Bennett Scansen’s first big sports day. Can’t get any better than that! (I’m eagerly awaiting your first post big guy!!).

-Joe

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by | December 27, 2010 · 11:44 am

Seahawks v Rams for the NFC West title

Playoffs? Playoffs?? You kidding me? Playoffs???

This Sunday the Seahawks host the Rams for the NFC West division title. 6-9 hosting 7-8. Winner gets a home playoff game against either Green Bay, New Orleans, NY Giants or Tampa Bay. All those teams will have 10 or more wins going into the playoffs. I have a random thoughts on all of this.

I think a rule change should be in order, but not right away. I think making a team be at least .500 to host a playoff game is appropriate (Re-seed). I do not like the idea of preventing a team with a sub .500 team from even making the playoffs. The goal each year is win the division, you should be rewarded for that. But be .500 please. If not, you gotta go on the road.

I think all of this hosting a playoff game negative chatter could be moot. Look, Green Bay and New Orleans will beat either Seattle or St. Louis on the road, at home, on the moon, doesn’t matter. So I think all the huffing and puffing is unwarranted. Just a thought.

Draft position is an issue, and probably the biggest debate point. I go back and forth on this one. The difference between winning and losing is 8 draft slots, 13 to 21. That may seem like a lot, and considering the Hawks need a QB, maybe the fans saying lose to get the higher draft position are right. I tend to disagree. Take a look at this link: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/mock. Both Rang and Reuter have the Hawks taking an OT at 13 (if they miss the playoffs). Even if the Hawks win, look at 21, at RB and OT. I think both of those positions are needed, but OT help is huge. Neither have the Hawks taking a QB. I think fans just assume they’ll take a QB, but will one be there at 13 or 21? Who knows. I think the draft is a craps shoot, I don’t like the idea of losing just for draft position. Win or lose the Hawks have a 1st rounder. They could trade up and get Newton, maybe Mallett, or trade for one in the league already like Kobb or Flynn. Or they could just man up and get good at talent evaluation like the Patriots and find diamonds late in the draft while saving money. Personally I like option three (the Patriots are the best organization in football.). Heard this today: Aaron Curry? 4th overall pick with a huge contract on a bad defense, little to no impact. Legarrette Blount? Undrafted rookie 1,000 yard back. Who would you rather have, considering the value? I’d take Blount in a second, even if he is a Duck. Again, the draft is about talent evaluation, not draft position.

Another angle to all of this is the Rams. They, in my opinion, are the best young team in the division. Why? Sam Bradford. He’ll be an all pro very soon. He has all the tools. Now, if the Rams come into Qwest and win, imagine the confidence boost that franchise gets. They were the worst team in the NFL last season, now a division winner, with two wins over Seattle? As a Hawks fan I don’t like the idea of that franchise getting on a roll.

I just want to win a game. A win would then allow the Hawks to host a playoff game. Isn’t that what we all wanted in August? I fully understand and agree this team is frustrating to follow and all things being equal don’t deserve to make the playoffs. Where is the team that beat Chicago on the road in what was, in my view, the best game the Hawks have played in four years? They are in there somewhere. Odd things have happened at Qwest in the playoffs (Tony Romo anyone?), so I think a win and a playoff game would be exciting and interesting for so many reasons.

Finally, here is the bottom line: If Charlie Whitehurst starts, the Hawks will lose. He is the worst QB in the NFL. He’s terrible. He can’t read defenses, he can’t hit an open receiver, he can’t look off defenders, he’s just bad. In order for Seattle to win, Hass must play, even with a bum hip. No Hass, no chance to win, it’s pretty simple. This is most likely Matt’s last stand, so I’d love to see him go out fighting. He deserves it, no one works harder and cares more about the Seahawks than Matt Hasselbeck. Here’s hoping he’ll get a shot in the playoffs.

Joe

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by | September 12, 2010 · 6:14 pm

Seahawks smack 49ers 31-6

Coming into the Seahawks game today, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I have been supportive of the new direction Pete Carroll and John Schneider are taking the Hawks in. I really feel I have no choice. When a team wins 9 games in two years, and look really bad doing it, blowing up and starting over is a good course of action. Because of this, expectations are hard to gauge.

The 49ers have been the chic pick to win the division all off season. They have a stout defense, some nice skill position players, a solid offensive line, Frank Gore and, uh, oh yeah, Alex Smith. Somehow the fact that Alex Smith has done absolutely nothing in his pro career was lost all the experts. Maybe because the rest of the division is so bad, people figured he was the lesser of all QB evils. I have never been a believer in Smith, and have been vocal that the 49ers will go as far as Smith takes them, no matter how good their defense is. Today was a perfect example of this fact, even though the Niner defense wasn’t great either.

The shocking 31-6 waxing the Hawks put on SF was a joyful surprise. I thought all along the Hawks had a shot to win, simply by virtue of the home field advantage and first game adrenaline, but I never thought they would completely dominate in all areas of the game.

Defensively, the Hawks shined. Early in the game while the offense was still feeling out the Niners defense, the Seattle defense spent a lot of time on the field. Bending, bending, but not ultimately breaking. Three times SF was in the red zone, only coming away with 6 points. They held Frank Gore to only 38 yards on 17 carries, and forced Alex Smith into an interception. Because the defense was able to hold the 49ers down, they gained confidence and became extremely aggressive as the game wore on. Right off the bat in the 3rd quarter, Marcus Trufant picked off Smith for a TD, which in many ways was the finals straw for SF, they had no fight after that. The Seahawks sent blitzes from every conceivable angle. Chris Clemons and Red Bryant were in Smith’s face all day long, and the secondary did a great job covering and hiding looks. Mid way through the 3rd quarter, I had the distinct feeling the game was on ice, Smith had zero confidence in his line, Gore was constantly getting stuffed, the WRs were unable to get YAC and the 12th Man was bringing serious noise. The defense was my MVP for the game. They played with their hair on fire, all the while playing with discipline and control. That is a scary combo for opposing offenses.

Offensively, the Hawks warmed up as the minutes ticked by. The first play of the game, Matt Hasselbeck threw as bad an INT as you could throw. But, like the good veteran he is, Matt bounced back and made play after play, hitting Mike Williams, Butler, Carlson, Branch for various gains. The running game was efficient, not great by any means, but able to get small gains. Overall the offense was efficient, not making mistakes, gaining first downs, and exposing mismatches in the secondary. I would like to see the running game get better, but seeing Matt Hasselbeck look like his old self was so great to see. A healthy and aggressive Hasselbeck will spell success for the Hawks.

Having Lofa Tatupu, Matt Hasselbeck and Marcus Trufant healthy and fast makes this team a team that can indeed win the NFC West. That is not the kool aid talking either. Considering how bad the 49ers looked today, and how pathetic the Rams and Cards looked as well, the Hawks are sitting pretty after one week. Injuries are the key, they must stay healthy. Denver will be a very difficult game, Mile High is a brutal place to play for road teams. Can Seattle go in and win? If they play defense like they did today, they can be in any game in any venue.

Game 1 of the Pete Carroll era is a smashing success. I hope Seahawks fans (myself included) will enjoy this. Just take it all in and enjoy the week. Please don’t be the boo hoo naysayers you have been all off season. Put on your Hawks colors and get ready for Denver. Talk some smack, have fun, dream big. This is Seattle, bad things are always around the corner, so let’s get on the bandwagon now and have a blast!

-Joe

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