Updated Sep 20, 2009 - 10:24 pm

Seahawks Insiders on Hasselbeck Injury

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By Owen Murphy

During Hawk Talk today, arm chair QB's questioned the decison of Matt Hasselbeck to dive instead of slide late in the 2nd quarter of the Seahawks 23-10 loss to 49ers.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was taken to a hospital for X-rays and a CT scan after injuring his ribs on a hard hit against 49ers on Sunday. Coach Jim Mora said the X-rays were negative while the CT scan was inconclusive and the AP reported that Hasselbeck rejoined his teammates for the 2-hour flight home.

Hasselbeck went down for several minutes with 26 seconds left before halftime when linebacker 49ers Patrick Willis stuck him in the back as the QB was trying to dive for the end zone and was stopped at the 1-yard line.

Brock Huard Analysis: "In the heat of the moment, especially at the tail end of an emotional two minute drive that shifted momentum and got the Hawks back in the game, I believe it was nearly impossible for Matt Hasselbeck to quiet his competitive will and dive out of bounds or slide early. Matt is not a scrambler, so he will pick and choose his spots and he even had a key 3rd down conversion with his legs in the first half. Speaking as one who was really not a scrambler when you do tuck and run, as Matt did near the goal line, you don't have an awareness of all that is around you like scramblers such as Seneca Wallace or Ben Roethlisberger do.

Lastlly, I know arm chair QB's will want to get on Matt for not avoiding the vicious blow to the ribs, but consider the following point as well. When you get into the red zone and near the goal line the play picks up even more speed and develops even faster. Thus, not only does a non-scrambling qb lack total awareness of what's around him, that reaction and play occured so quickly it is really difficult for me to criticize Matt for absorbing the Willis hit."

And it was that "arm chair QB" perspective that led to this exchange on Hawk Talk, the Seahawks post-game show, between a caller, Dave Wyman, Dori Monson and Ray Roberts Sunday afternoon...

Caller: Why would he make such a bad decision?
Dave Wyman: "If your QB is at the point where he decides to not make that play, then that's when it's time for him to quit….You see a chance to make a play, and that's exactly what you want your players doing. If he were to go `oh, I better not,' and lay down on the 3-yard line, or the 4-yard line instead of trying to dive into the end zone, you don't want that guy playing for you."
Dori Monson: "Let me take (listener's side), if he slides feet first, he's not going to take that shot in the back…why not in the heat of the moment…make a decision that is going to minimize that exposure."
Ray Roberts: "Because in the heat of the moment you're thinking about what you can do to help the team win…he's not running the ball (thinking) `okay, last year I was out in November and I missed the whole off-season, because by the time he's thinking about that, someone's knocked his jock off…he's…thinking here's an opportunity for me to make a play and get us back in the game, and that's what he's thinking in the heat of the moment."

So what do you think?

Is it fair to be critical of Matt's decision in the heat of the moment? Is it unfair to be critical? As a veteran who means a lot to his team, should he have made the decision to slide instead of going head-first? How would you feel if you were one of his teammates? Would you like that he went for it? Would you like that he's willing to put his body on the line? Or would you prefer he be more careful as he is 34-years old and the success of this team may depend on his health? Certainly a lot of angles to discuss and we would love to hear your opinons.

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• Siriusly wrote...

  Sorry, but a bad choice is a bad choice

  Matt, you made a bad call. After last season where the team goes 4-12 after losing you early, you need to be aware that your health is a critical component of the team's success. Settling for a field goal or even losing the game is small cookies compared to losing a Pro Bowl QB for another six games. Surely, the willingness to sacrifice one's own body for the team is important, but equally important is the health of a machine's most critical pieces. Further, such a sacrifice would be less objectionable if the team was healthy as a whole, but the Seahawks are anything BUT healthy. Bad call, Matt. Your continued good health is more important to us then one TD, or even one game.

  September 20, 2009 10:05 pm

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• Derrol_o wrote...

  Hawks needed the goal line

  I can't remember the exact circumstances of the play and whether it was 2nd and goal or 3rd and goal or whatever but I can't criticize Matt for making the dive. The Hawks were reeling and hadn't reached the end zone yet in the game and Matt knew how critical it was to get the TD on that drive if not on that particular play. In a way I think he did try and protect himself by diving because he fell short of the goal line but he did it a split second too late. And unfortunately the way he dove, it exposed his back to the left, which was the side Willis was bearing down on him. I'm not sure why that happened but if he'd have exposed his back to the right then Willis probably would have hit him in the frontal area (the chest or something) and he wouldn't have sustained the injury. It could have been disastrous for Matt and the Hawks but fortunately it was a rib injury and not the back. One other thing too is that you gotta let Matt play his game and if that means diving instead of protecting himself, then that's the way it is, caution be damned. Because once he gets away from being Matt and starts playing like a china doll in order to protect himself, then he's lost it already and might as well hang up his cleats and call it a career.

  September 20, 2009 10:06 pm

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• Siriusly wrote...

  RE: Derrol

  You've said nothing I disagree with. However, one of the reasons why Matt is so valuable is precisely because he's got an awareness of the big picture. Being able to call audibles on the spot, favor healthier receivers, avoid weaknesses in the O-line, or know when it's appropriate to sacrifice instead of protect is the hallmark of a top notch field general. There's a difference between avoiding injury and striving for that last score. Of course, hindsight is 20-20, but now not only have we lost, but we've lost our fulcrum for an undetermined amount of time. Like you said, "luckily" it's a rib as opposed to that much abused back. I have the feeling Matt will try to fool the trainers into thinking it's not as bad as it really is so he can get back into the game.

  September 20, 2009 10:27 pm

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• Derrol_o wrote...

  Siriusly

  He might try to fool the trainers but it's doubtful he will succeed. Most of us know how excruciating rib injuries can be so if it's serious, it'll be obvious when he throws the ball in practice. I guess it kinda boils down to the circumstances on whether or not it was a good or bad decision on Matt's part. If it was 4th and goal, obviously you dive and try to reach the end zone at all costs. I revisited the highlights of the play and it looked like it was either 2nd down or 1st down, in which either case I'd concede sliding would have been the smarter option. On the other hand it looked to me like Matt was falling forward rather than diving, in which case he didn't make a decision at all and it was just how it turned out. Either way, it would have been a split second decision to slide because there just wasn't much time at all to make a decision one way or the other. Roberts made an interesting point by saying that by the time Matt processes the decision whether to slide or dive based on his injury, physical condition and what not, someone's already knocked his jock off.

  September 20, 2009 11:00 pm

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• Siriusly wrote...

  I love monday morning QB'ing

  I can't imagine what it's like being a marked man for an hour.

  September 21, 2009 12:34 am

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• PBC wrote...

  Hasselbeck is a competitor!

  This guy loves playing football, and he loves to win. Anyone with any kind of a competitive drive knows that the only decision to make in that moment is to attempt to get into the endzone. More evidence of his fierce competitiveness: The guy was in excruciating pain, but he knew what the situation was (3rd and Goal with :26 seconds left in the half), and he was doing his best to get off the field so the team could take another shot at the endzone before having to settle for a field goal. Fortunately for the team, they did get the endzone on the next play, but dang, that was a much bigger display of the competitive drive that you want in your QB than anyone seems to be giving him credit for. And it is that same drive that will get Hasselbeck back on the field before too long. Go Hawks.

  September 21, 2009 11:38 am

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