KIRKLAND, Wash. -- Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has
disclosed that he played the final eight games of Seattle's season
with broken fingers on his non-passing hand.
Hasselbeck, speaking Monday as he and his teammates cleaned out
their lockers after returning from Sunday's overtime loss at
Chicago in the NFC divisional playoffs, said he sustained
non-displaced fractures of two fingers on his left hand during a
win Nov. 27 against Green Bay. That was his first game back
following a four-week absence from a sprained knee.
"It wasn't fun," Hasselbeck said of the hand injury. "You
appreciate what your teammates go through, because I know there
were guys on our team (linemen, linebackers) who had the same
injury who didn't get the attention or sympathy that I got."
Earlier this month, Seahawks offensive coordinator Gil Haskell
acknowledged "It's bothering the (heck) out of him" on snaps and
when he's hit.
Sunday against the Bears, Hasselbeck was hit from behind
following a throw early in the game and held his hand while in
obvious pain. On fourth-and-1 with Seattle in Chicago territory and
two minutes left in regulation, Hasselbeck bobbled the snap. That
ruined the timing on Shaun Alexander's run, resulting in a 2-yard
loss and leading to overtime.
Coach Mike Holmgren said the hand injury was not the reason
Hasselbeck bobbled the snap. The center snapped the ball late.
"I love Chris Spencer ... (but) he held the ball and everyone
else moved," Holmgren said. "It was like 'On one.' And he snapped
it on 'two.'
"Actually, we could have been called for a procedure penalty.
Of all the times I've moaned about calls that they've made against
us, I wish they would have made that call."
Hasselbeck finished the season with 18 interceptions in 14
games, after throwing just nine in 16 games last season -- which
ended with the eight-year veteran starting the Super Bowl and Pro
Bowl.
He played the final seven weeks of this season with a glove over
a compression wrap and later tape on his left hand. He and the
Seahawks remained coy on whether the hand was bruised or broken,
and whether it bothered him during games.
But Monday, Holmgren said he thought the injuries were part of
Hasselbeck's inconsistency.
"I think that was part of it," he said.