Hasselbeck may miss exhibitions

Hasselbeck may miss exhibitions
There's a chance Matt Hasselbeck won't see any game action until the regular season starts. No one at Seahawks headquarters Wednesday confirmed...
By José Miguel Romero
Seattle Times staff reporter


RENTON — There's a chance Matt Hasselbeck won't see any game action until the regular season starts.

No one at Seahawks headquarters Wednesday confirmed that was the case, but it doesn't seem like the team wants to take any chances with the health of its star quarterback.

Hasselbeck has taken part in just one full practice since hurting his back on a throw during the first quarter of the exhibition game against Minnesota Aug. 8. He did some drills last Thursday and went through all of Monday's session at the team's new headquarters, but he walked off the field about halfway through Tuesday's session with tightness in his back.

The prospect of Hasselbeck playing in Monday's exhibition at San Diego is dim, though coach Mike Holmgren said it was too early to make that decision. Third- and fourth-string quarterbacks Charlie Frye and Dalton Bell got most of the snaps in practice the past two days; backup Seneca Wallace is still working his way back from a groin problem.

"We're going to take it a day at a time and just see how he feels," Holmgren said.

Holmgren downplayed Hasselbeck's absence as simply a small setback, saying that his quarterback would be fine in time for the regular season.

"When a guy has played as long as he's played or some other quarterbacks around the league have played, you're not quite as concerned with your minutes in the preseason," Holmgren said.

Willis steps in

Ray Willis is in his fourth year as a Seahawk. He has played in 12 career games over three seasons and never started.

Patience is certainly one of his virtues. But he now is getting an opportunity to see quality playing time.

Willis is the Seahawks' current starting right tackle in the absence of Sean Locklear, who has a sprained knee ligament and will miss at least the last two exhibition games. In fact, Willis could conceivably open the regular season as a starter if Locklear's rehabilitation doesn't go on as planned.

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"There's definitely a comfort level for me out there at right tackle," Willis said.

The 6-foot-6, 315-pounder, a fourth-round draft pick in 2005, was praised by Seahawks executives as an aggressive player with a mean streak on the day he was drafted. But Willis hasn't had much of an opportunity to show that side of his game.

Willis replaced Locklear early in Saturday's game and held his own.

"Of all the guys up front the other night, he was as consistent as anyone we had," Holmgren said. "So that was encouraging to me."

Willis credits going against defensive ends Patrick Kerney and Darryl Tapp in practice with helping him be prepared for opponents. He's also happy with the coaching.

"With [offensive-line coach Mike] Solari, he's somebody who teaches me something new every day about technique, about hand placement, things of that nature," Willis said. "He's a great teacher that way."

Willis faced a good Chicago Bears defensive line Saturday, but will get a different look when he faces the Chargers' 3-4 alignment. That means trying to hold off their speed-rushing linebackers, Shaun Phillips and Shawne Merriman.

"Ray's excited about every challenge you give him," said offensive-line assistant Mike DeBord. "He's real solid mentally and physically."







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Holmgren will handle Hasselbeck with care
FRANK HUGHES; Frank.hughes@thenewstribune.com
Published: August 21st, 2008 01:00 AM

RENTON – Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said on Wednesday that he is not certain that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will play in Monday night’s game against the San Diego Chargers.

Hasselbeck has been suffering from a sore back that has kept him out of the last two days of practice. And though Hasselbeck usually gets the most reps during the third exhibition game, Holmgren said the throng of injuries that has beset the team during this training camp has made him rethink the need for Hasselbeck to get in the additional work.

“Your starting quarterback has to be ready for the first regular-season game,” Holmgren said. “The guys that have played as long as he has played ... you are not quite as concerned about their minutes in the preseason. Now, I want him to feel better, that’s my main concern, but as far as not playing or not getting enough reps, I don’t worry about that too much.”

Earlier in the day, Holmgren told KJR-AM radio that he didn’t know if Hasselbeck would play against the Chargers because he wanted to be certain that Hasselbeck was ready for the regular-season opener on Sept. 7.

“It’s only because he has to be just right for Buffalo,” Holmgren said.

There seems to be a bit of a difference of opinion between Holmgren and Hasselbeck, who maintained earlier in the week that he was definitely playing in San Diego on Monday night.

But after he sat out practices all of last week with a sore back and then two of three practices this week, Holmgren left open the possibility that Hasselbeck may not see any action between now and the first game against the Bills. Hasselbeck usually plays very little, if at all, in the team’s’ preseason finale.

“We’re going to take it one day at a time and just see how it feels,” Holmgren said.

Holmgren said there was no chance that Hasselbeck, who initially injured his back in the preseason opener against Minnesota, would miss the season opener.

Hasselbeck is missing out on valuable time to coalesce with a receiving corps that has very little experience. With both Bobby Engram and Deion Branch sidelined with injuries, Hasselbeck’s top targets beyond Nate Burleson are Courtney Taylor, who had five receptions last year, and Ben Obomanu, who had 12. Neither Logan Payne nor Jordan Kent played last season.

In last week’s practice sessions, Charlie Frye worked almost exclusively with the first team during practice. Frye and Seneca Wallace split reps with the first team on Wednesday, which also was the last day of two-a-days training camp. After Thursday morning, the practices will be held in the afternoons.

Meanwhile, Holmgren also seemed to back off the optimistic timeline that Branch, who suffered an ACL tear in the team’s playoff loss in Green Bay, would be able to play in Buffalo.

“I was hoping we’d have him for the first ballgame. And I said it before, the important thing is how he feels about it,” Holmgren said. “You come off that particular surgery and it’s a bugger, it’s tough. It doesn’t really matter what I think. It’s important how he feels and how he’s going to do this.”

There is a chance that if Branch is not ready the team could place him on the physically unable to perform list, which would require him to miss the first six games of the season.

“That’s an option you have – but it’s too early,” Holmgren said. “All those lists and things take a back seat to his ability to play, and when he can play. And that determination hasn’t been made yet.”

Holmgren did say that center Chris Spencer, who has returned to practice in a limited capacity after missing the first three weeks with a sore back, could be ready for the season opener.

Defensive tackle Red Bryant, who underwent surgery to repair torn knee cartilage, returned to practice briefly for some drills. He is not scheduled to return for a few more weeks.

Cramming in practice

Holmgren said this is the first time in his career that he can remember having his final two preseason games four days apart. After Monday’s game in San Diego, the Seahawks host the Oakland Raiders at Qwest Field on Friday.

Because of that, he said he has to handle his practices this week differently. Since there will be only one day of practice next week, Holmgren said he tried to implement more this week than he normally would – which perhaps led to the poor play the last two days in practice and Holmgren’s subsequent blowups.

“We pushed the envelope a little bit this week and added some things and looked at some things,” Holmgren said. “At the same time, I’m kind of whipping them just to get through this.”

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HAWKS AT HOME

Seattle’s home schedule:

EXHIBITION SEASON

DateOpponentTime

Aug. 29Raiders7 p.m.

REGULAR SEASON

DateOpponentTime

Sept. 1449ers1:05 p.m.

Sept. 21Rams1:05 p.m.

Oct. 12Packers1:15 p.m.

Nov. 2Eagles1:15 p.m.

Nov. 16Cardinals1:05 p.m.

Nov. 23Redskins1:15 p.m.

Dec. 7Patriots5:15 p.m.

Dec. 21Jets1:05 p.m.

SEAHAWKS INSIDER

Read the latest on the Seahawks from reporter Frank Hughes and other News Tribune staffers at: blogs.thenewstribune.com/seahawks





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