Notebook | Matt Hasselbeck tweaks knee, should practice

Notebook | Matt Hasselbeck tweaks knee, should practice
Tests on Matt Hasselbeck's right knee did not detect any structural damage, coach Mike Holmgren said. "He did get it tweaked," Holmgren...
By Danny O'Neil
Seattle Times staff reporter



RENTON — Tests on Matt Hasselbeck's right knee did not detect any structural damage, coach Mike Holmgren said.

"He did get it tweaked," Holmgren said. "But he's going to be OK."

Hasselbeck was injured in the first quarter of Sunday's loss to the New York Giants when he got caught between defensive end Justin Tuck, who was on the ground, and Fred Robbins, who hit Hasselbeck after he released the ball.

Holmgren said he thought Hasselbeck would be able to practice this week. He also was asked if the injury affected his quarterback's play on Sunday.

"He would tell you no," Holmgren said. "And he probably would tell me no. I think it did a little bit. There was some decision-making there that was uncharacteristic."

Branch-ing out?

Wide receiver is once again a sore spot for Seattle after Deion Branch suffered a bruised heel in the first half of Sunday's loss in New York.

"It's a pain issue," Holmgren said of Branch's injury. "That's not a little thing for a guy that does what he does, and relies on his quickness."

Branch played for the first time since undergoing knee surgery after last season. He started and caught three passes, but suffered the injury in the first half and didn't return to the field in the second half.

"I can't tell when he's going to be back to play, but it could have been a lot worse," Holmgren said of the injury.

Tackling the problem

Seattle's defense had plenty of problems against the New York Giants. Accountability, however, wasn't one of them.

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Start with Julian Peterson, who twice bounced off Brandon Jacobs in the first quarter of Sunday's game.

"When I made contact, I didn't do what I normally do which was normally run my feet through him and wrap up," Peterson said. "I just gave him a big blow. The biggest thing is technique."

Safety Brian Russell said that after watching the film that there was an honest inventory of just what went wrong.

"Everybody, they held themselves accountable, which is the first step toward getting better," Russell said. "It doesn't make it any easier. Speaking for myself, I was disappointed in a couple of plays that I really hurt the defense. The next step is to find out why that happened. What in my reads made me take those false steps or whatever it was."

Notes

• Cornerback Kelly Jennings suffered a concussion in the first half of Sunday's game, but Holmgren said he should be OK. "I bumped into the doctor who administers the tests to him this morning," Holmgren said, "and said he thought he'd be fine."

• TE John Carlson did not catch a pass, which Holmgren said was a problem with the game plan. "That's a schematic error on the offensive staff, myself included," he said. "He's got to be involved. He's a good player."




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