Hasselbeck feeling better, may play Sunday vs. Niners

Published 10:10 pm Monday, October 20, 2008

RENTON — Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s chances of returning from injury this week remained as uncertain Monday as a third-down conversion for the struggling Seattle Seahawks.

Coach Mike Holmgren called Hasselbeck’s status for Sunday’s game at San Francisco as a possibility.

Hasselbeck, who has missed the past two games because of a bulging disc in his back, must pass a strength test before getting medical clearance to play, Holmgren said.

Players were given the day off Monday after Sunday night’s 20-10 loss at Tampa Bay, and Holmgren hoped to know more about Hasselbeck after the team’s medical staff checks him today.

“The last medical report we got was that he’s feeling better each day,” Holmgren said. “We said last week that it’s a possibility he’ll play against San Francisco, and I’ll say that. There’s a possibility he’ll play this week.”

It may take more than Hasselbeck’s return to revive an offense that converted just two of 10 third-down plays Sunday and now ranks last in the NFL in passing yards (149.9 per game).

Still, Holmgren doesn’t hide the fact that the 1-5 Seahawks need Hasselbeck, even though he’s not the only key player missing. Receiver Deion Branch has missed two games because of a bruised heel.

“We’re not quite the same team that lined up in training camp, that’s for sure,” Holmgren said. “I don’t think he (Hasselbeck) should carry the entire load. But he will help matters a lot. It will change the program considerably when he comes back. We need him back.”

Holmgren started both Charlie Frye and Seneca Wallace during the two games without Hasselbeck, and neither played well. Frye completed 12 of 23 passes for 83 yards two Sundays ago against the Packers and Wallace 12 of 23 for 73 yards Sunday against the Buccaneers.

Holmgren wouldn’t say who would start against the 49ers if Hasselbeck isn’t ready, but he hardly endorsed Wallace after his play Sunday.

“Seneca had a tough game,” Holmgren said. “He didn’t have a lot of help, but he had a tough game.”

Receiver Bobby Engram has caught one pass in the past two games, his leanest two-game stretch since 2001 when he went two games without a catch. The Seahawks’ quarterback issues and the injury to Branch have allowed teams to focus more of their coverage on Engram, Holmgren said.

There also have been fewer opportunities to throw the ball.

The Seahawks ran just 39 offensive plays Sunday and controlled the ball 18 minutes, 19 seconds compared with the Bucs’ 75 plays and 41:41.

“That’s as low a number of offensive plays as I think I’ve ever had (as a head coach),” Holmgren said. “Part of it is that it comes down to third downs. We can’t get off the field on third downs enough, and we can’t sustain anything on third downs on offense. That’s a bad combination.”

It may not get better until some key players return from injury, namely Hasselbeck and Branch.

“It’s very reflective in our yards,” Holmgren said. “We’re 31st in passing offense. I can’t remember any time when we’ve been much less than 10th, and we’re usually in the top five. It’s very unusual.”

A healthy Branch would be a big boost to the offense, he said.

“If he can run, he helps a lot,” Holmgren said. “It’s part of the puzzle. There are a lot of pieces that have to get back into play to allow us to elevate that offensive game.”

While the execution may be lacking, Holmgren doesn’t criticize the Seahawks’ effort.

“The guys are battling, bless their hearts,” he said. “They came out in the second half and played hard and played pretty well in spots. But it was too little, too late.”