Biggest question: Who’s the real Matt?

Darrell Jackson said the Seahawks should have beaten the Chicago Bears Sunday.

Shaun Alexander said he would have scored a fourth-quarter touchdown had Matt Hasselbeck not bobbled the snap.

The Seahawks say they could have advanced to next Sunday’s NFC Championship.

Trouble is, they didn’t. And in a bottom-line world, especially in sport, should’ve, would’ve and could’ve don’t count.

Here’s a fact: The Seahawks, as valiantly as they fought and as well as they played in a game where the odds were squarely stacked against them, kicked it away because of the same mistakes that characterized their baffling 2006-07 season.

The defense, stout much of the day, was beaten on deep patterns, especially on third-and-long situations. The offense couldn’t close the show when the Seahawks had the Bears ready for the taking. Matt Hasselbeck, battered as he never was last season, made questionable decisions and had faulty execution at the worst possible times.

Did the Seahawks show enough guts and guile to erase October’s humbling, 31-point loss in Chicago? You bet they did. Did they have a chance to advance to the NFC title game against the New Orleans Saints? Absolutely.

Are they a better team than the Bears, as Jackson claimed after their 27-24 overtime defeat? The final score says no.

And the final score is the only authority.

All the should’ves, would’ves and could’ves won’t change that.

That’s not to say that the Seahawks didn’t play with great heart. They did. We all know about the injuries, especially to the secondary, which forced the team to pick a loan officer off the street to play cornerback.

By the way, loan officer Pete Hunter’s two-game stats: five tackles, two assists, one fumble recovery, one interception.

Of all the Seahawks who made mistakes Sunday, and there were many, Hasselbeck is the one we’ll wonder most about in the offseason.

Hasselbeck’s toughness is unquestioned. He had to be affected by rib and knee injuries, souvenirs from a banged-up offensive line that had zero continuity all season? On Monday, it was revealed that he played the past eight games with two fractured fingers on his left (non-throwing) hand.

Yet, Hasselbeck withered when it counted. After opening the second half with five straight completions that helped Seattle to a 24-21 lead, the eight-year vet derailed in a fourth quarter in which he threw his only interception (exactly one play after Hunter picked off Rex Grossman), missed on four of his final five passes and was sacked twice.

Most damaging, with the game tied at 24, 1:59 left, Hasselbeck Tony Romoed a snap on a crucial fourth-and-1 at the Bears 44. The bobble crushed the timing of the exchange between Hasselbeck and Alexander, who was tossed for a 2-yard loss by Lance Briggs.

Bears ball.

After the Seahawk defense turned away the Bears on a three-and-out, Hasselbeck and the Seahawks had the ball with 1:36 remaining. Thanks to Alexander’s 27 rushing yards on four carries and an 8-yard completion to Jerramy Stevens, Seattle was in great shape – first and 10 from the Bears 45.

Hasselbeck spiked the ball to stop the clock, then missed Deion Branch deep. Then came Tank Johnson’s sack, on which Hasselbeck held the ball for what seemed like 10 minutes. A last-ditch Hail Mary, made possible because Bears coach Lovie Smith inexplicably called a timeout with two seconds left, fell incomplete.

Hasselbeck was 5-for-7 for 65 yards in the third-quarter rally, 3-for-8 for 28 yards in the fourth quarter.

His implosion continued in the overtime. On the opening drive, Hasselbeck failed to see a wide-open Bobby Engram on third-and-2 at the Seahawks 48.

That forced a punt and led to Robbie Gould’s game-winning field goal.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren says the team’s fortunes ride on Hasselbeck most of all. Next season will be Hasselbeck’s most important of his career.

Is he the Pro Bowl quarterback of 2005 or the oft-injured, shaky thrower of 2006? Is he great – does he belong with the Elways, the Montanas, the Bradshaws, the Staubachs – or merely serviceable?

Is Hasselbeck the big-game quarterback (see last year’s NFC Championship against Carolina) or the erratic performer who fell short in Super Bowl XL and again Sunday?

We’ll have a while to debate the matter.