KIRKLAND – Mike Holmgren has never been big on herbal medicine, aroma therapy or naturopathic treatment, but he’s considering all of the above lately. The Seattle Seahawks’ head coach is about ready to try anything to bring back his starting quarterback.
Matt Hasselbeck has been so slow to heal from a charley horse in his right leg and Holmgren still doesn’t know if he’ll play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
“I am scratching my head at this injury,” Holmgren said. ” (Team trainers) assured me that they are going full-speed ahead, and they’re exhausting all modern medical science to try and get this thing fixed.”
Hasselbeck missed Sunday’s win over Miami due to a bruised thigh that happened on the opening offensive play of the previous week’s game. The team was holding out hope that he would be able to play against the Dolphins, yet Hasselbeck’s injury didn’t heal as quickly as anticipated.
Now Holmgren is wondering whether the charley horse will keep Hasselbeck out a second consecutive week.
“This is the most serious charley horse in the history of charley horses,” Holmgren said. “Growing up, you’ve all had charley horses. It hurts for a while, but it eventually goes away. I’m waiting. I want it to go away.”
Hasselbeck has already had all sorts of MRIs and X-rays on his leg, none of which showed any major damage. He’s as baffled as Holmgren as to why his leg hasn’t healed.
“Well, I’ve had a charley horse before, and that’s not what this is,” Hasselbeck said. “I don’t really have an answer for what it is or why it’s behaving the way it is. But we are working hard on getting it right, and we are working hard all the time.
“It’s a frustrating thing, and there is only so much I can do.”
Holmgren said that pain was not necessarily the issue for Hasselbeck.
“If it was just that, then he could play,” Holmgren said. “What happens is, if people get a kink in their back, then all of a sudden they’re walking crooked because their mind is telling the back to lock up. The body’s a funny thing. And that’s what’s happened. He’s got this pain, and when he goes to throw off that leg, his body shuts down.”
Hasselbeck’s replacement, Trent Dilfer, was feeling no such pain after his first start in more than two years. But Dilfer was a bit disappointed with his play in the loss to Miami. “I’m looking forward to my next chance of playing so I can improve on some of the things I didn’t do too well,” said Dilfer, who completed 14 of 28 passes for 196 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. “After watching the film, I felt just like I did right after the game. I just wasn’t as comfortable with my vision, as much as anything. I’m going to work real hard on that and working on my technique.”
If the Seahawks have their way, Dilfer wouldn’t get an opportunity to atone for his performance on Sunday. Holmgren wants his starter back in the lineup, no matter what it might take.
“Goodness gracious, he wants to play more than any 10 people I know,” Holmgren said. “We just have to hope that we can get him well.”
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