CHICAGO – The long-standing theme that helps NFL players get through hard times is that every Sunday is a day of atonement. Make a mistake one week, and there’s the opportunity to make up for it the next.
That’s what makes the postseason so hard.
As is the case with every losing playoff team every year, the Seattle Seahawks have their share of players who are eager to get back on the field.
Cornerback Jordan Babineaux, punter Ryan Plackemeier and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck made obvious gaffes Sunday afternoon, all of the mistakes figuring into a mix that resulted in a 27-24 overtime loss to Chicago.
Babineaux was the most defensive about his misstep, which resulted in a 30-yard pass completion in overtime. That play – a Rashied Davis reception on third-and-10 – set up the game-winning field goal and left Babineaux to fend off reporters in his area of the visiting locker room at Soldier Field.
“We were one play away from advancing to the NFC Championship game, and it hurts,” Babineaux said. “I could pick a few difference-makers in the game, but I hate to see important games come down to one play, and it hurts to be on the losing end.”
On the play in question, Babineaux lined up across from Davis but cut to the sideline even though the Bears’ receiver ran a straight pattern up the seam. Davis was left wide open, and Bears quarterback Rex Grossman hit him at the Seattle 36-yard line.
Babineaux said he was supposed to play “press” coverage and jam Davis at the line, but he offered no excuse as to why he didn’t.
At one point, Babineaux was asked whether his inexperience at cornerback was a factor in the play.
“Whose inexperience at corner?” he scoffed. “I’m not inexperienced. I’m a third-year vet. I’ve been there before, and I know what I’m doing.”
Babineaux, who earned the nickname “Big Play Babs” because of his playmaking ability, played cornerback during his first two NFL seasons before switching to safety this season. Injuries in the secondary forced Babineaux to move back to cornerback earlier this month.
While Babineaux didn’t like to use inexperience as an excuse, Plackemeier held no such defenses. The rookie from Wake Forest said his lack of experience was the reason for an 18-yard punt in overtime. That kick, which went off the side of his foot an sailed out of bounds, gave Chicago good field position before the Bears went on the game-winning drive.
“It was my fault,” said Plackemeier, who hurried the kick because Bears defensive lineman Israel Idonije had broken through the middle of Seattle’s line. “I should have stayed with it and not panicked. I’ve got to stay calm in that situation and come through.”
Plackemeier said he looked up toward Idonije at the last moment, causing his drop to hit the side of his kicking foot.
“If you look up, you don’t know where the drop will go,” Plackemeier said. “I don’t know how that guy got through, but it’s definitely my job to get a good punt off and follow through. It’s disappointing, and very frustrating.”
Hasselbeck was involved in two key mistakes, only one of which seemed to be his fault.
After teammate Pete Hunter intercepted a Rex Grossman pass deep in Seahawks territory, Hasselbeck returned the favor with a badly thrown ball on the next play. Ricky Manning Jr.’s interception hurt the Seahawks’ momentum, even if it didn’t lead to any Chicago points.
“That was a really, really, really bad play by me,” Hasselbeck said of a pass that was nowhere near intended receiver Bobby Engram along the right sideline. “I should have just thrown the ball out of bounds, to the third row. I thought Ricky Manning was covering Bobby Engram and that they were going to both go deep.”
Hasselbeck was involved in a more costly play later in the fourth quarter. He bobbled the snap from center before corralling the ball and handing it to running back Shaun Alexander on a fourth-and-1 play. The missed exchange gave Chicago linebacker Lance Briggs time to thwart the play, and Alexander was dropped for a 2-yard loss.
While Hasselbeck did not say as much, the snap from center Chris Spencer appeared to come sooner than expected.
“It was loud,” Hasselbeck said when asked about the play. “I don’t know if we didn’t hear the cadence or what. But I actually got the snap OK eventually. I’m not sure exactly what happened.”
It’s an error the Seahawks will undoubtedly work to correct.
And they’ve got plenty of time to fix it.
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