Matt Hasselbeck

Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a former American football quarterback and current analyst for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. After a season on the practice squad and two seasons backing up Brett Favre, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2001. Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and a Super Bowl. He was selected to three Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro in...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionFootball Player
Date of Birth25 September 1975
CityBoulder, CO
CountryUnited States of America
I've never been a part of a game like this. We set out trying to get a couple of goals accomplished. I think we took care of, statistically, some things we were trying to take care of. Probably more important, we were just trying to stay healthy also.
We were still trying to be aggressive, ... to do what we do.
More than anything, you're just trying to execute each play as it's called and have good tempo, have good rhythm, have good enthusiasm.
He was a great tight end. I bet him 100 bucks that he'd play tight end for us some day, and I lost the bet. I paid him 100 bucks. I wrote him a check. When I did it, it was more of 'You're a heck of an athlete. Whatever you put your mind to, you can get it done.' That's really what I was trying to say.
When you get frustrated you try to do too much, you try to make stuff up that's not there, and you play outside yourself.
I know that those guys (the officials) have a difficult job, and they're trying the best that they can. So I certainly don't blame them. But you know, film doesn't lie, I guess is what I would say.
All those guys were trying to win the MVP. Somebody must have told them they had a shot on defense, and they were going for it.
We just had opportunities to score touchdowns, but we didn't score touchdowns. We were moving the ball fine, rhythm, time of possession, first downs, yards...we just couldn't score touchdowns.
We were really focused on the task at hand rather than, 'Oh, my gosh, we're in this big game.
We went 8-0. We were the team that never punted. You can go back and see the trophy. It's printed on there.
It was tough. There was a lot of stuff I'd never been through. I'd never really been the guy. I'd never had to play through injury. I really had never played in the NFL.
It was a one game deal here. We were talking about this game and this game only...I have learned this week that people dogged the Seahawks because they don't think there is history, but there is history here.
It was a chance I shouldn't have taken. They had a good plan and executed it well. They blitzed early on, but we did a pretty good job of picking it up. After that, they kept seven and eight back in coverage a lot of the time.
They are actually fun to watch. It's fun to watch film because they are so good. But at the same time you realize you have to play them this week.