Hasselbeck excelling in Alexander’s shadow

KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) — By now, most people know all about NFL Most Valuable Player Shaun Alexander.

But Matt Hasselbeck? The quarterback’s wry smile, dry wit and steady game management haven’t been as camera-catching as Alexander’s grins and sleek runs into the NFL record book.

Even the teams that know Hasselbeck don’t know how he got here. That includes the Washington Redskins, who’ll try to slow the Seahawks for the second time this season when the teams meet Saturday in an NFC divisional playoff game.

They don’t know how Hasselbeck went from a sixth-round draft choice in 1998 to a selfdescribed arrogant know-it-all in 2001. Then, from Seattle fill-in in 2002 to quiet excellence in 2005.

He’s the NFC’s leading passer and will start the Pro Bowl. He has 24 touchdown passes, only nine interceptions and a careerhigh 66 percent completion rate. And the top-seeded Seahawks are a franchise-best 13-3.

“It’s very easy for me — I’m not a good listener — to say, ‘Yeah, yeah. I got it.’ But you don’t really got it,” is how Hasselbeck explained his first seasons with Seattle coach Mike Holmgren.

“Some of it is arrogance ... (then) I did a better job of being a little more humble and really being more coachable.”

Alexander agreed that Hasselbeck, 30, simply grew up.

“I think Matt’s matured unbelievably this year,” he said. “I think he deserves all the accolades he gets. He’s a man.”

But he’s not “The Man” in Seattle. That’s Alexander.

Yet Alexander would be running to nowhere were it not for Hasselbeck. His smart, precise passing has exploited opposing defenses that have stacked nine and even 10 men at the line of scrimmage to stop Alexander.

Conversely, Hasselbeck’s success wouldn’t be more than a passing fancy if not for Alexander.

Hasselbeck knows this. He also knows Washington — like everyone else — will focus its defense to stop Alexander, not him.

Holmgren loves that Hasselbeck Alexander balance. He said it has enabled Seattle to either run or pass in any particular series, depending on what the defense decides.

Holmgren also loved Hasselbeck when no one else in the league did.

The first time was in the spring of 1998. Hasselbeck was leaving Boston College as its fifth-leading career passer. Holmgren was the Green Bay coach coming off successive Super Bowl seasons.

The Packers were the only team that had Hasselbeck in for a workout before the draft, and selected him in the sixth round.

Hasselbeck sat and learned from Brett Favre. A year later, Holmgren left for Seattle. Two years later, the Seahawks traded their firstand third-round draft choices of 2001 to the Packers for a guy with zero career starts, plus Green Bay’s first-round pick.

After an injury and sitting behind Trent Dilfer, Hasselbeck won back his starting job from his mentor. He’s started ever since.

He credits Dilfer for being “the guy that took my job, ironically, and the guy that taught me how to do my job.”

Hasselbeck now knows the intent behind each Holmgren play call, and what call the coach would want to change to, if necessary. Many of Alexander’s yards have come after Hasselbeck called an audible.

“I am doing what the coaching staff wants me to do,” Hasselbeck said. “Before, I felt like I was maybe guessing what the coaching staff wanted me to do.”

But not everyone is completely impressed.

“When you have a guy like that with a great offensive line and great skill people around him, he is going to thrive,” Redskins safety Ryan Clark said. “I think it’s more so their whole team than one player.”

Precisely. With the Seahawks, it’s Alexander AND Hasselbeck.