Broken fingers hampered Matt Hasselbeck
Last Updated: Monday, January 15, 2007 | 7:16 PM ET
The Associated Press
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck revealed Monday that he played the final eight games of the season with broken fingers on his non-passing hand.
Hasselbeck said he sustained non-displaced fractures of two fingers on his left hand against Green Bay on Nov. 27.
Matt Hasselbeck endured plenty of bumps, bruises and breaks this year.
(Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
That was his first game back following a four-week absence from a sprained knee.
"It wasn't fun," Hasselbeck said while he and his teammates cleaned out their lockers upon returning from Sunday's overtime loss at Chicago in the NFC divisional playoffs.
"You appreciate what your teammates go through, because I know there were guys on our team who had the same injury who didn't get the attention or sympathy that I got."
Earlier this month, Seahawks offensive coordinator Gil Haskell acknowledged that Hasselbeck's hand bothered him on snaps and when he was hit.
On Sunday against the Bears, Hasselbeck was hit from behind following a throw early in the game and held his hand while in obvious pain.
On fourth-and-one with Seattle in Chicago territory and two minutes left in regulation, Hasselbeck bobbled the snap.
That ruined the timing on Shaun Alexander's run, resulting in a two-yard loss and leading to OT.
Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren said the hand injury wasn't the reason Hasselbeck bobbled the snap.
Rather, the centre snapped the ball late.
"I love Chris Spencer…[but] he held the ball and everyone else moved," Holmgren said.
Holmgren thought the injuries were part of Hasselbeck's inconsistency.
"I think that was part of it," he said.
