Sunday represented definitive evidence that Matt Hasselbeck is in decline. No. There's a powerful counterargument that's as Anne as the nose on plain's face:
Washington's Starting Secondary
SS 24 Shawn Springs
RCB 22 Charles Rogers
LCB 27 Fred Smoot
FS 30 Laron Landry
Nickel and dime formations included:
CB 23 Deangelo Hall
That's as talented a collection of coverage defensive backs as any team in the NFL or any team of recent memory. It's an explanation that accounts for all of Hasselbeck's failures: the too generous spacing on passes, the long holds and double clutches, the interceptions, the incompletions, the pass defenses appearing on sure completions--
Well not all. There are the persisting problems of errant passes and the rest of the season. Let's play blind man. Let's say we want Matt Hasselbeck to be fine, in the midst of a late career swoon, but primed to bounce back. Let's start with the conclusion we want and find evidence to back it.
- The first four games can be accounted for by a poor and inexperienced receiver corps.
- The game against Arizona can be accounted for by the first week back from injury.
That's not terribly unreasonable. It certainly doesn't account for just how bad Hasselbeck has played, but the excuses are plausible.
The Cowboys' pass defense is predicated on pressure. Its secondary is not playing well. Among types of targets, the Cowboys are only above average at defending #1 wide receivers. At all other positions, Dallas is average or below average.
Seattle is thin at #1, but deep at all other receiver positions. Matt Hasselbeck's read seems intact. If he hasn't lost too much arm strength and accuracy for it to matter, he should find targets today. If he doesn't, if he again cripples his team with ineffectiveness, plays like he's hurt whatever news to the contrary, the time to IR him is now and the time to draft a quarterback of the future near.
Editor's Note: Holy belly diving Christ on a Slip and Slide the Lions are bad.
Scruffy's Note: Here my Video Preview for the short week. I have a feeling this is a typical monday morning meeting for Bruce Dehaven and John Marshall.