Things were looking up for the Seattle Seahawks after they thumped the St. Louis Rams 24-9 in Week 1, but a 23-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 certainly put a damper on their hopes. And they may have suffered an even bigger loss in that game.
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who missed most of last season with back and knee ailments, was shaken up after a hard hit in the first half, and replaced by Seneca Wallace, who went 3-5 as his replacement in 2008.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, tests on Hasselbeck revealed a fractured rib. That may sound serious, but it is actually good news, because the Seahawks were concerned that the veteran signal-caller might have liver or kidney damage. Still, the 33-year-old Hasselbeck is questionable to play this coming Sunday against the Chicago Bears, and may need even more time to recover.
The bad news for the Seahawks is that Seneca Wallace, 29, has an 83.0 career passer rating in 37 games, making him an inadequate starter for a team that hoped to contend for the division title in a mediocre NFC West. The only other quarterback on the team’s roster, Mike Teel, is a sixth-round rookie out of Rutgers and is not ready to step in either.
Thus, Seahawks fans will need to hope for a swift recovery for Hasselbeck, or they’ll be staring up at the 49ers and Cardinals, while facing yet another disappointing season.
