2 Seattle SEAHAWKS
THE SLOGAN "Always compete" is visible throughout the Seahawks' training facility. You see it on everything from banners and T-shirts to the practice-field scoreboard. But nowhere is it more prominent than on the face of new coach Pete Carroll, who is seeking to turn around a franchise that won just nine games in the past two seasons.
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck learned as much on the eve of training camp, when he and Carroll had a meeting on a basketball court adjacent to the training complex.
They had not had a real clear-the-air session since Carroll and general manager John Schneider surrendered a third-round pick to San Diego for third-string quarterback Charlie Whitehurst in March, then signed him to an $8 million, two-year contract. One of Carroll's team rules is "no complaining or whining," so Hasselbeck, who was entering the final year of his contract after nine years as the starter, walked lightly when broaching the subject.
"I was like, I'll be honest. I know I'm totally biased here, but, hey, come on, why?" Hasselbeck recalled of the meeting. "It was like the Steve Young situation. When he was with the 49ers and they used their first-round pick to draft Jim Druckenmiller, he wasn't like, Oh, crap. Jim Druckenmiller is going to beat me out. It was just like, Hey, man. I'm older, our team is pretty good, we just need a few more pieces to get back to the Super Bowl. What are we doing?"
Carroll responded to Hasselbeck's question by reiterating his belief that competition is the lifeblood of a program. If Hasselbeck didn't already get that, he found out when Carroll crouched into a defensive stance while wearing flip-flops. Game on.
Hasselbeck, who turns 35 this year, wondered how best to proceed. He thought back to 2000, when he asked permission to marry his girlfriend, Sarah, while playing a game of two-on-two hoops with his future father-in-law and brother-in-law. Hasselbeck's teammate was a 6' 7" buddy who clearly didn't understand the art of buttering up future in-laws, because at one point he attempted a dunk. Hasselbeck quickly reminded his friend that they needed to lose the game.
A decade later he was back on the court with another man who could control his future. He wondered just how seriously he should take the game; after all Carroll, who had kicked off his footwear, is 24 years older and is ultimately in charge of Hasselbeck's playing time.
Hasselbeck didn't have to wonder long, if at all. "Remember that story about your father-in-law," Carroll said, then warned his QB not to lose on purpose. Always compete isn't just a slogan for the coach; it's a mind-set.
So they battled to seven, with Hasselbeck winning by two. Now his goal is to claim the starting job. That seemed all but certain early in training camp, but Hasselbeck struggled in the exhibition opener against the Titans while Whitehurst, who had been pedestrian in practice, wowed everyone with a 14-of-22, 214-yard, two-score performance.
Seattle needs strong play at quarterback because other than at tight end, where John Carlson is solid, the Seahawks have question marks at every offensive position. The line struggled last season and was thrown into greater flux in the second exhibition game when top rookie Russell Okung, a massive left tackle, sustained a serious ankle sprain. He's out for several weeks. The receiving corps lacks a proven No. 1, and the running backs are quick but undersized. Carroll will look to add a sledgehammer back when other teams begin making cuts.
Hasselbeck remains pragmatic about his situation and knows that what he's done in the past doesn't matter. Yes, the previous regime had approached him about a contract extension, but there has been no such outreach from the new leadership.
"I just live in the moment," Hasselbeck says. "There are so many unknowns, so much that is out of your control. Would it be nice to know I'm going to be playing for the Seahawks next year? Yeah, it would be really nice to know that. But the bottom line is, Hey: We got to turn this program around. If you can do it with us, we're with you. If not, we'll find somebody else. I'm fine with that."
In other words, Always compete.
PROJECTED STARTERS
WITH 2009 STATS
COACH PETE CARROLL
OFFENSE
2009 RANK: 21
QB MATT HASSELBECK
G 14
ATT 488
COMP 293
PCT 60.0
YARDS 3,029
TD 17
INT 17
RATING 75.1
RB JULIUS JONES
G 14
ATT 177
YARDS 663
AVG 3.7
REC 35
YARDS 232
AVG 6.6
TTD 4
FB OWEN SCHMITT
G 15
ATT 0
YARDS 0
AVG —
REC 6
YARDS 21
AVG 3.5
TTD 1
WR T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH
G 16
REC 79
YARDS 911
TTD 3
WR DEION BRANCH
G 14
REC 45
YARDS 437
TTD 2
TE JOHN CARLSON
G 16
REC 51
YARDS 574
TTD 7
LT RUSSELL OKUNG (R)
G 13
HT 6'5"
WT 310
LG BEN HAMILTON
G 15
HT 6'5"
WT 290
C CHRIS SPENCER
G 14
HT 6'3"
WT 309
RG MAX UNGER
G 16
HT 6'5"
WT 305
RT SEAN LOCKLEAR
G 10
HT 6'4"
WT 310
DEFENSE
2009 RANK: 24
DE CHRIS CLEMONS
G 16
TACKLES 11
SACKS 3
INT 0
DT BRANDON MEBANE
G 15
TACKLES 49
SACKS 1½
INT 0
DT COLIN COLE
G 16
TACKLES 48
SACKS 0
INT 0
DE RED BRYANT
G 6
TACKLES 8
SACKS 0
INT 0
LB DAVID HAWTHORNE
G 16
TACKLES 117
SACKS 4
INT 3
LB LOFA TATUPU
G 5
TACKLES 32
SACKS 1
INT 0
LB AARON CURRY
G 14
TACKLES 61
SACKS 2
INT 0
CB MARCUS TRUFANT
G 10
TACKLES 49
SACKS 0
INT 2
FS EARL THOMAS (R)
G 14
TACKLES 77
SACKS 0
INT 8
SS JORDAN BABINEAUX
G 16
TACKLES 104
SACKS 1½
INT 2
CB JOSH WILSON
G 12
TACKLES 45
SACKS 1
INT 2
SPECIAL TEAMS
P JON RYAN
PUNTS 88
AVG 46.2
NET 38.7
K OLINDO MARE
FG 24--26
XP 28--28
POINTS 100
PR GOLDEN TATE (R)
RET 12
AVG 14.3
TD 1
KR JUSTIN FORSETT
RET 18
AVG 24.0
TD 0
New acquisition
(R) Rookie: College stats
TTD: Total touchdowns
2010 SCHEDULE
2009 Record: 5-11
September
12 San Francisco
19 at Denver
26 San Diego
October
3 at St. Louis
10 BYE
17 at Chicago
24 Arizona
31 at Oakland
November
7 N.Y. Giants
14 at Arizona
21 at New Orleans
28 Kansas City
December
5 Carolina
12 at San Francisco
19 Atlanta
26 at Tampa Bay
January
2 St. Louis
SCHEDULE STRENGTH
NFL Rank: T29
Opponents' 2009 winning percentage: .453
Games against 2009 playoff teams: 4
ANALYSIS
Pete Carroll gets a break in his first season: The Seahawks face only three teams that made the '09 playoffs, and their interconference division is the AFC West, meaning less cross-country travel than usual—only three of their games are scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Carroll will know early where his club stands in the NFC West, as he'll see all three divisional opponents in the first six games.
SPOTLIGHT
Aaron Curry, Linebacker
AFTER DRAFTING Curry fourth overall in 2009, the Seahawks' previous management marveled at how he showed more pass-rush ability in off-season workouts than he did on Wake Forest's game tapes. Now would be a good time for Curry to blossom into an edge rusher, because Seattle lacks a pass-rush presence. The team had only two sacks over its final five games last season, and its top three ends are gone—Patrick Kerney to retirement, Darryl Tapp and Lawrence Jackson in trades.
Curry may have the ability to rush the passer, but does he have the mind-set? The 6'2" 255-pounder prefers playing over the tight end; however, most successful pass rushers come from the weak side of the formation, where there is less traffic. Beyond Curry the Seahawks don't have much. End Chris Clemons had eight sacks three years ago with Oakland, but he got just seven total during the past two seasons with Philadelphia. Linebacker Leroy Hill made a strong impression as a rookie in 2005 with 7½ sacks, but he sprained a knee early in camp and might not be healthy by the opener (which he'll miss while serving a one-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy).
Curry has vowed to be a different player this year than the one who had just two sacks in '09. He has said that he played "soft" as a rookie because he was worried about making mistakes. His goal in '10: "imposing my will." The Seahawks are holding their collective breath that he's a man of his word.
PHOTO
ROBERT BECK
TOUCHABLE Hasselbeck is facing unexpected competition from a career backup.
PHOTO
JOHN W. MCDONOUGH