Matt Hasselbeck Guy Quotations

It's not something we're hung up on. I'm sure some of the coaches are aware of it. But a lot of our guys are young. They don't remember, and they don't really care.

If he's healthy and can go, he's just another weapon for us. Another guy they can't leave by himself and if they do, Darrell will do what Darrell does.

Obviously, when those guys are playing well, it makes my job easier. The system that we have here, it's just able to click when those guys are doing their jobs.

That is probably not going to happen against these guys. These guys are very good defensively. I think we need to be ready to weather the storm a little bit in terms of not being as successful as we're used to being.

I don't know if we have talked to those guys as much as we see how they conduct themselves. Joe has just been going about his business like he has all year. ... You just continue to be professional.

They could have brought in a bunch of different guys in 2001, (but) they chose me. I don't take that lightly.

Other than that, I would have to agree. He has been a team guy this year.

He said basically, if you want to make it in this league, you have to forget all that stuff or you're going to end up like this guy, this guy and this guy who never made it because they couldn't handle it.

When he went down, their guys were excited and our crowd answered back in a great way with kind of an MVP chant. It was good for our offense and we felt we actually had the momentum after that.

I think every team I have been on you have a group of guys that are really helping pull the team in the right direction. Then you have a couple guys that are pulling it in a wrong direction. Everybody else is sort of on the fence,

It really starts from the top, that is just the message we've been given. The veteran guys on our team would just sort of repeat the message from above, and we'd just try to live it out. Everyone is saying the goals of this team are more important. If you've really got chemistry and camaraderie, those things happen.

We weren't worried at all. All year we have had guys step up when players go down.

Once I had this horrible start my first year as starter, and he sat down during the game and told me about this horrible game he had in 1997 against the New York Jets, but still went to the Pro Bowl. He didn't have to be the guy that he was.

Henning wanted me to change my passing techniques, and I just couldn't do it. I think that was the reason he played another guy and not me.

It's definitely hard when you're putting in the work and the guy who's starting isn't, especially if he's overhyped or you're not winning. I can't imagine how hard it would be to be that guy's backup.

We thought that maybe we would struggle a little bit more than we did, ... But those guys played great.

I don't know if it was me. Those other guys stepped up. It was really a team win today.

I don't know if it was just because they were the heavy kids in the pool with their T-shirt on or what. But every team I've been on, those guys have been really, really close.

His speech was about the practice-squad guys on our team, and what they've meant to our team. These guys don't get to go out there and play, and yet they have busted their butt for a chance for us to be successful.

Detroit's been great. I've actually had a great time. The weather has been great. I've said many times, we've had police escorts everywhere we go in every city, and these are definitely the best police escorts. I don't know if they practice at home on the weekends or what, but these guys know what they're doing.

Coaches coach guys on the field. I get to spend time with practice squad receivers and tight ends or a young center who's always inactive on Sundays... I feel really good about having an impact on those guys and their careers.

Yeah, he was a little quiet, didn't necessarily hang with everybody, but he was a professional, worked really hard, great teammate and a veteran guy who'd been around awhile,

I like to use my Larry Bird analogy, because I'm from Boston. It must have been frustrating playing behind Larry Bird. Because no matter what happens, good or bad, he's the guy. And you've got no chance of getting in. That's just the way it is. It's tough to play behind a future Hall of Famer.

We know you guys are new, we don't care, and we're not going to get ultra-conservative. We believe in you guys and we're going to let you make plays.

Throwing mechanics, shoulder posture, my drop ? little things like that. Right now in camp it still feels like I'm confined and working on stuff. My feeling is, hey, these guys know what they're talking about. I'm buying in 100 percent to what they're saying. Don't ask questions. Come September, your mechanics will be better, you'll be a more accurate passer, and because of that your team will be better.

Defensively, they are very well coached. I know we always say that, but it is really true this time. I think these guys are the best in the NFC.

That was fun n a little sloppy at times, but some of the most exciting plays I've seen all year. Coach Fox promised, by the end of the week, 'We'll put a smile on your face.' All the Seattle guys were smiling.

When I said that, whenever it was, two years ago, that's how it was, having fun with some good friends. It's just a sign of the friendship. There's a core group of guys when I played here. There was something special about that team.

Knowing Chike -- he's a guy with a great pass rush and he's got a motor -- I don't think any quarterback gets excited about going up against him. I think our guys, hopefully, will be up to the task.

There are definitely enough resources of people that have been there. Even guys on our team that have been there and played in this game, and I guess you just have to listen and try to learn what you can from those types of people.

I know that those guys (the officials) have a difficult job, and they're trying the best that they can. So I certainly don't blame them. But you know, film doesn't lie, I guess is what I would say.

I know where Mike's coming from. He really wanted me to focus on what I could control. But the simple fact is those guys are very different, and I haven't played with them.

I'm sure some of the coaches are aware of it, or the people who have been in the building for a long time are aware of it. But a lot of our guys are young. They don't remember, and they don't really care. What we do care about is this team, this year and what we can do.

We understand that this is Jerome Bettis' hometown and that he's going to get a lot of the attention. He's a classy guy who's had a great career. You can see why it's kind of hard for us to compete against that for attention.

It's a great feeling in our locker room right now, because we did come together. There is something a little bit more special about fighting through adversity and hanging in there in a tough game against a really good defense. Guys get hurt. Pork Chop Womack filled in at left tackle for Walter Jones for a couple of plays. He said something like, 'Did I make you nervous in there when Walt was out?' I told him no.

What you can learn from this guy is the thing people call intangibles like his leadership style and the way he motivates guys around him. The way he has the ability to intimidate the opponent without saying a word. He's one of a kind.

We're a focused team right now. For the first time, you can say, hey, I know I can count on the guy next to me. That's definitely a good feeling.

All those guys were trying to win the MVP. Somebody must have told them they had a shot on defense, and they were going for it.

All year we've had guys that we aren't necessarily counting on stepping up and being guys we can count on. In that way, today was no different for us.

I wouldn't say we didn't miss a beat, it's not the same with those guys out. But we all had confidence in those guys that they would play well ... and those guys played great.

I don't think anyone was really that surprised, at least in our locker room. I don't think anyone was really surprised how some of those guys did.

It makes it easier for everybody. Coach Holmgren can just look at his call sheet and call plays he likes, get guys going, spread the ball around.

He didn't have to be that guy. He was my backup and he was the most supportive guy on the team.