Hasselbeck charms but doesn't dazzle

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Matt Hasselbeck delivered the punch line without provocation.

"I want to just say right now," he said last Saturday, "that we want the ball and we're gonna score."

People laughed. But people always laugh around Hasselbeck.

He times his jokes as well as his passes. He is witty, charming and not too serious to poke fun at himself, by referencing his call of the overtime coin flip in Green Bay four years ago before answering questions about Seattle's wild-card playoff victory over Washington.

Hasselbeck is entertaining, no doubt about that.

But is he a showstopper? We haven't seen that. Not in the playoffs. At least not yet.

Hasselbeck has won four playoff games for a franchise that had only three postseason victories when he arrived in 2001, but he has yet to turn in a signature performance when it matters most. He is 0-2 in overtime in the playoffs, and the postseason moment people most remember is that line he uttered to begin overtime in the game Seattle lost in Green Bay.

This is not about Hasselbeck's history. That has been well covered this week. This is about his legacy. How will he be remembered?

He is the other quarterback in today's playoff game, playing opposite a guy who gets talked about in mythical terms. Brett Favre is Paul Bunyan lined up in the shotgun. He is Zeus with a tight spiral. He is a good ol' boy from Mississippi with a devil-may-care gleam in his eye and an arm that football coaches dream about.

"It would be hard to find anybody as talented as Brett, honest to goodness," coach Mike Holmgren said. "His natural ability — God-given ability — is pretty unique."

Hasselbeck's engine isn't that big. He's a draft-day afterthought who entered through the NFL's back door and used elbow grease to work his way into a starring role.

"Matt had a tougher road to go than Brett," Holmgren said.

Hasselbeck's career is an unmitigated success. He has grown from a sixth-round draft pick into one of the NFL's very best craftsmen. He has good stats and a great sense of humor, and he was chosen this season to go to the Pro Bowl for the third time.

But what is his most memorable playoff moment?

The 20-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Hackett that put the Seahawks ahead of Washington last Saturday? Well, the Seahawks were forced to come from behind because of Hasselbeck's two interceptions earlier in the quarter.

Last year's victory over Dallas will always be known for Tony Romo's bobbled snap on a field-goal attempt.

Hasselbeck led Seattle to the Super Bowl two years ago, but that was a team that ran the ball better than any Seahawks team ever had. Hasselbeck wasn't intercepted in the Seahawks' two playoff victories, but he didn't pass for more than 220 yards in either of those games, either.

Hasselbeck deserves credit for the golden age of Seahawks football. But for all that success, his call of the coin flip in Green Bay — after which he threw the pass Al Harris picked off and returned for the winning touchdown — remains the trump card.

The interception wasn't Hasselbeck's fault. Holmgren made that clear this week. The pattern called for the receiver to cut to the outside after 6 yards. Alex Bannister went 8 ½ instead, opening the door for Harris to jump in front.

That play happened four years ago. The Seahawks were a young team tasting the postseason for the second time in Holmgren's tenure. Now, Hasselbeck is a veteran in the midst of his very best season. The offense has always been in his hands, but now it depends on his arm like never before.

"As important as Brett is to the Packers," Holmgren said, "that's how important Matt is to us."

Hasselbeck broke his franchise record for season passing yards this season. He'll likely set the franchise record for career completions next season. He could surpass Dave Krieg's mark for career passing yards in 2008, too.

Hasselbeck has made history, but this is about his legacy. Can he make a postseason memory that will supplant that prediction that went unfulfilled four years ago in Green Bay?

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com