Injuries costly in Seahawks' loss to 49ers

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck took his team to the brink of the end zone, diving head first toward the goal line in the final minute of the first half with one of the league's best linebackers bearing down on him.

The hit from San Francisco's Patrick Willis, however, left Hasselbeck unable to reach the sideline before falling to the ground.

Hasselbeck spent the second half of Sunday's game in the hospital with a rib injury, the Seahawks spent it scoreless and after a 23-10 loss to San Francisco, coach Jim Mora was asked if he would have preferred his quarterback had opted for discretion instead of valor?

"He's not going to slide when he's on the 2-yard line when we're in a barnburner of a game," Mora said. "He's not going to do that, and I don't know how you tell him to do anything different than what he did.

"You just don't like to see the result."

The play gained 3 yards, but cost Seattle a starting quarterback, hardly a fair trade from the Seahawks' perspective.

Backup quarterback Seneca Wallace threw a 1-yard scoring pass to Julius Jones on the next play, Seattle's only touchdown of the game.

It was the second half when the effect of Hasselbeck's absence became clear.

The Seahawks got inside the San Francisco 20 just once in the final two quarters and failed to score. Wallace completed 15 of 23 passes, but Seattle didn't have a drive that gained more than 20 yards until the final three minutes of the game.

"For whatever reason, we didn't move the ball at all," receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. "The exception [was] that one drive before halftime when Matt got injured."

That one drive was when Seattle had finally summoned momentum after its offense began the game high-centered for the second consecutive week.

The Seahawks didn't spend the first quarter handing the ball over to the opponents like they did last week against St. Louis, but Seattle didn't do much of anything with the ball, either.

The Seahawks' first three drives produced 17 net yards, one first down and three punts. Hasselbeck completed all of one pass in the opening period, which ended with Seattle trailing 10-0.

The Seahawks began the second quarter with a 57-yard drive that put them in position to kick a field goal. The Seahawks really got moving when they got the ball at their own 30 with 2:35 left.

Hasselbeck completed five consecutive passes during the drive as Seattle moved to the San Francisco 4, where Seattle called a timeout with 57 seconds left. An incompletion on first down was followed by Hasselbeck's second-down scramble. His receivers were covered, but he saw an opening.

"We're fighting for every yard that drive," receiver Nate Burleson said. "It wasn't an easy drive getting downfield. This game wasn't easy at all for the Seattle Seahawks. Matt's thinking, 'You know what, every yard counts right now, and I'm going to do what I can to help out the team.' "

Burleson didn't hear the hit that knocked Hasselbeck out of the game; he saw it. One of the best linebackers in the league stopped him at the doorstep, putting a right shoulder into Hasselbeck's side.

Hasselbeck got up, motioned toward the sideline and began to jog off the field. As he reached the sideline, he put both hands to his helmet. Two of Seattle's trainers reached him, and Hasselbeck's knees buckled. Head trainer Sam Ramsden grabbed hold of Hasselbeck's jersey to try and steady him. Hasselbeck laid down for about two minutes before walking to the locker room.

He did not return.

"I knew he kind of got up pretty slow," Willis said, "but I thought he maybe just knocked the wind out of him a little bit. I hope he's OK."

Not as much as the Seahawks do.

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