"The quarterback is getting hit too much," Holmgren says of O-line woes

KIRKLAND — Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck makes his living standing behind his offensive line.

He stood in front of them after Wednesday's practice, offering some protection to the men who are paid to keep the pressure off of him.

"The biggest thing I need to do is trust those guys more," Hasselbeck said. "There were opportunities in the Chicago game for us to actually handle some of their stuff and block it, and I just bailed out on my protection. Just didn't trust it, basically."

The reality is Hasselbeck has been knocked around pretty good so far this season. His ribs were sore after the season opener in Detroit, his arm was hit from behind while he was attempting a pass in the fourth quarter against the Giants and he was sacked five times in Chicago.

"The quarterback is getting hit too much," coach Mike Holmgren said.

Sacks are up, the Seahawks' rushing average is down and Hasselbeck has been sacked five times in two different games. It's not a coincidence those are the two games Seattle failed to score a touchdown, and the play of the offensive line, which was the Seahawks' strength last season, has come into question.

"We're just going to continue to improve over the course of the season," Holmgren said of the line. "But we started off a little rough. I will say that."

The locker Steve Hutchinson used is occupied by another player, and his spot in the lineup is filled by Chris Spencer. Hutchinson's absence is invoked whenever a sack is suffered or a running play gets stuffed.

"As an offensive line, I don't think we look at it like that," said left tackle Walter Jones. "Like, 'It wouldn't happen to Steve,' or whatever. It's another year, man, and things happen over the offseason. That's one of the things that happened over the offseason. It's over with.

"And I think this offensive line is coming together and trying to do something special this year."

Hutchinson's departure has coincided with a decline in rushing average and a rise in sacks. Is the cause-and-effect relationship that straightforward?

"That's part of it," Holmgren said. "Part of the deal when you take a great player out of the mix, and then really you're putting in a player who his natural position is center in my opinion, but he'll be fine in there. Give it a few games."

Spencer was a first-round pick in 2005. He was chosen to play center, though he did play guard at times in college, and he moved one spot to left guard after Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack was hurt the second game of the season. And while Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris got the better of Spencer a couple of times on Oct. 1, Harris also got the better of Hutchinson at times the week before. Still, Hutchinson's absence remains a popular explanation cited for any Seahawks shortcoming this season.

"Every time something goes wrong, 'It's Steve, it's Steve, it's Steve,' " said Sean Locklear, the right tackle. "You know, he's a great player. We wish he was here. But he's not.

"[But] like I said, it's not because of Steve. ... Chris is more than capable of playing the position."

Seattle's success last season has made the team a target, Locklear said. Then there have been injuries. A starting lineman has been hurt at some point in three of the team's first four games. Jones suffered a sprained ankle in the opener, Womack went down against Arizona, and right guard Chris Gray suffered a knee injury against the Giants.

Shaun Alexander's absence because of a cracked bone in his foot has also changed the Seahawks' approach. And even with all that the Seahawks are still a game ahead of their Super Bowl season.

"Last year we were 2-2," Locklear said. "We're 3-1 right now. The people, the critics, can say whatever, but we as a team, we know what we've got."

That would be a challenge, because explaining the early difficulties on the offensive line is one thing, excusing it is something else.

"Having said all that, they've got to get it done," Holmgren said. "There's no other way to look at it. And they know that. We've got good guys up there. They're willing to accept responsibility."

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