Sports

POSTED: Saturday, Dec. 06, 2008

Sacks take their toll: Hasselbeck likely out

RENTON – In what is becoming a recurring nightmare for the Seattle Seahawks, they learned Friday there is a good chance that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will not be available for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.

After Hasselbeck sat out Friday’s practice with a sore back, Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said Hasselbeck is doubtful to play against the team for whom he grew up rooting. Seneca Wallace will start if Hasselbeck cannot.

It also appears as if left tackle Walter Jones will not be available against New England because he continues to suffer from a leg injury that, in part, led to Jones relinquishing two sacks to Dallas’ DeMarcus Ware on Thanksgiving.

Jones has not practiced all week. Holmgren said he would be a game-time decision. But second-year guard Mansfield Wrotto after practice sounded as if he was ready to start his first NFL game.

If Jones is unable to play, the offensive line would be Sean Locklear replacing Jones, Floyd Womack at left guard, Steve Vallos at center, Wrotto at right guard and Ray Willis at right tackle.

“Very first start in the NFL, it’s going to be a great experience,” Wrotto said. “I am loving every minute of it. It is difficult to play the entire preseason and be on the sidelines for most of the season. I put in the preparation every week in practice. It is something I don’t want to get used to. I am given the opportunity right now, I am going to take full advantage of it.”

Wrotto also will be Vallos’ backup, even though the Seahawks on Friday signed center Steve McKinney, a 10-year veteran who has played 143 games for Indianapolis and Houston. Once McKinney learns the offense, he is likely to back up Vallos.

To make room for McKinney, the Seahawks placed guard Mike Wahle on injured reserve because his shoulder injury has failed to respond to treatment. Wahle is the 12th Seahawks player to be placed on injured reserve this season.

Wahle said he will have arthroscopic surgery on the shoulder in the near future, causing him to miss three to four months while rehabbing.

Wahle, the Seahawks’ biggest free-agent acquisition last offseason, said he did not injure the shoulder on one particular play but that the strength in his right arm had been deteriorating because surgery to repair a torn labrum did not give him the proper range of motion.

“Last time I had surgery, my range of motion was terrible, and that contributed to the problems I am having now,” Wahle said. “The big thing here is to get my range of motion back so that I am equal on both sides.

“We got to go back in there and make sure that everything is where it should be and moving around like it should.”

Holmgren said linebacker Leroy Hill, suffering from a stinger that is causing weakness in his right arm, is a game-time decision. If Hill cannot play, D.D. Lewis will start at weakside linebacker.

Hasselbeck has missed five games this season with a bulging disc in his back, which was creating a weakness in his leg.

Holmgren said Hasselbeck is still feeling the residual effects of getting hit so often during the team’s 34-9 loss to Dallas, when he was sacked seven times and hit several others.

“He has to feel a little bit better (to play), I would say,” Holmgren said. “It is not as serious as (the last injury) but there are some (of the same) symptoms.”

Hasselbeck had his helmet at Friday’s practice, but he stood on the side for the entire session while Wallace took all of the snaps with the first team.

Holmgren said the team prepared to have Hasselbeck against the Patriots but it should not change things a great deal schematically if Hasselbeck can’t play.

“It might change once we get to Sunday. But there will not be wholesale changes,” Holmgren said. “If he can’t play, Seneca is prepared to play just like before.”

Jones has missed only four games since the 1998 season, including one last year when he was rested in the last game of the season for the playoffs. He also missed a game in 2005. He has not practiced at all this week, the first time this season that has happened.

Hawks sign defensive tackle

The Seahawks on Friday also signed defensive tackle Kevin Brown to the practice squad.

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