710 ESPN Seattle
Updated Sep 23, 2009 - 11:51 am
Wyman: 3-yards and a cloud of broken ribs (The Matt Hasselbeck scramble).
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E-mail thisThe debate about whether Matt Hasselbeck should've scrambled for a few extra yards last Sunday should probably be dead and gone by now-ending with the following set of quotes by NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon:
"When you're trying to score points and your team has been struggling offensively, you have to give your body up sometimes. You hate the result but at that particular moment, because of the intensity of the game, because it was right before the half, you've gotta go ahead and give your body up."
But if there's one thing I enjoy…it's a good fight. That's why I'm really going to delve into this ridiculously controversial scramble by Matt Hasselbeck. You might argue that I'm part of the problem and that I should just let it die…but I'm far too immature to take the high road on this one. (If I were that type of guy…I would insert one of those little semi-colon and parenthesis smiley faces here)
On the play in question, it was 2nd & goal on the 49er 4-yard line. If Matt were to have taken a knee or thrown the ball away, as many have since argued, it would've come up 3rd & goal on the 4. Instead, Matt's scramble put them at 3rd & goal on the 1-yard line.
So let's look at this from a technical down and distance, field position perspective and break down what Matt Hasselbeck really did on that play.
Do you have any idea how much harder it is to play defense on 3rd & 1 as opposed to 3rd & 4?! Well I do and I can tell you that the latter means pass, almost exclusively. It's a more predictable situation and you can plan on being 90% sure that a pass is what you'll get. 3rd & 1 is a totally different situation. There are three things that can happen.
- Run-How many times can you realistically limit a team to less than a one-yard run? You have to be up on your toes and ready to come down hill fast in order to make a play.
- Play action pass-especially difficult on linebackers. You have to honor the run and once you do…there goes your coverage running past you. If you don't know what I mean, go back and watch the first play of the Monday Night Football game. Miami Dolphin linebacker Akin Ayodele had man-to-man coverage on Indianapolis Colt tight end Dallas Clark. He took one step (one step!) forward on a run fake and there went Clark right past him en route to an 80-yard touchdown pass.
- Pass-
A) You must play man-to-man defense. Zone is no good…there's too much space for a QB to fit a quick pass in between zone defenders.
B) Playing man-to-man defense in that area of the field is difficult because you have to get on your coverage quickly and there's always lots of traffic. To explain what I mean, just look at what the Seahawks ran on 3rd & 1 in that situation. They lined up in a trips bunch formation where 3 receivers lined up…well…in a bunch! They ran different directions, causing confusion and then Julius Jones ran a swing pattern behind that mess and was wide open for the easy walk-in TD
So my point is that Matt's scramble created a very difficult situation for the San Francisco defense and it was instrumental in the ease of that touchdown.
So when you ask the question "What was Hasselbeck thinking?!" I'll bet the answer is, "3rd & 1 is WAY better than 3rd & 4"
Next…. put down your remote and get up out of your "quarterback" armchair.
It's easy to put yourself in Matt's helmet with the benefit of perfect 20/20 hindsight. Yes the play didn't end up making a difference in the game-the Hawks lost by 13. Yes it may hurt the team to have to go without #8 for a period of time. But what about at that moment? As I mentioned earlier…I would argue until I'm Seahawk Blue in the face, 3rd & 1 vs. 3rd & 4 could be the difference between 7 points and only 3. But let's really get inside Matt's helmet.
At that particular moment…
Do you want to know what's going through EVERY player and EVERY coach's mind in the NFL?
- The NFL really does stand for "Not For Long." Your tail is on the line, especially these days, every moment.
- I have to make a play RIGHT NOW. Not on the next play, not in the next series, not in the next quarter or the next game. RIGHT NOW! It's an emergency!
It's not about the past, the future, whether or not he got hurt last year, what our record is, what week this is in the season. He's simply living in the moment. Remember what Warren said…. "At that particular moment" "That particular moment" is all that exists. Where do you think all of those clichés come from? "You gotta take one play at a time. The most important play is the next play. You're only as good as your next play." Those are things that coaches and players have been saying for years-they're laughed off as dumb jock quotes-used by most as a punch line. But guess what…they exist because they're very real.
Now I know what you're going to say…"but he should be thinking about these things. He should consider that it's just one play in week 2. He should be thinking about his back injury and the fact that he turns 34 soon." The decisions that are made on an NFL football field occur in 3.5 seconds. There's no time to ponder these things! If you want a job pondering, go teach philosophy at the nearest community college. Get a job as a University professor. But please don't try to play quarterback in the NFL.
So how do I feel about Matt Hasselbeck now?
I like him more than I ever did! Why? It's not just the 26,000 yards of passing and the 160 TD's. It's not the fact that he's the 2nd highest rated 2-minute quarterback in the league. It's not the 3 Pro Bowls. It's that he's courageous. The best definition of courage that I've ever heard: Courage is when you're scared…but you go anyway.
Another quote from Warren Moon:
"When you're in the red zone…every yard is just so crucial. They're so hard to come by so if you got a chance to make 3 or 4 more yards on a scramble, you go ahead and do it. You don't play the game thinking you're going to get hurt."
P.S.
I've read your comments since my last blog and I have to say that I appreciate each and every one of them. My hope and aim is not to say, "You don't know what it's like man!!" It's to try to explain what goes on out there, how it feels, etc. I've said this before…you gotta be just a little bit crazy to play this game.
Matt IS crazy!
Why would you run up the field at any time knowing that Patrick Willis might splatter you? Why did I run as hard as I could into 325 lb. men for a living? We're all a little touched in the head! If I were forced to break this whole thing down to one sentence, I would say, "You can't play scared."
I love the passion in your comments! It shows you care.
I think we all agree on one thing…Go Hawks!
Matt Pitman covers the Seattle Seahawks for 710 ESPN Seattle
and MyNorthwest.com. Matt has reported on Seattle sports
since 2000 and is the host for the Mariners pre and post game
shows on 710 ESPN Seattle. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattpitman
For the past 5 years, David Wyman has been a part of the
Seahawks pre and post game team on KIRO-AM and KIRO-FM. Dave
is a former NFL linebacker. He was a 2nd round draft choice
of the Seattle Seahawks in 1987 and was a 5-year starter for
the Hawks before signing a free-agent contract with the
Denver Broncos in 1993.Copyright © 2010 Bonneville International. All rights reserved.
