Hasselbeck Breaks wrist in victory over Cards

Published on November 14, 2010 by Seahawk Fanatic     

Only a cracked bone in his left wrist slowed Matt Hasselbeck on Sunday. The Arizona defense certainly didn’t.

Hasselbeck threw for 333 yards and a touchdown, and Mike Williams had the biggest game of his rejuvenated NFL career Sunday in the Seattle Seahawks’ dominant 36-18 victory over the Cardinals.

Hasselbeck, who sat out last week’s game with a concussion, cracked a bone in his left wrist on a quarterback sneak late in the second quarter. He didn’t start the second half, but returned in the third series of the third quarter.

His wrist was in a cast after the game, but he said he was hopeful to play at New Orleans next weekend. Coach Pete Carroll said the injury “looks to be manageable.”

Williams, who spent the past two seasons out of the NFL after flopping in Detroit, caught 11 passes for 145 yards, both career highs, for the Seahawks (5-4), who swept the Cardinals for the first time since 2005. His performance came despite fracturing the pinkie finger on his right hand in practice on Thursday.

With St. Louis losing to San Francisco in overtime, Seattle is alone in first place in the NFC West.

Arizona (3-6) lost its fourth straight, its longest skid since dropping eight in a row in 2006, Dennis Green’s final season as coach.

The Seahawks, outscored 74-10 in losses to Oakland and the New York Giants in their two games since beating Arizona in Seattle, could have made this win far more one-sided. Seattle had to settle for four of Olindo Mare’s five field goals when second-half drives stalled at the 16-yard line or closer. Two of them ended at the 1.

Mare missed a sixth field goal, from 29 yards, when it bounced off the left upright.

Arizona’s Derek Anderson completed 23 of 45 for 322 yards. He was intercepted once, fumbled the ball away once and was sacked five times, two apiece by Aaron Curry and Chris Clemens.

Hasselbeck handled the Arizona secondary for 273 yards passing in the first half.

He repeatedly threw with success toward cornerback Greg Toler and safety Adrian Wilson, often defending against Williams.

Hasselbeck had a 63-yard touchdown pass to Deon Butler who evaded three defenders, including Toler and Wilson, on the catch and run that put Seattle up for good 17-10 midway through the second quarter.

The Cardinals had a wisp of life late. Anderson’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Early Doucet, followed by a 2-point conversion toss to Larry Fitzgerald, cut it to 29-18.

Arizona went for an onside kick and recovered, but was called for touching the ball before it went 10 yards.

In his big first half, Hasselbeck had completions of 44 yards to Chris Baker and 40 yards to Ben Obomanu.

LaRod Stephens-Howling, who took one back for a touchdown last week at Minnesota, returned the opening kickoff 52 yards to the Arizona 48. Anderson threw 13 yards to Stephens-Howling, then connected with Fitzgerald on the sideline for 33 yards to the Seattle 2. Tim Hightower ran it in from there.

Seattle responded with a 12-play, 77-yard drive that included three third down conversion passes for 53 yards to Williams. Marshawn Lynch’s 1-yard TD run tied it at 7-7.

Stephens-Howling injured a hamstring in the first half and played sparingly after that, with Steve Breaston taking over return duties.

Tags: Cardinals, Career Highs, Chris Clemens, coach pete carroll, Concussion, Cornerback, Dennis Green, Derek Anderson, Field Goal, Field Goals, Matt Hasselbeck, New York Giants, Nfc West, Nfl Career, Olindo Mare, Pinkie Finger, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, Two Games, Two Seasons, West Arizona