With just two days left until the NFL playoffs begin, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback controversy is over. Speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll announced Matt Hasselbeck would be the starter against the New Orleans Saints. Backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst performed well enough to get the Seahawks into the playoffs last week, but Hasselbeck's experience won out.
The Seahawks official Twitter account had the news and a quote from Carroll.
"I told him on Monday he was going to start if he could make it through the week," Carroll said about Hasselbeck
Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks
Hasselbeck has been plagued by inconsistency and injuries in 2010, fading down the stretch. Before injuring his hip on a touchdown run against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 16, Hasselbeck suffered through a miserable stretch, turning the ball over eight times in two games.
There is a bright side to all this for the Seahawks. The last time Hasselbeck faced the Saints, the Seahawks quarterback had his best passing game of the year. In New Orleans, Hasselbeck threw for 364 yards and a touchdown without turning the ball over.
Hasselbeck leads the Seahawks against the New Orleans Saints this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on NBC in the first round of the NFC wildcard games.