ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck thinks it's ridiculous to count out Seattle after a 2-4 start.

Hasselbeck's brother, Tim, apparently needs convincing. The former NFL backup and current ESPN analyst had this to say when speaking with Brock Huard and Mike Salk on 710ESPN Seattle:

"When there's some adversity, I don't know how mentally tough that football team is. Like I said, they got off to a rough start, it's 17-0, they had a turnover on their own end, Lofa [Tatupu] tears his pec, [Patrick] Kerney comes out of the game. I don't know that the guys look at that and say, 'OK, Lofa's out, everyone else needs to step up and play a little bit better, you know. OK, Patrick's out, everyone else needs to step up and play a little bit better.' You know, it's more like 'Aw, man. We just lost two of our best defensive players, what are we gonna do?' I just wasn't impressed with the effort I saw in a big game for that football team."

Coach Jim Mora would surely take issue with that characterization. He thought the defense played better as the game progressed. Tim Hasselbeck's opinions are his own, of course, but the rest of us are free to assume he has at least spoken with his brother about such things. If Matt Hasselbeck made a case to the contrary, his brother wasn't buying it.

Tim Hasselbeck made a few other points during this conversation, at one point holding up the Broncos as a team that has played very well despite changing systems and personnel.