Hasselbeck lights up Cardinals
SEATTLE -- For months, Matt Hasselbeck wondered when his sputtering, injured Seahawks would start playing like their old selves again.
"I knew it would happen, I was just hoping it would happen in time," he said.
It did, with three weeks to spare.
Hasselbeck threw 4 touchdown passes -- the most of his soaring season -- and Seattle clinched its fourth consecutive NFC West title with an emphatic 42-21 victory over Arizona on Sunday, ending the Cardinals' quest for their first division title since 1975.
"He played unbelievably," linebacker Lofa Tatupu said of Hasselbeck, who ensured Seattle will play at least one home playoff game.
The Seahawks (9-4) stormed to a 24-0 lead midway through the second quarter, intercepted Kurt Warner five times and sacked him five times while cruising to their fifth consecutive victory. It's their longest streak since a team-record 11-game run two seasons ago that helped them reach their first Super Bowl.
This current streak has come since coach Mike Holmgren declared he was ditching most of a stalled running game and relying on Hasselbeck's passing.
"He is doing everything I have asked him to do -- and probably a little more," Holmgren said.
Moments earlier, team owner Paul Allen gathered all in the locker room and presented Holmgren with the game ball for passing Chuck Knox with his team-record 84th victory as Seahawks coach.
"It's pretty cool," Holmgren said.
So are Seattle's white T-shirts and caps proclaiming them NFC West champions. Patrick Kerney, the NFL's sack leader with 13½, was wearing his as he walked off the field to fans' chants of "Ker-NEY!" He had his third 3-sack day in four games.
Shaun Alexander was wearing his cap with a coat and tie as he left the locker room. The league MVP in 2005 had 38 yards on 10 carries and is becoming almost irrelevant in Seattle's offense with the way Hasselbeck is playing
Hasselbeck, who threw 3 touchdowns in a runaway first half, was 22 of 33 for 272 yards and no interceptions to stay on pace for team records in attempts, completions and yards. He is completing 63 percent of his passes and has 11 touchdowns with just 3 interceptions during the winning streak.
Arizona was left watching a shouting match between Darnell Dockett and Darryl Blackstock in the locker room. Before that, it watched a career-high in interceptions from a rattled Warner.
"This is as big a game as we've had around here in a while," Warner said. "And (I'm) just disappointed that I cost my team the win today."
Yet the Cardinals are not finished, even after this pratfall. Arizona (6-7), in search of the franchise's second postseason berth in 25 years, is 1 game behind Minnesota for the final wild-card spot in the NFC with three games left.
"We have to win out to have a chance," rookie coach Ken Whisenhunt said.