Coming out of the locker room for the third quarter, I was horrified to see it was Whitehurst with a helmet on and Hasselbeck nowhere to be seen on the sideline. Sure enough, Seattle got the kickoff and Charlie Fucking Whitehurst trotted onto the field. He started off well, with a nice completion to Ben Obomanu, and I began relaxing a bit. Maybe he learned from last week.
Sure as shit, the next time he dropped back, he threw a pick to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on a play so bad even announcer Brian Billick was shocked. Billick then spent five minutes reviewing the video and picking out the mistakes Whitehurst made, twisting the knife in my heart ever deeper with each word.
From that point on, every play had my heart in my throat. No one was happier than me to see Hasselbeck come back out with a soft cast on his left wrist and ready to play. Okay, to be fair, Whitehurst was better. He finished with four completions on six attempts and 53 yards, but that interception could have been the beginning of the end.
3. Jay Feely – I’m still trying to figure out why Arizona kicker Jay Feely was wearing wide receiver gloves. It wasn’t cold; he was wearing short sleeves, and his one attempt to recover the surprise onside kick was bungled when he touched the ball short of it going 10 yards. I’m thinking Feely is just a punk kicker trying to feel tough.
The Ugly:
1. Darnell Dockett – Speaking of punks, Dockett said after the beat down Seattle gave the Cardinals in Seattle that this time it would be personal. From a cheap shot artist like Dockett, that means even more fun and mayhem. As much as I can’t stand him, I have to give Dockett credit for being a good player and reliable too. He has played in 104 straight games. Wait, that should be had played because I guess part of making it personal for Dockett was for him to stand on the sideline in street clothes. No chance for him to put his forearm into Hasselbeck’s throat while holding him down this time.
2. Kickoff – Seattle’s special teams has been the one consistent bright spot this season. That almost went in the dumpster on the opening kickoff. Cardinals returner LaRod Stephens-Howling took the kick from Olindo Mare at the four-yard line and ran straight up the middle of the field for 52 yards. Only a saving tackle from Mare and Earl Thomas saved a touchdown.
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