Seahawks say Hasselbeck has fractured rib, team must prepare as though he won’t play Sunday

Seahawks QB Hasselbeck has fractured rib

RENTON, Wash. — The Seahawks are preparing to play without Matt Hasselbeck on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, though the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback is hoping to start despite a broken rib.

Seattle coach Jim Mora confirmed Monday that Hasselbeck has a fractured rib from a hard hit in the back by 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis while the quarterback dived for the goal line late in the first half of San Francisco’s 23-10 win on Sunday.

Asked if he had to plan to face the Bears without Hasselbeck, Mora said, “Right now, we’ll probably do that — unless we get word otherwise.”

Mora did say Hasselbeck “seems to be doing a lot better today.”

Backup Seneca Wallace, who started eight games last season when Hasselbeck was out with a bulging disk in his back, would make his 13th career start if Hasselbeck can’t go. Wallace completed 15 of 23 passes for 127 yards with a touchdown and interception while finishing Sunday’s loss.

Hasselbeck, who turns 34 on Friday, said the fracture is on the back of a top rib and that the pain is near the shoulder. He said he broke a rib once before while with the Seahawks and played the next game. He didn’t specify when.

“I have definitely felt worse. I have definitely woken up on a Monday and felt worse,” Hasselbeck said Monday in an empty locker room, standing stiffly with his hands on his hips.

“I’m absolutely hoping to play. … I think it’s one of things you just got to suck it up.”

Hasselbeck struggled toward the sideline after Willis’ hit, making it look as if he was loopy. He said he was lightheaded because he couldn’t breathe. He took a trainer’s advice to go to the ground before leaving the field, while Wallace scrambled to enter the game.

An X-ray at the stadium was negative. The Seahawks then had him rushed to Stanford Medical Center, because they feared blood in his urine or internal injuries such as a damaged lung. He underwent an electrocardiogram test and a CT scan. The scan showed the fractured rib.

“Never had to go to the hospital during a game. That was different,” he said.

Hasselbeck said he wasn’t breathing more easily until he took medication just before rejoining the team for its two-hour flight home Sunday evening.

Running back Marion Barber has a left thigh injury and his availability is uncertain. Coach Wade Phillips said Barber had an MRI on Monday, a day after he was hurt on a 35-yard run in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys’ 33-31 loss to the Giants.

Barber gingerly walked off the field after his final run in the home opener. The hard-running Barber appeared to stumble on his own just before getting tackled at the 7. Barber had 18 carries for 124 yards with a 2-yard touchdown.

Right guard Robert Gallery is expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery Monday on a broken bone in his left leg.

Gallery was injured in the second half of Oakland’s 13-10 victory in Kansas City.

Offensive tackle Jason Smith, the second overall pick in this year’s draft, sprained his left knee and will be listed as doubtful for Sunday’s home game against Green Bay.

An MRI exam revealed the extent of the injury, which coach Steve Spagnuolo said Monday would not require surgery. Adam Goldberg finished the game at Smith’s position and would likely replace him as the starter.

Smith said he was hurt during the Rams’ touchdown drive in the second quarter, although he stayed in for several more plays before leaving.

Center Jason Brown also has a knee sprain; Spagnuolo said Brown is day to day. Offensive lineman John Greco (wrist) is set to return this week after missing the first two games.

Pro Bowl DE Justin Tuck and starting receiver Domenik Hixon have undergone tests for injuries sustained against the Cowboys. Tuck hurt his left shoulder when tripped by Cowboys tackle Flozell Adams. He watched the second half with his arm in a sling. Hixon sprained his right knee.

Tuck said he expects to play this weekend, but coach Tom Coughlin was more cautious.

Wide receiver Troy Williamson could be done for the season because of a right shoulder injury. Williamson may have torn his labrum during Sunday’s 31-17 loss to Arizona. Coach Jack Del Rio said he didn’t have test results, but fellow receivers Mike Sims-Walker and Mike Thomas said Monday that Williamson was out for the year.

Brett Favre injured? Yep: a bent fingernail.

Favre’s throwing hand was clearly hurting after his last throw for Minnesota in Sunday’s win over Detroit. He was hit by two defenders in the fourth quarter during a touchdown pass to Percy Harvin. Favre got up and grimaced, glancing down at his hand and shaking it a few times before heading to the sideline. He didn’t return.

Coach Brad Childress said Monday that Favre is fine.

“He bent his fingernail,” Childress said. “That hurts, too. For those of you who have fingernails, that hurts.”

Favre has started 271 straight regular season games, believed to be an NFL record. He is also nine games behind Jim Marshall’s record for a non-kicker of 282 consecutive regular season games played.

Tennessee punter Craig Hentrich isn’t likely to punt Sunday when the Titans visit the Jets after straining his left calf. Coach Jeff Fisher isn’t saying yet if the season is over for the 38-year-old veteran. He had to be helped off the field against Houston.

The 16-year veteran ranks seventh all-time in the NFL with 1,150 punts.

DE Alex Brown was in the trainer’s room instead of a hospital room a day after he sprained his left ankle — a good sign for the Bears. That Brown should be ready to play this week against Seattle was positive news for a team that has already endured its share of pain this season.

“Every time a player goes down and doesn’t get up and you stop the game, that’s your first thought,” coach Lovie Smith said Monday. “You hope that it’s not serious. When they’re on the field for a little while, of course, you’re thinking (it might be) a little bit more. Luckily, in Alex’s case, we don’t think it is. He means a lot to our football team. We need him on the field.”

Linebacker Ernie Sims will miss some time with a “fairly significant” right shoulder injury, coach Jim Schwartz said. Sims has made 14 tackles this season. He was injured in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota.

Sims has not missed a game since the Lions drafted him three years ago. He is the only player on Detroit’s active roster selected by former general manager Matt Millen between the 2002-06 NFL drafts.

Safety Jermaine Phillips has a broken thumb and his status for this week’s home game against the Giants is uncertain. Bucs coach Raheem Morris said Monday that Phillips was hurt during Sunday’s 33-20 loss at Buffalo. The oft-injured Phillips is in his eighth NFL season. Since becoming a starter with the Bucs in 2003, the only year he’s appeared in every game was 2006.

First-round draft pick Peria Jerry sustained a season-ending left knee injury in a victory over Carolina. He was placed on injured reserve Monday.

Thomas Johnson, who had not played in the NFL since 2006 until making the Falcons’ roster, will move up to a starting spot.

“It’s very unfortunate for Peria,” coach Mike Smith said. “It’s a very, very violent game on the offensive and defensive lines. We’re going to miss him, but we’ve go to move forward.”

Defensive tackle Louis Leonard broke his left ankle on the final defensive play at Atlanta. He’s out for several weeks, if not the season. Leonard was acquired from Cleveland on Sept. 1 for a late-round 2010 draft pick to make up for Maake Kemoeatu’s season-ending torn Achilles’ tendon.

Chad Clifton injured his right ankle in the loss to Cincinnati, and coach Mike McCarthy didn’t have a timeline for his return. Clifton was injured on the Packers’ first offensive play of the second half and had to be carted off.

“We’re preparing to play without him,” McCarthy said.