They’re like having a coach on the field

KIRKLAND – The ties that bind Matt Hasselbeck and Peyton Manning are not limited to their conference-best quarterback ratings, their teams’ incredible won-loss records, their football-playing fathers, or even the fact that their little brothers play quarterback for the New York Giants.

Lately, Hasselbeck and Manning have shared another common bond.

Trust.

Not in each other, but from their respective coaches. And when it comes to NFL quarterbacks, there is no greater gift.

“Whenever you have the quarterback in place that you really know will get the ball in the right player’s hands and make the right calls out there,” Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy said, “that’s worth its weight in gold to a coach.”

Manning has been handed the keys to the Colts’ car for years, gaining so much trust from Dungy and offensive coordinator Tom Moore that he has free rein to make adjustments and call audibles at the line of scrimmage.

Lately, Hasselbeck has been similarly free of restrictions for the Seattle Seahawks. After three years of making the coaches pull their hair out whenever he’d call an audible, Hasselbeck seems to have it down this year.

“He’s a veteran quarterback who knows how to handle the game, and he’s doing it very well,” offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said. “Those long drives at the end of games are a compliment to him because he’s able to listen to what (coach Mike Holmgren) says, he’s able to convey it to the team, and they do it. So that’s big.”

It’s been a long process for Hasselbeck, who started his first game with the Seahawks in 2001 but didn’t completely gain Holmgren’s trust until late last season. Once a bit gun-shy about making adjustments at the line of scrimmage, Hasselbeck now does so with the utmost confidence.

To see just how much trust the coaches have in Hasselbeck, one need look no further than last Sunday’s game against Tennessee. Hasselbeck appeared to call no fewer than 11 audibles – or “dummy” audibles, the fake vocal adjustments designed to throw off overanalyzing defenses – at the line of scrimmage.

Part of the trust Hasselbeck has earned comes from the fact that he finally understands the way Holmgren thinks on every play. Hasselbeck said Tuesday that he’s even starting to think like his head coach on the field.

“Without a doubt,” Hasselbeck said. “That’s probably the biggest reason for improvement in my play and in our offense. I am able to better understand what (Holmgren) wants on the football field.”

Manning’s situation is a bit different in that he plays for a defense-minded head coach. In the Colts’ system, he discusses the game plan with Moore during the week and makes calls on the field.

“It’s something you have to earn, as far as earning the trust and earning that freedom,” said Manning. “You’re not going to be handed it; you’ve got to earn it over time.”