Hasselbeck’s health ‘best it’s been’

RENTON, Wash. – His ribs aren’t fully healed. He couldn’t throw deep passes last week, and he often threw almost sidearm because his shoulder ached.

Yet Matt Hasselbeck says his health is “the best it’s been” since he fractured ribs on Sept. 20 at San Francisco.

“Way better than last week. Way better than it’s been in the last five weeks, really,” the Seahawks’ three-time Pro Bowl passer said Thursday after he fully participated in practice. He was limited Wednesday.

Hasselbeck confirmed coach Jim Mora’s estimation that he will again be full go for Sunday’s key divisional game at Arizona.

Seattle’s most indispensable player threw 51 passes through the pain last weekend, and his team-record 39 completions led a rally from 17 points down to beat Detroit.

Hasselbeck broke ribs high in his back when he was hit while diving for the goal line eight weeks ago.

He returned after two games to play before the ribs were healed, and needed painkilling injections to do so. He said doctors told him the ribs would need a full six weeks to heal – and that was before he took hard shots in losses to the Cardinals and at Dallas in consecutive games around Seattle’s bye.

He has completed 59 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns, two interceptions and Seattle’s first 300-yard passing day since 2007 while starting the Seahawks’ last four games.

So yes, his health is the biggest key to Sunday’s last chance to rejoin the NFC West race. Seattle (3-5) can pull within a game of the first-place Cardinals with a win, but would be three games back with seven games left if it loses.

•Seahawks defensive back Roy Lewis says he is appealing a $5,000 fine from the league for a late hit.

Lewis said Thursday he was docked for hitting Detroit’s Derrick Williams out of bounds at the end of a kickoff return Sunday. He was penalized with a personal foul.

Lewis says teammate Lance Laury was also fined $5,000 by the NFL for a late hit on the same play.