Will This Be a Year of Redemption for Matt Hasselbeck?

Last year had to drive Matt Hasselbeck to drink...a lot.

From 2003 to 2007, Hasselbeck had been the quarterback who took the Seattle Seahawks to the playoffs five straight years and won the NFC West Division four years in a row.

In 2005, Hasselbeck started all 16 games, threw for 3,459 yards, 24 TDs against nine interceptions and a passer rating of 98.2 while leading Seattle to a 13-3 season and a Super Bowl appearance against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2007 wasn't a bad year for Hasselbeck either. Playing in all 16 games, he threw for 3,966 yards, 28 TDs against 12 INTs and a stellar 91.4 passer rating, guiding the Hawks to their fourth straight division title.

Last year, the wheels fell off for Hasselbeck. Twisting his back in an Aug. 8, 2008 preseason game turned into a bulging disk in his lower back. He missed the rest of the preseason but did start the regular season.

But the injury to his back limited his effectiveness and the Seahawks elected to shut him down for most of the season.

2008 proved that as goes Matt Hasselbeck, so go the Seattle Seahawks. Watching Hasselbeck on the sidelines during the games, you could just see that it was driving him nuts not to be on the field.

For 2009, this has to be a season of redemption for Hasselbeck. After missing nine games last year, he's had a strong preseason, completing 38 of 59 passes, throwing four TDs, and posting a 111.7 passer rating.

Look for Hasselbeck to come back to his form from 2003 to 2007. The Arizona Cardinals may be the darling of the NFC West right now, but the Seahawks are going to fight hard to gain the top spot again.

Matt Hasselbeck is going to have a lot to do with their success.