With playoffs out of range, top QBs to make most of opportunity

SEATTLE -- Marc Bulger and Matt Hasselbeck began the season on the bench. Look at them now.

Bulger can become the fourth NFL quarterback since 1970 to start his career 7-0 when St. Louis (6-8) visits Seattle (5-9) today. He opened 5-0 after Kurt Warner broke his finger in Week 4.

With Warner out again, this time with a broken hand, Bulger took over last week against Arizona. He drove the Rams in the final two minutes to set up Jeff Wilkins' winning field goal in a 30-28 victory, snapping a three-game losing streak in which Bulger did not play.

"I'm surprised because of how tough it is to win in the NFL. To win six straight, I don't know if I'll do this again for a while," Bulger said.

Hasselbeck and the Seahawks, meanwhile, are streaking offensively. Hammered by injuries all season, Seattle has generated some impressive statistics over the past month with Hasselbeck taking the snaps.

"Right now, they are the hottest thing in the league," Rams coach Mike Martz said. "They are putting up big numbers."

In his last four games, Hasselbeck has averaged 327.5 yards passing. He has nine TDs and five interceptions, compared with 208.8 yards, one TD and three interceptions in the four games after he replaced the injured Trent Dilfer.

Running back Shaun Alexander, meanwhile, went from averaging 2.8 yards a carry to 5.6 yards over the same span. He has gained 469 yards rushing in the past month after gaining 185 yards in the previous four games.

"We're playing good football and there's room to improve," Hasselbeck said. "We are so much better than we have been."

The Seahawks are not the same team that lost 37-20 on Oct. 20 in St. Louis.

"The whole team is playing a lot better than they were last time," Martz said.

Seattle coach Mike Holmgren credited the acquisition of tackle Chris Terry, who was released by Carolina four weeks ago. It stabilized an offensive line that had shuffled almost weekly because of injuries.

"Chris Terry has been a nice addition," Holmgren said. "Our protection has been pretty good and it has freed me up to be a little less concerned with being conservative and not making mistakes."

Martz said standout Marshall Faulk will play this week despite the high ankle sprain that has limited the former league MVP much of the season. Even with the injury, Faulk is 103 yards from his sixth straight 1,000-yard season.

The Seahawks aren't sure what to expect from Faulk.

"It's hard to say, because he hasn't really played a whole game," Seahawks linebacker Anthony Simmons said. "He's been used kind of sparingly. I'd expect him to play the entire game and be ready on Sunday. That's the way I'm going to prepare."

The silver lining for Holmgren in this injury-stricken season is that several young players have gained first-team experience. And with the offense taking off, the defense hasn't spent as much time on the field.

"Getting everybody back on their feet, that's been the biggest thing," said cornerback Willie Williams, who returned a fumble 25 yards for a touchdown in last week's 30-24 overtime win at Atlanta.

Containing Bulger is this week's challenge. He can join Dieter Brock, Daunte Culpepper and Mike Tomczak as the only NFL quarterbacks in the last 32 years to win their first seven games.

"I've realized that you might only get one opportunity and you never know when it is coming," Bulger said. "If you're not ready and you blow it, you may be out of this league sooner rather than later."

Neither team will make the playoffs, yet Seahawks Stadium is expected to be full and both coaches see plenty of reasons to get up for this game.

Each team had high expectations in training camp, with the Rams seeking a third Super Bowl appearance in four years and the Seahawks optimistic about a breakthrough in Holmgren's fourth season as coach and general manager.

Instead, Holmgren has been developing young players for next season and Martz hopes to close the year on a three-game winning streak.

"It would mean you win eight of the last 11 and end up 5-1 in the division," Martz said. "You end up with three wins in a row to end the season and great momentum going into the off-season. It means a ton."