Hasselbeck (concussion) won't play against Giants

Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will not play Sunday against the Giants because of lingering effects of a concussion suffered last week against the Raiders. Charlie Whitehurst will make his first NFL start against a Giants defense that already has knocked five quarterbacks out of games this season.

"I've been preparing since after the [Raiders] game to start this game and I'll be ready to go," Whitehurst told Seattle reporters. "I'll be nervous. That's fine. But it's happening pretty fast right now."

The Seahawks have been looking forward to seeing Whitehurst for some time. They traded a third-round pick for the 28-year-old restricted free agent during the offseason and then gave him a two-year, $8-million contract. He hasn't appeared in an NFL game since his rookie year in 2006 with the Chargers and has never thrown a pass in the league.

The Seahawks also plan to elevate rookie Zac Robinson from the practice squad to be their backup quarterback.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll had expected Hasselbeck to be available and said he was surprised that the 35-year-old veteran was not cleared to play.

"It's a little more serious than I thought," Carroll said. "He needs another week to get right. We've gone through all the battery of testing and we need to do this to protect him and take care of him."