Sports

5 Questions for Tim Hasselbeck

Tim Hasselbeck is a NFL studio analyst for ESPN and spent years as a quarterback for both the Giants and Redskins. Hasselbeck spoke with The Post’s Brett Cyrgalis about the upcoming Monday Night Football matchup between the two NFC East rivals.

Q: With the Giants (7-4) vying to lock up the division and the Redskins (5-6) still hanging on to playoff hopes, what do you expect to see from the game Monday?

A: I think you look at the last time they played [Oct. 21, Giants won 27-23 on a late touchdown pass], it was a very competitive game. So I think it’ll be interesting because it gives an opportunity for the Giants to play Robert Griffin III after having beat him, which will be exciting to see from the standpoint of the Giants having a very talented [defensive] front. We will all be lucky if it ends like the last one did.

Q: What have you made of the rookie season Robert Griffin III is having for the Redskins so far?

A: It’s kind of weird to call a season a success so far when, one, it’s not done and, two, you don’t know if they make the playoffs. But for a guy who came out of a system like [one] he came out of in college, to be able to have some of the success he had this season, I think the Redskins should be thrilled.

Q: What do the Giants have to do if they want to stop RG3 and that dynamic offense?

A: They run a lot of formations that are not typical formations in the NFL. They end up having a lot of guys on the backfield on numerous snaps, which makes it a little easier for the defense having not to defend the entire field. With that being said, part of what they’ve been good at is running the football. I think if you’re able to defend the run and not play with the safety coming down in run support, then you’re asking him to do more in the pass and even though he’s been good at that, I still think that’s how people are going to want to defend him.

Q: How did you interpret Eli Manning’s mid-season struggles when people were saying his arm was tired?

A: The truth is nobody knows how Eli’s arm is feeling besides Eli. He’s over 30 now, he’s thrown a lot of balls and as you get older you have to manage that type. I don’t know that if his arm was killing him, he would tell anyone outside that building. It was something I never thought would be a prolonged struggle for him.

Q: After being the best division for years, why do you think the NFC East is having a down year?

A: The Dallas Cowboys have been just so inconsistent, and because they have so many guys that make mental errors, they’re just not what I think is a mentally tough football team. The Eagles, every way you look has been a train wreck. And the team that was picked to be weakest in the division [Redskins], they’ve dealt with injuries. Those three things on those teams, then all of sudden that division doesn’t look so dominant. I still think there’s a lot of good football being played there, and if the Giants end up being the rep of the NFC East in the postseason, they’ll be a tough team for anybody.