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When Matt Hasselbeck arrived in Green Bay as the Packers’ unheralded sixth-round draft in 1998 his wildest dreams could not have concocted what will transpire at the Metrodome on Saturday night.

Brett Favre, again. Brett Favre, still.

Hasselbeck, now in his 10th season as the Seahawks’ starting quarterback, was Favre’s backup in Green Bay for three seasons before being traded to Seattle in 2001. But since they parted company, Favre has continued to be on the horizon of both Hasselbeck and the Seahawks like “those guys” trailing Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Saturday’s preseason game will mark the eighth consecutive season that Favre has faced off against the Seahawks and Hasselbeck.

“It’s amazing what he has done, and what he’s continuing to do. It really is,” Hasselbeck said. “The streak that he has going is just ridiculous.”

That would be Favre’s string of starting 285 consecutive games – 309 if you count his playoff appearances.

Almost as ridiculous, however, is how the paths of Favre, the Seahawks and his former backup have crisscrossed.

Favre bracketed the career of Mike Holmgren as Seahawks coach. In Holmgren’s first “Monday Night Football” game with the Seahawks, he returned to Lambeau Field to face Favre and the Packers – a game the Seahawks won 27-7, as Favre threw four interceptions. In Holmgren’s final game at Qwest Field on Dec. 21, 2008, the opponent was the New York Jets – and Favre, who threw two more picks in the Seahawks’ snow-covered 13-3 victory.

The Seahawks also have faced Favre the Vikings. It was last November at the Metrodome, when he completed 22 of 25 passes and threw for four touchdowns in the Vikings’ 35-9 victory. The last time they faced Favre the Packer was in that 2007 playoff that was played in a snowstorm at Lambeau Field. Favre was 18 of 23 as the Packers made like a snowplow in dispatching the Seahawks 42-20.

They’ve also faced Favre when he wasn’t at his best. Like the Seahawks’ 34-24 win at Qwest Field in 2006, when Favre threw three interceptions.

This time around, it’s only a preseason game. But it’s the Vikings’ first game at home this summer, and will be Favre’s Metrodome return from yet another flirtation with retirement. He played last week, completing his only pass in a brief stint in a 15-10 loss to the 49ers in San Francisco. But then Favre had only rejoined the team earlier in the week.

Saturday night, he’s expected to get his long stint of the preseason as he prepares for 20th NFL season.

“There is no substitute for calling plays in the game; being in that environment,” Favre told reporters Wednesday during a news conference. “I jokingly say getting hit, but that is part of the game too. Not that I particularly care for it, but it has got to come sometime.

“I think it’s important to get more (playing time this week). … With each year there is that excitement and all of that stuff. That’s a good thing; being able to control that.”

So it will be up to the Seahawks’ defense to control Favre. Again. Still.

Bring it on, says Seahawks defensive backs coach Jerry Gray.

“You’ve to face the best in order to be the best, and Brett Favre is one of the best in the league,” Gray said. “You’ve got to find out where you measure up against those guys. We already know the Vikings are good.

“What we’ve got to do, we’ve got to keep pushing what we want to be. And that is, hey, if we want to be in the upper class, we’ve got to push to be in the upper class.”

And do it against a guy who has been no pushover for the Seahawks in past meetings – preseason, regular season and postseason.

You don’t have to remind Hasselbeck. 

“Yeah, it’s alright,” Hasselbeck said when asked about not being able to get away from Favre. “I don’t have to play against him. I’ll let Earl Thomas worry about that.”

That’s the Seahawks’ rookie free safety, who wasn’t even 2-years old when Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1991.