Injured quarterbacks have Seahawks suffering, frustrated

Published 11:00 pm Wednesday, October 15, 2008

RENTON — Seneca Wallace?

Or Charlie Frye?

When the Seattle Seahawks opened practice on Wednesday afternoon, the decision still had not been made as to which quarterback will replace injured Matt Hasselbeck this Sunday at Tampa Bay.

The pair split time working with the No. 1 offense, and coach Mike Holmgren said the final decision comes down to how Wallace’s sore calf feels later this week.

“If everything is OK there, then Seneca will probably start the game,” Holmgren said during his noon press conference Wednesday. “If it’s not, then Charlie will start. But they both have to practice, just to see how Seneca feels.”

Wallace has not played in a game since injuring his calf in a pregame workout on Sept. 14, when he was working out at wide receiver. Wallace aggravated the injury last week but was in uniform for the Green Bay game on Sunday.

Frye started that game and had just 83 passing yards in a 27-17 loss.

If the Seahawks had their way, Wallace would be healthy enough to fill in for Hasselbeck this week.

After practicing Wednesday afternoon, Wallace said it’s still too early to tell if he’ll be available.

“A big part of my game is moving around and making plays,” he said. “If those things aren’t working, it’s tough to do what I do.”

The quarterback position has taken the place of wide receiver on the Seahawks’ list of frustrations. Hasselbeck is nursing a bulging disk in his back, a recurrence of an injury that flared up in the preseason. The Seahawks are holding out hope that he’ll be available for next week’s game at San Francisco, but he has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against Buccaneers.

That leaves Wallace and Frye as the only options, but the decision about whom will start is probably still a few days from being made.

“Under a normal circumstance, you would obviously like to know who your quarterback will be,” wide receiver Bobby Engram said Wednesday. “But these are not normal circumstances around here these days.”

Both Wallace and Frye said that they will be mentally ready to start Sunday, regardless of who gets the call.

“Every week, you want to go out there and make a statement and prove your point,” said Frye, who completed 12 of 23 passes for 83 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in his first start as a Seahawk last Sunday. “I look forward to trying to get out there every week. But if Seneca’s ready to go, he’ll obviously be the starter. And I’ll just be prepared if something happens.”

Wallace, who started four games in place of Hasselbeck in 2006 and had a 2-2 record to show for it, said he is not nervous about the possibility of making another start on Sunday.

“I’m excited about it, but there (are) no nerves or anything like that,” he said. “I’ve been here for six years, so I’m not nervous. I’m just excited to get out there and play.”

Oddly, there is a possibility that none of the receiving options playing for Seattle on Sunday have ever played in a game that Wallace started. Engram was out with a thyroid condition during Wallace’s four-game stint in 2006, while fullback Leonard Weaver was on injured reserve. Wide receiver Deion Branch played in all four games, but he might not be available this Sunday because of a bruised heel.

But Engram said of the sixth-year quarterback: “We’ve been together so long that I felt like we’ve played together. … I expect him to play well.”

Weaver added that Wallace’s short stint as a starter should help him this time around.

“Seneca has always been one of the top-ranked backups in the league,” the veteran fullback said.

Holmgren has never been coy about his confidence in Wallace as a quarterback, and he was at it again Wednesday.

The coach talked about how Wallace is “a much better passer than people give him credit for,” and added that the 28-year old is better off for having started four games in the past.

“When he had the opportunity to play in games when Matt was hurt before — with less experience than he has now — I thought he played quite well,” Holmgren said. “He made some mistakes, but he had some very good games, too. I think you saw glimpses of how he could be.”

Holmgren is hoping that Wallace will be healthy enough to play on Sunday. With Hasselbeck unavailable, the former Iowa State star seems to be the best option the Seahawks have.

“If he decides to favor (the injured calf) too much, or he’s too aware of that, then the decision (is): are you better off going with Charlie?” Holmgren said. “That’s the puzzle a little bit this week.

“So we’ll see how it goes and see how (Wallace) feels at the end of the week.”