KIRKLAND – Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck took another big step toward returning to the playing field by taking part in eight plays with the scout team during a 7-on-7 portion of practice Friday.
Hasselbeck is expected to return to practice on a more full-time basis sometime next week, and the team is targeting the San Francisco game in eight days for his most likely return.
“Health-wise, I felt great,” said Hasselbeck, who completed three of eight passes while wearing a brace on his sprained right knee during the practice. “Performance-wise, I’ve got some work to do. But it was fun just to be out at practice. You get sick of the training room.”
Hasselbeck’s return next week could coincide with that of running back Shaun Alexander, who worked with trainers on the practice field earlier this week but did not take part in Friday’s practice. Coach Mike Holmgren said that the plan is for both players to try to practice next week and possibly play in the 49ers game.
“It’s huge if you get your quarterback back. Regardless of how Seneca (Wallace) has done, it’s important,” Holmgren said. “And then the other guy is the MVP of the league. So we’re talking about a lot of money sitting in that training room in there.”
Alexander has missed five games with a cracked bone in his left foot, while Hasselbeck has been out the past two because of a sprained right knee. There is a good possibility both players will be available for next weekend’s game at San Francisco, but this Sunday appears to be out of the question.
“We’ve got our fingers crossed that maybe we’ll get them both back next week,” Holmgren said.
Injury update: Holmgren said that starting free safety Jordan Babineaux (shoulder) and wide receivers Nate Burleson (foot) and Bobby Engram (thyroid condition) would be game-day decisions. All three took part in Friday’s practice but are listed as questionable for the game.
If Babineaux can’t play, benched starter Michael Boulware would be back in the lineup.
Linebacker D.D. Lewis (toe), fullback Josh Parry (foot), defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs (knee) and tackle Sean Locklear (ankle) did not take part in Friday’s practice and appear unlikely to play in the game.
The injury to Parry could open the door for practice squad fullback David Kirtman, who has a chance of being added to the active roster today.
Catching runner: The Seahawks held Rams running back Steven Jackson to 56 rushing yards on 20 carries in an Oct. 15 meeting. But Jackson did catch seven passes in that game.
Jackson has actually been more effective catching passes than running the ball this year. He hasn’t had a 100-yard rushing game since Week 2, yet he’s had three games in the past five that saw him catch at least six passes. He had a team-high 13 receptions for 133 yards against Kansas City last Sunday.
“I hope people know that he’s a big factor of our offense,” Rams coach Scott Linehan said. “I think Seattle did a great job of containing him. We had our worst rushing output of the season three or four weeks ago, whenever we played. So I credit Seattle really for probably doing as good a job as anybody, if not the best job, of limiting him.”
No-luck charm: Actor Denzel Washington visited the Rams’ practice facility last week to visit his son, John David, who is a practice squad running back.
Linehan, who also has ties to a famous actor in brother-in-law Jim Caviezel, joked that the elder Washington might bring the team luck in the Rams’ game at Kansas City.
That wasn’t the case, as St. Louis lost to the Chiefs, 31-17. And, if any female football fans were wondering, neither Washington will be at Qwest Field on Sunday.
Quick slants: The home team has a 2-3 record in the past five meetings of this rivalry. … The last time the Seahawks lost back-to-back home games was Nov. 28 and Dec. 6 of 2004, when Buffalo and Dallas recorded wins at Qwest Field. … Game balls from Sunday’s win went to running back Maurice Morris (offense), defensive tackle Craig Terrill (defense) and linebacker Kevin Bentley (special teams).
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