Status of Seahawks' three QBs still looking down

RENTON — Seneca Wallace will do what he always does to prepare for a game this week, then just wait and see.

There should be a better sense of whether Wallace remains the starting quarterback, or if Matt Hasselbeck's back and knee feel good enough, or if Charlie Frye is ultimately the one given the reins to the first-unit offense when practice gets rolling today at Seahawks headquarters. The Seahawks play at San Francisco this Sunday.

Wallace's previously injured calf was sore Monday after his 12-for-23, 73-yard performance at Tampa Bay. It tightened up on him a bit during the game Sunday night, but he will be available if called upon again.

Wallace's start against the Buccaneers made him the third quarterback in the past three games to start for the Seahawks.

"We had some bright spots toward the end of the game doing our two-minute [offense] and moved the ball pretty well," Wallace said. "That was one of the good things that came out of it, but all in all, we just have to play a lot better."

Three quarterbacks in three games is never easy. Even for a veteran like wide receiver Bobby Engram, who has one catch in the past two games, one from Frye and the other from Wallace.

"We're not able to make enough plays right now to sustain drives," Engram said. "We're not doing well enough on third downs, and that's tough on me, that's tough on everybody. We've got to do more. We've got to find a way to stay on the field and get more touches.

"You want some level of consistency, but that's the situation. The quarterbacks have had to deal with a revolving door at wide receiver, so there's a little give and take there."

Wallace was making his first start since the 2006 season and never played in a full game last season. Coach Mike Holmgren said that was part of why Wallace struggled.

"He was playing against a pretty good defense and we got in situations, necessarily, that were difficult. But he hasn't played a lot lately," Holmgren said.

Tough call

Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu was frustrated that the Seahawks weren't given a touchdown after recovering a fumble in the second quarter against Tampa Bay Sunday night. He thought the officials made a mistake.

Cornerback Josh Wilson picked up a fumble caused by Leroy Hill and Tatupu on a punishing hit of Buccaneers wide receiver Ike Hilliard at the Seattle 4-yard line, but an official blew the play dead as the ball came out. It was originally ruled a catch for Hilliard and receiver down by contact, but the Seahawks challenged the call and it was overturned to a fumble.

Seattle was given the ball at the spot of the fumble, even though Wilson scooped up the loose ball and took off in the other direction. Had play been allowed to continue, the Seahawks might have gotten a touchdown on the runback.

"Had the whistle not blown on that fumble, it's a 7-7 ballgame and they only won 20-10," Tatupu said. "You can't tell me it didn't change the dynamics of the game. But they're human too, they'll have bad plays and I think that was one of them. If I get fined, I get fined."

The Seahawks challenged after Hilliard, who was knocked unconscious, was attended to by medical staff and taken off the field on a cart. Hilliard suffered a concussion, as did Tatupu, on the play.

"It's part of the game," Tatupu said. "He [Hilliard] had to go to the hospital and that's unfortunate, but I'm glad he's all right."

Tatupu felt fine on Tuesday, he said, and expects to play Sunday.

Notes

• Former OL Chris Gray, who retired Aug. 4 because of a back injury that could have led to paralysis if he continued playing, has been named the Seahawks' Ed Block Courage Award winner for this year. One player from every NFL team is selected, and teammates vote for the recipient. Wallace won the award last season.