Seneca Wallace likely to start for Seahawks against Jets on Sunday

The snow that fell throughout the Seattle area Thursday didn't keep the Seahawks from their normally scheduled practice, another one with Seneca Wallace as the starting quarterback.

Wallace is likely to maintain the spot he has held the past two games, with Matt Hasselbeck's chances of playing against the New York Jets on Sunday slim due to complications from a back disk injury.

Wallace, in his sixth season, has started six games in 2008. He's two pass attempts away from setting the Seahawks record for most consecutive passes without throwing an interception (159, Hasselbeck, 2005).

Coach Mike Holmgren said Wallace has shown courage and toughness. Wallace has made no secret of the fact that he'd like to be a starter; Holmgren said in order for that to happen, Wallace must perform better.

The two spoke on Wednesday.

"I told him [Wednesday], 'OK, I know you can play, I've always known you can play, you know you can play ... now how do we get better? What's the next thing you have to do better?' " Holmgren said. "And I think in his case, and I hope he would say this, is he prepares, but it's just not enough to prepare. You've got to commit. It's got to be your life during the season. And then along with that great preparation comes very good judgment. It should happen for him. He's proven himself to me many times."

Wallace said he isn't worried about his future as a starter right now. He's signed through next season.

"I'm worried about going out and finishing these next two games strong and have fun with my teammates and try to get Mike [Holmgren] out of here with a few wins," Wallace said. "You always have to prove you can play every time you step on the field. I'm hard on myself and it doesn't matter the situation, I just want to go out and play hard every single time."

Wallace said he's grateful to Holmgren for lessons taught about playing quarterback.

Those include the following, Wallace said: "Being tough on myself and being a perfectionist, because that's what he does to himself and he expects from his quarterbacks. He wants us to be perfect, especially in this offense. He also taught us to be prepared to battle and compete each time we step on the field."

That farewell feeling

This week Holmgren was asked if the fact that Sunday is his last home game as Seahawks coach is beginning to sink in.

"My week is the same," Holmgren said. "The fact they [his daughters] came over here and we did some stuff at the facility on Monday, as those things happen it's starting to sink in a little bit. I'm getting calls, too, from other people on the outside. That kind of adds to it, too."

Then Holmgren was asked if he'd accept an offer from the team to raise the 12th Man flag at Qwest Field sometime next season.

"Well, it all depends on where I am," he said. "If I'm in Hawaii, I would demand first-class accommodations. Absolutely. I mean, sure. Yeah."

Notes

• Holmgren was happy for left tackle Walter Jones, who was selected to the Pro Bowl despite being out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. "They [voters] knew he was hurt before the vote," Holmgren said. "And in Walter's case it's not, 'OK, this is your last year, we're going to send you again.'... Walter can still play, and you'll watch next year. He'll be fine. He'll be good next year, and I think players that played against him understand that."

• DB Jordan Babineaux (concussion) missed his second straight day of practice, as did OT Sean Locklear (toe) and LB Leroy Hill (neck).

• Mike Kahn, a longtime journalist and writer for Seahawks.com, will be remembered with a moment of silence in the Qwest Field press box before Sunday's game against the Jets. Kahn died on Wednesday evening. He had been diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. A memorial service is planned for the week of Dec. 29 in Tacoma.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com; staff reporter Danny O'Neil contributed to this article.