Seahawks see Jackson as long-term QB

RENTON, Wash. – Seattle Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson was limited in practice Thursday but said he continues to feel improvement in his strained pectoral muscle.

“I feel a lot better,” Jackson said. “I know I’m going to play Sunday now. Last week, it was kind of like ‘I think I’m going to play.’

“Once Sunday comes and the adrenaline is flowing, you’re more worried about the guys on the other side of the ball than your shoulder, so you don’t really think about it.”

Jackson has posted the two highest passing totals of his career this season, including the career-high 323 yards against Cincinnati last Sunday despite the injury.

Jackson is doing enough to make the Seahawks think he could be a long-term option at quarterback.

“I’m looking at it that way, yeah,” coach Pete Carroll said. “I think I’m probably more appreciative than you guys are at this time, because we haven’t won enough games to make you excited about it. But I’m seeing the things that he’s able to do that gives us a chance to run an offense like we like to run it.”

Carroll likes to view the quarterback position as that of a point guard, whose job is to distribute the ball to the team’s playmakers.

“By no means would I ever, ever put it on one guy and say the quarterback is why you win. Maybe there are other people that think that way, but I don’t,” Carroll said.

Jackson has been given the freedom by offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to call plays at the line of scrimmage out of the no-huddle offense Seattle has been using for the last month.

Jackson said that out of 10 plays, he could be responsible for calling between six and eight, depending on what the coaches are seeing and how the offense is moving the football.

“Tarvaris has a great handle on it,” Bevell said. “He really does a nice job. He understands the tempo that we’re looking for. He understands that he can speed it up as fast as we need to, but then there are times where you’re just trying to make sure you’re doing the right thing so you can slow it down as well. You can play many different tempos by not huddling and I think he’s really got a good feel for that.”

Jackson has completed 61 percent of his passes this season and thrown for six touchdowns in his five starts.

Jackson knows good days on the stat sheets aren’t going to be enough, however. He knows eventually the Seahawks will need to start winning games.

“I’m always about wins,” Jackson said. “That’s what I really pride myself in and that’s what all quarterbacks should be judged on.

“That’s what I want to be judged on. Right now, 2-5 is not going to get the job done.”

• Tight end Cameron Morrah (knee), defensive tackle Alan Branch (knee/hip) and wide receiver Sidney Rice (foot) did not practice.