Last chance for Greene?

KIRKLAND, Wash. – This preseason was to be David Greene’s opportunity, his chance to prove the Seattle Seahawks weren’t faulty in using a third-round draft pick on him two years ago.

If Greene could prove himself a solid backup, maybe team president and general manager Tim Ruskell wouldn’t regularly be scanning the wavier wire for an available veteran quarterback.

If Greene could show the confidence and ability to lead Seattle’s offense, coach Mike Holmgren wouldn’t be so cautious with second-string quarterback Seneca Wallace, and perhaps take advantage of Wallace’s athleticism in other ways.

Greene’s first chance came in Seattle’s second preseason game at Green Bay – and it was a failure. Now, his final chance could come on Thursday night, when the Seahawks host Oakland in their preseason finale.

“It’s definitely going to be a big game for me,” Greene said. “It’s later on in my career. This is my third year now. My rookie year my head was still spinning a bit. Now it’s time to step up and show that I can move the team if my number is called.”

Holmgren has not revealed his plans for rotating players during the Seahawks’ preseason finale, saying he’ll unveil it to the players in the locker room before the game. That might make for a few more nervous moments for Greene.

But facing pressure and expectation isn’t new. After all, Greene played at Georgia and left the school holding NCAA Division I-A records for consecutive starts (52) and victories (42).

Seattle thought highly enough of Greene to select him with the first of two third-round picks in the 2005 draft. He’s never been in a game, other than the preseason, and Seattle’s coaches and front office indicated this was the preseason that may determine Greene’s future.

“David’s been here, what, three years? He knows the program now,” Holmgren said. “It’s not all of a sudden. He knows what’s going on.”

Greene’s big opportunity came at Green Bay on Aug. 18. With a handful of offense starters not playing – including quarterback Matt Hasselbeck – Greene threw three interceptions in 1 1/2 quarters of the Seahawks’ 48-13 loss.

His quarterback rating at the end of the night was 8.6.

“I felt bad for him,” Holmgren said. “It was too bad. I wanted to see him play better. He made some nice throws but really I was looking for a little bit more.”

Greene didn’t see the field against Minnesota last Saturday and has been pushed during camp by rookie free agent Derek Devine. Greene also didn’t get the biggest vote of confidence from Ruskell last week, who said “we’re not giving up, but we’re looking at all the scenarios out there.”

That makes Thursday even more important for Greene.

“Definitely,” Greene said. “These preseason games are the biggest way to evaluate us.”