While Hasselbeck favored his sprained right knee for part of the practice, Alexander ran 11 plays with Seattle's first-team offense for the first time in seven weeks since breaking his left foot. The 2005 league rushing champion ran at less than full speed but showed no signs of any pain in a foot that remains cracked, according to X-rays taken this week.

Coach Mike Holmgren joked that there has been so much public scrutiny over the weekly pictures of the league MVP's foot that they belong in the Smithsonian. But doctors are focusing now on how Alexander feels to determine when he can return.

On Wednesday, he sounded like he was ready to play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.

``Today was very successful,'' Alexander said. ``It's all about what my foot can take. ... I think that's going to be the greatest test (when I ask for) 50 carries _ which is probably what I will ask for when we get to Friday and I still feel good.

``We're still in a we'll see, but today was good.''

Hasselbeck was limping on his sprained right knee by the end of the 25 San Francisco plays he ran with the scout team.

He was sharp early on in practice. By the end, his deep passes were underthrown. His limp gradually became more prominent when carrying out fakes after handoffs. He also appeared to avoid planting on the leg while throwing.

Hasselbeck semi-jokingly attributed the limp to an extremely tight taping of the knee under his black brace.

``It's more of a strut than a limp,'' he said.

``I thought today went very well. I feel like I'm on schedule. And I'm extremely encouraged.''

Hasselbeck said last weekend that doctors originally told him he'd miss four to six weeks, ``and the 28th day is Sunday.''

``The big question would be just getting tackled and getting bent up in the bottom of a pile like a pretzel,'' he said. ``I don't know how you plan for that. ... There's only one way to find out on that for real.''

The Seahawks will be keenly interested in how Alexander and Hasselbeck are feeling when they wake up Thursday morning. Holmgren and the team's medical staff will make a determination Friday on whether they will play against the 49ers.

For Alexander, Holmgren said: ``It's come down to the fact that it's been, (doctors) feel, a sufficient amount of time not to put him at risk, as long as he feels good. Your body should tell you if it's not working. We'll see how it goes.''

As for Hasselbeck, the coach said: ``What I have to see (is) if Matt can drop back and push and go somewhere quickly without the leg not responding. If he can do that, then there's a good chance he could play.''

Holmgren added that because Hasselbeck can drop straight back and hand off, he could be the No. 2 quarterback behind fill-in starter Seneca Wallace on Sunday.

``There is a chance ... he'll be active, because he can do most of the stuff,'' Holmgren said.

Alexander said he has 100 percent confidence his foot is healed _ even though tests indicate there is still a crack in the fourth metatarsal.

``Yeah, I do,'' he said. ``But I've had 100 per cent confidence I was healed enough to play for about eight weeks now.''

Seattle's US$62 million runner added he thinks his team, two games ahead of San Francisco and St. Louis in the NFC West, is in great position in advance of its two most important players returning.

``When I first got hurt, I would tell Lofa (Tatupu) and Ken (Hamlin), 'All right now, look, if you all can just go .500, by the time I get back we'll be in good shape.' And they did that,'' Alexander said.

``For both of us to go down and still be 3-3 since I left, that tells you how good our team is.''