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KIRKLAND, Wash. -- Maybe one of these days, the Seahawks' passing game will finally be at full strength.

Saturday against the Washington Redskins in the NFC wild-card playoffs may be that day -- though it didn't look like it Wednesday.

Starting wide receiver Deion Branch missed practice with a strained right calf, three days after Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck landed on his throwing wrist during an otherwise meaningless loss at Atlanta in the regular-season finale.

Hasselbeck, who wore a brace and ice on the wrist and had X-rays that were negative Sunday, fully participated in practice for the second consecutive day Wednesday.

"He's fine," coach Mike Holmgren said, twice.

Branch just watched from the sidelines while he wore an electrical stimulation backpack.

But Holmgren said he expects the former Super Bowl MVP to be in Seattle's pass-happy offense against a Washington defense that has been vexing opponents with pressing, man-to-man coverage during the Redskins' current four-game winning streak.

"I guess Branch is the one I am most concerned about, but I am pretty sure he is going to be able to play," said Holmgren, who held Branch out of last weekend's game. "We are going real conservative with him during the week."

Last week, after Branch left a practice early, he said "I'm fine." Now his is the latest in a string of injuries to Seattle's passing game, which has been the key to the team since Holmgren decided two months ago to rely on Hasselbeck's in lieu of a stalled running game.

Branch has missed five games this season, four with a sprained foot. Tom Brady's former favorite target in New England has 49 catches and four touchdowns in 11 games.

D.J. Hackett started opposite Branch in the season opener, then sustained a high ankle sprain. He missed the next six games, returned for four weeks, then missed four more games with a recurrence of the sprained ankle. He returned only last week.

Plus, tight end Marcus Pollard has yet to become the weapon Seattle envisioned when it signed him as a free-agent before the season. The 35-year-old was bothered for the first half of the season by a sore knee on which he finally had arthroscopic surgery during the bye week. He missed two games and has just 28 receptions in 14 games.

Imagine what Hasselbeck's team-record for completions (352), attempts (562) and yards (3,966) this season would be had Branch, Hackett and Pollard been what the Seahawks expected.

Holmgren called it frustrating.

"Absolutely," he said. "And I would say this: Deion is a lot more frustrated than I could ever be, probably. And Hackett, too.

"Players like to play and they have been bitten by the injury bug a little too much this season. Fortunately, we have some depth at the receiver position and we've been able to withstand that better than maybe we could have in the past.

"When we have them all, and we can put them all out there, we have a chance to put some pressure on the defense. The matchups work to our advantage a little bit. And when we don't have them all, we're not quite as experienced."

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PASS ON: Even though he said he is encouraged that the Seahawks have set consecutive season highs with 144 yards and 167 yards rushing in their last two games, Holmgren says he isn't running away from Hasselbeck's passing for the playoffs.

"We're not going to change," he said. "At this point, we're going to do the things that work for us. So we're not going to change that much. How far we go will be dependent on how well we do those (things)."

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QUICK HIT: LB and special-teams ace Niko Koutouvides missed practice with a left knee injury that was protected by a leg sleeve. Holmgren isn't sure Koutouvides will be able to play Saturday.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index