RENTON -- The play was worthy of the highlight reels, but it left quarterback Tarvaris Jackson reeling.

In the second quarter of Sunday's 22-17 win against Baltimore, the Seahawks quarterback took the snap, rolled to his left and fired a pinpoint pass across his body to receiver Doug Baldwin down field for a 50-yard gain.

Coach Pete Carroll called the throw "phenomenal" -- though it had its consequences.

"I don't know if you watched him, but he didn't go without pain on that throw," the coach said of Jackson.

Such has been the plight of the Seattle quarterback, who has a strained pectoral muscle. He wants to play, but he'll have to play through pain. And in between games he'll be restricted in his preparation (Jackson was limited in Wednesday afternoon's practice and only threw one pass the morning walkthrough).

"Unfortunately he just can't practice very much," said Carroll, "and when he does, he's holding back."

During Wednesday's press conference, Carroll said the team has sought out medical opinions from around the country to stay up to date, but it's still uncertain whether the injury will require offseason surgery.

What has made the situation even more difficult is the inconsistent nature of the recovery from week to week. Improvement hasn't been in a steady, straight line and Jackson's status isn't often known until late in the week.

"He's fighting through it," said offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. "To watch him play on Sundays, sometimes you wouldn't even know there's anything wrong with him. You can always tell when he comes back to practice and the adrenaline's worn off and all those things, but he's being a trooper for us. He's showing toughness, he's leading the team and I think he's doing very well."

Added Carroll: "He's just such a good competitor that he's going to find a way to get what he needs to get done, or at least he's going to try. ... (That 50-yard pass on Sunday) is a remarkable thing to do under the circumstances and it just tells you, he'll reach down and find that. I can't you that it didn't hurt him ... but he came back and didn't even hesitate. It's a very exciting thing to see a guy battle so hard. He's really doing it."