Holmgren Returning To The Bay

Going home this week isn’t quite the same as Mike Holmgren’s first trip back to San Francisco as the enemy coach.

That was in ‘95, when Holmgren’s Green Bay Packers popped the 49ers 27-17 in a playoff game.

Holmgren, first-year coach and general manager of the Seattle Seahawks, returns to The City Thursday night for a 5 p.m. NFL pre-season game with the 49ers.

“It’s always fun to go there,” Holmgren said Tuesday, the day summer returned to the Seahawks’ Eastern Washington University training camp.

Holmgren, who went to San Francisco’s Lincoln High School and was an assistant with the 49ers for six seasons, said, “My mom is there, in a nursing home, and if I have a chance I go over and say hello to her. My family is there. But the emotion of the football part of it …”

Is not the same in an exhibition game.

“The first time I went back as the Green Bay head coach it was a playoff game,” Holmgren said. “That was big. They even interviewed the girl I took to the junior prom. That was huge.”

Asked if she gave him a favorable review, Holmgren said, “No, as a matter of fact, I didn’t quite like (what she had to say). She’s a wonderful gal, though. And as I remember, I was quite dashing.

“But we’re not going to go through that. Please don’t do that,” he added laughing.

Among the prominent Seahawks who’ll sit this dance out are tight end Christian Fauria and right tackle House Ballard.

Fauria suffered torn cartilage in Saturday night’s game with Buffalo. He’ll have the knee scoped today in Seattle and will miss at least two to three weeks, Holmgren said.

Ballard, who was in on only eight plays Saturday night, will rest his aging knees. Todd Weiner, last year’s second-round draft pick out of Kansas State, will start.

It’ll be another challenge for the young tackle.

“Those veteran pass-rushers against a young guy (Weiner), that’s tough,” Holmgren said.

Weiner will probably line up against the 49ers’ Marvin Washington, the 11-year veteran from Idaho, who has 40.5 career sacks.

Holmgren was more expansive in his comments about holdout receiver Joey Galloway, a contrast to the day before when he quickly disposed of the Galloway issue.

“Our situation was on the table 2-3-4 weeks ago,” the coach and general manager said. “We haven’t changed dramatically what I felt was a very fair thing. I wanted to get Joey in here on time. That was my thrust when we put the numbers out there.”

The Seahawks offered a seven-year, $35 million deal with a $7 million signing bonus, more in line with Herman Moore’s numbers in Detroit than Antonio Freeman’s deal announced Monday in Green Bay.

Freeman got $10 million to sign, part of a $42 million package over 7 years. Since Freeman has better statistics than Galloway, it would seem that Galloway would be tempted to lower his price, to conform to what is now the industry standard set by Freeman’s package. Freeman’s deal is the highest ever paid to an NFL receiver.

Galloway, who caught 65 passes for 1,047 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, is in the final year of a five-year deal. He’s being fined $5,000 a day for missing camp.

Notes

Thursday’s 5 p.m. game with San Francisco is on ESPN… . First-round draft pick Lamar King is struggling after holding out and reporting late. “You can tell by watching him practice he’s way behind,” Holmgren said of the rookie defensive end. “But he is, I think, the player we drafted. He’ll get a real chance to show it in the football game this week.” … Newly acquired receiver Michael Jackson will make his Seahawks debut in the 49ers game… . Starting fullback Mack Strong is expected to miss two more weeks due to an ankle sprain… . Holmgren plans to eventually use Ricky Watters and Ahman Green in the same backfield, on occasion. “The explosiveness he shows is obvious to everyone,” Holmgren said of Green. “He’s physically talented and should be a big-play guy for us.” Jeff Garcia, in his first season in the NFL after five years with the CFL Calgary Stampeders, threw a pair of TD passes in the 49ers’ 31-24 win over San Diego last week. … The 49ers scored on their first possession, a six-play, 67-yard drive with Steve Young at the controls. Young threw 34 yards to Terrell Owens for the initial score… . Charlie Garner, starting ahead of the injured Lawrence Phillips at running back, carried three times for 25 yards in the game-opening drive… . With Garrison Hearst out indefinitely, the 49ers don’t have a running back who played for them a year ago… . San Francisco defensive coordinator Jim Mora, son of Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Mora, played at the University of Washington… . 49ers backup defensive tackle David Richie starred for the Huskies.