SEATTLE (AP) – It’s homecoming weekend for Dennis Erickson. Of course, the way these things happen in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers coach won’t be spending too much time with his relatives or relishing the finer points of his visit.

“I’d love to go out and get some Dungeness crab, but I don’t think I’ll be able to get the traps out,” said Erickson, born and raised in Everett, Wash. “It’s all business for me.”

Some business it is, too, a fraternity of coaches and players who always seem to have some kind of reunion going somewhere around the league. Last weekend, Seattle coach Mike Holmgren returned to Green Bay. The Packers thanked him for his service and the Super Bowl title he delivered by hanging a 35-13 loss on the Seahawks (3-1), their first of the season.

“Anytime you go back to a place where you coached, particularly if it’s the first time or second time, it’s different,” Holmgren said. “It’s a little more fun. There’s emotion that goes into it that sometimes isn’t there at other places. You want to do well. There are friends there, colleagues you worked with.” he said.

This week, it’s Erickson’s turn.

He returns to his native Northwest, preparing the 49ers (2-3) for an NFC West matchup. And he’s facing his former team, the one that fired him to make way for Holmgren in 1999.

“It wasn’t Mike’s fault they let me go or that he was hired,” said Erickson, who considers Holmgren a friend.

Erickson was 31-33 in four years in Seattle, and after four more seasons Holmgren had an identical record with the team. Erickson, though, doesn’t blame Seahawks owner Paul Allen, president Bob Whitsitt or anyone else.

“It probably was a decision that Paul and Bob felt they had to make for the betterment of the franchise,” Erickson said. “When you look at it now, that’s just how the business is.”

Anyway, who’s got time for bitterness with such an important game looming?

The 49ers are trying to regain their usual spot near the top of the NFC West. The Seahawks can improve to 4-1 for the first time since 1986 – with wins over each divisional opponent.

“We’ve got a great opportunity in front of us,” Seattle cornerback Willie Williams said. “This is a very big game for us. We just need to stay focused, play our style of offense and defense and try to come out on top.”

Of course, this also marks the rematch of last year’s infamous Sharpie moment, where standout 49ers receiver Terrell Owens scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter of San Francisco’s 28-21 victory.

Owens whipped a pen from his sock, signed the ball and handed it to his financial adviser, seated in a nearby end zone suite.

“Who knows what he’s got planned this time?” Williams said. “We know we’ve got to be physical with him. If you don’t want to see anything from him, keep him out of the end zone.”

The 49ers snapped a three-game losing streak last week with a 24-17 win over Detroit. It was another of those weekly NFL reunions, spoiling coach Steve Mariucci’s return to San Francisco.

Just as importantly for the 49ers, it marked the end of a sideshow feud between Owens and quarterback Jeff Garcia.

“There was a lot of inner turmoil taking place, and I think it was very important for the attitude of the team to go out and find a way to win,” Garcia said, adding that he and Owens have restored their relationship.

The 49ers are trying to play with more consistency, partly the result of shuffling on the offensive line. San Francisco’s defense, though, ranks second in the NFL after allowing only 263 yards per game.

“They really fly around,” Holmgren said. “There are a number of pictures, this week on film, where if you stop the film – and you don’t see this often – there are 11 men right around the ball at the end of it.”

Seattle’s defense is trying to bounce back from a dull performance. After making news in the opening weeks for their ferocious hits and forced turnovers, the Seahawks lacked the same energy last week and were picked apart by Brett Favre.

“We didn’t play the same way we played in the first three games,” said Holmgren. “I would be very, very surprised if you didn’t see the defense that we opened the season with.”

Offensively, the Seahawks got a boost when right tackle Chris Terry returned Monday after a five-week suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse and personal conduct policy.

The Seahawks had used two different starters at that position and sometimes kept fullback Mack Strong to block on passing downs. Often, they ran to the left behind Pro Bowl tackle Walter Jones.

Terry’s return gives Holmgren options.

“You don’t have to change protection schemes as much,” he said. “You don’t have to flop formations so much. You don’t have to do a lot of things, other than have that guy playing against the guy across from him, which is a plus.”

AP-ES-10-09-03 1901EDT