Jackson clears the hair

SANTA CLARA -- Wide receiver Darrell Jackson can see now. He doesn't need to be told which team is coming into view.

After seven seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Jackson will face his former team for the first time Sunday after an acrimonious offseason split over a contract issue.

Jackson appears to be fitting in well with the 49ers, the team that acquired his services for a fourth-round draft pick. After leading the Seahawks in receiving for four seasons, he is now doing the same thing with the 49ers.

Jackson has 11 catches for 166 yards in three games with the 49ers and appears to be striking up chemistry with quarterback Alex Smith.

"I was pleased to see Alex's confidence in him and trust in his route-running," 49ers coach Mike Nolan said. "It was evident by the way he threw the ball to him. I know there were back-to-back throws that he threw to D-Jack that involved anticipation on Alex's part, and D-Jack was going to be where he had to be."

The player who Nolan said reminds him of "a hippie in the late '60s" came to work Wednesday with a clean-cut appearance. Jackson cut his large Afro hairdo and trimmed his beard to help him see better, he said.

"The helmet was sitting too high on my head," he said.

Jackson said the view through his facemask was obscured. But he did not blame it for either of his two dropped deep passes this season.

Jackson has an easy-going personality. He got along very well with Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren and most of the people in the organization, he said. But his feud with general manager Tim Ruskell ultimately led to his departure.

"I was pretty cool with everyone," Jackson said. "(But) the one dude had to be the head dude."

After the Seahawks acquired Deion Branch and Nate Burleson last year, it was obvious that Jackson did not fit into Ruskell's long-term plans. It is rare that teams within the same division make such a trade.

"He felt there was a problem with management and his contract, and he felt that way for the last couple of years," Holmgren said. "By mutual agreement, he is no longer here. I'm not really tickled that he's in San Francisco, to be honest."

NFL STANDS BY CALL

Mike Pereira, the NFL's vice president of officiating, defended referee Gerald Austin's call that tight end Vernon Davis did not make the catch Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers on a critical third-down play.

Pereira admitted Davis got both feet down, which means it should have been ruled as a reception. But Pereira said Davis got his second foot down after Steelers safety Troy Polamalu hit him. He said Davis' right foot was in the air when Polamalu hit him, so "he (did) not established himself as a runner," Pereira said.

Because Davis was hit before he got both feet down, Davis had to hold onto the ball through the act of hitting the ground, Pereira said. Davis hit the ground in possession of the ball, but it popped out a split-second later.

HOLMGREN MISQUOTED?

Holmgren denied a quote attributed to him last month in which he guaranteed the 49ers would not beat the Seahawks twice again this season. The article, which appeared on Foxsports.com, stated that Holmgren, a San Francisco native, said, "I guarantee that won't happen again." Said Holmgren: "Does that sound like something I'd say? 'That can't happen again,' is, I believe, the direct quote."

EXTRA POINTS

Davis (sprained MCL) is out for Sunday's game. Receiver Jason Hill and cornerback Tarell Brown did not practice because of hamstring injuries and might not be available. Safety Mark Roman (elbow) did not practice. Left tackle Jonas Jennings left practice early with a leg strain. The team expects Roman and Jennings to play Sunday.

Return specialist Michael Lewis, who turns 36 in November, will handle the punt-return duties on Sunday, Nolan said. Lewis was signed to take the spot of second-year player Brandon Williams.

"The kicking game is about field position," Nolan said. "We need someone experienced at returning the ball and making blocks on someone who is covering the kick. It's just a lot of things, the little details that make someone better than someone else."

Joe Nedney's field goal, originally called a 49-yarder, has been changed to 50 yards, the Elias Sports Bureau announced.

Linebacker Manny Lawson, out for the season with a torn knee ligament, underwent successful surgery Wednesday, the team said.You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at (707) 521-5492 or matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com.