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SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- At last, Mario Manningham is back in game-week mode. And that has a far better ring to it than rehab mode given the countless hours he has spent for much of the last year nursing himself back to health following major knee surgery. Manningham walked through the locker room Wednesday, binder in hand and headed for meetings with the expectation that he will play for the San Francisco 49ers (6-2) in Sundays game against Carolina (5-3), even if coach Jim Harbaugh has yet to formally say so. "Mario, hes a receiver whos easy to throw to, so its not going to take much time for him to get back up to speed," quarterback Colin Kaepernick said. Manningham is on the active roster again nearly 11 months after a knee injury derailed his season and forced him to the sidelines long before the Super Bowl run. Michael Crabtree is back on the practice field six months after he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon that also sent him to surgery. Kaepernick credits both of his star wideouts for returning to their former explosive selves so soon. Such compliments go a long way. "Its important when it comes from your teammates," Manningham said. "I know I can get better, everybody can always get better. Im trying to take it step by step and do what I can do to make my team look better. Im practicing like Im playing, just trying to make plays and come out with a W." At the start of practice, the first full session for Crabtree since he was medically cleared Tuesday, he planted hard with his healthy right foot to cut inside on a short route. Between drills, he shuffled his feet in a little jive as Bruce Springsteens "Born in the U.S.A." blared from the sound system. Crabtree has been doing speed work for a few weeks. "I really just want to get back out there. They really have to calm me down. I was the first person out there today stretching for no reason," he said. "When I come back Ill let you know if its stronger. Right now Im just trying to get going." Harbaugh wandered over for a glimpse of the receivers doing their position work. He will be among those to keep Crabtree on task so he doesnt try to do too much too soon. "Good to have him back, 15 reporting eligible," Harbaugh said earlier, referencing Crabtrees uniform number. "Everybody kind of watches out of the corner of their eyes doing their drills. Its neat to see any player who comes back from a serious injury, understanding the grueling rehab thats taken place, the mental toughness grinding through those rehab sessions. ... Hell be on a pitch count." Just imagine what San Franciscos 32nd-ranked passing game might look like down the stretch with these two back in the offensive mix for Kaepernick to complement Anquan Boldin. Suddenly, San Franciscos players will allow themselves to think about the added big-play potential for a unit already on a nice roll and riding a five-game winning streak in which the team has scored at least 30 points in each victory. "Itll be crazy," running back Frank Gore said. "Looking back the way guys were playing, especially with Kap and Crab on the field last year and how they were so used to breaking a lot of plays down the field, the running game will be getting easier. Thats big for the team. A lot of teams are playing us with a lot of people in the box. With those guys back out there making plays, with the people who are already making plays -- Vernon (Davis), Anquan Boldin, adding Crab, Mario, thats big." Before his injury last December, Manningham had 42 receptions for 449 yards and one touchdown in 12 games and 10 starts. He injured his left knee in a loss at Seattle Dec. 23 then underwent reconstructive surgery to repair torn anterior cruciate and posterior cruciate ligaments. Crabtree, the teams 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Texas Tech, established career highs last season with 85 receptions for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns. Then Crabtree sustained the injury during 7-on-7 drills in an organized team activity May 21. Manningham is likely to make his season debut for the 49ers in Sundays home game against Carolina. Crabtree shouldnt be more than a couple of weeks behind him. In Crabtrees case, the 49ers have slightly less than three weeks before they must activate him. "I had the math since the surgery, five months, 27 days as of Sunday, so five months, 30 days, today," Harbaugh said. "Surprised? I dont know the surprise there, I guess because you watch them day to day. Successful surgery, on track at every point, doing everything he was asked to do by the doctors. All reports were really good." . Price also posted the longest shutout sequence since 1960 at 164:19 minutes. He stopped a combined 55 shots in Canadas final two games and 70 of 71 shots in Canadas three elimination games, allowing only a breakaway goal to Lauris Darzins of Latvia. For his efforts, Price was named best goalkeeper by the tournament directorate. Prices outstanding play is marred only by the extremely strong defensive play of Canadas top six defencemen; Shea Weber, Duncan Keith, Drew Doughty, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. . Catch the game on TSN starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. You can also listen to all the action live on TSN 1050 at 7pm et. The Knicks are two games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference race. . Irving played 10 minutes Sunday night before going to the locker room. He had two points and four assists, missing all five of his shots. The All-Star game MVP is the top scorer among Eastern Conference point guards with 21. . Dillon Brooks scored 26 points on 9-17 shooting for Canada while pulling down six rebounds and picking up six steals. Teammate Chris Egi had 20 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. .com) - A chant of Zeke reverberated around AT&T Stadium before Ezekiel Elliott powered into the end zone for his fourth and final touchdown.BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – A veteran of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 since its inception, Jeff Lapcevich captured his first career pole award Saturday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in advance of Sundays Pintys presents the Clarington 200. Lapcevich toured the 2.459-mile road course in rural Bowmanville in 1:24.087 (105.277 mph) for the first pole in his 52nd career start. From Grimsby, Ontario, Lapcevich finished as the runner-up in the season-opening event at CTMP. On Sunday hell look to follow up his first career pole with his first trip to Victory Lane in the No. 76 Tim Hortons Dodge. A two-time winner on the road at CTMP, and a 14-time roaad course victor in his career, Andrew Ranger qualified second-fastest on Saturday at 1:24.dddddddddddd130 (105.223 mph). L.P. Dumoulin, J.R. Fitzpatrick, and Jason Hathaway brought home the top five in qualifying. Season points leader Scott Steckly, Gary Klutt, Martin Roy, Peter Klutt and Kerry Micks rounded out the top-10 qualifiers for the 10th race of the 2013 campaign. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 is joined this weekend at CTMP by the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, which will contest the inaugural Chevrolet Silverado 200 on Sunday. Sundays Pintys presents the Clarington 200 will air live on TSN2 starting at 11am et/8am pt. ' ' '
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