NEW ORLEANS -- Mario Manningham would have preferred not to answer a single question this week. He was last year's news. This year, his second consecutive Super Bowl, he is in a brace and getting around on crutches.
"Last year seems like it was two or three years ago," Manningham said.He was one of the stars of Super Bowl XLVI, with his 38-yard sideline catch from Eli Manning ranking as one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history. But Manningham said he is "tired of talking about it."He left the New York Giants as a free agent in March, signing a two-year deal with the 49ers.Manningham made 42 catches for 449 yards and one touchdown before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a Week 16 game against the Seattle Seahawks. He had surgery two weeks ago.He is here as a cheerleader, supporting his 49ers teammates."He got a taste of it last year, and he was a part of it," 49ers receivers coach John Morton said. "I feel for him because he was a big part of what we were doing. He was going good. He was hitting his stride at that same time, too. I do feel for him. But he'll do whatever it takes to get back next year."It is up to Michael Crabtree or Randy Moss or Frank Gore or Colin Kaepernick or someone else to make a play for Manningham to get a second ring in two seasons."Somebody, at some point in the game, will have to make a play," he said. "I know it won't be me, but somebody else will. I'll be back next year."Right now, though, next year feels two or three years away for Manningham.Miller likes chemistryRunning back Lonyae Miller joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2010 as an undrafted free agent. He spent most of the season on the Cowboys practice squad before being called up late in the year to the active roster.He went into training camp in 2011 with a chance to be the third running back behind Felix Jones and DeMarco Murray. Some even thought he was a better fit than Jones at the time. He was passed in camp by Phillip Tanner and released.He spent time with the Baltimore Ravens and the Seattle Seahawks before landing on the Ravens practice squad this past season, putting him in New Orleans for Sunday's Super Bowl matchup against the 49ers.Asked to compare the Ravens to the Cowboys, Miller didn't hesitate."[It's] a different group of guys. The team chemistry here is a lot different," Miller said. "They laugh. They joke. It's a relaxed environment. They're about business here. You have your fun, you do your thing but when it's time to buckle up and strap up and play ball, they know how to turn it up."Miller said the atmosphere was more uptight in Dallas."[The Ravens have] a different culture. It allows guys to relax and not be so uptight. To be yourself and allow your personality to come through. Things didn't work out like I thought they would in Dallas," Miller said.Clarence E. Hill Jr. contributed to this report.
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