The Facts: Following up on a previous item. ... When news of Crabtree's Achilles tendon tear first surfaced Wednesday, the immediate suspicion was that the 49ers' top receiver would end up sitting out the entire 2013 NFL season. HC Jim Harbaugh refuted that notion, telling reporters Crabtree isn't expected to miss all 16 games. "We do not anticipate that it’ll be season ending for Michael," the coach said in confirming that Crabtree has undergone surgery for a complete tear of his right tendon.

Diehards Line: Even as recently as a decade ago, a complete tear was a career-threatening injury, especially for an offensive skill-position player. Surgical techniques and accelerated rehab schedules have advanced Achilles recoveries in recent years, as evidenced by Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas' Pro-Bowl caliber play over the past year and a half. Thomas' mid-February surgery in 2011 gave him a three-month head-start on Crabtree. Thomas said he didn't feel 100 percent again until seven months after suffering the injury. He didn't become a significant factor again for the Broncos until close to the 10-month mark. A similar timetable for Crabtree would keep him out of game action until Thanksgiving, with the likelihood of returning in a minor role for the remainder of the regular season as well as the playoffs. ... Meanwhile, speculation as to how the Niners will replace Crabtree has included names like Brandon Lloyd and Randy Moss -- although Harbaugh shot down the notion of Moss and suggested the team's young wideouts, A.J. Jenkins and Quinton Patton, will have to step up until Mario Manningham and Kyle Williams are healthy. ... We'll be following up as needed.