DENVER – Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree exceeded 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2012. That’s a significant accomplishment for someone in the midst of a career renaissance, proof of his value to this Raiders offense.
That didn’t put him in a good mood after the regular season finale. A 24-6 loss to the Denver Broncos was a downer, but not the sole reason for his surly disposition.
Aqib Talib put a scowl on Crabtree's face. And so did the officials, who did nothing after Talib ripped a gold chain right off Crabtree in the first quarter.
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SIGN UP HERE “He has just been wearing that gold chain all year; it’s just been growing on me,” Talib said, via the Denver Post. “I said if he wears that chain in front of me, I’m going to snatch it off. He wore it in front of me, so I had to snatch it off. He started crying to the ref. He didn’t say nothing to me though.”
Crabtree said he tried to be polite in his plea to officials, but got rebuffed and threatened as an instigator.
“The refs are talking to me like I was playing dirty,” A guy snatches my chain. He’s hitting me after the play. But, if I react, they’ll kick me out of the game.
“It was too much. You see the dude and what he’s doing in front of me. What do you want me to do? I can’t react, or they kick me out of the game and I’m the bad guy. I made a business decision for my team.”
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Crabtree wanted to strike back. Literally. He wanted to hit Talib, but didn’t want to get ejected and leave the Raiders offense lacking.
“I looked like I wanted to hit him…I’m not even that type of dude,” Crabtree said. “I play football. I don’t get up in anybody’s space doing all that extra cut blocking. I could’ve cut him. I could’ve hurt him, but I’m playing football. I don’t like that man.”
Crabtree doesn’t like Talib, either. He said the two don’t have a history, but the rivalry is real now.
“I really don’t like No. 21, though. I think he’s fake,” Crabtree said. “…You aren’t tough. You aren’t defending anybody up like that. You’re acting. You’re snatching chains up on the field. What do you accomplish? Are you hard? Are you tough? Does that make you tough? You’re snatching chains in front of the police and take off running. That was childish man.”
