Chain Match 2: Crabtree-Talib grudge overshadows Raiders’ win
Denver’s 7-game skid is team’s first in 50 years
OAKLAND, Calif. — Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes after losing starting receiver Michael Crabtree to an ejection for his role in a brawl, and the Oakland Raiders spoiled Paxton Lynch’s first start of the season with a 21-14 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
The story coming into the game was about the upheaval for the two teams after Denver (3-8) fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and made another quarterback change and Oakland (5-6) fired defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr .
But the fight between Crabtree and cornerback Aqib Talib that led to three ejections ended up overshadowing the recent disarray even as the Raiders recorded their long-awaited first interception of the season in their first game under defensive play-caller John Pagano — and the Broncos lost seven games in a row for the first time in 50 years .
Crabtree apparently came into the game looking for a fight.
Still upset after Talib ripped a chain off his neck last season, Crabtree didn’t take long to seek revenge in his first game against the Broncos this season.
“I guess his initiative was to come out there and fight today,” said Denver cornerback Chris Harris Jr., who said Crabtree “sucker punched” him on the previous play.
“I guess it wasn’t to play football. He came out there, just punched me in the stomach and I lost my breath.”
Crabtree has been angry ever since Talib ripped Crabtree’s chain off his neck during the regular-season finale last season. Crabtree sat out the first meeting this season in Denver with a chest injury, but sought retribution Sunday.
“We love Crab around here and we need him, but things happen,” teammate Cordarrelle Patterson said. “We all knew it was going to happen. It was just a matter of time when. Everybody was ready, prepared for it.”
Several Broncos players surrounded Crabtree as he tussled with Talib
before his Raiders teammates could come to his assistance.
“If that’s the way he wants to approach it, then I support it 100 percent,” Broncos linebacker Von Miller said. “You want to have him in there. I want to play against Crab. I want to have that type of game, but you can only control what you can control. Those guys are going to do what they’re going to do.”
Talib threw Crabtree’s helmet aside and the two then went at it near the end zone, with both players exchanging punches, even though Talib was still wearing his helmet. Crabtree’s teammate Johnny Holton joined in and grabbed Talib and then things calmed down.
Crabtree and Talib were ejected for fighting. Raiders guard Gabe Jackson pushed an official as he tried to join in and protect Crabtree and got ejected for his actions.
The three players also could be subject to further discipline from the NFL this week.
Lynch’s first start of the season was a rough one. He completed 9 of 14 passes for 41 yards and an interception against a defense that entered the game on pace to allow the second-highest completion percentage and passer rating in NFL history. He left the game in the third quarter after injuring his ankle on a rollout.
Trevor Siemian threw TD passes to Cody Latimer and Bennie Fowler in the fourth quarter.