Crabby Crabtree ignites brawl
Raiders wideout goes after Broncos CB Talib for ripping off his chain
OAKLAND, Calif. — Michael Crabtree apparently came into the game looking for a fight.
Still upset after cornerback Aqib 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, leading to a full- blown brawl and three ejections Sunday during the Raiders’ 21- 14 victory.
“I guess his initiative was to come out there and fight today,” said Broncos 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 the chain off Crabtree’s neck during the regularseason 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 amatter of time when. Everybody was ready, prepared for it.”
On the second play of the Raiders’ second drive, Crabtree aggressively blocked Talib on a running play and drove him to the ground on the Broncos’ sideline. Talib ripped Crabtree’s chain off his neck while they were tangled up, and a brawl ensued.
Several Broncos players surrounded Crabtree as he tussled with Talib before his Raiders teammates could come to his assistance.
“If that’s theway 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.
“It went to another level,” Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said. “We could all feel that. It wasn’t just pushing and shoving. I took over there and tried to get my guys out of there. It’s football. But at the same time, it’s chippy. It’s a violent game. My hope is that whatever happens, it stays here.”
Crabtree and Talib were ejected for fighting. Raiders guard Gabe Jackson pushed an official as he tried to join in and protect Crabtree and was ejected for his actions.
The three players also could be subject to further discipline from the NFL this week.
On the previous play, Crabtree injuredHarris Jr. on a downfield block. Harris was upset after the play and yelled toward the Raiders’ bench.
“Aqib took that personal,” Broncos safety Justin Simmons said of the hit on Harris. “Aqib said [ Crabtree] tried to do the same thing to him. And obviously Aqib is a little more … not as genuine as Chris when it comes to that type of stuff. So he took it into his own hands.”