Denver held scoreless until the 4th quarter
Three minutes into Sunday’s game, Raiders right tackle Marshall Newhouse looked over to the sideline on his side of the field and saw a situation developing.
“It was just chaotic,” Newhouse said.
A beef between Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree and Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib had ignited a scene of swinging fists and tumbling bodies on the Denver sideline. When it cleared, Crabtree, Talib and Raiders guard Gabe Jackson had been ejected. Later in the half, the Raiders saw star receiver Amari Cooper knocked out of the game after a dangerous collision.
Yet, down three starters on offense, the Raiders compiled
one of their better all-around efforts of the season in a 21-14 win over the reeling Broncos at the Coliseum — gaining ground in the AFC West in the process. At 5-6, the Raiders are tied with the Chargers and just one game back of the division-leading Chiefs, who have lost five of six.
The state of Oakland’s receiving corps for next week against the Giants remains to be seen. Sunday’s melee began when Crabtree, lined up out wide on a running play, locked up with Talib and kept blocking after the play, pushing Talib past the sideline and out of bounds.
The two have a history. In Week 17 last season, Talib angered Crabtree by pulling the receiver’s gold chain off his neck. Crabtree later called Talib “fake.” Replays Sunday appeared to show Talib again yanking a chain off Crabtree’s neck while being blocked.
Neither player spoke to reporters after the game.
“We all love Crab around here, we need him, but things happen,” Raiders receiver Cordarrelle Patterson said. “We all knew it was going to happen. It was just a matter of time.”
Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr., said Crabtree “punched me in the stomach” while blocking one play earlier. Crabtree was inactive when the two teams met in Week 4.
“He just sucker punched me,” Harris said. “I have never seen that in the NFL. Today he just came out wanting to fight. He didn’t want to play football.”
While a separate skirmish broke out on the sideline, Crabtree and Talib continued to circle each other with Crabtree throwing a punch. Crabtree and Talib were both assessed personal fouls for unnecessary roughness and ejected. Jackson was ejected for making contact with an official.
“Bottom line is we can’t afford to lose one of our top receivers and our starting guard,” Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said. “I have not had a chance to talk to them yet. I’ll address it as best I can. But I have to count on my guys to do the right thing, to keep their poise and composure and not get tossed.”
Del Rio was happier with what he called the “complementary effort” put forth by his team. The Raiders ran the ball 37 times, as Marshawn Lynch had a season-high 26 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown. Derek Carr completed 18 of 24 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns, one to Cooper and the other a 6-yard score to Jalen Richard that was set up by a 47-yard toss to Johnny Holton.
Cooper caught a 9-yard touchdown pass on a fade route in the second quarter, but left the game on the Raiders’ next drive after being injured on a hit from Denver safety Darian Stewart, who was whistled for unnecessary roughness. The Raiders said Cooper left the game with a concussion.
In their first game since firing defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., the Raiders held Denver scoreless into the fourth quarter. Two late touchdowns — after Broncos starting quarterback Paxton Lynch left with an injury and was replaced by Trevor Siemian — took some of the luster off John Pagano’s debut as defensive play-caller.
But the defense notched its first interception this season — on a fortuitous bounce to NaVorro Bowman — and recorded five sacks after entering the game with an NFL-low 14.
“Guys just let it go,” said linebacker Bruce Irvin, who had two sacks. “We’ve been hearing all year about how we’re last in sacks and I think guys just got fed up.”
Del Rio also cited punter Marquette King pinning the Broncos inside their own 10yard line four times.
“We showed glimpses of being a good football team tonight in all three areas,” Del Rio said. “Certainly when you add it all up, you look and say, ‘There’s still a lot that needs to be corrected and worked on.’ ” Matt Kawahara is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mkawahara@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @matthewkawahara