Michael Crabtree and Raiders prevail, while 49ers fall.
Big day: Receiver’s 3 TDs help Oakland win again
He’s not as sleek as Amari Cooper, not as bruising as Marshawn Lynch, not as indispensable as Derek Carr. But Michael Crabtree offered a relevant reminder Sunday: He matters.
Three days after he turned 30, an age at which wide receivers often start to show their age, Crabtree showed he still can find his way to the end zone. He and Carr connected on three touchdown passes as the Raiders cruised to a mostly stress-free 45-20 victory over the New York Jets at the Coliseum.
Oakland, in winning its home opener, also posted its first 2-0 start since the Super Bowl season of 2002.
This year’s team counts as a Super Bowl contender mostly because of its dynamic offense. That machine hummed along against a dreadful Jets team, accumulating 410 yards of total offense, six touchdowns and one field goal.
One week earlier, in a workmanlike season-opening win over Tennessee, the Raiders frequently stalled after crossing midfield, scoring two touchdowns and settling for four field goals. This time, they practically set up camp in the end zone.
The parade began and ended with Carr-to-Crabtree. The same receiver who earned an unflattering reputation in six seasons with the 49ers continues to enjoy a full-blown renaissance in the East Bay, even while competing with Cooper and now Lynch for the ball.
Carr — who completed 23 of 28 passes — targeted Crabtree six times Sunday. He caught all six, for 80 yards, and stirred mixed emotions in at least one teammate.
“I’m happy, but I’m playing against Crab in my fantasy league and he was just dominant,” offensive tackle Donald Penn said, smiling. “… Crab has been elevating his game ever since he became a Raider. Every year he’s getting better and better, and I love it.”
Crabtree, as is his custom, did not speak to reporters after the game. But Penn was not the only teammate marveling about Crabtree’s contribution.
Fellow wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, in his first season with the Raiders, approached Crabtree recently during practice. Patterson had caught a pass only to have the defensive back knock the ball out of his hands. Crabtree made a similar catch in the same practice but held on.
“I said, ‘Bro, how do you catch it like that?’ He said it’s really about your focus and concentration,” Patterson said. “Don’t get lazy. Sometimes, we get lazy when we catch the ball; we think we’re going to catch everything and then we drop the pass.”
The Raiders seemed on the brink of a rollicking blowout early in the game. They took a 14-0 lead on Carr’s second touchdown pass to Crabtree, with 12 minutes, 55 seconds left in the second quarter.
At that point, the Raiders had 180 yards of total offense to 21 for the Jets.
Carr and Crabtree accounted for much of the disparity. Offensive coordinator Todd Downing called a nice trick play early, with Lynch taking a handoff and pitching the ball back to Carr — who connected with Crabtree for 26 yards.
Later on the first-quarter drive, Carr lofted a 2-yard touchdown pass to Crabtree in the end zone.
Their next TD showed Carr’s unwavering trust in Crabtree. Carr lofted the ball up for grabs, essentially, and Crabtree outmuscled New York cornerback Juston Burris for a 26-yard score and the 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.
But just when the Jets seemed utterly inept, they finally made some noise and shaved their deficit to 14-10. Then a very Jets-like mistake, Kalif Raymond muffing Marquette King’s long punt, gave the Raiders the ball at New York’s 4 shortly before halftime.
Lynch ultimately bulled his way into the end zone for his first touchdown with the Raiders, and the 75th rushing TD of his career. That pushed Oakland’s lead to 21-10.
The Jets made it 21-13 before the Raiders reeled off three consecutive touchdowns. They displayed their quick-strike, multidimensional attack in the process — Patterson, lined up in the backfield, ran 43 yards for a touchdown, followed by Jalen Richard zooming 52 yards for another.
And then, as a fitting punctuation, Carr found Crabtree one more time, for a 1-yard touchdown.
“The thing young kids need to know about him is every day Crab catches a ball in practice, he finishes to the end zone,” Carr said. “So he’s used to scoring. Every route he runs, every day he catches, he finishes.”
Crabtree might not have eye-catching speed or Beast Mode-like dance moves. But, yes, he still matters.
“The thing young kids need to know about him is every day Crab catches a ball in practice, he finishes to the end zone. So he’s used to scoring. Every route he runs, every day he catches, he finishes.” Derek Carr, Raiders quarterback, on wide receiver Michael Crabtree