Michael Crabtree has been Derek Carr’s safert blanket in the red zone the past couple of years given his size and skill at the wide receiver position. However, in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos, Crabtree was involved in an altercation with Aqib Talib that ultimately ended with both players being ejected.
The NFL decided to review the situation and handed both Crabtree and Talib two-game suspensions. Immediately after the decision was made, the two players decided to appeal their suspensions and according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, it appears to have worked:
Michael Crabtree suspension reduced to one game, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 29, 2017
This is a huge relief for Oakland given Crabtree’s role in the offense and his capability of scoring in one-on-one end zone coverage. The Raiders currently own a 5-6 record and are right back in the AFC West title race despite their inconsistency during the 2017 NFL season.
However, despite the good news, Crabtree will still have to sit out Week 13 when the silver and black take on a struggling New York Giants team. Although the Giants appear to be an easy matchup on paper, the Raiders should still be wary, especially with Crabtree and potentially Amari Cooper out.
