Oakland Raiders: 5 takeaways from win over Denver Broncos
By John Buhler
![OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Lee Smith No. 86 of the Oakland Raiders gestures after making a 12-yard gain during the first quarter of his NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on November 26, 2017 in Oakland, California. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 21-14. (Photo by Stephen Lam/Getty Images) OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Lee Smith No. 86 of the Oakland Raiders gestures after making a 12-yard gain during the first quarter of his NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on November 26, 2017 in Oakland, California. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 21-14. (Photo by Stephen Lam/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fjustblogbaby-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F11-2F879861380-denver-broncos-v-oakland-raiders-jpg-850x560-e398654092bac90f6b97d270f6f77f243d89d8ba622723f6fb98e8b1680a5780.jpg)
The Crabtree-Talib fight was a bad look for all involved.
Though it was entertaining, Michael Crabtree versus Aqib Talib was a bad look for all involved. It might have gotten the Raiders a bit fired up to beat a bad Broncos team at home, but championship-caliber teams never resort to this sort of on-field violence.
Crabtree and Talib are excellent players that clearly let their emotions get the best of the them. While they may absolutely hate each other, getting ejected on hurt their team. You have to believe that the NFL will suspend both players for Week 13 for fighting. It’s not the image the NFL wants to sell to the viewing public.
For Oakland, the Raiders are to likely be without its best possession receiver on Sunday against a bad team it has to beat to stay alive in the AFC playoffs in the New York Giants. As for the Broncos, Talib’s eminent suspension is just another microcosm of all that has gone wrong in Denver this season.
It was two players that put themselves ahead of their teammates. Talib might have been the instigator once again, but he totally got under Crabtree’s skin. Now the Raiders will presumably be without him in a must-win game versus the Giants. The playoffs are within reach for the Raiders, but this fight helped nobody.