NFL suspends Raiders WR Michael Crabtree for 2 games

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Michael Crabtree won’t be available this weekend.

Things aren’t looking too promising for Amari Cooper, either. Cooper is dealing not only with a concussion but left ankle sprain, coach Jack Del Rio said Monday.

The Raiders likely will be without both wide receivers Sunday against the New York Giants. On Monday evening, the NFL announced it suspended Crabtree two games for his role in a “melee” during the first quarter of Sunday’s 21-14 win over the Denver Broncos.

Crabtree is appealing the NFL’s decision.

If that appeal is unsuccessful, he will miss not only Sunday’s game but an all-important AFC West road match against the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 10. The Raiders won’t pay him for either game, so he will forfeit $753,294 in salary. If the suspension is reduced to one game, he will lose $376,647.

Perhaps helping Crabtree’s case, Sunday’s ejection came after he ran just two routes and played five snaps overall. He essentially has missed a full game already.

On the final two of those snaps, Crabtree was involved in separate incidents.

On the first, he allegedly punched cornerback Chris Harris, Jr., in the stomach on a run play. Harris briefly exited the game. The second snap saw him tangle with cornerback Aqib Talib, who for the second time since Jan. 1 ripped off a necklace Crabtree was wearing — this despite Crabtree having taped down his necklace pregame, according to ESPN. The two exchanged punches. None really connected.

Talib also was suspended two games.

Jon Runyan, NFL vice president of football operations, notified Crabtree of the suspension via letter. An excerpt was made available.

“The series of flagrant violations for which you are being disciplined began with 12:31 remaining in the first quarter – less than three minutes into the game,” Runyan wrote. “First, you punched a Broncos opponent Chris Harris in the midsection, resulting in him being removed from the game. Then, on the subsequent play, you blocked a different Broncos opponent Talib) into the sidelines beyond the yellow media border, well after the play was over.

“Your actions triggered a melee and endangered various sideline and League personnel, including one of our Game Officials who was injured trying to maintain control of the situation. Finally, during the ensuing altercation, you grabbed and twisted that same opponent’s facemask and threw a punch at him … Such actions have no place in this game, engender ill-will between teams, and lead to further confrontations.”

Not to be overlooked, his actions hurt the Raiders.

On Monday afternoon, Del Rio said he’d yet to speak with Crabtree, although the coach expressed hope and expectation that no suspension would come. It was announced a few hours later.

Controversial hit on Cooper

As for Cooper, Del Rio did not offer expansive detail on Cooper’s left ankle injury, which is believed to be a high sprain. He elaborated more on the hit’s nature.

After the game, Del Rio expressed his distaste for Broncos safety Darian Stewart’s shoulder-first blow to Cooper’s head and neck area.

“It was a vicious hit,” Del Rio said Sunday. “The kind we’re trying to remove from our game, quite frankly. You see less and less of those. I’m sure the league will take a hard look at it.”

Broncos coach Vance Joseph took exception Monday to that statement.

He told Denver-area reporters that Stewart himself was injured on the play because he actively tried to avoid contacting Cooper in the head and neck area.

“As a coach,” Joseph said, “when things happen on the field, you have to go back and watch the tape before you make comments like that. There were four, five plays in that game that I didn’t like either, but I wouldn’t speak on that after a football game. … It was not a dirty play in my opinion.”

On Monday, Del Rio softened his characterization of the play.

“In looking at it, in being honest, I think Amari did duck his head as the guy was approaching,” Del Rio said. “That makes it a little harder on the defender. That was probably the one piece that I didn’t have access to prior to that comment.”

Right guard Gabe Jackson joined Crabtree and Talib as having been ejected; he made contact with an official.

Jackson is expected to be fined $30,387 without a suspension.

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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.