San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Michael Crabtree hasn’t looked like a star this season, and his lower than expected target numbers have something to do with that. He’s also been inefficient when thrown at, aside from his clutch third-down receptions and a memorable touchdown against the New York Giants injured secondary. Crabtree was, as expected, a non-factor against the Seattle Seahawks on Thanksgiving, hauling in three passes for an unimpressive ten yards. A rib injury didn’t help matters, as he was clearly hobbled by the injury after suffering it during his first catch; taking a hit from both Kam Chancellor and Bobby Wagner at the same time will surely do that to you.
Again, Crabtree returned to the game despite the injury, so there wasn’t much concern regarding his status coming into this week, especially since the 49ers get some extra rest before their tilt against an Oakland Raiders secondary that got lit up by the St. Louis Rams yesterday (and that’s putting it kindly).
According to the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows, Crabtree is at practice today following the knee and rib injuries on Thursday, so those definitely won’t be issues going forward. The 49ers are taking less rest in favor of getting in another practice session, and that must be a reflection of how upset Jim Harbaugh is with his team’s performance in a primetime game against their most bitter rivals.