The San Francisco 49ers picked up a major win for their playoff hopes in New Orleans on Sunday, but one member of the team didn't seem to be in a mood to celebrate.
Speaking with Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle, Crabtree appeared not to be pleased with what he views to be a shift in his role in the offense:
Crabtree spoke briefly to me and @timkawakami. He said he's just a "third down receiver. I'm like the third option." Did not sound happy.
— Ann Killion (@annkillion) November 9, 2014
From the looks of Crabtree's numbers on Sunday, his production didn't appear to line up with his assessment of his role.
Crabtree finished with three catches for 62 yards (2nd only to Anquan Boldin's 95 yards), including an electric 51-yard reception late in the 4th quarter. However, he has been prone to drops in his contract year with the Niners - a problem that has allowed for Stevie Johnson and Boldin to step up and acquire a couple more targets.
Whether or not Crabtree's frustration was just a heat of the moment type thing or emblematic of some greater beef with the team's gameplan is still up for interpretation.
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