You’ve probably heard the explanations for Michael Crabtree’s dramatic turnaround after his forgettable first three games.
He’s fully healthy after missing much of training camp and all four exhibition games with a strained neck. He’s developed better chemistry with Alex Smith, a connection that suffered due to Crabtree’s injury. He’s benefited from new offensive coordinator Mike Johnson, who has made a concerted effort to involve all of the Niners’ playmakers.
It’s likely all the above help explain why Crabtree, who had six catches
for 81 yards in the season’s first three games, has dwarfed those
numbers (18 catches, 220 yards, 2 TDs) the past three weeks.
But Smith threw out another reason today — one that hasn’t previously
been discussed: The second-year wideout is working harder.
“He’s worked really hard these last three weeks, and I think everyone’s
noticed a difference with him,” Smith said. “Not that he wasn’t. But I
think just coming off his injury, coming off camp. Whatever it was —
something kind of sparked him. He’s practiced really well these last
three weeks. And it’s showed up on game day.”
Smith was careful to say Crabtree was working hard previously, but the
rest of the quote screams that something — or someone — gave Crabtree a
much-needed kick in the pants, or “spark.”
Looking back, it’s not a stretch to think that spark came from Mike
Singletary, who, you’ll remember, hollered at Crabtree on the sideline during the season
opener after the wideout made a lackadaisical attempt to tackle Marcus
Trufant on a 32-yard interception return for TD. After the game, Matt
Maiocco reported that Crabtree was one of Singletary’s targets in a
postgame locker room shout-a-thon.
Six days after the season opener, Singletary was asked if Crabtree had made progress that week in practice.
“We’ll find out Monday night,” he said. Period. I remember Singletary didn’t look amused.
That same day in the locker room, Crabtree admitted he had a lot to work
on and, without prompting, he said that list included running “a little
harder at the end of the play.”
Hmm. Whatever high-decibel message Singletary had delivered, it seemed to be sinking in.
Three days later, following the Saints game, something had changed.
Singletary was more expansive when discussing Crabtree and even praised
his work ethic.
“He’s a special talent,” Singletary said. “He’s young; he missed both
training camps, one for the holdout, one because of injury, but he’s
working hard to get on the same page. He’s working his tail off and you
know, at some point in time, he’s going to be a tremendous weapon for
us.”
Four weeks later, Crabtree is not only a weapon — he’s even getting atta-boys for his downfield blocking.
Singletary, never hailed as a master strategist, may well lose his job due to this season.
But Crabtree’s emergence suggests he didn’t lose his motivational touch while losing those first five games.
• Vernon Davis underwent an MRI exam on his knee Monday. Results
weren’t available, but a 49ers spokesman described the test as
“precautionary” and said an announcement would only be made Monday if the MRI
revealed damage. Trainers examined Davis after his 17-yard touchdown
catch Sunday. Davis returned to the game.
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