T.J. Ward added a little spice to the Denver Broncos’ game with the Oakland Raiders on Sunday by slighting his opponents’ receivers.
Speaking with the media, Ward was quoted by NFL Media’s James Palmer as saying Wednesday that he feels the Raiders have two “good” receivers, rather than two elite ones, in Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper.
"I feel like they have two good receivers. I don't feel they have two elite receivers." TJ Ward on Crabtree and Cooper.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) November 2, 2016
Cooper has 52 catches for 787 yards and two touchdowns in eight games this season. If you double those amounts, that produces totals that would equate to elite numbers. Also factor in that Cooper had 72 catches for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, and you could easily make the argument that the second-year player is in elite wide receiver territory.
Crabtree similarly is putting up very good numbers this season. He has 47 catches for 569 yards and six TDs. Thanks in large part to the two of them and Derek Carr, the Raiders have the fourth-most passing yards and fifth-most passing touchdowns in the league this season. If they’re not one of the league’s elite passing attacks this season, they’re close to it.
But maybe Ward simply isn’t trying to give an opponent too much credit ahead of a divisional meeting, especially an opponent whom he specifically dislikes.
"I just don’t like them (Raiders). You know when you just don’t like somebody & you don’t know what it is?” – TJ Ward
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) November 2, 2016
Ward has long held a reputation for being a guy who will talk trash, so the comments aren’t a huge surprise. But he’s not exactly helping his team by giving the Raiders bulletin board material ahead of their game.
