San Francisco 49ers: Michael Crabtree Disappearing Act Proves He's a Bust

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree wilted under the pressure of the bright lights this postseason. When his team needed a spark, Crabtree was nowhere to be found. His disappearing act shows me he is most certainly a bust.

Vernon Davis knew what was expected of him, and the 49ers almost got to Super Bowl XLVI due to his incredible performances in both playoff games.

"Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games, and that’s all I kept telling myself over and over and over, ‘Vernon, you got to step up, the team needs you,’" Davis said.

Crabtree, on the other hand, was completely absent after his first-quarter touchdown grab in the divisional round against the New Orleans Saints. He had three drops in that game, and Smith didn't even look his direction after he dropped two passes in a row on two consecutive plays.

In fact, his five catches for 28 yards between the two playoff games seems to give him more credit than he deserves. In the NFC Championship Game, Crabtree wasn't even targeted until the third quarter. 

This isn't what you would expect from your former first-round selection, is it? Crabtree was taken with the 10th selection of the 2009 NFL draft, and when they picked him he was considered a "steal." He was considered by most draft experts to be a top five pick before a fractured foot caused his stock to fall. 

Teams were concerned about Crabtree's ability to be consistently explosive, due to his foot. Turns out they were right. Crabtree, in his third full season as a pro, has still failed to participate in a single training camp due to various injuries.

This wouldn't bother me if he was able to make up for it on the big stage, but Crabtree's inability to get any separation on the Giants secondary in the championship game showed me his true colors.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh knows the value of a player that plays well in big games. He said as much after Davis' epic divisional performance: "There’s a special place in your heart for players that play well in big games."

I'm not sure how much of a special place Crabtree's efforts have in his heart, but I for one am sick and tired of hearing every offseason about how he's going to be better next year. 

The simple truth is this: Crabtree will never be a No. 1 receiver. He isn't good enough. He can be a competent No. 2, but he lacks the speed and quickness on the outside to ever be considered as anything other than that.

I'm positive that Trent Baalke and Harbaugh aren't blind to this fact. Heck, they even attempted to do something about it before the season began, but Joshua Morgan was hurt and Braylon Edwards turned out to be a bigger bust than Crabtree.

Crabtree's postgame comments after the bitter loss to the New York Giants shows how far from reality his perception of himself is when he said, "Sometimes, you've just got to move the ball. You've got to make plays. You've got to give people chances to make plays. You've got to make plays."

My parents always taught me to look in the mirror before making comments about anyone else. 

Crabtree only got open one time that I could see in the entire game against the Giants, and Alex Smith went to Gore instead. Corey Webster had him on lockdown, and he couldn't get any separation if his life depended on it. 

Unless he has a "come to Jesus" type moment like Davis had, Crabtree will never realize his full potential on this team. He needs to embrace his role without malice or indignation. 

The 49ers need to embrace the fact that they need a true threat on the outside if this offense ever expects to make more of an impact against an elite defense.

Crabtree will still be a valuable member of the 49ers next year, but by no means should we ignore the elephant in the room: He is a bust as a first-round selection.

As always, please let me know what you think in the comments section below.

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