Why did Aqib Talib and Michael Crabtree originally get 2-game suspensions?

Aqib Talib and Michael Crabtree were each facing a two-game suspension after they were ejected over a fight that started a brawl in Broncos vs. Raiders on Sunday. Both suspensions were reduced to one game on appeal. But the original discipline was an unusual punishment for the league to hand out for an on-field infraction.

The NFL typically does not tack on a suspension after a player is ejected from a game. There’s usually a fine involved, but the league often counts the playing time the guy already forfeited as punishment enough.

Multi-game suspensions for on-field infractions are even rarer. It’s only happened six times prior to this incident. Talib and Crabtree’s suspensions will be the second and third such punishments handed out this year (Vontaze Burfict served a three-game suspension to start the season for a blindside hit in the preseason).

So what’s different about the situation with Talib and Crabtree? Let’s start with the incident itself.

What happened?

This beef between Talib and Crabtree goes back to last season. Talib ripped Crabtree’s chain off of his neck. There was no altercation after that incident, but the bad blood apparently continued.

On Sunday, Crabtree was blocking Talib on a play, and Talib snatched Crabtree’s chain again. Crabtree kept blocking Talib out of bounds and a fight ensued. First Broncos players came to Talib’s aid, then Crabtree’s Raiders teammates jumped in. It turned into a full-on brawl.

The NFL acted swiftly. NFL vice president of football operations Joe Runyan handed down the suspensions Monday. And while both Talib and Crabtree are appealing the punishment, the league had three specific reasons for issuing this discipline.

“The series of flagrant violations for which you are being disciplined began less than three minutes into the game,” the league’s letter to Talib read.

And the thing with Talib wasn’t even Crabtree’s first run-in of the game. He sucker punched Broncos cornerback Chris Harris in the gut with 12:31 remaining in the first quarter.

“Your actions triggered a melee,” letters the NFL sent to both men read.

Talib and Crabtree were separated after the initial confrontation. They came after each other again, and that’s what triggered all-out war between the two teams. Raiders guard Gabe Jackson was also thrown out of the game after making contact with an official.

On the original play that set all of this off, Crabtree kept blocking Talib well past the spot that media are supposed to stay behind on the sideline. They did run into two media members on their way to the ground.

Crabtree’s letter admonishes him for grabbing Talib’s facemask and twisting it during the brawl. And Talib’s calls him out because he “aggressively removed (Crabtree’s) helmet and threw it in his direction, endangering him and various sideline personnel in the near vicinity.

But the NFL also said that both men “endangered various sideline and league personnel, including one of our game officials who was injured trying to maintain control of the situation.”

Crabtree and Talib’s appeals were heard on Tuesday. Both were reduced to one game.

But in the NFL’s words, Talib and Crabtree’s actions “have no place in this game, engender ill will between teams, and lead to further confrontations.”