Crabtree licking his chops over playing Oakland

Michael Crabtree had to wait an extra three picks to get drafted because the Raiders passed on him last year. The 49ers receiver has waited 18 months since to show them how he really feels.

"Of course you think about it," Crabtree said of the snub with the Raiders coming to Candlestick Park for Sunday's Battle of the Bay. "Anytime someone gets picked ahead of you, you think about it."

To be clear, Crabtree doesn't have a beef with wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, whom the Raiders drafted with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2009 draft. Heyward-Bey had no choice in the matter.

Crabtree holds the snub completely against a Raiders organization that didn't so much as host him on a predraft visit, much less make him the first wide receiver drafted that year.

"I'm not worried about Darrius," Crabtree said. "I'm focused on winning the game. But at the same time, I'm thinking about the Raiders."

Two Aprils ago, Crabtree was overwhelmingly considered the best wide receiver in a receiver-heavy draft class. In two seasons at Texas Tech, he caught 231 passes for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Crabtree won two Biletnikoff Awards as the best receiver in college. Heyward-Bey was an honorable mention pick in the ACC for Maryland.

So why did the Raiders go with Heyward-Bey? Multiple sources in the Raiders organization pointed to Heyward-Bey's 4.3-second time in the 40. Crabtree did not run the 40 after having surgery on a stress fracture in his left foot.

As 49ers legend Jerry Rice said before the draft, Raiders owner Al Davis loves 40 speed that stretches the field. That's the real reason Crabtree fell to the 49ers at the No. 10 overall slot.

"He fell into our lap and that was a decision that we had to make, and I'm happy that we have him," Niners offensive coordinator Mike Johnson said.

With the top-two receiver picks of 2009 playing in the same NFL market, it's easy to compare their progress. Sunday will be the first time they go head-to-head because Crabtree missed the August exhibition game with a sore neck.

So, what's the current score?

Crabtree is coming off his first 100-yard game after catching a career-high nine passes for 105 yards Sunday against the Eagles. Afterward, Eagles coach Andy Reid raved about the "phenomenal game" Crabtree had, saying, "He made some moves out there that, for a wide receiver, were something."

Heyward-Bey is coming off the sixth no-catch game of his career. He has 11 catches for 142 yards all season. His career game was six catches for 80 yards against the Rams.

Crabtree missed the first five games of his rookie year in a contract stalemate, but still caught 48 passes for 625 yards in 11 starts. Heyward-Bey missed the last five games with a foot injury after he caught nine passes for 124 yards in 11 starts.

And, get this: Heyward-Bey had a five-game head start on Crabtree, yet Crabtree passed him in receptions by his third quarter of NFL play.

"Without question, we're proud of it," Raiders coach Tom Cable said of their pick. "Certainly it was questioned last year, and maybe rightly so just in terms of production, but I think he's turning that around quickly."

Heyward-Bey's career totals through 16 games: 20 catches for 266 yards and one touchdown. Crabtree's 16-game totals: 68 catches for 869 yards and three touchdowns.

Crabtree isn't saying he wants to stick it to the Raiders for skipping him. He's just saying.

"I wouldn't say I was stunned, it's one of those things that happened," Crabtree said. "I guess it is what it is, but you'll always have that in the back of your mind when you play them.

"Yeah, it's going to be big this week."

Robert Gallery and Jason Campbell expected to start for Raiders. B7

A look at the stats for Michael Crabtree and Darrius Heyward-Bey, the first two receivers taken in the 2009 NFL draft.

Raiders vs. 49ers 1 p.m. Sunday, Candlestick Park Channel: 5 Channel: 13 Channel: 46