Just when Hunter Renfrow was coming into his own with the Raiders, he was lost to a rib injury. While he was standing on the sideline, the Raiders didn’t win a game. Seriously, his last full game was the Raiders’ last win. He got hurt against the Jets and they lost that game and three more to follow. He returned this week and they win. It isn’t exactly science, but it’s certainly interesting.

It isn’t juju either. Renfrow isn’t just a magic charm. He is a weapon. And it didn’t take long into this game before Derek Carr and the Raiders used that weapon to put points on the board.

On the very first drive, the Raiders found themselves in their first third down. Carr dropped back and hit Renfrow over the middle, Renfrow broke a tackle, and was gone 56 yards for the touchdown.

“It’s so funny. You don’t see that a lot in the NFL. Guys that catch a ball across the middle and then they outrun some people,” said Derek Carr. “I was like out of all people he’s the one that seems to do it. I met coach Swinney, Dabo Swinny…and he’s like ‘You don’t understand sometimes some of the things that he does, but he just continues to impress you and continues to do it.’ And I’d have to say Coach Swinney was right on that.”

Not only was that a huge scoring play, but it was the first of five third-down completions to Renfrow on the day. The final one put set the Raiders up for a field goal late to take a 10-point lead and run more time off the clock. The fourth one gave him 102 yards on the day, which, shockingly, was a first for him.

Not his first in the NFL. His first ever. Like, at any level ever.

“They told me on the sideline,” Renfrow said of the stat. “Never in high school or college. This is my first 100-yard game I’ve ever had in my life. Usually I’ll have like 96 [yards] but I’ll never get over the hump, so it was good and it was good because we needed it to win.”

Renfrow was Mr reliable for the 2-time Clemson Tigers football team, and you don’t usually get on that team, let alone in that position without having put up big numbers somewhere at some point. Better late than never I guess. The Raiders sure needed that from him too.

With the turnover at wide receiver and the inability to get consistent contributions from the unit, losing the team’s primary slot receiver just as he and the quarterback are gaining chemistry can be devastating. And getting him back is just as crucial to getting the offense back on track. Or as fellow rookie Maxx Crosby put it:

“Renfrow’s a beast. He’s a game-changer. When he’s in there he makes things happen. Seeing him do what he does is awesome.”

The Raiders beat the Chargers 24-17 with Renfrow finishing with a team-leading 7 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.

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Somehow, someway, the Oakland Raiders are still alive in the AFC Wild Card hunt. After the Steelers, Browns, and Titans all lost in Week 16, the Raiders took care of business by defeating the Chargers in Los Angeles.

The Raiders entered the game without several key starters on offense, but they were able to put up 24 points against the Chargers. Derek Carr was fantastic in this game, completing 26 of 30 passes for 291 yards.

Oakland will finish the 2019 season traveling to Denver to take on the Broncos. For the Raiders to make the playoffs, Oakland will need to win and will need losses from Pittsburgh, Tennesee, Bengals, and Jaguars. While it seems unlikely, it certainly isn’t impossible.

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We knew the Raiders would be without Richie Incognito and Josh Jacobs. But there was still some unexpected bits to the who will and won’t be in the lineup today. Most notable could be that rookie Isaiah Johnson is once again inactive, this time is favor of Nick Nelson who was just called up from the practice squad.

That means the corners will be Trayvon Mullen, Daryl Worley, Lamarcus Joyner, Keisean Nixon, and Nick Nelson.

Raiders

WR Keelan Doss
LB Ukeme Eligwe
QB Mike Glennon
G Richie Incognito
RB Josh Jacobs
CB Isaiah Johnson
DL Olsen Pierre

Notes: Staring at left guard in place of Incognito will be Denzelle Good. Replacing Jacobs at running back will be by committee including DeAndre Washington, Jalen Richard, and Rod Smith.

Chargers

Easton Stick
Justin Jackson
Jaylen Watkins
Roderic Teamer
Spencer Drango
Russell Okung
Sylvester Williams

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With two starting offensive linemen out on Sunday, the Oakland Raiders have promoted guard Lester Cotton Sr. from the practice squad. In a corresponding move, the team has announced that linebacker Marquel Lee will go to the injured reserve list, ending his season.

Marquel Lee heads back to IR as #Raiders make the expected move of calling up Lester Cotton Sr from the practice squad. Cotton will be the primary backup at guard while Denzelle Good starts at LG.

— Levi Damien (@LeviDamien) December 21, 2019

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Last week in Oakland was emotional. It was the final Raiders game ever in Oakland Coliseum. It was the end of an era. One that began in 1960 in a stadium that was home to many great Raiders moments, including two Super Bowl-winning teams. The next actual home game they play will be in their new stadium in Las Vegas.

Now a week after saying farewell to their own stadium, the Raiders will head to their second home for another stadium farewell — Dignity Health Sports Park.

The stadium formerly known as StubHub Arena has been the home of the Chargers since all the way back in 2017. They moved into the 30K-seat soccer stadium after Chargers owner Dean Spanos abandoned San Diego for the pleasure of the Rams’ stadium tenant in LA.

But before they shack up with the Rams, the club and its tens of fans will give a teary-eyed farewell to their temporary digs of the past few years.

“It’s a little different than it used to be playing at the old San Diego Chargers stadium,” Jon Gruden said Wednesday. “You’re playing at a venue that really is a temporary venue for them. I’ve got a lot of respect for this rivalry wherever we play it, but California football right now is in limbo. 49ers moved, we’re moving, Chargers moved, Rams moved, so there’s a lot of moving parts, but I enjoy playing this matchup. Always have.”

I’m old enough to remember when the Raiders and Chargers played in Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. The crowds there were often about a 50-50 Raiders fan ratio. After the team made it known they were leaving, the final Raiders-Chargers game in December of 2016 was dominated by Silver & Black. Many of whom came down the freeway from Los Angeles.

Since they arrived in LA, most of the San Diego fans dumped the team and it has struggled to dredge up fan support a few miles north. So, those seats are typically filled with opposing fans.

That goes especially for when they play the Raiders as Raider Nation is quite strong in the city. And as much as the LA fans enjoyed their annual mini-vacay down to San Diego, they seem to enjoy having a rival game in their backyard just as much.

That will probably continue when the Chargers move into the new stadium in Inglewood, tho tickets will probably be a bit more expensive.

That’s for another day. This Sunday the Chargers will join Raiders fans in bidding farewell to their 3-year temporary home in Carson.

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The Raiders are going to have a tough decision this offseason to make in regards to Karl Joseph. The former first-round pick from 2016 is coming off his best season as a professional, but he was injured in the team’s Week 10 win over the Chargers.

Joseph is scheduled to be a free agent after the season and the Raiders will have to decide whether or not they can afford to bring back the veteran safety. With 2019 first-round pick Jonathan Abram already on the roster, can Oakland really find a spot for another in-the-box safety?

But on the flip side, it’s hard to feel confident that Abram will be able to stay healthy after numerous injuries over the last few years. Joseph would give the Raiders another high-impact defender who can help improve Oakland’s defense.

The free-agent market will likely decide whether or not Joseph returns to the Silver and Black. But given how well he has played over the last two seasons, keeping Joseph with the Raiders would be a massive win for the team.

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