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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