Raiders News: Hunter Renfrow Focused On Executing Better After Week 3 Loss To Patriots
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The shorthanded Las Vegas Raiders’ offense struggled to find their rhythm during the loss to the New England Patriots in Week 3.

The Raiders’ passing game already had its work cut out going on the road to face the Patriots and their formidable secondary. To make matters worse, the receiving corps was notably depleted with Henry Ruggs III sidelined and fellow rookie Bryan Edwards injured early on.

As a result, the onus fell on wide receiver Hunter Renfrow to serve as a safety net for quarterback Derek Carr. It led to a productive day for Renfrow as he hauled in six receptions on nine targets for a game-high 84 yards and a touchdown.

Renfrow discussed what was going through his head while he was making highlight grabs, starting with the 27-yarder he caught just before the half, via Kyle Martin of the team’s website:

“We didn’t have too much time, but we hit some big plays to set us up,” Renfrow recalled. “That was a play we’ve been working on all year and it so happened that I became open Derek did a good job of progressing and hit me down the sideline.”

Renfrow admits that he had fallen just inches short of breaking the plane, which was confirmed on a review:

“I knew I wasn’t in,” Renfrow said, “I told [Nelson Agholor] that I was short, but it was good to get Foster [Moreau] the touchdown. I think it was 13-10 at that point? So, it was a one-possession game going into that half and we had some momentum, but we have to do a better job of executing.”

Despite coming off an impressive performance, Renfrow remains focused on the task at hand and believes the Raiders need to be better:

“I think, obviously the Patriots are a really good team for a reason. I think they do a really good job of taking people away, but at the same time, we have to execute better. When we don’t play well and they do a good job then you get an outcome like today.”

Renfrow emerged as an underrated talent during the final stretch of his rookie campaign. Despite a slow start to the 2020 NFL season, he has now managed to pick up where he left off by playing an integral role in the offense in Week 3.

The Raiders will need Renfrow and the rest of this group to be ready to step up when they host the undefeated Buffalo Bills in Week 4.