The second episode of “Hard Knocks” with the Oakland Raiders has aired, and there is a lot to discuss. But before we do that, it is important to know there will be spoilers below. So with that in mind, here are our biggest takeaways from this week’s episode:
1. Antonio Brown’s feet
After somewhat ignoring the issue last week, the show dived into Brown’s injury. Brown revealed that he injured his feet while vacationing in Paris and mentioned that he had a “burning sensation” after leaving a cryogenic therapy session. Take a look at the current state of his feet via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
What is clear from this episode is that the Raiders’ front office and coaching staff still fully trust Brown to be healthy for the regular season. Coach Jon Gruden mentioned several times throughout the show how excited he is to get his All-Pro receiver on the field. Hopefully, next week’s episode will show Brown on the practice field.
2. Keelan Doss impresses
Brown’s absence gave other receivers on the roster a chance to shine. In the second episode, the crew followed Doss, an undrafted rookie free agent from Alameda.
Doss played a bunch in the team’s first preseason game, catching a short touchdown pass from Nathan Peterman. He is slowly working his way up the depth chart, and Gruden can’t stop raving about him. If he can continue to make plays and prove that he can become a more consistent player, there is a chance that the former UC Davis receiver can make the 53-man roster.
3. Hunter Renfrow can’t sing, and Maxx Crosby can’t rap
One of the best parts of the episode was when the veterans on the team forced some of the rookies to sign in front of the team. Up first was Renfrow, who was booed off the stage. Then, it was Crosby who did his best T-Pain impression. Watch the video below to see how Crosby did in his audition:
4. Crosby is tough as nails
Speaking of Crosby, the fourth-round pick from Eastern Michigan showed his toughness as he broke his hand during Saturday’s preseason game. After getting his right hand wrapped up, the rookie return to the field to make a few tackles.
This week, it was announced that Crosby has had surgery on his hand and the injury is expected to take six to eight weeks to heal. However, Crosby is pushing to play in the team’s third preseason game next week. While that may seem like a stretch, you can count on him to be on the field when the team takes on the Broncos on Monday night in Week 1 of the regular season.
