Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow is not only a solid slot receiver, but he’s also a fast learner.
Though Las Vegas took it on the chin in losing to the Patriots in blowout fashion on Sunday, 36-20, the Raiders’ second-year standout was optimistic after the game, and not just because he had a productive day on the field.
“You lose one game in college, and you can’t go win a national championship, right? In the NFL, you can lose five or six games and still go to the Super Bowl,” Renfrow said after the game, “You get another shot next week against a really good team in the Bills, at our place.”
Renfrow knows all about the college football national championship, having won two during his time at Clemson. Plus, he has lessons from his first year as a pro. In 2019, the Raiders barely had a pulse as they traveled to London to face the Bears and the season turned around in an instant after a win.
And the Raiders were in the playoff hunt last season, despite finishing with a 7-9 record. Renfrow already knows not to get too high or too low, especially in Week 3 with a 2-1 record.
If Renfrow has more games like he did today, it would help the Raiders rack up more wins. He led the Raiders in receptions with six catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. His score came when the game was in hand for New England, but Renfrow had a huge reception late in the first half to set up a Las Vegas touchdown to pull within three points of the Patriots.
It clearly wasn’t enough, however. But the Raiders would do well to follow Renfrow’s lead and look ahead to the next game — after learning some tough lessons watching film of their blowout loss to coach Bill Belichick’s Patriots.
