Getty Oakland Raiders LB Tahir Whitehead.
Wins are always sweet, but there’s almost no win sweeter for the Oakland Raiders than beating the Los Angeles Chargers. Not only are they division rivals, but Philip Rivers’ status as one of the biggest trash talkers in the NFL certainly makes the thought of him losing that much better. The Raiders took it to the Chargers on Sunday and embarrassed the team as they were frequently booed at their home stadium.
Rarely does a quarterback playing at home have a hard time hearing because of crowd noise but that was the case for Rivers on Sunday. A clip started to circulate on Twitter of him getting frustrated that he couldn’t hear and Raiders linebacker Tahir Whitehead decided to troll the hell out of the quarterback.
For the Raiders, there really isn’t anything better than a pouty Philip Rivers. He’s owned the team for over a decade at this point and now that he’s finally in decline, Oakland is going to jump at every chance they can to take a jab at him.
Hunter Renfrow to the Rescue
Rookie wide receiver Hunter Renfrow came back just in time for the Raiders. Oakland’s passing game essentially only had tight end Darren Waller as a threat and that made the offense very predictable. Having Renfrow back brought another dimension to the passing game and he was unstoppable on third downs. He ended the contest with his first 100-yard game ever.
“They told me on the sideline,” Renfrow said about hitting the mark. “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 also made the biggest play of the game when he broke for a 56-yard touchdown on a slant.
“It was big because we needed it to get things going,” Renfrow said about the play. “I just try to go out there and be available. You get base hits, base hits, base hits and then you hit a home run. We weren’t swinging for the fences, but it worked out well for us and we made a big play.”
There’s no doubt that Derek Carr and Renfrow are building a great rapport.
“He and I are just getting better and better,” Carr said of Renfrow. “The chemistry is there. There’s no denying that.”
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Maxx Crosby Calls Renfrow a ‘Beast’
The Raiders’ fourth and fifth-round picks are looking more impressive every week. Fourth rounder Maxx Crosby has been one of the best rookie pass rushers in the NFL while fifth-rounder Hunter Renfrow has been one of the team’s most productive offensive players.
“Renfrow’s a beast. He’s a game-changer,” said Crosby. “When he’s in there he makes things happen. Seeing him do what he does is awesome.”
Thanks in large part to the rookies, the Raiders are still in the playoff race and if several things can go right for them, they could get the last wild card spot. It should be interesting to see how the rookies step up in Week 17 with so much on the line.
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