Hunter Renfrow again lone bright spot in another Raiders loss

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — He wasn’t going to address the 13 receptions from 14 targets for 117 yards and a touchdown Sunday.

That’s not Hunter Renfrow.

This is: “You can always be better. A better teammate, better at helping people, a better receiver, a better leader.”

This from the lone player considered a bright spot amid the mess of another Raiders loss.

Kansas City scored a defensive touchdown on the game’s first play and never looked back, laughing its way to a 48-9 win at Arrowhead Stadium.

It was the third-year wide receiver Renfrow who offered some semblance of competence for the Raiders, again the main target for quarterback Derek Carr as tight end Darren Waller missed a second straight game with a knee injury.

But it wasn’t all good for Renfrow.

He had one of the team’s five fumbles, four of which led to Kansas City touchdowns.

Renfrow coughed the ball up following a 19-yard gain with 5:05 remaining in the half.

Seven plays later, the Chiefs had struck again and it was a lopsided 35-0.

“You look back at the week and how you practiced,” Renfrow said. “Things like ball security. Obviously, five turnovers were the biggest part of the day. We can’t let that happen, myself included.

“Sometimes, it’s just one of those days.”

His production lately outweighs a bit of slippage on his part.

This was the third straight game that Renfrow has managed at least 100 yards receiving.

“He’s the same guy every single day,” Carr said. “But he will be the first to tell you that he would trade any of those catches or 100-yard days for wins.”

Carr’s main take: Each time someone says they believe Renfrow has reached this point because he simply outworks others, the quarterback is quick to point out the receiver’s skill.

“He’s just a lot more talented than other people,” Carr said.

Renfrow also had the team’s lone touchdown Sunday, a 4-yard pass from Carr with 9:52 remaining in the game.

Waller’s absence is an obvious void the Raiders need filling until the star returns. Things are inconsistent in the passing game without him, which makes Renfrow’s ability to constantly find holes in the defense all the more significant.

He really started to come on during a Thanksgiving Day victory in Dallas, catching eight balls for 134 yards in a 36-33 victory. He’s also one not to look a 48-9 loss in the face and totally give up on the season.

“This was a big game for us that we thought we needed to win to get into the playoffs,” Renfrow said. “But we’re also 6-7 with four more left. We could win them and be 10-7 and be right there. If you lose, you never think you had a good game.”

One of Renfrow’s main points after the loss: While the NFL is a league in which you play with emotion, you shouldn’t do so emotionally. There’s a big difference.

He thought the Raiders might have begun Sunday on the latter side of things, and when you saw them stomping on Kansas City’s midfield logo minutes before exiting the field at the conclusion of warmups, his words proved true.

Then you know what happened.

“They,” said Renfrow, “stomped on us.”

Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.