Talk about adding insult to injury. While the Raiders' 34-3 loss to the Jets on Sunday was certainly bad enough, the news surrounding rookie receiver Hunter Renfrow has made Oakland's current playoff outlook even bleaker. On Monday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Renfrow sustained a broken rib and a punctured lung during Sunday's loss.
Shortly after Rapoport's report, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden told reporters that Renfrow may miss the remainder of the season, pending further tests.
A fifth-round pick out of Clemson, Renfrow has been on of the reasons why the Raiders are 6-5 and in the thick of the AFC playoff race. After an impressive training camp, Renfrow continued to impress this season, as he is currently second on the Raiders in receptions and third on the team in receiving yards. Renfrow has been one of the reasons for Derek Carr's bounceback season, as Carr has completed nearly 71 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
If Renfrow misses a significant amount of time, Oakland would turn to receivers Trevor Davis, Marcell Ateman and Keelan Doss to help complement Tyrell Williams -- the team's leading receiver -- and Zay Jones. The trio has combined to catch 15 passes for 232 yards through 11 games.
After three straight wins put them on the inside with regard to the AFC playoff picture, Oakland is now the AFC's seventh-ranked team after their 31-point loss to the Jets. Three of the Raiders' final five games are on the road that includes this Sunday's game against the Chiefs, who are looking to have Tyreek Hill in the fold despite Hill sustaining a hamstring injury during last Monday's win over the Chargers.
In Sunday's loss to the Jets, the Raiders rushed for just 68 yards while amassing just 208 total yards. Carr, who threw for a season-low 127 yards, was benched during the second half. Conversely, Oakland's defense had no answer for quarterback Sam Darnold, who threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns. Oakland will now face a Kansas City team that is fresh after receiving a Week 12 bye.
"We got our butts kicked, and there's no other way around that," Carr said after Sunday's game, via ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "They got after us from start to finish, and hopefully, it's an eye opener. Hopefully, we take it and learn from it ... we got our face kicked in a little bit, and you try to look forward, and hopefully, everybody wakes up.
"Give praise to the Jets; they showed up better than we did and it's unacceptable. It's my fault and I take full responsibility."
