Well, it wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win. All that matters is that the Las Vegas Raiders are starting off the season 1-0 after gutting out a 17-16 win over the Denver Broncos. As with any win or loss, there’s plenty that caught everyone’s eye. In particular, when it came to the new starting signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo and former Pro Bowl wideout Hunter Renfrow.
Here are a few initial knee-jerk reactions from the game:
Same Ol’ Raiders
We were told that things would be different in Josh McDaniels’ second year as head coach. Also, we were told that Garoppolo would run the offense more efficiently than Derek Carr. Sunday was our first chance to see what the new-look Raiders would look like. It felt discomfortingly familiar, in all honesty.
The Raiders started out the game really strong. They marched down the field and scored on their opening possession. Afterwards, the offense began to slow down as the game wore on. In the second and third quarters, they were outplayed and fell behind. Yet they still managed to come back and eke out a win against an inferior opponent.
Anyone else get a sense of Deja Vu? So far, this year’s team looks an awful lot like last year’s rendition. However, there is one significant difference at the quarterback position.
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Jimmy Garoppolo’s Willingness To Run Is A Breath Of Fresh Air
Regardless of how you feel about Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo, it is impossible to deny that it was nice to see a Raiders quarterback make plays with his legs. Garoppolo took off on several scrambles today and really got after it. He fought for every yard and looked tough on some quarterback sneaks.
Garoppolo’s legs showed up big time on the Raiders’ final drive. He picked up a huge eight-yard gain on third down to ice the game. Having a quarterback who is willing and able to do that makes it a lot easier to close out games. That was something that the Raiders had some trouble with last year.
Again, this is not me declaring that Garoppolo is officially an upgrade over Carr. The jury is still out on that; it’s only Week 1, folks. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that the former 49er brings something to the table that the Raiders have sorely missed. This is especially the case on third downs, where the Raiders used to have another weapon that has seemingly disappeared.
It’s Time For the Raiders To Part Ways With Hunter Renfrow
The 2021 “Third and Renfrow” era feels like a lifetime ago. It is incredible how a guy less than two years removed from a 100-catch season has become absolutely invisible. We all thought that last season was a fluke due to Renfrow’s injuries, which made it hard for him to find his groove in the offense.
After a strong camp, we thought he might get close to being back to the guy he once was. Especially given the fact that reviews out of camp were highly optimistic. Following Sunday’s action against the Broncos, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In fact, Renfrow was not targeted a single time in the season opener.
Something is up—that’s not conjecture; just look at the game. Renfrow is too talented to be irrelevant on offense. We will get a better idea once the tape comes out, but it certainly didn’t seem like he was getting dominated by the Denver secondary. It just didn’t seem like there was any attempt in the play design to get him the ball whatsoever. That is unreal given what we know Renfrow is capable of.
As painful as it is to write this, it is time for a divorce. Clearly, something is just not working between Hunter Renfrow and Josh McDaniels. The guy is too talented, and the Raiders are paying him too much for this level of usage. At this point, the Raiders should seek out a trade partner so that both sides can go their separate ways. Given the contract, that will be difficult to do. Las Vegas would likely have to agree to eat some of his salary just to get a day three pick for him. Based on what we saw today, that might be for the best. It is a pretty sad situation.
Alex’s Pivotal Players And Positions: Raiders Week 1 vs Broncos
*Top Photo: Getty Images
