Frustrations boiled over after the Raiders’ most recent loss to the Ravens. A fan was heckling left tackle Donald Penn in the parking lot as he was driving away from The Coliseum. There would be a slight verbal altercation after the fan supposedly threw a bottle at his car.
It was not a good look for the Raiders’ left tackle, but he hasn’t been the reason for Oakland’s recent struggles on the gridiron. Penn has been one of the better players on the Raiders this season, excelling in both pass protection and in run blocking.
He will have a tough challenge on Sunday, as Penn will have to contain last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa. Bosa hasn’t played as well as he did down the stretch for the Chargers, but he’s a pass-rushing phenom that can get sacks in bunches.
With Derek Carr being back in the starting lineup for the Raiders, it’s all the more important for Penn to keep his franchise quarterback upright. Oakland always has a chance to win with Carr under center. It helps that he has great offensive linemen like Penn giving him a clean pocket to throw from.