Las Vegas Raiders get a handful of bad news with their inactives just before kickoff against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2
The Las Vegas Raiders will be without Brock Bowers, Darien Porter, and Aidan O’Connell in their inactives.
The Las Vegas Raiders will be without tight end Brock Bowers for their Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Bowers had a meniscus trim right before the season started. He missed Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. Now, he’s listed as a surprise inactive again on Sunday when the inactives were announced.
Head coach Klint Kubiak said earlier in the week that Bowers could miss only one game. That will not be the case. Bowers is a huge part of the Raiders’ offense. And getting the passing game going without him against a strong Chargers defense will be a significant challenge.
Other notable Raiders inactives
Bowers was not the only surprise inactive for Las Vegas. Cornerback Darian Porter, a second-year starter who got hurt last week, will also miss the game. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell was a mild surprise, too.
O’Connell is typically listed as an emergency quarterback when inactive. But this week he missed practice for personal reasons and is simply out. Rookie safety Dalton Johnson, second-year defensive tackle JJ Pegues, recently signed guard Bryce Cabledue, and safety Tristin McCollum round out the Raiders’ inactive list.
The Raiders won handily without Bowers in Week 1 against Miami, but the Chargers present a different challenge. This is an AFC West divisional rivalry, and Los Angeles remains a quality opponent despite losing to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1.
The game is in Los Angeles, where the Chargers will have a home-field advantage, though the Raiders should have a sizable contingent of fans in the building. Las Vegas will need to bring its best effort without several key contributors against a Chargers team looking to bounce back.
