Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers etched his name in all sorts of record books in their loss vs. Chiefs
The Las Vegas Raiders boast two of the NFL's elite players, each excelling in their respective positions. Naturally, everyone is familiar with Maxx Crosby, widely recognized and adored for his ability to go 100% in every single game for every single snap. He stands out as the league's top defensive end, is renowned for his […]
The Las Vegas Raiders boast two of the NFL's elite players, each excelling in their respective positions. Naturally, everyone is familiar with Maxx Crosby, widely recognized and adored for his ability to go 100% in every single game for every single snap. He stands out as the league's top defensive end, is renowned for his ability to play the position in every way you need him to, and does it with an insane amount of energy and passion.
Surprisingly, the Raiders also feature a comparable talent on offense, despite the unit ranking among the league's lowest performers. The offensive highlights predominantly revolve around two players: running back Alexander Mattison and tight end Brock Bowers, who shine as the few bright spots in an otherwise dim offensive picture.
As for the rookie tight end Brock Bowers, he is catching the attention of everyone, including one of the greatest to ever do it, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Even in a loss, one where the offense had too many issues to count, Bowers was finding ways to etch his name in some record books once again, as he has done all season long. Here is what the Raiders PR team tweeted about Bowers during the game:
TE Brock Bowers recorded 2 catches for 27 yards in the 1st quarter. He has already reached 49 receptions through his first eight career games, the most in NFL history by a rookie TE in their first eight career games, passing Keith Jackson (48 in 1988). TE Brock Bowers currently has 26 first-down receptions through 8 career games. The only TE to start his NFL career in 1991 or later to have more first-down receptions through 8 career games was Jordan Reed in 2013 (29). TE Brock Bowers has now surpassed 500 career receiving yards, one of two tight ends in NFL history to reach 500+ receiving yards in the first eight games of his rookie season and one of only two players in Raiders history to accomplish the feat.
The rookie tight end has been great, and his stats clearly demonstrate that he's currently the premier player at his position across the NFL, despite being in his first season. This season, although it's been somewhat lackluster for tight ends league-wide, Bowers has seized the opportunity, excelling and often leading or being very close to the top in all relevant tight-end metrics.
In the Raiders' matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, Bowers began the game spectacularly. However, the team inexplicably shifted away from utilizing him effectively. Head Coach Pierce offered no compelling explanation for this strategic choice, which notably backfired, particularly in critical goal-line situations where the Raiders failed to score and secure the lead, which could have been pivotal.
His first play on Sunday saw him sky-high for a contested catch. After that, he was targeted several times and caught everything thrown his way. But, they went away from him, despite Bowers being open over and over again.
We will get to see him against some decent pass defenses in the next few weeks when the Raiders play the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and the Chiefs again. But, playing against good pass defenses doesn't seem to phase or slow him down at all.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce knows that Raiders rookie Brock Bowers is the real deal
The Raiders have the one.
