Raiders Star Tight End Forces Opponents To Think Differently

The Las Vegas Raiders have a brand new offense, and it’s all about the tight ends. New coach Klint Kubiak has leaned heavily into the talent at that position, especially when it comes to Brock Bowers. 

Paul Gutierrez of Raiders.com did a fascinating piece about Bowers, and he reached the same conclusion as the rest of us. Bowers is one of those rare tight ends who forces opponents to redefine their approach, as he truly can function as both a receiver and a traditional tight end. 

Kubiak described Bowers as a “football robot” back during OTAs, and he meant it as the highest form of flattery. Cover Bowers with a cornerback and he’ll bully whoever’s on him, while linebackers and safeties tend to struggle with his speed.

Bowers had 10 catches on 14 targets for 116 yards and a touchdown against the New Orleans Saint, and he followed that effort with six more catches on a game-high 11 targets for 86 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. The highlight was a tough 20-yard TD in which he went up and grabbed the ball after quarterback Kirk Cousins was forced into a rare scramble.  

Safety Jeremy Chinn had to practice against Bowers all summer, and he noted that the tight end runs routes like a receiver. He added that Bowers is a willing blocker, which makes him even more dangerous. 

But that robot analogy also comes with some broken parts. Bowers has struggled with knee issues last year and this season, and he was listed as limited in practice this week. 

New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel had to cover his share of tight ends back in the day when he was with the Pats, and he said Bowers is like a big slot receiver. He lauded Bowers speed and “route craft” as his primary assets, and New England will have a tough task stopping Bowers this Sunday.

But Hall of Fame cornerback Eric Allen took the comp one step further, saying it’s Bowers’ route running that separates him from other tight ends. He can get physical at the end of a route, too, and Allen descibed the tight end’s catch radius as “incredible.”

Bowers is genuinely humble and modest about this, despite the fact that he’s on a Hall of Fame trajectory early in his career. He’s more concerned about the team’s rising fortunes, as he noted that it’s more fun with the Raiders suddenly winning games at 3-1 so far.