The Las Vegas Raiders got an epic performance from Brock Bowers as he returned from knee surgery.
The Las Vegas Raiders got an impressive road win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, and Brock Bowers’ big day was part of it. The Raiders needed to score points and move the football, and the star tight end helped them do just that, catching ten passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.
The game also revealed what the real version of the Raiders offense is going to look like going forward, as Ryan McFadden of ESPN noted in his followup piece on Bowers’ performance. We already knew that coach Klint Kubiak would feature tight ends in his offense, and it’s also a current major trend in the NFL.
Bowers was coming back from surgery as he underwent a meniscus trim before the season, but he showed his value immediately on the team’s first drive as he caught three passes for 37 yards. That led to a field goal, and before the half he contributed another important catch as he managed to stay in bounds after making a catch for 15 yards despite what McFadden called “sticky coverage” from Saints safety Jonas Sanker.
New center Tyler Linderbaum had a different sort of comment about Bowers, say he “does it the right way.” That’s impressive phrase from a player who comes from a winning tradition with the Baltimore Ravens, and Linderbaum was signed in free agency to help do exactly that in Las Vegas.
Bowers also contributed a key catch in the fourth quarter with the Raiders hanging onto a slim lead and trying to extend it. It was only a 4-yard completion, but the tight end proved that he’s a go-to receiver who can be trusted in late-game situations.
We already knew that, but it’s been a while since those kinds of situations have actually come up. Bowers spent most of last year on the shelf with a knee injury, and the Raiders spent most of the season losing, with those two things being very connected.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins also offered high praise, comparing him to receiver Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings when Cousins formed a connection with Jefferson there in one of his many stops.
It’s hard to understate how important Bowers’ presence is to the Raiders going forward. His big play ability and yards after the catch potential helps make opponents respect the run game, and he gives Cousins a safety valve when he takes heat from the pass rush, which happened frequently in Sunday’s win.
