The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t have star tight end Brock Bowers in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, but it didn’t matter, as the offense was able to score 27 points in the win. However, the schedule is about to get hard, and it would certainly help the team to have Bowers on the field.
The Raiders have merely said that Bowers is “day to day,” which doesn’t give a clear picture of when he might return. The good news is that the Raiders haven’t placed him on Injured Reserve, so he shouldn’t be out long.
The meniscus trim procedure Bowers got is known to keep players out for at least a few weeks, but according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Raiders aren’t very concerned about the injury.
“Raiders tight end Brock Bowers’ knee injury is not overly serious, from what I am told,” Graziano wrote. “The team felt he could have played last week if necessary, and it’s possible he returns this week. But the organization is determined to be careful with this very important player and not play him until they’re 100% certain he’s not being affected by the knee. I believe the latest you’ll see Bowers is Week 4 against the Chiefs, but again, it could be sooner than that.”
Will Bowers Play in Week 2?
The Raiders proved that the offense can function without Bowers, but it was against a weak Dolphins defense. Though the Los Angeles Chargers played poorly in Week 1, they are still a good team that made the playoffs last season.
This will be a much stiffer test for the Raiders. Running back Ashton Jeanty looked like a star in Week 1, but the team will want to open up the passing game more. Having Bowers makes the entire offense better.
He’s arguably the best receiving tight end in the NFL, and the Raiders are light on wide receiver talent. Kirk Cousins can’t throw the ball down the field that well at this stage of his career, so having a target like Bowers is very important in this offense.
Connor Heyward Had Solid Raiders Debut
Connor Heyward was one of the least talked about moves the Raiders made in free agency. He has played tight end, but the team is mostly using him as a fullback.
Not every team uses a fullback these days, but head coach Klint Kubiak likes having one in his offense. Heyward isn’t going to show up in the stat sheet very much, but Kubiak was impressed with what he saw from him in the first game of the season.
“I think Connor had a really solid showing,” Kubiak said. “That’s what we have come to expect from him. I think when he came into the game, the thing about a fullback is that the picture always changes post-snap. You are the cleanup guy; someone misses a block, you’ve got to be Johnny on the Spot. We mis-target something, you’ve got to make the offensive line right. But him using his brain and then him getting guys on the ground stood out.”
Insider Reveals Timeline for Brock Bowers’ Return From Injury