The Las Vegas Raiders have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL to start the season. They are 2-0 with two convincing wins over the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Raiders now travel to New Orleans for their toughest test of the season against the Saints. At first, it looked like they could get major reinforcements, with tight end Brock Bowers expected to return from injury.
He was limited in Wednesday and Thursday’s practices, but was held out of Friday’s practice. That’s typically not a great sign that a player is ready to play. Head coach Klint Kubiak said it was all part of the plan, but he’s already proven to be misleading when it comes to talking about injuries.
The Raiders released their injury report, and Bowers is officially listed as questionable. That means there’s likely a 50/50 shot that he plays against the Saints. Having him would certainly help their chances of winning, but they’ve proven they can score points without him.
Kubiak has been running a tight ship, so it’s hard to know where the Raiders are at on Bowers. He could also suit up but see limited snaps. He’ll be a player to watch closely on Sunday.
Raiders OC Talks Bowers’ Absence
Bowers is arguably the most talented player on the Raiders. When he’s healthy, he’s borderline unguardable. The offense has already been playing well, but adding Bowers could take them to another level.
However, there have been some positives to Bowers not playing. Offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko believes that not having Bowers has allowed other players to make plays and build confidence.
“I think it gives everybody confidence that everybody can go in, do their job in the way we see fit,” Janocko said how the team has played without Bowers. “That they can go in, they can play different guys, can play different positions. We can maximize different skill sets in different ways and execute the offense.”
Saints DC Praises Bowers
The Saints are a good team this season and could be in the playoff mix. Prior to the season, many thought the Raiders would be an easy win on other teams’ schedules. That hasn’t been the case.
Not having to play Bowers would certainly help the Saints’ chances of winning. Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley knows how dangerous the young tight end is.
“He’s such a weapon because he can line up anywhere,” Staley said, via Raiders.com. “He can run the entire route tree as an outside receiver, as an inside receiver or in a tight end position. He can even line up in the backfield. He’s a very complete player. Even at Georgia, he’s very dangerous after the catch, very good with the ball in his hands, which isn’t typical for a tight end.”
Even having Bowers in a limited capacity would be a big help. The Raiders do not have the strongest wide receiver room, so having an elite pass-catching tight end could open up the offense even more.
Concerning Brock Bowers Update Emerges for Raiders