The Las Vegas Raiders‘ offense has been unpredictable through the first two games of the 2025 NFL season. After a Week 1 win over the New England Patriots, the Silver and Black struggled mightily in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Quarterback Geno Smith completed 24 of 43 passes for 180 yards but threw three interceptions and failed to reach the end zone. Las Vegas have also struggled on the ground, with rookie Ashton Jeanty yet to reach 20 carries in a single game this season.
One of the Raiders’ offensive players that the Washington Commanders will look to take away from Smith is tight end Brock Bowers. Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. will be looking to limit the star’s impact in the game, but there’s a lot of respect for the player.
“A dynamic, young tight end that when you talk about being one of the best receiving threats, you have to almost treat him like a receiver,” Whitt said (h/t Raiders.com). “He’s just a dynamic player.
“I remember watching him when he was at Georgia when he was a freshman and I was like, if he came out, he’d probably be the first tight end to get drafted if he came out as a freshman. So, I have a lot of respect for him.”
Can Brock Bowers Take Advantage of Washington’s Defense?
A significant reason why the Commanders will want to limit the impact that Bowers can have on the game is because of the damage that Green Bay Packers‘ Tucker Kraft caused in Washington’s Week 2 loss.
Kraft recorded six receptions for 124 yards and one touchdown, so former NFL player Robert Griffin III advised Las Vegas to replicate this formula to secure a win.
“Honestly, this week [the Raiders] have some pretty good mismatches against this Commanders defense in the tight end room,” Griffin said on “The Silver and Black Show.“ “Last week, the Washington Commanders gave up 156 yards receiving to the Green Bay Packers’ tight ends.
So if Brock Bowers is healthy and hopefully can get that knee brace off or be a little bit more comfortable with it on, it should be a field day for them in the middle of the field.
It will be interesting to see if offensive coordinator Chip Kelly can use what Kraft did against the Commanders and have Bowers exploit the middle of the field.
Raiders Remain Cautious With Brock Bowers
The Raiders’ Week 3 injury report listed Bowers as a limited participant on September 18, marking progress from last week’s opening practice when he didn’t take the field at all.
Last week, he sat out the first two practices entirely, so logging another limited session would represent another encouraging step forward. That’s a positive sign for his chances of suiting up against the Commanders, though his status will become clearer as the week goes on.
Through two games this season, Bowers has drawn eight targets and hauled in five catches each time. The production, however, has varied—he exploded for 103 yards in Week 1 but managed only 38 in Week 2.
Commanders Coach Has Strong Words for Raiders’ Brock Bowers