The Las Vegas Raiders headed into Week 8’s matchup against the New York Jets on Sunday, desperate for a win after losing four straight games following a three-game win streak to begin the 2026 NFL season.
New York was also in desperation mode, having won only two games this season and having lost two games coming into this game against the Raiders.
After a shootout in which 77 points were scored, the Raiders came out on top and got back to .500 on the season at 4-4.
Brock Bowers Makes NFL History
One of the main reasons for the Raiders’ success on offense in Week 8 was the play of star tight end Brock Bowers.
Along with making a ridiculous one-handed touchdown grab earlier in the game, Bowers went on to haul in another touchdown pass and rack up 92 receiving yards and seven receptions.
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As a result of another stellar performance that helped propel the Raiders to their fourth win of the season, Bowers made NFL history on Sunday, according to Sam Warren of The Athletic.
“Brock Bowers became the first tight end in NFL history today to have at least 70 receiving yards in each of their first six games of a season,” Warren wrote on his X account.
Bowers seems to have these kinds of milestones every week this season, as he continues to make a case for being arguably the best tight end in the NFL right now.
The star tight end also passed the legendary Mike Ditka with another milestone after the first 35 games of his NFL career, according to Raiders PR.
“Brock Bowers has now passed Hall of Fame TE Mike Ditka (2,385) for the most receiving yards (2,386) by a non-receiver through his first 35 career NFL games in league history.”
In the six games he’s played during the 2026 campaign so far, Bowers has caught 41 passes for 547 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.
As long as he can stay healthy, he’s going to continue to be a go-to weapon for veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Kirk Cousins Passes Aaron Rodgers in TD Passes at 38 or Older
With Cousins connecting with Bowers every week, the 38-year-old gunslinger is racking up the numbers despite his age and not having the most talented receiving corps.
On Sunday, Cousins had an impressive performance, passing for 247 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, completing 19 of 26 pass attempts.
Cousins continues to exceed expectations in his first season with the Raiders, giving the No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza more time to learn from the seasoned veteran on the bench.
During the win over the Jets, Cousins passed Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the second-most passing touchdowns by a quarterback who is 38 or older, according to Raiders PR.
“Kirk Cousins is up to 18 passing touchdowns this season, passing Aaron Rodgers (17 in 2025) for the 2nd-most passing TDs by a QB age 38 or older in his first eight games with a franchise since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970 – trailing only Tom Brady (20 in 2020).”
Cousins now has a total of 19 touchdown passes on the season, which is the best in the league. That’s three more than the quarterback behind him, who is Jordan Love (16) of the Green Bay Packers.
Raiders’ Brock Bowers Accomplishes Something Never Done Before in NFL History