Rookie Brock Bowers breaks out at vital time for struggling Raiders offense

When the Las Vegas Raiders came on the clock with the 13th pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, no quarterbacks worth drafting that high were left. But promising prospects were available at other positions of need. The Raiders could have taken a cornerback, an offensive tackle or even a guard.

Tight end wasn’t even on the radar for most prognosticators, but there was Brock Bowers, just sitting atop the Raiders’ board. Though they’d drafted tight end Michael Mayer in the second round the previous year, that pick was made by former general manager Dave Ziegler and former head coach Josh McDaniels. Despite the recent investment the franchise had made in Mayer, new GM Tom Telesco and coach Antonio Pierce weren’t going to pass on the player they considered the best available.

“It was a consensus pick,” Telesco said in April.

For the move to be worth it, Bowers will have to blossom into a real difference-maker. And while it’s too early to give him that label, he has certainly looked the part through the first two weeks of the season for the Raiders (1-1).

Bowers has 15 catches for 156 yards, both of which lead the NFL among tight ends. They’re also the most catches and yards a rookie tight end has ever had through two games — in NFL history.

Feed Brock 🗣️ #LVvsBAL pic.twitter.com/NtmKRi2sXW

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 15, 2024

In the Raiders’ 26-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Bowers had a breakout nine-catch, 98-yard performance. Those numbers would stand out anyway, but what makes them even more impressive is that most of his production came when the offense needed it most.

In the first half, Bowers was targeted just four times, making three catches for 16 yards. As the Raiders rallied to make a 10-point comeback in the second half, he exploded for six catches and 82 yards.

Bowers’ best play came late in the third quarter. The Raiders trailed 16-6 and faced a third-and-8 from the Ravens’ 28-yard line. As the Baltimore pass rush brought pressure, quarterback Gardner Minshew used his legs to escape the pocket to the right.

Initially, Bowers was covered on a go route. When he glanced back and saw Minshew bailing out of the pocket, though, he turned around, worked back toward the ball and found an open space in the defense. Minshew hit him, and Bowers spun his way to the Ravens’ 1-yard line. Running back Alexander Mattison scored on the following play.

Brock making it happen! #LVvsBAL | 📺 @ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/kcKRRfwlfD

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 15, 2024

“I think he’s just growing,” Pierce said of Bowers on Monday. “He really showed up in some critical moments for us. But what I love, man, is the toughness and the physicality that he runs with. … You could see that (catch in the third quarter) energized our whole team and got him going.”

During training camp, the Raiders often ran scramble drills to simulate situations like the one Minshew found himself in. That helped the Raiders’ pass catchers and quarterbacks learn how to improvise.

“We just kind of reverted back to our training throughout the whole training camp and offseason,” Bowers said Sunday. “When he’s scrambling, you’ve got to get open and find a way to get the job done.”

The burgeoning relationship between Bowers and Minshew could be a sign of things to come.

“He’s awesome, man,” Minshew said Sunday. “He’s so good (and has) a great feel in zone (coverage). He can get open in man (coverage). I had to take a shot to him on third down, and he goes and makes a huge play for us. Man, I think he is going to be really special. We have to continue to develop chemistry there.”

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has been creative in his usage of Bowers. The rookie played 41 snaps against the Ravens. According to TruMedia, he spent 15 snaps at tight end, six snaps as an outside receiver and 20 snaps as a slot receiver. Bowers’ versatility has allowed Getsy to move him around to exploit favorable matchups with defenders in the pass game.

Still, the Raiders have yet to figure out how to get the run game going with Bowers on the field. They were expected to lean heavily on 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) this year but have used it on only 21 percent of their snaps (19th). That’s largely because opposing defenses haven’t respected their ability to run the ball.

The Raiders’ struggles with the run game continued Sunday, as they totaled just 27 yards on 17 carries. They haven’t been able to run out of any personnel grouping this season, rushing for a total of just 98 yards (31st) and averaging 2.5 yards per carry (32nd).

“It’s got to start up front,” Pierce said. “That’s poor. It’s not good enough. … There has to be an intent and a play style that we practiced and that we’ve been preaching since Day 1. It’s not showing up on game day, so obviously if there’s (lineup) changes that need to be made or scheme (changes), everything’s on the table.”

Surprisingly, the Raiders have been even worse running the ball out of 12 personnel. On 12 rushes out of 12 personnel in the first two weeks, they’ve averaged just 1.8 yards per carry. Additionally, Mayer hasn’t found his groove in the pass game. He has been targeted only four times and has just three catches for 14 yards.

“I’ve talked about both of our tight ends — Big Mike and (Bowers) — and when we’ve got 12 personnel in there, those are tough matchups,” Pierce said. “When we get not just Brock going but get Big Mike going, I think we’ll be a really good offensive team.”

In the second half against the Ravens, Getsy made the adjustment to essentially live out of 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three receivers). After using 11 personnel on 57.7 percent of the offensive snaps in the first half, he upped that to 70.6 percent of their snaps in the second half. In the fourth quarter, Getsy used 11 personnel on 85 percent of the team’s snaps.

Unless the Raiders can figure out their issues running the ball, that might need to be their approach. Pierce said he doesn’t blame starting running back Zamir White for the team’s struggles on the ground, instead putting the onus on the coaching staff and offensive line.

“It ain’t Zamir,” Pierce said. “We’ve got to start up front. The big boys up front have got to block, bottom line.”

When the Raiders are in 11 personnel, Bowers should handle tight end snaps on most passing plays while Mayer does the same on most rushing plays. That’s not what Getsy and company planned for coming into the season, but if the results continue to be as good as they were late against the Ravens, there won’t be any complaining on their part.

“I definitely felt (we) started clicking better,” Bowers said of the offense’s improvement in the fourth quarter. “We just started rolling.”

Notes

• Pierce didn’t have any injury updates when speaking to reporters Monday. Linebacker Divine Deablo (hip) was injured against the Ravens and didn’t finish the game. Defensive end Maxx Crosby played every snap, but he suffered an undisclosed injury toward the end of the contest and was noticeably limping in the locker room after the game. Guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (illness), defensive end Tyree Wilson (knee) and cornerback Decamerion Richardson (hamstring) were inactive.

• Next Sunday, the Raiders host the Carolina Panthers (0-2) at 1 p.m. PT. Monday, the Panthers decided to bench quarterback Bryce Young in favor of Andy Dalton.

Young, last year’s No. 1 pick, struggled mightily as a rookie and continued to play poorly in two starts this year. He has completed just 55.4 percent of his passes (28th in the NFL) for 245 yards (31st), zero touchdowns and three interceptions.

Dalton is a 14-year veteran and started one game for the Panthers last year. He has posted a 4-0 record in four career games against the Raiders, with the most recent win coming as a member of the New Orleans Saints in 2022.