The Raiders’ breakout star of the past week is tight end Brock Bowers, who had a season-high 140 yards and a touchdown in the team’s narrow loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The rookie’s impressive performance earned praise from four-time All-Pro Travis Kelce, who told Bowers “Keep doing your thing.”
Bowers is having a historic season, with 84 receptions for 884 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games. He’s on pace to break records for a rookie tight end, including receptions and receiving yards. Despite playing with a carousel of quarterbacks, Bowers has emerged as the Raiders’ No. 1 pass-catching option, averaging 83.3 receiving yards per game since Davante Adams was traded.
Bowers has been dominant in the short and intermediate areas of the field, but has also shown his ability to make big plays down the field. Against the Chiefs, he caught two passes of 20-plus air yards, including a 33-yard touchdown.
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce praised Bowers’ ability to elevate his play in big moments, saying “The bigger the moment, the bigger he stands up and makes plays.” Pierce also acknowledged that Bowers is a special player, saying “I don’t really think it matters, man. I think we got a really special player on our hands.”
Bowers has been efficient with his opportunities, with just two drops this season and an impressive 14 targets in Week 13. He’s been a bright spot for the struggling Raiders, and his performance has earned him recognition as a breakout star of the past week.