Brock Bowers Makes Concerning Comments About Injury Status
The Las Vegas Raiders had a great Week 1 with a win over the New England Patriots, but they didn’t come out of the game unscathed. Star tight end Brock Bowers was lighting up the Patriots’ defense before a knee injury knocked him out of the game.
The Raiders suggested that he may have been able to return had the game been closer, but they didn’t see the need to risk it. However, now that Bowers has had time since the injury, it’s looking possible he could miss time.
While he appears to have avoided serious injury, there’s no guarantee he’ll be suiting up for Monday night’s matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I’m not sure. We’ll see how it’s feeling throughout the week, but I’m hoping to play,” Bowers said when asked about the injury, per ESPN.
The Raiders would love to have Bowers for their home opener, but they’re not going to risk him making the injury worse if he’s not close to 100%. Las Vegas has an extra day to prepare, so perhaps that could be all that Bowers needs to get healthy. This will be a situation to monitor. He’s the team’s best offensive player, so missing him would be a big blow.
Who Will Step Up if Bowers Can’t Play?
If Bowers has to miss the game, it could finally be Michael Mayers‘ chance to have a big game. He played really well in Week 1, but he didn’t see many targets.
Mayer was a second-round pick in 2023, and many expected him to be a star tight end in the NFL. That hasn’t been the case so far, but he’s also missed a lot of games. He’s healthy now and could see a much bigger workload in Week 2, even if Bowers suits up.
This would also be a great time for Ashton Jeanty to finally have a breakout game. He only averaged 2.0 yards per carry in Week 1. The Raiders used the No. 6 pick on Jeanty in hopes that he’d be able to still make plays despite a shaky offensive line. The Chargers have a very good front, so it won’t be easy.
A Win in Week 2 Would Be Huge Statement For Raiders
The Raiders took care of business on the road in Week 1, which will certainly land them some respect around the NFL world. However, beating a playoff team that a lot of people are high on this season would be a much bigger deal.
A win in Week 2 would solidify the Raiders as a real threat in the AFC. It wouldn’t make them Super Bowl favorites, but it would put them in a position to make a run for a playoff spot.
It would also put the Raiders at the top of the AFC West standings over the Chargers and Chiefs. It’s early in the season, but momentum is real in the NFL. If Las Vegas beats what many believe to be one of the better teams in the league, it would be a huge confidence booster for the entire franchise.
Chiefs Drop Revealing Assessment of Rookie Pass Rusher
Every year, NFL teams witness unheralded first-year players developing into valuable contributors. It oftentimes takes months, especially for contenders like the Kansas City Chiefs.
One player from the club’s Day 2 NFL Draft crop is already standing out. Defensive end Ashton Gillotte garnered plenty of praise despite an abbreviated Week 1.
Chiefs Rookie DE Ashton Gillotte Praised Early in Debut Campaign
Speaking to the media on Thursday, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said the Louisville product deserves more snaps. If not for an elbow injury suffered against the Los Angeles Chargers, he’d have gotten on the field more already.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Spagnuolo said. “You guys wouldn’t have been out for one-on-ones yesterday, right? We did them a little later in practice, but I thought he did a really nice job in one-on-ones. He got that elbow, otherwise I think he would’ve had more plays in the game. We’ll keep trying to gear him up.”
This marks the second time in the month of September that Spagnuolo has had good things to say about Gillotte. The cap-tipping didn’t stop there. Defensive tackle Chris Jones is also a fan of the third-round pick.
“He’s coming along,” Jones said. “You know, he’s still young so we can’t put too much responsibility on Ashton. But everything we’ve asked him, he’s done well. I think he’ll continue to get better throughout the year.”
Gillotte, a sturdy end with excellent athletic scores, was solid during the preseason. He parlayed that into a strong regular-season debut, even with just nine snaps played. In those reps, he logged a pressure and posted a healthy 65.1 Pro Football Focus pass rush grade. Among all players on the Chiefs’ defensive front, that figure ranked first. Gillotte finished with one assisted tackle on Friday night.
Kansas City’s Defensive Line Must Improve on Poor Week 1 Showing
To be fair to the Chiefs, Joe Alt is a phenomenal offensive tackle. Penetrating the Chargers’ front five is easier said than done. With that in mind, it’d be unfair to not mention the absence of star Rashawn Slater. Kansas City failed to get much pressure on quarterback Justin Herbert, who promptly turned in one of his best games as a pro.
The Chiefs played an undisciplined and ineffective brand of football up front. It culminated with Herbert icing the game on a play that saw All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones lose contain and get (rightfully) barked at for it. Advanced stats backed up the struggles, too. In ESPN’s team win rates for pass rush wins and run stops, Spagnuolo’s group ranked 21st and 25th, respectively, in Week 1.
Simply put, that won’t cut it this Sunday. However much difficulty Kansas City had to begin the year, a similar effort would lead to even worse results. The Philadelphia Eagles boast a great collection of talent. This much is known by the Chiefs, and it doesn’t take a trip too far back in time to recall it.
Maybe the solution is Jones living up to his paycheck. There’s a chance the real answer is somewhere in the middle, signaling the importance of others like Charles Omenihu and Mike Danna. George Karlaftis was about the only prominent snap-getter who showed up in Week 1.
Gillotte came to play, but only time will tell if the praise turns into a more significant workload.
