A lot of things went right in the Las Vegas Raiders‘ Week 1 win over the New England Patriots, but the one concern was tight end Brock Bowers. The second-year star was having an incredible game, but had to be pulled due to a knee injury.
The Raiders held him out to finish up the game, but according to them, it was more about being cautious. According to Bowers, he’s in too much pain now.
“I’m feeling better, just kept me out for concerns and stuff,” Bowers said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Feel good, we have an extra day coming up this week, so I’ll try to get back out there.”
Bowers avoided a serious injury, but the Raiders do need to be careful. Small injuries can turn into big injuries if they are not treated correctly. Bowers is tough as nails, so he’ll play as long as he can still move. That said, the Raiders shouldn’t hesitate to give him some time off if he’s not 100%. Luckily, they have a second capable tight end in Michael Mayer on the roster.
Bowers Talks Geno Smith
It didn’t take long for new Raiders quarterback Geno Smith to look Bowers’ way. He hit the star tight end for some big plays throughout the game before he got hurt.
Though they are still new in their relationship, Smith and Bowers are likely to form a really close bond this season. Bowers is already happy with what he’s seen from the quarterback.
“It’s been great,” Bowers said of working with Smith. “Just working through the offseason and training camp really helped us. We really built that connection.”
Smith Had Best Debut of Any QB, per ESPN
Smith isn’t widely considered one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, but he’s at least above average. This year, he’s out to prove that he should be viewed as a top-10 quarterback.
Several veteran or rookie quarterbacks made their debuts with new teams in Week 1. According to ESPN’s Ben Solak, Smith was the best of the bunch.
“The Raiders’ running game was worryingly poor, but one 38-yard catch and run for Brock Bowers set up a third-quarter field goal, and the aforementioned Tucker out-breaker for 28 yards set up a fourth-quarter field goal. Explosives are king in the NFL, and Smith has the sort of mentality that authors them,” Solak wrote.
“To his credit, Kelly did a great job scheming up open receivers as the Patriots devolved into more and more coverage. I’m fascinated to see how this looks in Week 2 against such a different defense, and Las Vegas’ offensive line looks as if it could be a limiting factor. But for Smith’s part, the Raiders paid a third-round pick and a contract of $37.5 million per year for a solid veteran starter at quarterback; in his first start, he easily cleared that bar. I can’t promise the Raiders will be actually good, but again, you’re going to want to get these guys on your TV screen.”
It was a strong start for Smith, but he’ll have to continue to build off of it.
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