The Las Vegas Raiders‘ offensive struggles continued in their 24-17 loss to the Denver Broncos on December 7 at Allegiant Stadium. Nonetheless, there were some bright spots for the Silver and Black in the defeat.
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers recorded four receptions for 46 receiving yards and one touchdown. Moreover, it was a challenging contest for Bowers, as, despite being a tight end, Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II had to cover the young star at times.
After the Broncos-Raiders contest, Surtain spoke with the media, and one of the questions he received was about Bowers. Furthermore, despite being division rivals, the Broncos’ star had nothing but praise for Bowers.
“He’s a talented player,” Surtain told reporters (h/t Nick Walters). “Young, talented. He shows a lot of competitiveness to him, shows a lot of grit. He’s going to be great in his league in the future, for sure. So lots of respect for him… He possesses a rare ability as a tight end to get separation using his feet. Power and agility. So he’s definitely a jack of all trades.”
Will the Raiders Continue to Start Geno Smith?
The final games of the 2025 season are all about determining which pieces can be carried over to 2026. While the Raiders would appear to be in the mix for a quarterback this upcoming offseason, the question is who will be that reliable veteran to help a signal-caller should the Raiders go the draft route.
Geno Smith has been a disaster for the Silver and Black. As a result, it would be in their best interest to consider their other options. Although backup quarterback Kenny Pickett showed promise in his brief appearance against the Broncos, head coach Pete Carroll didn’t seem committed to starting the former first-round pick even with Smith’s injury and poor play.
“Let me just wait and see what happens,” Carroll told reporters postgame. “I’m going to do what I think is the right thing to do. If Geno can play, that’s my thought. But I know Kenny can play. Our players understood it, too. Kenny did a good job. They recognize that he might pull the game.
“I’m hoping for Geno to get back out there and see how he does, but we’re not going to play if he’s not right. Kenny will be ready to go, and Aidan [O’Connell] will be ready to go as well. That’s just the way we deal with it.”
Raiders Would Be Content With Kenny Pickett Starting
Even though Carroll seemed ready to stick with Smith for the matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, he noted that he appreciates things about Pickett if the backup ends up stepping in.
“I’ve seen a lot of Kenny in practice when they always come back to that,” Carroll added. “He’s active, he’s quick, he’s really athletic, he’s a good thinker. He’s a really clearly competitive guy that gets situational football and knows what’s going on…
“But his mentality, and I’m coaching the hell out of him because I want him to be ready if the opportunity pops. This is exactly how we did it with Geno for years. However long it takes for the opportunity, he’s going to be ready to go.
“He’s got enough stuff to him. His athleticism, I keep in mind, use your legs and run because he’s really quick. He can explode, get in the secondary, make things happen. It’s often helpful to him trying to make him see his way. I’m really positive about him. I love that he’s on our team.”
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