In the Week 10 loss to the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly faced criticism for not using Brock Bowers enough. The Raiders star had three targets and one reception for 31 receiving yards, so to beat the Dallas Cowboys, that needs to improve.
Moreover, in his first game back returning from injury in Week 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Silver and Black saw how big a menace Bowers can be for the opposing defense. The young tight end recorded 127 receiving yards on 12 receptions while registering three touchdowns.
As a result, it was surprising to see Bowers have little impact in the contest against the Broncos. Ahead of the Week 11 game against the Cowboys, Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly spoke about increasing Bowers’ involvement and avoiding a repeat of what happened in Week 10.
“We have to get him involved; he’s obviously our No. 1 threat out there,” Kelly told reporters on November 14. “We’ve got to continue to get him involved in what we do. In Jacksonville, we did a good job. I did a good job in the Denver game. A lot of those plays that were supposed to go to him, we got sacked on. Part of that was the protection and what Denver could do defensively going in.
“We knew they had a great pass rush, so we were in a little more maximum protection. Now, sometimes they’re not able to uncover them. That allows them to double them and do other things. Part of their scheme allows them to do that, too. But we’re really conscious of who we have available this week [and] how we have to get the ball to those guys.”
Raiders Will Face New-Look Cowboys Defense
As Kelly figures out a way to get Bowers more involved, he will also have to worry about new additions to the Dallas defense. The Cowboys made a pair of moves to bolster their defense before the NFL trade deadline, bringing in Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets and former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson.
With these arrivals, Dallas aim to raise the performance level of its defensive unit. Ahead of “Monday Night Football,” Raiders quarterback Geno Smith shared his thoughts on facing the Cowboys’ revamped defense.
“I mean, you start with what the Cowboys do in their scheme,” Smith told reporters on November 13 when talking about facing the new faces on the Dallas defense. “They’ve got a lot of other players that we’ve got to make sure that we have an eye out for.
“But yeah, Logan Wilson, they just acquired Quinnen Williams, a guy who I’ve played against a bunch and a great defensive tackle in this league. He’s been a perennial All-Pro, perennial Pro Bowler.
“For those guys, of course, I’m going to watch the Cowboys, but I’m also going to go back and watch what they’ve done in the past and just try to see how they can fit into the scheme. Again, we’ll have to see on game day what it is, but I think we have a good idea of what they’ll be in.”
Ashton Jeanty Looks to Make an Impact Against the Cowboys
Alongside Smith and Bowers, Ashton Jeanty will also be aiming to exploit the opportunities presented by the Dallas defense.
“Yeah, [the Cowboys] got some great players,” Jeanty said on November 11. “They just added Quinnen Williams in the interior. So, I’m sure that’ll level up their front. And, just a good all-around team. But, there’s definitely places where we can attack them and make great plays…
“[Williams is] another guy in the interior to be disruptive. I mean, he’s a game wrecker. So, we got to be ready for him. We just prepping kind of for whoever’s going to be out there. Obviously, they’ve made some changes, so we’ll just prepare for that.”
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