brock bowers
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Las Vegas Raiders TE Brock Bowers.
It wasn’t a perfect day for the Las Vegas Raiders, but they pulled off a 20-13 win over the New England Patriots on the road. Tight end Brock Bowers quickly proved his rookie year wasn’t a fluke.
He had five catches for 103 yards and was unstoppable in the second half. However, he left the game with a knee injury. The Raiders listed him as questionable to return, but with the team locking up the win, they didn’t need to force his return to the field.
Bowers is the Raiders’ best offensive player, so any kind of injury involving him is going to be a major area of concern.
“They’re looking at his knee,” Carroll said after the game. “He wanted to go back in, but they wouldn’t let him go back in. … He’s an incredible player, so we need to have him.
It is concerning that the trainers didn’t want him back in, but there wasn’t a sense of urgency. Perhaps he would’ve been able to come in if things got closer, but for now, it doesn’t appear the Raiders are overly concerned going forward.
Bowers hasn’t missed a game in the NFL yet. He had a chance to address to injury, and he seems confident he won’t have to miss time.
“Just kept me out for concern. We have an extra day so we’ll see,” Bowers said after the game, via Paul Gutierrez.
Raiders Need Work, But It’s a Promising Start
The Raiders will be happy to leave New England with a win, but it’s clear that the team is still a work in progress. They didn’t have much of a running game and only averaged 2.3 yards per carry. There was a lot of hype surrounding Ashton Jeanty’s debut, but he averaged 2.0 yards per carry and only had 38 rushing yards.
That was mostly due to poor offensive line play. It was a rough day for the offensive line. Geno Smith was sacked four times, and Jeanty was frequently met in the backfield early.
The defense was a big surprise, as they were stout and kept the Patriots’ offense in control in the second half. The fact that the defense outperformed expectations is a promising sign. The offense has too much talent not to figure things out, but if the defense is better than expected, the Raiders could be a problem this season.
Elandon Roberts Has Elbow Sprain
While Bowers shouldn’t be out long, there’s likely more concern with starting linebacker Elandon Roberts. He was carted to the locker room in the first half and didn’t return to the game.
Carroll revealed that he’s dealing with a sprained elbow, but noted that he’s a very tough player who will do whatever he can to get back on the field.
Roberts is an important player for the Raiders. He’s the starting middle blocker and is in charge of calling the defense. The group played well without him on the field, but his loss would be felt if he had to miss time. The Raiders seem mostly healthy coming out of Week 1, so Roberts will be the main player to watch.