There isn’t much to like about the Las Vegas Raiders’ current season. Entering Week 8, the Raiders are the only team in the AFC West with a losing record (2-5). The experience with Davante Adams came to an abrupt end. After the wide receiver requested a trade, Las Vegas ultimately sent him to the New York Jets. This Raiders team is once again looking for answers when it comes to the quarterback for the future. And most importantly, the fire that the team experienced last year under Antonio Pierce appears to be all but gone as he takes over the full-time head coaching duties.

However, there was always a bright spot in the Raiders’ offense. And perhaps best of all, this is coming from a newbie. It’s rare that this franchise has found support through young players. But so far, tight end Brock Bowers has been a home run as a first-round draft choice.

Because of his play and effort early in the season, Bowers presents a matchup that was thrust into the spotlight on Sunday. The Chiefs need to be prepared to take on Georgia.

Bowers at the top of the tight end leaderboard

Entering this week, Brock Bowers leads all tight ends in catches (47) and receiving yards (477), as noted by Josh Dubow of the Associated Press. Bowers does that as a freshman, no less. Dubow also mentioned that Kansas City is allowing the most catches and the most receiving yards per game to tight ends in 2024.

That being said, it seemed like Kansas City had done a better job against opposing tight ends in recent games. George Kittle had a big catch last week, which is where most of his production came from. And against the Saints, the Chiefs limited the yards allowed to Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau to a total of seven catches. Compared to the first few weeks of the year, Kansas City was able to limit some open looks or decrease yards after the catch. However, there are several reasons why the game against the rookie from Georgia is worth watching.

Incredible athleticism

Brock Bowers is listed as being 1.90 meters tall and weighing 110 kilograms. Still, the incredible athleticism and speed he displays for his size is truly remarkable. These elements are one of the reasons why it is such a dangerous weapon once captured. As we’ve seen in the NFL and throughout his college career, Bowers won’t go down on simple tackle attempts. Kansas City needs to continue to attack well and create sharp angles to Bowers when he has the ball in his hands. He is always capable of turning a short catch into an explosive gain.

Bowers becomes the target of choice

Brock Bowers was already a popular target for the Raiders’ struggling offense. But of course this is made even clearer by the aforementioned move from Adams to the Jets. Bowers has 24 more goals than the next closest player on the Las Vegas offense. And with Aidan O’Connell expected to miss this game against the Chiefs, Kansas City faces the wild and unpredictable Gardner Minshew. Minshew may not always be completely accurate. But if there’s one thing he’s shown since entering the NFL, it’s that he’s not afraid to take a few risks and pull the trigger on the field. He won’t be afraid to push it vertically if the opportunity arises. As a result, the Chiefs hope to limit the number of easy releases Bowers has outside the line of scrimmage on Sunday.

Raiders use arbors in multiple areas

Brock Bowers has been used in many different lineups so far in his rookie campaign. Through the first seven games, the Raiders have placed the tight end outside of the traditional inline position in the slot (165 total snaps), out wide (50 total snaps) and even in the backfield (five total snaps). In fact, his snaps in the slot are greater than the number of snaps Bowers received inline this season (125 total snaps).

While on the line, he can make an impact in both the running and passing games. Don’t be surprised if Bowers ever runs the ball too. He was effective on some carries where he got in motion and received a quick handoff in college. The Raiders have already given him one carry. With that in mind, Bowers needs to be given a lot of attention due to the various positions he will be taking on.