There aren’t many positives to take away from this season for the Las Vegas Raiders, who now sit at 2-10 after dropping their eighth consecutive game in heartbreaking fashion to the Kansas City Chiefs. But once again, a major bright spot for the team was rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who had another outstanding performance.
Bowers continued his unbelievable rookie season as he led the Raiders with 10 receptions for 140 yards and a touchdown, his fourth of the year. Bowers has quickly established himself as one of the best receiving tight ends in the NFL, and his first season hasn’t just been great, it’s been historic.
The Raiders announced that Bowers became just the third player in NFL history, and the first tight end ever, to record 10 receptions in three different games as a rookie. Bowers also joined Tim Brown as the second Raider to accomplish that feat in any season:
TE Brock Bowers is now one of three rookies at any position to record three games of 10+ receptions in his first season – the first tight end to accomplish the feat.
He is also one of only two players in #Raiders history to record 3+ games of 10+ receptions in a single season -…
— Raiders PR (@RAIDERS_PR) November 29, 2024
But the accolades don’t stop there as Brock Bowers also became the first Raiders player ever to record at least 80 receptions in his first 12 career games, via Raiders PR:
TE Brock Bowers (@brockbowers17) has now eclipsed 80 receptions this season. He is the only player of any position or experience level in #Raiders history to reach 80 receptions through the first 12 games of a single season.
— Raiders PR (@RAIDERS_PR) November 29, 2024
It is clear to everyone that the Raiders have found themselves a keeper in Brock Bowers, as he is someone who will be a cornerstone of this offense for years to come. With 84 receptions for 884 yards, Bowers currently leads the NFL in receptions and is third in receiving yards, and those are not his ranks amongst tight ends, but all players, genuinely showing just how special he is.
Aidan O’Connell takes blame for botched snap in Raiders loss vs. Chiefs
Brock Bowers made several plays down the stretch that set up the Raiders in field goal range for a huge upset win over the Chiefs. But a botched snap with 15 seconds left was recovered by the Chiefs, ending all hopes for a victory. It was unclear who exactly was to blame for the miscue, but quarterback Aidan O’Connell put everything on himself.
While many looked towards rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson for snapping the ball too early, O’Connell said he began clapping too early, which signaled the rookie to snap the ball. The Raiders quarterback added that it was ‘completely’ his fault and added that Powers-Johnson did ‘exactly’ what he was supposed to do in that situation.