The NFL is a replica cat league.
As such, interim offensive coordinator Greg Olson could be smart to use the obvious weak spot the Denver Broncos having stopping tight ends and use Brock Bowers — the Las Vegas Raiders beast weapon on offense — to the fullest extent this Sunday.
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Lined or not, the Silver & Black’s offense should stream by means of Bowers. The second-year tight finish leads the workforce in targets (68), receptions (49), receiving yards (573) and is tied for the with 5 touchdowns. Solely rookie working again Ashton Jeanty has extra manufacturing (635 yards speeding, 4 touchdowns; 251 yards receiving, 4 touchdowns).
For Bowers, the Week 14 dwelling date with the Broncos can show fairly advantageous. In back-to-back video games, Denver’s protection (ranked 4th and fifth finest in factors allowed (218) and yards (3,437), respectively, had problem containing the Travis Kelce in Week 11 and Zach Ertz this previous Sunday evening.
By The Numbers
Tight Ends Productions Towards Denver Broncos
(final 2 video games)
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Week 13: Washington Commanders, Zach Ertz, 10 receptions, 106 yards (lengthy of 21)
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Week 11: Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Travis Kelce, 9 receptions, 91 yards, 1 landing (lengthy of 21)
Now, this isn’t to say the Broncos protection didn’t rise to the event when matched up towards Ertz. The play above highlights an amazing move break up by linebacker Alex Singleton on a Third-and-21 state of affairs the Commanders confronted.
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But, watching a 35-year-old tight finish get open and nearly come down with a giant first down play towards your stout protection is a disconcerting factor for Denver. Ertz additionally couldn’t come down with a possible landing reception, too. Ertz’s 10 catches for 106 yards is the Stanford product’s highest manufacturing this season and the 6-foot-5 and 250-pound 13-year veteran has 49 receptions for 493 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2025.
And that was coming off a bye week.
In Week 11, the 36-year-old Kelce dropped 91 yards and one landing (fourth quarter to permit Kansas Metropolis to take a 19-16 lead) in Denver’s 22-19 victory. That sport marked the Cincinnati product’s second-highest output of the 12 months (six catches for 99 yards and a landing towards the Commanders the excessive mark).
Being prone to getting older tight ends is one thing that ought to stand out on movie for Olson. And he ought to take a look at the Broncos’ capability to matchup with Bowers completely this Sunday.
The Raiders’ 31-14 loss to the Chargers this previous Sunday confirmed that when he’s open or coated, the 22-year-old tight finish retains making performs. Bowers hauled in all 4 of his targets for 63 yards (lengthy of 27) together with a highlight-reel one-handed landing seize.
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A double-digit goal afternoon for Bowers towards the incoming Broncos have to be so as. Particularly contemplating in that 10-7 defeat to Denver at Mile Excessive, the tight finish completed with a paltry three targets and one catch for 31 yards.
“There’s is a number of variables in there, and among the method they performed him. And we’re all the time in search of him —— all the time,” Raiders head coach Pete Carroll stated when requested about Bowers’ low goal counts and if quarterback Geno Smith being below duress impacts that. “We love the way in which he performs and the performs that he could make. So, it’s by no means like we’re holding off to throw to any individual else. That’s not the way in which this works.
“However a few of it was strain, and a few of it was issues that (the Chargers) did. They actually dedicated onerous, and it labored out for them higher than for us. We want him to get near 10 targets a sport, and someplace in there and extra. We’ll take no matter we will get with him. He was simply checked out with the considered concentrating on in possibly a dozen instances within the sport. So, it simply didn’t work out.”
Las Vegas strikes Bowers all around the area in quite a lot of alignments in formations. We’ve seen him at inline tight finish, cut up out and even within the slot or within the perimeter the place a standard huge receiver traces up. That capability ought to assist Olson and Bowers take a look at the assorted elements of Denver’s protection and discover favorable matchups.
Safety up entrance has been hit or miss for Las Vegas, surely. However when given time, Smith tends to carry on to the ball too lengthy as a substitute of discovering an outlet and absorbing drive hampering sacks. Thus, going fast to Bowers will help alleviate that and open up intermediate and deeper passes for a Raiders offense missing explosive performs (a move that good points 20 or extra yards; a rush that good points 10 or extra yards).
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“I imply, that’s the state of affairs. I strive my finest to go on the market and make it occur irrespective of who’s on the market,” Smith stated when requested how difficult it’s been working behind an offensive line that has completely different elements come out and in as a consequence of damage and poor play. “Clearly, we misplaced Kolton (Miller) early within the 12 months, that’s a giant a part of our offensive line, however I believed guys have stepped up and accomplished their finest to make it work. The coaches, they management lots of that stuff, however for me, I’ve bought to steer the troops, lead the fellows which might be on the sector. Clearly, with O-line, you need that continuity. You need guys to have the ability to play alongside one another for a very long time, however that hasn’t been the case, and so there’s no crying about it. You bought to go on the market and make it occur.”
Quote of Be aware
“No, it’s as much as the competitors on the spots and who they’re attempting to type of take away from the playtime or achieve some playtime on. It simply is determined by what’s taking place, and never everyone — it’s not a wholesale concept. It’s a possibility to compete to seek out your method on the sector, and we need to be huge open to it, which we’re, after which they have to earn it. And so, that’s principally what it’s. If some guys come alongside quicker than others or different guys possibly play higher at their spots as a result of they really feel the strain of it, which is type of the entire concept.”
—Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll when requested what’s the problem youthful gamers face to get extra constant reps.
