Editor’s Note: This is the thirteenth installment in a season-long collection about an rising star of the NFL’s remaining week of motion. The winner of week 13: Raiders of Las Vegas slender finish Brock Bowers.
After the Raiders’ slender loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Black Friday, Brock Bowers obtained reward from Travis Kelce.
The four-time All-Pro bridged the rookie close to midfield. He requested for a photograph. He mentioned he would additionally ship his jersey to Bowers’ locker and requested for one in return.
It was Kelce, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, who regarded just like the fan.
“Happy as hell for you,” Kelce instructed Bowers. “Keep doing all of your factor.”
There’s no cause to imagine it will not.
Bowers made 10 receptions on 14 targets for a season-high 140 yards and a landing towards Kansas City, his newest dominant efficiency in what’s shaping as much as be arguably the most effective season ever for a rookie tight finish.
The former Georgia star totaled 84 receptions for 884 yards (fourth within the league) and 4 touchdowns in 12 video games. He is simply two receptions shy of tying Sam LaPorta’s file for receptions by a rookie tight finish, with 5 video games remaining within the common season. He’s on tempo for 1,252 receiving yards, which might break Mike Ditka’s file of 1,076 by a rookie tight finish, set manner again in 1960. And Bowers’ historic 12 months got here amid a carousel of Raiders quarterbacks , that includes Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder all take photographs under heart.
Thirteenth general choose, Bowers selected to change into the No. 1 possibility. 1 in go catching for the Raiders. Since Davante Adams was traded earlier than Week 7, Bowers is averaging 83.3 receiving yards per sport, up from 64.0 in his first six video games. His two 100-yard receiving video games have come within the final three weeks, and he has solely two drops this season, in keeping with Pro Football Focus, a formidable feat contemplating he is the fourth-most focused participant within the league (113) .
Bowers has been greater than a vivid spot for the struggling Raiders. He appears like a budding famous person, dwelling as much as expectations as a generational prospect.
“He continues to seek out methods to seek out the ball,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce mentioned.
Why Bowers was profitable in Week 13
He’s been borderline unstoppable within the quick and intermediate areas of the sphere, however Bowers entered Friday’s sport with simply three receptions of 20-plus yards within the air in 11 appearances. He had two towards the Chiefs: a 33-yard landing and a 29-yard reception, each of which got here within the third quarter.
Kansas City defensive again Chamarri Conner was a frequent sufferer, as Bowers caught all 5 of his targets for 81 yards and the rating when coated by the second-year professional.
Bowers began slowly towards the Chiefs, with simply three receptions for 21 yards in two quarters. But he lit up late within the second half, serving to the Raiders practically upset the two-time defending champions.
“To be trustworthy, generally I really feel like I suck on the market,” Bowers admitted. “They’re simply on the market like, ‘I am unable to do something.’ The entire first half I used to be like, ‘I am unable to make a rattling play on the market.’
That’s what stars do: enhance their sport when it is wanted most.
“The greater the second, the larger he will get up and makes performs,” Pierce mentioned. “It’s spectacular to observe, particularly late within the sport, make huge performs for us, powerful catches. (He’s) only a good soccer participant.”
As a former NFL linebacker himself, Pierce acknowledged that he would not need to cowl Bowers.
“The final two weeks, proper, with Pat Surtain, and this week (Trent) McDuffie and the safeties. They did not put too many linebackers on him in the course of the sport,” Pierce mentioned. “And now we’re seeing double groups which might be actually shifting their zone in the direction of him.
“And to be trustworthy, I do not assume it actually issues, man. I believe we have got a very particular participant on our palms.”
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He beforehand labored for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, the place he was Titans beat the author for a 12 months and a half. It coated the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for 3 seasons (2018-20) earlier than shifting to Tennessee. You can observe Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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