Brock Bowers sets rookie record as Raiders debut new offense as Raiders Lose Week 11 to Dolphins plus three star players set miss week 12 against Denver
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — To echo the famous words of Herm Edwards, the ultimate goal of playing the game is, of course, to win.
However, no one could blame Brock Bowers for the grin that appeared on his face after the Las Vegas Raiders fell to the Miami Dolphins 34-19 on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
Bowers had just made history, setting an NFL record for the most receptions in a game by a rookie tight end. His 13 catches on 16 targets for a career-high 126 yards, along with a 23-yard touchdown catch-and-run, stood out in a revamped offense under interim coordinator Scott Turner. Turner had his father, veteran NFL playcaller Norv Turner, by his side in the press box for the game.
“There were definitely some plays in the playbook for me,” Bowers said.
“My job is simple — just catch the ball and get yards. That’s pretty much it.”
The television broadcast captured a moment late in the third quarter when Norv Turner, sitting in the press box, congratulated his son Scott after a play that resulted in Brock Bowers catching a pass in the right flat and sprinting into the end zone.
With Bowers clearly the centerpiece of Turner’s offense on the day—even with the return of tight end Michael Mayer, who was playing for the first time since Week 3 due to personal issues—the Raiders’ offense appeared to improve somewhat under Scott Turner’s debut as the team’s playcaller.
But did it really look much better? Under former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who was fired along with offensive line coach James Cregg and quarterback coach Rich Scangarello during the team’s bye two weeks ago, the Raiders had the league’s worst rushing attack, averaging just 76.9 yards per game. Against the Dolphins, the Raiders could only muster 60 yards on the ground.
The Raiders had also been averaging just 18.7 points per game, and they managed to score only 19 against Miami.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew, who completed 30 of 43 passes for 282 yards, also committed his 13th turnover of the season, including his ninth interception.
“I thought the communication was clean,” said Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce. “Obviously, we had that late turnover, but I thought Gardner was efficient. We still need to get the running game going.”
On that note, running back Alexander Mattison, who had only 19 rushing yards on five carries, left the game late with an ankle injury and was later seen wearing a walking boot on his right foot.
“But I thought up front, there weren’t many miscues,” Pierce continued. “We just need to execute better and strain a little more. We had opportunities.”
“It’s not good enough when you don’t score enough to win.”
The Raiders, now sitting at 2-8, are in the midst of their first six-game losing streak since closing out the 2017 season with four straight losses and opening the 2018 season with three consecutive defeats. This marks their first in-season six-game losing streak since starting the 2014 season 0-10.
One way the team hoped to spark the offense coming out of their bye was by implementing Scott Turner’s vision as the new playcaller. However, despite the change, the Raiders continued to struggle. They went just 1-for-3 in the red zone and were outmatched in time of possession, with the Dolphins controlling the ball for 33:12 compared to the Raiders’ 26:48—issues that felt all too familiar.
Meanwhile, Brock Bowers continues to get more comfortable as the season progresses.
“Everything just feels like it’s slowing down every game,” Bowers said. “The pace of play, I keep getting used to it.”
Bowers now leads all NFL tight ends with 70 catches and 706 receiving yards. He has also joined Jeremy Shockey, his former New York Giants teammate, as one of only two rookie tight ends in NFL history to record multiple games with at least 10 catches, a feat Shockey achieved in 2002.
Bowers’ impressive performance caught the attention of the opposing sideline as well.
“Bowers is legit,” said Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. “We knew coming out of the draft that he was someone special. We were very high on him, and he hasn’t disappointed. I think he’s going to be a player everyone will know for years to come.”
A player who could become the centerpiece of an offense.
“We’re doing everything we can to feature our best player, and he’s playing like one,” said Pierce. “He’s tough, physical, and never wants to come off the field. He’s staying involved in the run game and doing everything asked of him as a rookie. We just need more guys to step up and make plays like he does.”
