Paul Gutierrez, ESPN staff writer
HENDERSON, Nev. — Brock Bowers is in the throes of a huge and somewhat contradictory rookie season in the NFL.
His 87 receptions rank second in the league and, with four games remaining, are already a single-season record for receptions by a rookie tight end.
His 933 receiving yards are the most of any tight end in the NFL.
His four receiving touchdowns ranked third among all rookies in the league and first among rookie tight ends.
Pro Bowl? Bowles has the potential to become the first rookie tight end in more than two decades to be named to the All-Pro first team.
All of this comes as the Raiders have fielded three different quarterbacks and Las Vegas (2-11) suffered nine straight losses while having one of the top picks in April’s draft. defeat.
Yet as Bowles prepares for the brightest lights on his biggest career stage — “Monday Night Football” at home against the Atlanta Falcons (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) — self-deprecation is a Seed, the 13th overall pick last spring, was also a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Somehow, Bowles is often compared to a unicorn because of his unique skill set and sometimes thinks he’s “terrible” on the court.
Seriously.
“I kept telling myself, ‘Oh my gosh, what am I doing out there?'” Bowles said after the Raiders’ heartbreaking last-second loss to the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Black Friday. Said in annoyance.
Note that in this game, Bowles had 10 catches on 14 targets for a career-best 140 yards and a touchdown.
“I mean, because something could happenbadThat could happen the next game and I’m like, ‘Man, I suck again,'” Bowles said
“So, yeah, I feel like that helps me play better when I think I’m not doing well because I want to do something good.”
more than one When the Raiders called Bowles’ name in April’s draft, there were few raised eyebrows and outrage. Las Vegas simply doesn’t need a tight end as they need a right tackle, and the Raiders already have Michael Mayer, a second-round draft pick from a year ago, under contract. Veteran free agent Harrison Bryant.
But Raiders first-year general manager Tom Telesco stuck to his philosophy and drafted the best players on the board.
The Raiders have no regrets about turning in Bowles’ envelope. Not at all.
“He’s been a different cat from the first day he walked in the building, man,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “All he cares about is the ball. You just see him, everything he does, he’s always moving. It’s all about the football, even just walking through the building.”
Bowles, who grew up in California’s Napa wine country and later played college ball in Georgia’s Deep South, is described in the book as a no-nonsense man.
Boring, almost.
That description is as apt as his two Mackey Awards, where he was named the nation’s top tight end while helping the Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships.
Turns out, boredom can actually be fun for Bowles, who said he hasn’t been surprised by the NFL play so far.
“The success I’ve had has surprised me, I didn’t know,” Bowles told ESPN. “You don’t know what you’re going to do at the next level and you question some things. But so far, it’s all worked out.”
On a personal level, yes. Translate into team wins? Brilliantly…
The Raiders last won on September 29th. Bowles is averaging five catches per game as the Raiders start the season 2-2. He’s averaging 7.4 catches per game on the Raiders’ longest losing streak since 2014, when they started 0-10.
As both Bowles and Pierce, named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Month for November, admitted, they hope his takeover of games will translate into wins.
Still, no one in the Raiders locker room needs to worry that his individual success will overshadow the team’s needs.
“The way he acted was unusual,” said left tackle Kolton Miller, the Raiders’ longest-tenured player who was drafted in 2018.
“You wouldn’t expect him to be able to play at the next level mentally, that competition, that competitiveness, what he’s shown. His skill level is amazing, especially from a rookie standpoint.”
Jack Jones rarely plays against Bowles in practice as a cornerback, but he enjoyed Sunday’s game. Scratch it, he loves it.
“With the way he plays in games, it speaks for itself,” Jones said with a laugh. “He broke numbers, made history, made games, helped us win, helped us try to win. So I mean, hats off to him.
“The guy has great hands, man. He catches some tough passes, and he makes the tough passes look easy. Not everybody can do that, especially with his size. “
Powers, 6 feet 4 inches tall and 230 pounds, is more graceful than plodding along, more like a gazelle than a galloping buffalo in the open field.
But, as Pierce said, “When the ball is in the air, he’s a receiver, and when he has the ball in his hands, he punishes people like a running back.”
Has been showing the veterans in the locker room how to conduct themselves.
“I just love watching him, man,” receiver Jacoby Meyers said.
“I hope when I have kids, I hope they move like him. I tell you, he doesn’t complain. He doesn’t cry. He doesn’t ask for the ball. He just goes away good guy.”
The last rookie tight end to be named first-team All-Pro?
Jeremy Shockey had 74 catches for 894 yards and two touchdowns for the New York Giants in 2002, joining Keith Jackson (1988) and Charles Young of the Philadelphia Eagles (Charle Young, 1973).
Pierce said Pierce and Shockey were teammates with the Giants and while he saw some similarities, Bowles was different.
Pierce, who played linebacker in the NFL for nine years, disliked the task of backing up Bowles, even though he had to shadow Shockey in practice.
“I’ll point at the guy next to me,” Pierce joked. “I’ll go look for a number or one of the DBs.”
Opponents have placed their best cornerbacks on Bowles lately, from Pat Surtain II of the Denver Broncos to Jalen Ramsey of the Miami Dolphins to Trent Trent of the Chiefs ·McDuffie.
“They didn’t put a lot of linebackers on him the whole game and now we’re seeing double teams and they’re really moving the zone on him,” Pierce said. “To be honest, I really don’t think it matters. I think we have a very special player on our hands.
“This kid has so much fighting spirit. I just love that. He’s the same guy every day. As soon as we get off the plane, he puts on black shorts and a black T-shirt, ready for the next job.” Day. “
before he does Wide receiver Davante Adams, who was forced to be traded to the New York Jets, made his own business decision and is interested in the quiet rookie, calling Bowles a “businessman” because of his Erles is a businessman both on and off the field.
Interestingly, Bowles will return to Georgia this offseason to complete his business/real estate degree.
Bowles ran football operations for the Raiders, first against the Falcons and then moved on to the Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers.
If Bowles catches six passes against the Falcons, he will surpass Michael Thomas as the fourth-most receptions by a rookie in a season in NFL history (Puka Nakua (Puka Nacua set a rookie receiving record with 105 catches for the Los Angeles Rams last season).
If Bowles has at least 67 receiving yards against the Falcons, Bowles will join Mike Ditka (1,076 yards in 1961) and Kyle Pitts (1,026 yards in 2021) The only rookie tight end to reach 1,000 yards receiving in a season.
Bowles is on pace to have 114 catches (which would be a franchise single-season record) and 1,220 receiving yards (which would be the second-most by a Raiders tight end in history).
However, he said, all of this will work itself out.
“Focusing on the next day helps,” he said. “You’re just focusing on the next thing, not the big picture. That helps you lock in and do what you can do.
“That’s football, it’s fun. It’s fun to be with my teammates and it’s fun to be in the locker room. I mean, we try to have as much fun as we can, but we also try to stay locked in and win games. That’s it. Very difficult.”
Especially in a historically contradictory season.
