Yes, NaVorro Bowman is going to work in the Raiders’ defense
When the Raiders signed former San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman, it did feel like a bit of an act of desperation. The Raiders needed a spark on defense to hopefully end that awful four-game slide.
While some were skeptical about the amount of production the Raiders would be getting out of a 29-year-old Bowman, he certainly delivered on Thursday Night Football this week. He had a game-best 11 tackles, six solo, one for a loss of yardage and a quarterback.
Though he was new to the Raiders defense, you could tell right away that he provided a level of energy and confidence the Raiders’ front-seven has been lacking. His sound play allowed the Raiders to get constant pressure on Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith all night long.
To come in and make a huge difference in a short week is remarkable. Bowman set the tone for the Raiders in the front-seven. You can see that it has alleviated somewhat of a burden at inside linebacker, allowing the edge players and defensive linemen to play more freely. It’ll be interesting to see how this defense grows with essentially a player-coach in Bowman on the field the rest of the way.