The Las Vegas Raiders fell 33-16 to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, and they now sit at 2-8. If that wasn't embarrassing enough, they are in the midst of their second four-game losing streak this year. Brock Bowers, as always, was one of the team's lone bright spots in the ugly loss.
The second-year tight end finished with 7 catches for 72 yards, both of which were team-highs. He now leads the Raiders in the former category, and he is closing in on the team lead in the latter, despite missing three games and playing another three games banged up.
Bowers spoke to the media in the locker room following the loss to the Cowboys, but he, like most, failed to pinpoint exactly what has gone wrong for Las Vegas this season. His comments will leave Raiders fans with more questions than answers.
Brock Bowers takes a positive approach when discussing the Raiders' 2-8 start
Bowers is no stranger to being one of the only positives on the Raiders' roster, as that was also the case in 2024. Despite the team finishing with a putrid 4-13 record, he was a first-team All-Pro as a rookie.
During his media availability, Bowers noted that the last two seasons have been tough on him. He is attempting to remain positive through it all, and he smartly avoid assigning blame for the franchise's struggles.
"We just got to stay together and keep fighting. I mean, we have dudes in here that can play good football, and I feel like sometimes it's not reflected on the field. So, we just need to stick together and just keep going," Bowers said. "I think Coach Carroll's done a really good job, and just all of the coaching staff has done a good job of keeping everyone together and keeping everyone on the right track. So, everyone is still confident in the game plan moving forward."
While his attempt to take the high road is certainly commendable, Bowers' comments will leave fans with plenty of questions. If the team is talented and can play good football, and the coaching staff is doing a good job, then how is the team just 2-8 with one of the worst offenses in the league?
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Las Vegas ranks 30th in both scoring offense and total yards, averaging just 15.5 points and 269.0 yards per game. They made a Cowboys defense that entered the matchup allowing 30.8 points and 397.4 yards per game look elite on Monday Night Football.
If the players and coaches are not the issue, then how has the team been so dreadful through 10 games? If what Bowers is saying is true, then there has to be something that the fan base has been missing. But the reality is that Bowers just won't share those issues with the public, which is fine.
The questionable decision-making of both Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly has been a constant issue. The former has refused to play rookies despite the team clearly not being in win-now mode. The latter has had questionable game plans, including giving Ashton Jeanty just six carries in Week 11.
Additionally, the play of the offensive line and Geno Smith have both been awful all season long. The line has looked like one of the worst positional groups in the entire NFL, while the veteran quarterback has been a major letdown and leads the league in interceptions thrown.
It is certainly understandable that Bowers did not throw anyone under the bus publicly. His claims that everyone is doing a good job, however, simply won't make much sense to Raider Nation.