Raiders studs & duds from Week 1: Defense shines in loss

Stud - Brock Bowers

It was a solid debut for rookie tight end Brock Bowers as he made the most of his chances with six catches for 58 yards. He showed off some of his explosiveness with a 26-yard catch and run and he had the most receptions for the Silver and Black.

Luke Getsy is not afraid to line Bowers up all over the field as we saw him in tight, out wide, in the slot, and even in the backfield on occasion just like we saw in the preseason. It might be crazy to say but the way he moves in the open field and in and out of his cuts is reminiscent of a young Travis Kelce, who is known for his elusiveness and hip flexibility when in space. 

This performance gives Bowers something to build on and is a promising start to his career against a defense that looked impressive for the most part. He faces a difficult test next week against Baltimore but is starting to develop a rapport with Minshew which is excellent considering some of the minor injuries he has had to deal with this offseason.