It appeared as if the Las Vegas Raiders' offense, which many expected to be the strength of the team, had finally turned the corner in Week 9. The unit, which had averaged just 14.7 points per game over its first seven games, exploded for a season-high 29 points against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The return of Brock Bowers played a big role, as he finished with 12 catches for 127 yards and 3 touchdowns after missing the previous three games. It appeared that Chip Kelly finally figured out the formula for the offense to succeed, as Ashton Jeanty also had 18 touches for 89 total yards and a touchdown.
Following Tuesday's decision to send Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars, it appeared the Raiders would stick to the game plan of getting their young offensive stars the ball. That was not the case in Week 10, however, as Kelly, inexplicably, failed to get Bowers involved.
Raiders' offense regresses as Chip Kelly fails to get Brock Bowers involved
Bowers had been fully healthy in just two games coming into Week 10. The first came in the season opener when he had 5 catches for 103 yards, as Las Vegas had a season-high 389 total yards and 333 passing yards against the New England Patriots.
His second game at full strength came last week, as the Raiders finished with a season-high 29 points and 274 passing yards, their second-best performance through the air. It is pretty clear that Bowers should be one of two focal points of the offense, along with Jeanty.
While the rookie running back had 63 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 22 touches in Las Vegas' 10-7 loss to the Denver Broncos, the team failed to get Bowers involved. The second-year star finished with just one reception for 31 yards on three targets, while adding a -4 yard carry.
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Denver has one of the best defenses in the league, and following his monster performance, it is no surprise that they were focused on shutting down the Raiders' tight end. Still, it is inexcusable for a player as good as Bowers to finish with two touches, one of which was a poorly designed run play.
Great teams and great offensive play callers find a way to get the ball into the hands of their top weapons. Las Vegas simply failed to do so on Thursday, against a team that has not covered tight ends well this season either. Unsurprisingly, they finished with less than 10 points for the fourth time this season.
Bowers is not only the best player on the Raiders' offense, but he is among the best players in the entire league. While opposing defenses will continue to game plan to slow him down, Kelly cannot go away from him altogether and must come up with creative ways to get the superstar the ball. If he is unable to do that, then the front office should begin to reconsider his future with the franchise.