The Las Vegas Raiders welcomed back their superstar tight end last Sunday, and it made a world of difference. Brock Bowers was back in the fold and left his mark on this Raiders offense in Week 3, displaying why Klint Kubiak called him a football robot from heaven.
Bowers was the main target for the passing attack throughout the game, as expected. He had 13 targets and finished with 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown on the day. He was also a threat on third down, with all five third-down targets going for first downs.
Kubiak was creative in finding easy matchups for a player that the New Orleans Saints were hell-bent on trying to slow down. The Raiders obviously have a great plan for Bowers to get him the football, but this was Raiders Nation's first chance to get a real glimpse of it under Kubiak.
Let's dive into the film and see it again.
Raiders' Klint Kubiak used Brock Bowers all over the field
Bowers was used as a wide receiver for most of the game. He had only nine snaps as an inline tight end and was lined up outside or in the slot for his other 45 snaps. With the Raiders using 22 and 12 personnel when he was on the field, it created favorable matchups for the All-Pro tight end.
A perfect example is the play below: Bowers starts lined up as the outside receiver with Jalen Nailor in the slot. Before the snap, he motions into a stack formation with Nailor, and the Saints play man-to-man. After the snap, Nailor has an outside release, giving Bowers a one-on-one matchup.
Then, Bowers runs an amazing route, creating plenty of separation for a big catch.
Kubiak was scheming 1 on 1s for Bowers against Jonas Sanker.
— Marcus Johnson (@TheMarcJohnNFL) September 28, 2026
Nailor with the outside release gets him the 1on1 and works Sanker who had inside leverage for the first down. pic.twitter.com/0owoBVXElA
Kubiak also ran a few pick concepts that set Bowers up to be wide open. The first one was subtle, with Bowers running an angle route from the slot. When he starts his route, he angles towards the sideline. It forces the safety to run into the other corner, leaving Bowers wide open.
The Raiders have so much attention to detail.
— Marcus Johnson (@TheMarcJohnNFL) September 28, 2026
Bowers angles this choice route vs the blitz to make Reid take a few steps to his left and runs into Nailor.
Basically creating a pick. Easy catch. pic.twitter.com/HYo1klSufo
Then, there was the touchdown, which gave the Raiders an eight-point lead.
The Raiders line up with Bowers in the slot next to Jalen Nailor. When Nailor releases, it creates a natural rub for Bowers, and Nailor executes it well to avoid offensive pass interference. Bowers is wide open, gets six, and helps seal the win.
Kubiak has a great plan for Bowers and will find ways to avoid double teams for his best offensive weapon. He called him a football robot from heaven for a reason, and Raider Nation saw that unique talent again.
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