The Las Vegas Raiders pulled out a Week 1 win on the road against the New England Patriots to kick off the 2025 NFL season. The 20-13 victory was a great start to the Pete Carroll era, as the team overcame several obstacles and made a handful of halftime adjustments to take down their AFC foe.
While this was a great way to begin the season, there is no rest for the weary. The Raiders will welcome their AFC West rival, the Los Angeles Chargers, to Allegiant Stadium in Week 2 for a primetime Monday Night Football faceoff.
Jim Harbaugh and Co. are fresh off a 27-21 victory at a neutral site against the defending conference champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Chargers are an incredibly formidable opponent, and while beatable, this major Raiders storyline could change everything.
Raiders' Brock Bowers could flip Week 2 on its head if he's not healthy
During Sunday's matchup against the Patriots, Las Vegas' star tight end, Brock Bowers, left the game with an injury. He was in and out of the blue medical tent, but he ultimately never went back into the contest for the Raiders.
Bowers spoke to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero after the game and confirmed that the injury was nothing serious. But Raider Nation is still holding its breath and awaiting an update about his status ahead of Week 2's matchup against the Chargers.
If the second-year star is not available for Las Vegas on Monday night, or if he is inhibited in any way, it could spell doom for the Raiders. At the very least, it would dramatically change the game plan for Chip Kelly and the offense.
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Las Vegas already has an uphill battle taking down the Chargers as is, but doing it without Bowers would be much more difficult. Michael Mayer is an incredible "No. 2" tight end to have, but Bowers is truly one of one, and Mayer cannot replicate exactly what Bowers does for the offense.
Carroll told reporters both after the game and on Monday morning that he had no update on Bowers' injury. He was quick to sound the alarm about both Lonnie Johnson Jr. and Aidan O'Connell's injuries, so relative silence on Bowers' front may be encouraging.
The Raiders have enough offensive weapons to potentially overcome the absence of Bowers, or to at least lift him up if he plays in a hampered or limited role. But Bowers' playing would instill confidence in both the team and fan base, as well as give them a better chance of winning.
Fortunately, Bowers has an extra day to get healthy, and the team has an extra day to prepare. So, the fan base is crossing its fingers that their star tight end will play in this exciting early-season divisional matchup.