NFL: Former Napa High star Bowers makes noise on field for Raiders

HENDERSON, Nev. — An NFL coach eventually realizes if a rookie has the "it" factor.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce knows the moment he saw it in tight end Brock Bowers.

"The day he walked in the door," Pierce said Wednesday. "We knew we were getting a blue chipper. I mean, he did it day one at Georgia when he walked on campus. And he did it each and every game, each and every year.

"And he got here in rookie minicamp, and he got pads on at training camp ... then we slowed him down a little bit because he was pushing himself. And to be honest, I mean we knew what we got, just didn't want to speak on it until he did it."

Through the first two games of the season, he's done it, and it seems everyone except the shy 21-year-old from Napa is comfortable speaking on it.

"I could tell when he first showed up," said wide receiver Davante Adams, who was part of a panel of veterans who spoke to the rookies when they first arrived in Las Vegas. "And I could just tell by the way he spoke and the way he was locked in, he didn't really seem like he cared about anything other than football.

"You got those type of dudes that's young, and they come in like that and just lock in and grow and learn from all the veteran players. You can see something special in them."

Asked how he was able to break the ice with someone whose character is stoic and reserved, Adams said he still isn't sure his young teammate has thawed out.

"We still skating," Adams said. "I don't know if it's ever been fully broken."

On the field, though, Bowers is scorching.

Bowers, who had nine catches for 98 yards in Sunday's 26-23 come-from-behind win in Baltimore, is the first tight end in NFL history with at least five receptions and 50 receiving yards in each of his first two games.

Bowers' 15 receptions and 156 yards the two games are the most for a rookie tight end since the merger. He also ranks second in the league in highest catch percentage (88.2%) on targets in the NFL this season, with a minimum of 15 targets, behind Tampa Bay's Chris Godwin (93.8%).

"I just kind of come and do my job, and I just feel like I go about my business," a coy Bowers said in front of his locker, looking a bit shellshocked surrounded by reporters. "Whenever I'm in the building, I just kind of just focus on football and yeah, just getting after it."

Bowers said his time at Georgia helped ease his transition from college to the pros, and it's been a championship mentality and attention to detail that Pierce has been appreciative of during his first official season as head coach.

"He's tough, he loves the game," Pierce said. "He doesn't care how he looks, how he talks — he just wants to play ball. And that fits our mentality."

Bowers has a chance to continue his impressive start Sunday when the Raiders host Carolina in their home opener. The Panthers have allowed the sixth-most receptions (11) and eighth-most yards (104) to tight ends this season.

"That dude's like, been making plays from day one," Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew said. "To get him in game situations, to have the trust in him has really been easy. He's earned it the whole time, and it's really cool to have a guy like that on your team."

INJURY REPORT

Defensive end Maxx Crosby (ankle), linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (knee), tackle Kolton Miller (shoulder), defensive end Tyree Wilson (knee), defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (knee) and safety Chris Smith (knee) were all limited in practice on Wednesday. Linebacker Divine Deablo (oblique/concussion) and cornerback Decamerion Richardson (hamstring) did not participate.

MORE MAXX

Crosby earned his fifth-career AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors with six tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and a pass defensed in Las Vegas' 26-23 victory at Baltimore. His four tackles for loss are the most in a single game among AFC players this season.

RB Zamir White entered the season with the onus of trying to follow Josh Jacobs, who just two years after leading the NFL in rushing signed with the Packers. White also bore the burden of playing behind an offensive line that is still trying to find itself. Nevertheless, if the Raiders want to have much success this season, White — who has rushed for 68 yards through two games — has to get going.

PANTHER TO WATCH

QB Andy Dalton. All eyes will be on Dalton, who takes over for 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, who was benched by first-year head coach Dave Canales on Monday after two disappointing starts. Dalton started one game for an injured Young last season and had a huge statistical game, completing 34 of 58 passes for 361 yards with two touchdowns, although the Panthers lost 37-27 at Seattle. Still it was one of Carolina's bests offensive outputs of a season which ended with a 2-15 record. Dalton is 83-78-2 as a career starter with 246 touchdown passes and 144 interceptions.

DALTON VS. RAIDERS

Look for plenty of play-action passes by the Panthers, which plays to the 14-year veteran quarterback's strengths. Dalton is 447 of 692 passing (64.6%) for 5,404 yards with 32 touchdowns and 16 interceptions on play-action passes since 2016, per NextGen Stats.

SERIES NOTES

The Raiders' first game as Las Vegas' team was at Carolina in 2000. Jacobs' 6-yard touchdown run with 4:08 left put the Raiders ahead for good after the Panthers had rallied from 12 points down with two TDs in the fourth quarter. ... The past two meetings have been especially high scoring with the Raiders edging Carolina by a combined 69-62.

STATS AND STUFF

The Panthers have the worst record in the league since 2018 at 31-70. ... RB Chuba Hubbard had 64 yards rushing on 10 carries in the team's loss to the Chargers and appears to have a firm grasp on the starting job. ... Dalton has 32 games with at least 300 yards passing in his career. ... Young will serve as Dalton's backup. ... WR Diontae Johnson, who was brought in to be Carolina's No. 1 receiver, has just five catches for 34 yards through two games. ... WR Adam Thielen, Carolina's other starter, has been held to five receptions for 69 yards. ... The Panthers defense has allowed five passing TDs in two games, second most in the league behind the Commanders (6). ... Carolina has scored three points in its past two road games going back to last season. ... Minshew has completed 55 of 71 passes, his 77.5% tops the league. ... Adams is 50 yards from becoming the 17th player to reach 11,000 receiving yards. ... Crosby is three sacks from moving into third place in Raiders history. Anthony Smith is in that spot with 57 1/2 sacks. ... Daniel Carlson made all four field-goal attempts against the Ravens, including both kicks from beyond 50 yards. He is 27 of 34 from that distance for his career. Carlson's 38-yard field goal with 27 seconds provided Las Vegas with the winning points. He has made 17 of 20 field goals in the final two minutes or overtime since becoming a Raider in 2018.

FANTASY TIP

Thielen seemed to have good chemistry with Dalton last season. In Dalton's only start in Week 3 of the 2023 season, he was 11 of 14 passing for 145 yards and one touchdown when targeting Thielen.