HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Poor timing might be the only thing standing between Raiders tight end Brock Bowers and the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels likely will take the honor — and win it easily.
But Bowers deserves more than a cursory look, putting together the best rookie season a tight end has ever produced and among the best for any first-year pass catcher.
“Just look at the records and look at the stats,” Las Vegas coach Antonio Pierce said Monday.
Bowers has 108 receptions for 1,144 yards, which puts him ahead of Mike Ditka’s mark of 1,067 yards receiving that was set 63 years ago. Ditka, a Hall of Famer, did his in 14 games compared to 16 for Bowers, but other tight ends weren't able to break that record even with the additional chances.
Bowers also broke Puka Nacua’s mark of 105 catches by a rookie at any position set just last season.
Ditka is the only tight end ever to be selected as the league's top offensive rookie, a distinction he almost certainly will continue to hold.
Part of the issue for Bowers is he's racking up numbers on a four-win Raiders team that can only play spoiler and not in any games that otherwise matter. He also broke those records in Sunday's 25-10 victory at New Orleans, a game televised only in the two competing teams' markets because of the lack of national interest in two struggling teams.
Daniels further cemented his candidacy on national TV, rallying Washington past the Atlanta Falcons 30-24 in an overtime game Sunday night with playoff implications. The Commanders are 11-5 just a year after finishing 4-13, and the second pick of this year's draft is the major reason for that vast turnaround.
He certainly would be a deserving winner of top offensive rookie, but that doesn't mean that what Bowers is accomplishing should be quickly overlooked.
Both players are having historic seasons. Maybe in another year, Bowers would be the one getting the honor.
“We ask the tight ends to do a lot," Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell said. "I think tight end is one of the hardest positions to play. You have to learn a lot in the run game and pass game. I am super proud of him and I can’t say enough good things about the guy.”
The pass rush continues to excel with 17 sacks in the past five games, tied with the Green Bay Packers for fourth highest over that stretch. Las Vegas had four against the Saints, the third time over that span the Raiders had at least that many sacks.
The Raiders also have a sack in 34 consecutive games, the third-longest active streak in the NFL behind the Baltimore Ravens (54) and Philadelphia Eagles (44).
Another blocked kick, which indicates a problem for a typically elite special teams unit. Daniel Carlson's blocked extra point was the fourth time in three games a kick or punt was at least deflected. It happened three times two weeks ago against the Falcons.
Ameer Abdullah had his first 100-yard rushing game in his 10-year career and the first for a Raiders running back this season. It's been a revolving door at that position this season with Las Vegas struggling to replace Josh Jacobs, now with the Packers. Abdullah likely isn't the long-term answer, but he's made a case to remain in the club's future plans.
The chances of landing quarterback Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward in April's draft have diminished significantly after back-to-back victories. The Raiders are now positioned to pick eighth, according to Tankathon. They can finish no lower than 10th.
All that increases the chances — barring a trade up in the draft or a splashy free agent signing — of O'Connell getting an opportunity to remain the starter. He is helping his own case with consecutive victories, including passing for 242 yards and two touchdowns against the Saints.
Asked if O'Connell helped his case, Pierce said, “I think Aidan O’Connell would be a starting NFL quarterback.”
There were no new injuries of note.
39 — The number of points the Raiders have given up over the past three games, the fourth fewest in the NFL over that time. They have allowed fewer than 20 points in four of their past five games.
The Raiders close their season at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) runs from New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis (56) after catching a pass during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Ticketed fans in Georgia and Notre Dame gear packed a plaza adjacent to the Superdome, enjoyed music under clear skies — and under the watch of snipers on rooftops — before filtering into the stadium for Thursday afternoon's College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl.
“It was a lot of fun. It felt safe, “said Shannon Horsey, a Georgia fan in her 40s who lives in Austin, Texas. ”Coming in they searched by bag thoroughly. So I felt like, OK, they're really paying attention."
She was in New Orleans with her husband, Joe, a 48-year-old Georgia graduate, and their teenage children, Jack and Zoe.
They extended their stay after the game, originally scheduled for Wednesday night, was postponed because of an attack in which a man drove a pickup truck into crowds in the French Quarter, killing 14 New Year’s revelers before police killed the attacker in a shootout. Dozens more were injured.
“We can see the presence up on the rooftop," Horsey said, pointing at a sniper above Champions Square. "So, I kind of felt like this is probably one of the safest places to be in the city.”
Joe Horsey found the pregame crowd larger than he expected but, also found the "energy lower than a normal football game.”
“You could sense the musicians trying to get people riled up. People are kind of going through the paces, a little bit in shock, but trying to make the best out of the day,” he said.
It also seemed to Horsey that opposing fans were being a little more polite to one another than at a typical game.
“SEC football can get nasty on game day and can get a little raucous," he said. "But there's a little different sense of civility and that there's bigger things than football.”
Flags were at half-staff outside nearby government buildings in memory of those killed in the attack, which has been labeled by authorities an act of terrorism.
The attack occurred on Bourbon Street, which runs through the heart of the French Quarter and is famously lined with bars, restaurants and clubs, near the corner of Canal Street, a main downtown artery.
The crime scene, which was gradually being cleared so it could be reopened to the public on Thursday afternoon, is about a mile’s walk from the Superdome.
Security was ramped up in and around the stadium.
Police blocked regular traffic from passing by the main Superdome entrance on Poydras Street, an eight-lane downtown artery.
A helicopter circled overhead.
Numerous security officers around the 70,000-seat stadium were handling dogs trained to sniff for explosive devices. They encircled cars entering the Superdome parking garage and in some cases sniffed bags and backpacks.
The game, originally scheduled for 7:45 p.m. CST on Wednesday, was pushed back to 3 p.m. Thursday, with the winner advancing to the Jan. 9 Orange Bowl against Fiesta Bowl winner Penn State. It was the first time the Sugar Bowl had been postponed in its 91-year history (although it had been relocated at the end of the 2005 season because of Hurricane Katrina).
Mark Oldani, a 58-year-old Nashville resident and 1988 graduate of Notre Dame, took a group photo for a gathering of Georgia fans in from of the Superdome.
The crowd was “friendly, nobody yelling back and forth at each other,” he said. “I think everybody's coming in hoping for a good game and wanting to make the most of a really difficult situation.”
Before the singing of the national anthem, a moment of silence, lasting close to half a minute, was held.
While many traveling fans extended their stay to attend the game, the postponement meant some would not be able to attend because of travel plans that were deemed too expensive or logistically difficult to change.
Numerous tickets were listed for resale online at prices of $30 or less, some as low as $23.
Postponing the game “was absolutely the right call,” said Lisa Borrelli, a 34-year-old Philadelphia resident who came to New Orleans with her fiancé, a 2011 Notre Dame graduate, but could not stay for the game.
She said they paid more than $250 per ticket and weren't sure if they'd bother listing them for resale because prices were so low.
“Of course we’re disappointed to miss it and to lose so much money on it, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter,” Borrelli said. “We’re fortunate enough that we’ll be fine.”
The Superdome also is scheduled to host the Super Bowl on Feb. 9.
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Street view of Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
A state trooper stands by New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon streets, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
FBI personnel arrive at the Caesars Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Cory Hunter flips a coin on Bourbon Street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Law enforcement gather in front of the Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tourist walk past temporary barriers on Bourbon Street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Local SWAT teams patrol outside the Caesars Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Fans pass through security check points as they enter the Superdome fan zone ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Fans pass through security check points as they enter the Caesars Superdome fan zone ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Fans pass through security check points as they enter the Superdome fan zone ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Security with bomb sniffing dogs check vehicles as they enter the Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Local SWAT teams patrol outside the Caesars Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
An aerial overall exterior general view of Caesars Superdome, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
Security and bomb sniffing dogs check backpacks before entering the Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Security and bomb sniffing dogs check vehicles as they enter the Superdome parking garage ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Security with bomb sniffing dogs patrol the area around the Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Security and bomb sniffing dogs check vehicles as they enter the Superdome parking garage ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
