Brock Bowers dominates Jets in record-setting showing with Raiders

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers didn’t know Sunday he had established a record for receiving yards through 35 games for pass catchers who aren’t wide receivers.

Ho-hum for Bowers.

“I just go out there and do my thing,” Bowers said, leaving the visitors locker room at MetLife Stadium. “Every ball that comes my way I try to catch. I don’t know. I don’t really focus too much on the numbers.”

Bowers has 2,421 career receiving yards after Sunday’s showing against the New York Jets, a seven-catch, 92-yard effort complete with two touchdown catches in a 38-33 comeback win. He passed late legendary tight end Mike Ditka for the NFL’s 35-game record, topping 70 yards for the sixth straight game after missing Weeks 1 and 2 this season.

No tight end in NFL history had topped 70 yards in six straight games to start a season before the mismatch from Napa, California, dressed every Sunday in silver and black.

“That’s pretty awesome,” Bowers said when asked about breaking Ditka’s record. “Such an all-time great and to be mentioned with his name is pretty amazing.”

Bowers is pacing tight ends again — he was a first-team All-Pro in 2024 as a rookie, catching 112 passes for 1,194 yards and five scores — with 41 receptions, 547 yards and five receiving touchdowns this season. Don’t guard him with a second defender, and leave the first one on one to tangle with his blend of size, strength and speed at 6 foot 4 inches. Double him and open space around him for other Raiders targets to feast on.

Cover him effectively the way the Jets did situationally Sunday … and it still might not matter.

Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins evoked former teammates Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson and Justin Jefferson — wide receivers who topped 1,000 yards when they played together — while noting “you’re used to throwing to guys who are like, really open. There are times, even when they would get doubled and I would progress off of them, and (Vikings coach) Kevin O’Connell would say to me, ‘Still throw it to Justin when he’s covered.’”

The same principle applies for Cousins to Bowers, draped in the back left corner of the end zone in the opening quarter on third-and-goal by Jets cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. Bowers wasn’t open enough to demand a throw from Cousins in theory, but perfect coverage can’t beat perfect throws — or right-handed catches.

“When he’s covered, you still need to throw it,” Cousins said. “That kind of breaks my instincts. My instincts are to progress and throw to open guys.”

Bowers called his first touchdown from Cousins “a trust ball” but complied with his quarterback’s instincts, too, uncovering over and over Sunday and cooking the Jets on in-breaking routes. He broke free for six in the third quarter as Cousins was flushed to the right from the pocket, opening up for a 2-yard score on third-and-goal for his second touchdown.

Scoring is good. Winning is better.

Setting records is standard for Bowers.

“It was awesome (to win),” Bowers said. “We were efficient in the red zone, which helped a ton obviously. We weren’t kicking field goals.”

Contact Sam Gordon at [email protected]. Follow @BySamGordon on X.