The Raiders were surprisingly routed by the Panthers in Week 3.
Las Vegas was coming off an upset win over the Ravens last week but was immediately put to the test against a winless Carolina team that made a major change this week. The Panthers elected to bench 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, turning the keys of the offense over to veteran quarterback Andy Dalton.
Dalton has Carolina's offense looking much more functional, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns to lead a 36-22 victory.
Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers was nowhere to be found until the end of the half, leaving fantasy managers curious if the rookie pass-catcher played Sunday.
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Is Brock Bowers playing today?
Yes, Bowers played today. He only had one catch for 21 yards at the end of the first half but was injured on the play.
The panic from fantasy managers is warranted. Bowers has been a focal point of the Raiders' offense, hauling in 15 receptions for 156 yards through two games.
Starting quarterback Gardner Minshew developed a quick rapport with the 2024 first-round pick, but he was shut out for most of the first half.
Bowers returned to the game in the second half but he still only finished with three receptions for 41 yards.
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Wide receiver Tre Tucker leads the Raiders with seven catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, while Jakobi Meyers added seven receptions for 62 yards.
Davante Adams had a big first half but was muted in the second half, held to four receptions for 40 yards.
It was a lackluster game from Minshew overall, finishing with 214 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception while only completing 64.3 percent of his passes.
Is Brock Bowers injured?
Bowers did get injured on his lone reception in the first half but he returned to the game in the second half.. He took a low hit after picking up 21 yards and went into the medical tent but came back clear.
Bowers was not dealing with an injury going into this game. He was a full participant at practice every day this week and never popped up on the injury report.
Brock Bowers stats vs. Panthers
- Targets: 4
- Receptions: 3
- Receiving yards: 41
- Receiving TDs: 0
Bowers is still searching for his first career NFL touchdown despite a strong start to his rookie season.
