Brock Bowers working to change fortunes of Las Vegas Raiders

Brock Bowers helped lead Georgia football to two national championships, and now he is being tasked with helping to change the culture of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Bowers scored both of Las Vegas’ touchdowns in their game Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to beat his former teammate Ladd McConkey and the Los Angeles Chargers in a 31-14 road loss.

Raiders coach Pete Carroll heaped praise on Bowers and defensive end Maxx Crosby as the best players on the team and wants their Raiders’ teammates to work to measure up.

“They stand out because they continue to play at a really high level,” Carroll said, “and we’re trying to get more guys to do that and play along with them.”

Former Georgia star Eric Stokes, who starts at cornerback for Las Vegas, said the Raiders’ players are regularly impressed by Bowers and can grow better working against him in practice.

“Brock will be Brock, like we always say, that’s the best tight end in nation, in the league,” Stokes said after Bowers made yet another highlight catch for a touchdowns against the Chargers. “We always say you go against Brock every day, you know for a fact you get better, iron sharpens iron.

“Seeing him come out here and do everything he does on Sunday is a testimony do everything he does during the week.”

Stokes, himself, is going back to the leadership ways he showed as a Georgia player, constantly praising and lifting teammates.

“I’m trying to do my part every week and get better, as a football player, as a man, as a person and do my job as a leader,” Stokes said. “Keep boosting guys around me and make them play with confidence, treat every day as a new day to work on your craft, and find out who you are a person.”

Bowers, who has missed three games this season, continues to move up in the NFL’s tight end ranks with his impressive performances.

Bowers caught all four passes thrown his way by quarterback Geno Smith for 63 yards and the two touchdowns.

“We come here to win games, and that hasn’t been the case,” Bowers said, asked about the team’s six-game losing streak. “We need to get better and keep improving.”

It’s hard to imagine Bowers playing much better, as he ranks fifth among tight ends with 573 receiving yards in nine games and is tied for fifth with five touchdowns.

Bowers’ amazing touchdown catch on a low ball that seemed destined to hit the turf was played over and over on the NFL highlight reels over the weekend.

“I don’t really think out there, I see the ball come and do everything I can to catch it, that’s my mindset,” Bowers said, asked for his thoughts during the play. “If I start overthinking, my game’s not going to be as good.”

As far as what’s going through his mind on a play like that, Bowers shrugged.

“Nothing, I don’t know, I couldn’t even tell you,” Bowers said. “It’s kind of that game-set mode, where you just go, and you don’t even think.”

The Raiders play host to the Denver Broncos on Sunday before Bowers will run into several of his Georgia teammates Dec. 14 when Las Vegas plays at Philadelphia.

McConkey, meanwhile, found himself back in the end zone for his fifth touchdown of the season on a 7-yard pass from Justin Herbert.

McConkey led the Chargers with four catches for 39 yards in the win as Los Angeles improved to 8-4 and remained in playoff contention.

James Cook continues to pile up numbers and lead the Buffalo ground attack, as he rushed for 144 yards on an eye-popping 32 carries along with catching three passes for 33 yards in the Bills’ 26-7 win at Pittsburgh.

Darnell Washington had two catches for a team-high 45 yards for the Steelers.

Matthew Stafford’s potential NFL MVP season hit a bump in the Los Angeles Rams’ 31-28 loss at Carolina.

Stafford, who had thrown 27 straight touchdown passes without an interception, was 18-of-28 passing for 243 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, also losing a fumble in the loss.

Trevor Etienne caught the only pass thrown his way for a 4-yard gain along with returning four kicks for 89 yards and a had a 15-yard punt return for the Panthers.

D’Andre Swift and the Chicago Bears just keep winning, this time going into Philadelphia for a 24-15 victory.

Swift, who is originally from Philadelphia and signed with Chicago in March of 2024 after a season with the Eagles, had 18 carries for 125 yards and a touchdown and a catch for 13 yards as the Bears won their fifth consecutive game to improve to 9-3 atop the NFC North.

Nakobe Dean had 12 tackles for the Eagles, and Jordan Davis had nine. Jalen Carter had four tackles and a sack, Nolan Smith had three tackles and a sack and Kelee Ringo had two tackles for Philadelphia.

Roquan Smith stayed busy with 11 tackles for Baltimore, but it wasn’t enough for the Ravens in their 32-14 loss to Cincinnati on Thursday.

Baltimore rookie safety Malaki Starks had six tackles.

George Pickens had six catches for 88 yards for Dallas, as the Cowboys beat Kansas City 31-28 on Thursday.

Devonte Wyatt had four tackles before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Green Bay’s 31-24 win at Detroit on Thursday.

Javon Bullard had four tackles for the Packers, who improved to 8-3-1, despite missing linebacker Quay Walker for a second game after he sustained a neck injury against the New York Giants.

Tyson Campbell had six tackles from his cornerback position for Cleveland in its 26-8 loss to San Francisco.

Tykee Smith had two tackles for Tampa Bay in a 20-17 win over Arizona

Ty Ingram-Dawkins had a tackle for Minnesota in its 26-0 loss to Seattle.