The Raiders lost in blowout fashion on Sunday in Denver, but it wasn’t all bad.
Though in reality, there isn’t much for Raiders fans to be excited about after quarterback Gardner Minshew’s 100-yard pick-6 interception ruined a promising start, prompting the Broncos to score 34 unanswered points.
However, there’s at least one beacon of hope for Las Vegas: rookie tight end Brock Bowers. He had his first career touchdown Sunday, an incredible 57-yard catch and run.
Bowers took the top spot on Pro Football Focus’ weekly list of highest-graded Raiders, earning an 82.7 rating.
Linebacker Robert Spillane took the No. 2 spot, though even he looked lost on a handful of plays against the Broncos. Offensive tackle Kolton Miller also graded well, earning the No. 3 spot this week. He’s struggled in pass protection since missing most of the preseason with injury, so that’s a great sign for Las Vegas.
Defensive end Charles Snowden and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers close out the list this week. Snowden followed his game-winning QB sack from last week with a solid day, playing 46 percent of the time on defense. Meyers stepped up admirably for injured and disgruntled star Davante Adams, though he did have a big drop as the Raiders were struggling to hold off the Broncos’ onslaught.
The Raiders got it right when they drafted Bowers. Now they have to start getting more things right, first in-season and then roster building in the coming offseason. First up: deciding who will throw to Bowers this Sunday against the Steelers, Minshew or QB Aidan O’Connell.