Tag: Receptions

Brock Bowers is Raiders new franchise single-season receptions record holder

Brock Bowers cemented his place in the Raiders record books for the most catches in a single season. And not just for rookies.

Three major records in one game is what we’ve come to expect from the Raiders all-world tight end Brock Bowers.

First it was the rookie tight end receiving yards record, which he set late in the second quarter on his third catch of the game. Then it was the rookie receptions record, which he broke early in the third quarter. And then he moved on from rookie records to a franchise mark for any position with any experience level. To give him the hat trick of records for the game.

With his seventh catch of the day, Bowers hit 108 catches which sets a new Raiders franchise single-season mark for catches. He breaks the record set by Darren Waller (107) set in 2020.

Waller had broken the previous franchise mark set by Tim Brown (104) which had existed since 1997. Which means, Bowers had surpassed Brown on the same catch that broke the rookie tight end receiving yards mark.

Bowers had tied the franchise mark late in the third quarter on a 15-yard catch to set up a field goal and a 19-10 Raiders lead. He would set the new franchise mark early in the fourth quarter.

Raiders TE Brock Bowers breaks rookie receptions record

The rookie phenom is breaking records in bunches now. The latest is the rookie receptions record, surpassing Rams receiver Puka Nacua.

With the rookie tight end receiving yards record already in hand, Bowers set his sights on the next record — the rookie receptions record. To be clear that’s not just the record for rookie tight ends. It’s the record at any position.

When he got the rookie tight end receiving yards record, it came on his 104th catch of the season. Meaning he was just two catches away from breaking Puka Nacua’s record for rookie receptions (105), set last season.

Bowers would tie the rookie receptions record later in the same drive he set the new rookie tight end receiving yards mark. He would break the record late in the third quarter.

It came on an 11-yard catch with three minutes left in the third quarter.

This record put him two catches away from the Raiders franchise single-season receptions record set by Darren Waller in 2020.  He figures to break that one too today, so stay tuned.

Raiders TE Brock Bowers sets another NFL record

Brock Bowers has broken the record for most receptions by a rookie tight end previously held by Sam LaPorta.

Brock Bowers’s historic season continues. He was already on pace to rival some of the best seasons for a tight end or for a rookie at any position. But today, he officially made history.

The 13th overall pick rookie’s three receptions against the Buccaneers gave him 87 for the season, surpassing Sam LaPorta (86) for the most catches by a rookie tight end in NFL history.

Bowers also has 933 yards receiving, which is already third most for a rookie tight end in NFL history. He is 94 yards from surpassing Kyle Pitts (1026) for number two and 144 yards from breaking Mike Ditka’s record of 1076 yards which is stood for 63 years!

And with four games left in the season, he has a very good chance of getting those records too.

Heck, at this point the Raiders franchise record for receptions is within reach for him. And I mean at any position and not just among rookies.

It’s fun to imagine what Bowers could do — and will do — when the Raiders can get their quarterback situation figured out as well as perhaps having the same offensive staff for at least a full season.

Coaches are praising Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt for his versatility: ‘He’s a good football player’

Coaches are praising Kansas City #Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt for his versatility: ‘He’s a good football player’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the media on Monday during his weekly Zoom press conference. He shared his thoughts on running back Kareem Hunt’s versatility being utilized in the passing game.

“Yeah, well, we think touches for him (Kareem Hunt) end up being important, whether he’s carrying it or – he’s a good football player, so you want to have him have an opportunity to show off those talents,” said Reid. He’s always been a good receiver. We weren’t getting as much out of the run game as we wanted to, so we started throwing it a little bit more, and he became an important part of that.”

Hunt had another busy afternoon. He was active in the passing game, leading the team in receiving yards with 65 and seven receptions. For the first time in weeks since signing with the team, he had below 20 carries but maintained his effectiveness as a receiver. Reid mentioned Hunt and other players’ heavy workload while dealing with the odd scheduling this season.

“It’s not as much the maybe the physical part as it is the time in between games. That’s what you’re managing. Then, it comes down to how the guys are feeling because of the short week.” said Reid. “That’s the way we did it last week. This is a normal week, so it’s not going to be quite like that. It’ll be a normal week of practice, but in this league, every game is physical. I mean, the parity in this league is crazy right now. You just check out some of these scores and go, ‘Jeez, it’s nuts.’ There’s – any given Sunday. It’s no more important than that is right now in this league. You better be on your A-game every week.”

The Chiefs will be on a traditional schedule this week with this Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills.

PFF: Chiefs DB L’Jarius Sneed has allowed just 10 catches, 87 yards since Week 15

According to Pro Football Focus, #Chiefs DB L’Jarius Sneed has been supremely stingy in coverage since Week 15

The Kansas City Chiefs have relied on exceptional play from their defensive backs to keep opposing offenses in check this season, and L’Jarius Sneed has been a key part of the team’s game plans against star wide receivers.

His dominance this season is well documented, but the experts at Pro Football Focus shined a spotlight on Sneed’s recent tear of superb performances ahead of Kansas City’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills this weekend.

According to PFF, Sneed has allowed just 10 receptions and 87 yards since Week 15 and still hasn’t allowed a touchdown this season.

While the veteran defensive back wasn’t part of the Associated Press All-Pro roster or a Pro Bowl selection, Sneed’s tenacity has helped keep the Chiefs afloat in a season where Kansas City needed its defensive stars to step up as its offense plateaued.

Expect Sneed’s matchups against Bill receiver Stefon Diggs to steal the spotlight in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs this weekend.

Joe Burrow excited about the Bengals’ addition of Irv Smith Jr.

Irv Smith Jr. has the Bengals locker room buzzing over his talent

The Cincinnati Bengals have arguably the best receiving unit in the NFL, but they found a way to make it this off-season by adding former Alabama and Minnesota Vikings tight end, Irv Smith Jr. Smith is an upgrade from their 2022 TE room which was led by Hayden Hurst, who appeared in 13 games and recorded 52 receptions for 414 yards and two touchdowns. Hurst departed this off-season to go play with Bryce Young in Carolina.

Smith spent the first four years of his career with the Vikings, but mid-way through the 2022 season, Minnesota traded for Pro Bowl TE, TJ Hockenson. Smith had previously been a second-round pick of the Vikings, but will now get to join a roster that is in the midst of its Super Bowl window and will have a chance at consistent production.

He missed the 2021 season with a torn meniscus, but in his three other years in the NFL, Smith has posted 91 catches for 858 yards and nine touchdowns. There are still a lot of things to be excited about with Smith as a player, he just needs to find a chance at constant production, and I believe he has that with the Bengals.

In fact, Bengals quarterback, Joe Burrow, is already impressed by what he has seen of Smith this far going on to say, “Irv, first of all, he’s upstairs all day every day learning the offense, watching tape with [tight ends coach] James Casey. So that’s exciting to hear. And he’s looking smooth — big, strong, athletic, smooth hands. So we’re excited to have that guy.”

Roll Tide Wire will continue to monitor Irv Smith Jr. and his tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Look: Bryan Edwards’ best catches from Derek Carr with the Raiders

Look: Bryan Edwards’ best catches from Derek Carr with the Raiders, now together with the Saints

The New Orleans Saints excited some fans early this week with the pickup  of wide receiver Bryan Edwards, who made some of his best catches on passes from Derek Carr when they were both playing for the Las Vegas Raiders. The Saints could use more help at receiver given the thin depth on their roster, so signing Edwards makes a lot of sense.

Now they’re together again in black and gold, and hoping to reestablish the connection that saw Edwards eclipse 500 receiving yards just two years ago. Here’s a quick look at some of their best completions in silver and black, giving us an idea of what they might be able to accomplish in New Orleans:

Giants acquire TE Darren Waller: 5 things to know

Here are five key things to know about the New York Giants’ newly acquired tight end Darren Waller

The New York Giants acquired Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday afternoon in exchange for a third-round selection in the upcoming draft.

Here are five things to know about the Giants’ newest tight end:

Nico Collins set high water mark for yardage in a season vs. Browns

Collins surpassed his 2021 output with three catches for 35 yards and a touchdown in the #Texans’ loss to the #Browns in Week 13

While the Houston Texans’ offense was lackluster at best against the Cleveland Browns in Week 13, wide receiver Nico Collins managed to snag enough receptions to set his career high in yardage and catches in a season in the matchup. collins burst onto the scene this year as a much-needed contributor on offense and has proven over the course of 12 games that he is a force to be reckoned with.

The Alabama native was a third-round selection by the Texans in last year’s draft class and caught 33 passes for 446 yards as a rookie in 2021. This season, he has brought in 37 passes for 481 yards, including three of those receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown against the Browns in Sunday’s action.

These numbers likely won’t get Collins on the All-Pro squad at the end of the year, but they are an indication that his trajectory is trending up, even as the Texans’ fortunes on the whole are in a tailspin. He has not had the benefit of particularly good quarterback play to this point in his career, and especially in the 2022 season where he has caught passes from Davis Mills and, more recently, Kyle Allen.

His counterpart on the outside, Brandin Cooks, was inactive for the Week 13 tilt, which opened the door for Collins to take on an expanded role in the offense. He was targeted no less than 10 times in the game, and scored the Texans’ only touchdown on a pass from the aforementioned Allen.

With more performances like the one he turned out against Cleveland, Collins could soon find himself as one of Houston’s brightest offensive stars in an offense that should feature a premium quarterback prospect next year. If he can keep his head up through all of the ups and downs of the Texans’ rebuild, he might prove to be the team’s best offensive weapon.

Jordan Akins climbing Texans’ all-time tight end yardage leaderboard

Akins’ two-catch performance against the #Commanders was enough to put him in second place on a #Texans all-time franchise leaderboard

With his two receptions for eight yards against the Washington Commanders in Week 11 Houston Texans tight end, Jordan Akins moved to second all-time on a key leaderboard in the team’s franchise history. Akins has been a key piece of the Texans’ offense in 2022 and has seen his usage gradually rise over the course of the season while he has been competing for more reps against former first-round pick O.J. Howard.

Though his raw numbers from Week 11 aren’t overly impressive, his 1499 yards receiving over the course of his career with the Texans have him positioned behind Owen Daniels at second place on the team’s all-time leaderboard for yardage by a tight end. The gap between him and Daniels is likely to be insurmountable at this point in Akins’ career, though it wouldn’t be out of the question to see the difference narrow in the coming weeks.

Hamstrung by inconsistent quarterback play, Akins has had a hard time breaking out in the Texans’ offense, but his explosive potential is evident on nearly every down he plays. His lanky frame and smooth stride are perfectly suited for jump-ball duties or routes run along the sidelines with space to work after the catch.

If he weren’t playing second-fiddle to Howard at this point in the season, Akins could be one of Houston’s leading receivers, and as the offense begins to experiment with new strategies, he may see his role expand over the Texans’ last seven games. The only uncertainty for Akins at this juncture of the season is whether he will be re-signed by Houston as part of their 2023 rebuild, or if he will need to pursue a contract elsewhere for next season.

Given the potential, he has shown and his accomplishments in a Texans uniform, the team’s front office should be expected to make every effort to keep Akins as a part of their plans moving forward.