Brock Bowers Addresses Injury Status & Gets Honest About Geno Smith
A lot of things went right in the Las Vegas Raiders‘ Week 1 win over the New England Patriots, but the one concern was tight end Brock Bowers. The second-year star was having an incredible game, but had to be pulled due to a knee injury.
The Raiders held him out to finish up the game, but according to them, it was more about being cautious. According to Bowers, he’s in too much pain now.
“I’m feeling better, just kept me out for concerns and stuff,” Bowers said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Feel good, we have an extra day coming up this week, so I’ll try to get back out there.”
Bowers avoided a serious injury, but the Raiders do need to be careful. Small injuries can turn into big injuries if they are not treated correctly. Bowers is tough as nails, so he’ll play as long as he can still move. That said, the Raiders shouldn’t hesitate to give him some time off if he’s not 100%. Luckily, they have a second capable tight end in Michael Mayer on the roster.
Bowers Talks Geno Smith
It didn’t take long for new Raiders quarterback Geno Smith to look Bowers’ way. He hit the star tight end for some big plays throughout the game before he got hurt.
Though they are still new in their relationship, Smith and Bowers are likely to form a really close bond this season. Bowers is already happy with what he’s seen from the quarterback.
“It’s been great,” Bowers said of working with Smith. “Just working through the offseason and training camp really helped us. We really built that connection.”
Smith Had Best Debut of Any QB, per ESPN
Smith isn’t widely considered one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, but he’s at least above average. This year, he’s out to prove that he should be viewed as a top-10 quarterback.
Several veteran or rookie quarterbacks made their debuts with new teams in Week 1. According to ESPN’s Ben Solak, Smith was the best of the bunch.
“The Raiders’ running game was worryingly poor, but one 38-yard catch and run for Brock Bowers set up a third-quarter field goal, and the aforementioned Tucker out-breaker for 28 yards set up a fourth-quarter field goal. Explosives are king in the NFL, and Smith has the sort of mentality that authors them,” Solak wrote.
“To his credit, Kelly did a great job scheming up open receivers as the Patriots devolved into more and more coverage. I’m fascinated to see how this looks in Week 2 against such a different defense, and Las Vegas’ offensive line looks as if it could be a limiting factor. But for Smith’s part, the Raiders paid a third-round pick and a contract of $37.5 million per year for a solid veteran starter at quarterback; in his first start, he easily cleared that bar. I can’t promise the Raiders will be actually good, but again, you’re going to want to get these guys on your TV screen.”
It was a strong start for Smith, but he’ll have to continue to build off of it.
Browns Make Final Call on Kicker’s Fate After Game-Deciding Misses
The Cleveland Browns appear ready to roll with Andre Szmyt for another week after his miserable debut against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Szmyt missed two very important kicks against the Begnals during a 17-16 loss. He sailed an extra point and a 36-yard field goal wide right. The chip-shot field goal would have given the Browns the lead with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
While many predicted that the Browns would be searching for a new kicker this week, Cleveland appears set to give Szmyt another shot. The Browns did not try out a kicker on Tuesday, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
The move would be in line with what the Browns have said this week, backing Szmyt despite the misses.
Obviously, Andre knows we trust him, knows that he’s got to come through for us in those moments,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday. “I thought he had a really good warm up. Banged a couple early in the game and, you know, missed those two at the end and those are kicks that we expect him to make. But I’m really just focused on that game and we expect him to come through for us.”
Not trying out a kicker on Tuesday does not mean Szmyt is completely safe. But as it stands, it appears he’ll be looking for redemption on Sunday on the road against the Baltimore Ravens.
Browns Kicker Andre Szmyt Won Battle in Training Camp
The matchup with the Bengals marked Szmyt’s NFL debut. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears in 2023 but didn’t make the roster. He has also spent time in the UFL, where he played for the St. Louis Battlehawks. Szmyt had a strong college career at Syracuse, winning the Lou Groza Award in 2018.
He beat out incumbent Dustin Hopkins for the gig with a perfect preseason. Hopkins hit a career-low 66% of his field goals (18-of-27) last season and also missed three extra points. That was a sharp decline from 2023, when he went 33-of-36 overall and a perfect 8-of-8 from 50-plus yards. His strong showing that year earned him a three-year extension, placing him among the league’s highest-paid kickers at the time. Hopkins remains a free agent.
“I think Andre (Szmyt) did a nice job since he’s been here, took advantage of every opportunity that we gave him,” Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said last week. “And just made a decision, felt like it was the right thing to do for our team.”
Browns Shuffle Practice Squad Players
The Browns did make a fringe roster move on Tuesday, shuffling practice squad players. Cleveland signed defensive tackle Ralph Holley to the practice squad and released RB Trayveon Williams from the practice squad.
Holley (6-foot-0, 285 pounds) is officially in his first NFL season out of Western Michigan. He spent all offseason and preseason with the Browns this year. He has also spent time in the USFL and CFL.
The Browns will head to Baltimore this week looking to bounce back from the painful Week 1 loss. Cleveland is a 12.5-point underdog for the matchup, per ESPN BET.
