Raiders TE Brock Bowers Listed as Doubtful for Week 2 Clash With Chargers

The Las Vegas Raiders are officially listing tight end Brock Bowers as doubtful for Sunday’s AFC West clash against the Los Angeles Chargers. Head coach Klint Kubiak delivered the news, which is basically NFL coach-speak for "he is not playing, but we want the other sideline to waste at least five minutes of film study thinking about him."

Bowers is still recovering from a meniscus trim in his left knee that he underwent right before the season kicked off. He already sat out the Raiders' 27-13 opening-week win over the Miami Dolphins, and missing back-to-back practices this week made this doubtful tag as predictable as a delay of game penalty after a timeout.

"Adam Schefter reported: 'Raiders are listing TE Brock Bowers as doubtful for Sunday’s game vs. the Chargers due to his knee injury, per HC Klint Kubiak.'"

For fantasy managers who drafted the rookie expecting immediate fireworks, it is time to hit the waiver wire. Michael Mayer is stepping right back into the primary tight end role. Mayer caught six of a team-high seven targets for 32 yards in Week 1, proving he can at least keep the chains moving while Bowers heals up.

The absence of a dynamic playmaker like Bowers also shifts the math for anyone looking at the betting board. Without his ability to stretch the seam, the Raiders' offense becomes a bit more predictable against a Chargers team that just dropped their opener to the Arizona Cardinals 26-14. Player prop markets for Mayer and the Las Vegas receivers will definitely see a bump in volume to compensate for the missing targets.

Las Vegas desperately wants to keep their early momentum rolling after a solid Week 1 showing. Dropping a divisional game on the road is exactly the kind of early-season stumble that makes the AFC West race an uphill climb, so they need Mayer to deliver again.

The good news is that this knee issue is not considered a long-term disaster. Bowers is officially day-to-day going forward, meaning he could be back on the field as soon as Week 3. Until then, the Raiders will have to figure out how to handle business in Los Angeles without their shiny new offensive weapon.