Arrowhead Pride
Kansas City’s veteran linebacker believes his teammates will have their hands full with the rookie tight end.
In Week 13, the Kansas City Chiefs will follow their Thanksgiving dinner with a special “Black Friday” matchup against an AFC West rival: the Las Vegas Raiders. While the 2-9 Raiders currently sit at the bottom of the league standings, Kansas City linebacker Drue Tranquill isn’t underestimating the potential of the Las Vegas offense.
“They’ve got good skill guys,” he said this week, “[plus] great tight ends, an offensive line that’s coming together and gelling — and then a quarterback situation that’s been real fluid. We’ll see who’s in there on Friday afternoon, but it’s a group of guys that’s getting better as they take more snaps together.”
One player who stands out in the Raiders’ offense is rookie tight end Brock Bowers. The 13th overall pick in last spring’s NFL Draft has been a revelation during his debut season, leading the Raiders in targets, receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns. His 74 receptions are second only to the Dallas Cowboys’ All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
“He’s a complete tight end,” Tranquill said of Bowers. “He can run the full route tree. He explosive — gets great yards after the catch — [and has] great route-running ability. [He’s] fast in and out of breaks and can block as well. He’s the complete package for them.”
Containing Bowers and the Raiders’ offense will require a collective effort from the Chiefs defense — a unit that began the season among the NFL’s best, but has struggled over the past two games. In back-to-back weeks, Kansas City allowed 30 and 27 points. Tranquill believes he and his teammates — especially the younger ones — simply need to put it together.
“I think it’s just execution of our calls,” he explained. “There’s a lot of nuances in regards to our pressures — and a lot that can happen post-snap with our coverages. So [it’s] just being on the same page. We have some younger guys that have rotated in — guys that haven’t necessarily played a lot of snaps together.”
Tranquill is also looking forward to having defensive end Charles Omenihu back on the field. He remains optimistic and focused on the team’s long-term goals.
“We’re trying to steadily improve,” he noted. “We want to be playing our best football in January and February. We know each week is another step in that direction — and we hope to get back on the right track this week.”
