Versus: Head-to-head matchup between two rookie pass catchers setting franchise milestones

Dec 18, 2024 at 02:45 PM

Levi Edwards

Digital Team Reporter

The Las Vegas Raiders will host two of their three remaining games this season at Allegiant Stadium, with the Jacksonville Jaguars their most recent upcoming opponent.

Both teams have had similar seasons up to this point as injuries have struck the quarterback position and the running back room. The Raiders are on a 10-game losing streak while Jacksonville has lost six of its last seven. Despite the lack of abundance in the win column, both teams have found ways to get production from their star players – veterans and rookies alike.

Here are three matchups to follow in this Week 16 showcase.

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Brock Bowers vs. Brian Thomas Jr.

Statistically speaking, these are the two best rookie pass catchers in the league.

Both Brock Bowers and Brian Thomas Jr. have managed to become their team's top options in the air, breaking records in the process. The Raiders' 2024 first-rounder holds the franchise record for most catches in a season by a rookie as well as the NFL record for most receptions in a single season by a rookie tight end.

While Bowers has been limited to six catches for 84 yards in his last two games, he's 109 receiving yards away breaking the NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie tight end. Additionally, he's generated +103 yards after the catch over expected this season, the third-most among all tight ends this season and over three times as many as all other rookie tight ends combined (32), according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

As for the Jaguars, the former LSU wideout has undoubtedly been their top deep threat. Thomas Jr. has recorded five receptions at over 20 miles per hour on his routes this season, and his eight receiving touchdowns are the most of any rookie in Jaguars history.

Bowers and Thomas Jr. are also neck and neck for most receiving yards by a rookie this season, with Bowers sitting at 968 and Thomas Jr. a mere 12 yards behind him. The two will not only be competing to win Sunday's game, but for a bit of rookie supremacy as well.

Robert Spillane vs. Travis Etienne Jr.

Robert Spillane is in the midst of a Pro Bowl caliber campaign as one of five players in the league with 100 total tackles and multiple interceptions in 2024.

Spillane has been a bright spot of the Raiders defense, labeled as the "bell cow" of the unit by Head Coach Antonio Pierce. His 76 solo tackles are the seventh-most in the league and his two interceptions are tied for most by any linebacker.

He'll need to be at the top of his game against Travis Etienne Jr., who's one of the league's more versatile running backs. Along with averaging four yards a carry, Etienne ranks fourth on the Jaguars in receptions (33). He's averaging nearly six yards a touch over the last two games.

For Spillane and company, stopping the run will be imperative considering the Raiders defense has allowed over 150 rushing yards to opponents in the last two games. On the plus side, the unit allowed the eighth-least amount of receiving yards to running backs this season.

Kolton Miller vs. Josh Hines-Allen

Kolton Miller continues to be the anchor of the offensive line with another premier edge rusher on the schedule to block.

Since Week 8, Miller has allowed pressure on just 5.6 percent of his 267 pass blocking snaps with an average dropback time of 3.02 seconds, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. The start of the season came with a ramping up period after he missed substantial time during the offseason program rehabbing a shoulder injury. As the year nears the end, he's back to playing at a high level on the blind side.

Across from him this Sunday will be two-time Pro Bowler Josh Hines-Allen, who's been the cornerstone of the Jaguars defense since the team drafted him in 2019. He's created a healthy pass rushing tandem with 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker, as the two have combined for 15.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. Hines-Allen also leads his team in quarterback hits (15).

With Walker on the opposite side generating a lot of attention, the Raiders left tackle will likely have his fair share of one-on-one matchups against Hines-Allen.

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Las Vegas Raiders guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (58) as the team is introduced onto the field before the regular season home game against the Atlanta Falcons at Allegiant Stadium.