3 takeaways from Raiders’ win over Saints: Rookie rewrites record books

Here are three takeaways from the Raiders’ 25-10 win over the Saints at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Sunday:

1. Records keep falling

Brock Bowers has consistently said he cares more about wins than his own personal records.

In that case, he can truly enjoy Sunday’s result.

The Raiders (4-12) won consecutive games for the first time all season and Bowers continued to rewrite the NFL’s record books.

Bowers, the 13th pick in April’s draft out of Georgia, had seven catches for 77 yards Sunday, giving him 108 receptions for 1,144 yards on the season.

That meant the 22-year-old broke Mike Ditka’s 63-year-old record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end. Ditka had 1,076 yards in 1961, though he played only 14 games.

Bowers also surpassed Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua’s record for most catches by any NFL rookie (105). He broke tight end Darren Waller’s franchise record for receptions in a single season (107) as well.

Bowers has one game remaining to add to his totals, but he’s running out of records to break. His teammates are also running out of superlatives to explain just how good he’s been this year.

Bowers and the rest of the Raiders’ offense did more than enough to make a strong defensive effort stand up Sunday. The team finished with four sacks and two interceptions while holding the Saints (5-11) to just 269 total yards.

Kicker Daniel Carlson also made all four of his field goal attempts in the win. He now has the fifth-most games with at least four field goals since he entered the league in 2018.

2. Draft help

Those who were hoping the Raiders would finish the season with a high draft pick may be disappointed the team followed its 10-game losing streak by winning two games in a row.

Not all hope for the future is lost, however.

The quarterback-needy Giants upset the Colts on Sunday, making it likely New York will not end up with the top pick. The Patriots instead appear in the driver’s set to get the first selection. New England may be open for business, as it selected quarterback Drake Maye third overall in April.

That means the Raiders may not have to lose their final game to get a top quarterback. They may just have to meet the Patriots’ asking price.

The Raiders are currently projected to pick No. 8 in the draft, according to the website Tankathon.

3. Run, Ameer, Run

Veteran running back Ameer Abdullah, in his 141st NFL game Sunday, gained more than 100 rushing yards for the first time.

Abdullah, 31, finished with 115 yards on 20 carries in the victory. His previous career high of 94 rushing yards was set in Week 4 of the 2017 season. That was the last year he gained at least 50 rushing yards in a game before Sunday.

Abdullah has been lauded by teammates and coaches during his three seasons with the Raiders for his special-teams prowess, leadership and abilities as a third-down back. He waited for more opportunities to run the ball and was rewarded Sunday.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.