The Raiders may be heading into Sunday without Brock Bowers again, and that puts Michael Mayer squarely in the spotlight for a Week 2 matchup with the Chargers.
Bowers practiced Friday, but Las Vegas is not expected to rush him back. That opens the door for Mayer, who already showed last Sunday against the Miami Dolphins that he can handle a heavier workload. He didn’t rip off explosive gains, but he did lead the team in catches, and the Raiders have clearly trusted him for a reason.
Mayer’s value comes from the way he wins his matchups. He does damage against safeties and linebackers, which is exactly why the coaching staff is looking at him as a bigger piece of the plan this week. New offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko spoke Thursday and praised the tight end’s role in the opener.
"I think everybody has an evolving role each week, especially as we all get into this, whether it's our first year together, or we're together for a long time. Everybody's evolving Week 1, whether it's Michael [Mayer], whether it's different guys we ask to do different jobs.
I thought Mike [Mayer] did a nice job in what we asked him to do, took advantage of his opportunities, made some plays for us. We look forward to the offense as a whole; keep evolving, keep creating plays."
Mayer has also become a dependable outlet for Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins. Against Miami, Cousins leaned on him on checkdowns and on second- or third-read throws, and that kind of safety valve matters even more with Cousins’ arm-strength concerns. If Mayer keeps making himself available, he gives the offense a cleaner escape hatch.
There’s also room for more than just short-area work. Mayer has opportunities to get open downfield that the Raiders haven’t fully tapped yet, and Sunday could be the day that changes.
The Chargers already showed last week what can happen when a tight end finds soft spots in their defense. Arizona’s Trey McBride put together a strong game against them, finishing with nine catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t need a circus route tree to do it; he found openings in a zone coverage look that appeared confused at times.
That should give Las Vegas a clear plan of attack. If Klint Kubiak takes those Week 1 issues from the film room and makes Mayer a bigger part of the passing game, the Raiders have a chance to create a better rhythm through the air than they did against Miami. And if Mayer can match McBride’s kind of production, the offense could look a lot sharper on Sunday.
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