Brock Bowers sets new NFL rookie records as the Raiders roll to a 25-10 victory over the Saints

Aidan O’Connell and the Las Vegas Raiders played with a lot of energy — and looked pretty sharp — for a last-place team that had every excuse to be sluggish and sleep-deprived.

O’Connell passed for two touchdowns, tight end Brock Bowers broke two rookie NFL records, and the Raiders won for just the fourth time this season, 25-10 over the struggling New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

The convincing victory came after flight delays so long on Saturday that players didn’t get into their New Orleans hotel until after midnight — less than 12 hours before kickoff.

“These guys didn’t blink, flinch,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said with a satisfied grin. ”We got in at 1 o’clock in the morning, got up this morning and rolled.”

Bowers’ seven catches for 77 yards gave him 108 receptions for 1,144 yards this season, eclipsing Mike Ditka’s 1961 rookie tight end mark of 1,067 yards receiving and Puka Nacua’s 2023 mark of 105 catches by a rookie at any position. Bowers also surpassed Darren Waller’s franchise mark of 107 receptions in a season, which had stood since 2020.

“It’s pretty shocking to me,” Bowers said of his records, saying he had “no clue what to expect, coming from college to the NFL.”

Ameer Abdullah rushed for 115 yards for the Raiders (4-12) — the journeyman running back’s first 100-yard game in his 10 NFL seasons.