Bowers remains limited as Raiders defense gets healthier

Porter’s return creates a cornerback decision

Porter’s move to full participation also creates one of the more interesting personnel questions of the week.

He missed the Chargers game with a foot injury, opening the door for Hezekiah Masses to make his first NFL start. Masses responded with two interceptions of Justin Herbert, five tackles and a tackle for loss.

Crosby said the performance did not surprise anyone who watched Masses throughout the offseason.

“The unique thing about him is he had that confidence since day one,” Crosby said. “He doesn’t shy away from a challenge.”

Crosby said Masses repeatedly made plays on the football during OTAs and training camp before getting his opportunity in Los Angeles.

If Porter is cleared for Sunday, the Raiders will have options rather than simply filling an injury hole. Masses made a strong case for continued snaps with his performance against the Chargers.

Stukes and Paye remain situations to watch

Not every development was positive Thursday.

Safety Treydan Stukes remained out because of a concussion. Defensive end Kwity Paye was added to the injury report with an illness and did not practice.

Quarterback Aidan O’Connell also remained away from practice for a non-injury personal reason. O’Connell announced Thursday that his father, Jim O’Connell, had died.

The Raiders listed O’Connell as a nonparticipant Wednesday and Thursday.

The defensive absences make Friday particularly important for a unit that has generated pressure from several places instead of relying entirely on Crosby.

“There’s a lot of guys that deserve a lot of credit,” Crosby said, mentioning Paye, Malcolm Koonce and the Raiders’ interior defensive linemen. “I think everyone’s playing their role at a really high level.”

That depth has allowed Crosby to affect games even when traditional statistics do not fully show it. Against Los Angeles, his pressure repeatedly stressed tackle Joe Alt before an end-zone holding penalty produced the safety that closed the scoring.

Bowers could add another dimension

The Raiders proved against the Chargers that they could adjust without Bowers.

Los Angeles held Jeanty to 48 rushing yards and Las Vegas to 57 as a team. Kirk Cousins responded by throwing for 253 yards and three touchdowns, Tre Tucker produced 119 receiving yards and Cody White caught two touchdown passes.

Jeanty said there is clarity in what Klint Kubiak wants from the offense.

“As soon as they put the plays in, you know what we’re trying to do, what we’re trying to get accomplished,” Jeanty said.

Adding Bowers back would give Cousins another matchup problem to attack and strengthen an offense that has already shown it can win in different ways.

Still, the Raiders are not treating 2-0 as an accomplishment.

“You just got to be present,” Crosby said. “Focus on winning. It’s just having that mentality, 1-0 every single day.”

Friday is the next checkpoint. Bowers’ workload, Stukes’ concussion status and Paye’s illness should determine just how healthy the Raiders will be when they arrive in New Orleans.

Up next

The Raiders travel to New Orleans to face the Saints at 1:25 p.m. Sunday at Caesars Superdome. Las Vegas enters 2-0, while New Orleans is 1-1. CBS will carry the game.