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Halftime Report: Brock Bowers scores first career touchdown in Week 5 matchup vs. Broncos

Bowers scores first career touchdown

Rookie tight end Brock Bowers ranked second among NFL tight ends in receptions (20) and receiving yards (216) through the first four games of the season. What he hadn't done was score an NFL touchdown. That changed Sunday on the fourth play of the game when quarterback Gardner Minshew II launched a jump ball down the field.

Bowers came down with the catch over one Denver defender and then beat Pro Bowl cornerback Pat Surtain II down the sideline for the 57-yard score.

It was the longest offensive play this season for the Raiders offense and the longest first career touchdown by an NFL tight end since O.J. Howard in 2017 (58 yards for the Buccaneers).

Minshew shows mobility

Minshew made key plays with his legs to extend both of the Raiders' first-half scoring drives. His first run was an 11-yard scramble on third-and-nine that set up the Bowers touchdown on the following play.

Then, on the offense's second drive, Minshew evaded pressure and found a running lane for another 11-yard gain on a third-and-eight play.

After a season-high 152 rushing yards last week against Cleveland, the Raiders continued to have success in the run game today and finished the half with 110 yards on 18 carries (6.1 avg.).

The Broncos defense racked up 12.0 sacks over the last two weeks but were held without a quarterback hit in the first half.

Defensive takeaways

Maxx Crosby returned to the field after missing last week's game with an ankle injury and tallied his fourth sack of the season early in the second quarter.

Crosby's takedown of Denver quarterback Bo Nix snapped a streak of 91 Broncos pass plays without allowing a sack (dating back to Week 2). It was the longest active streak in the NFL.

Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins also got through for a sack, marking his third straight game with at least a half-sack.

The Broncos offense finished the first half 1-of-6 on third down.

Red zone miscue

The Raiders were the league's seventh-most efficient red zone offense entering today's game with seven touchdowns in 10 trips to the red zone. Through 30 minutes, the team's lone trip to the red zone didn't go as planned. Minshew's pass, intended for Bowers, was intercepted by Surtain and returned 100 yards to tie the game at 10.

A Broncos field goal in the final seconds of the second quarter gave Denver the lead, 13-10.

View photos from the Raiders' Week 5 matchup against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.

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