Jeanty returns to practice but Bowers sidelined by knee surgery as Raiders prepare for opener

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The sight of running back Ashton Jeanty on the practice field Wednesday was more than welcome for the Raiders.

Not having tight end Brock Bowers out there, however, was more than concerning.

Even if Las Vegas was at full health, the Raiders could be challenged as they try to improve an offense that was NFL's worst last season, averaging 14.2 points and 245.2 yards per game.

That ineptitude was a major reason the Raiders hired Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, as their coach. He has spent the spring and summer implementing his zone-blocking scheme that veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins will run in his first season in Las Vegas while expected future starter and No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza watches.

The Raiders open their season Sunday at home against Miami.

“It’s interesting how OTAs is nine weeks, preseason and training camp is something like five or six weeks, so there’s just so much time that goes into building the foundation,” said Cousins, who enters his 15th NFL season. “But it’s all for these next 17 weeks and hopefully more. So you are kind of excited to turn the page from all that prep to doing the real thing and you kind of feel that going into this week. It’ll be a great challenge for us.”

Kubiak also emphasized that as easy as it is to point to areas of growth in camp, the true test comes against the Dolphins and other opponents.

“We’re a growing team, and you find out about yourself in games,” Kubiak said. “We’re going to find out a lot about ourselves on Sunday.”

The hope this Sunday is that Jeanty, who suffered an ankle injury Aug. 23, will be able to play at full speed against the Dolphins.

The No. 6 overall pick in last year's draft rushed for 975 yards as a rookie behind what was statistically the league's worst offensive line. His 1.6 yards per attempt before contact, according to Pro Football Reference, was third worst among backs with more than 100 carries.

There is genuine hope that line has improved with the acquisition of three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and the return to health of standout left tackle Kolton Miller, who missed all but four games last season because of an ankle injury.

Four of the starting offensive linemen kept their positions throughout camp, but there was a battle at right guard between Jackson Powers-Johnson and Caleb Rogers. Powers-Johnson tops the depth chart, but Kubiak labeled both as starters.

“I think Caleb made me better,” Powers-Johnson said. “I think Tyler made me a better. I think (right tackle) DJ (Glaze) made me better. I think my coaches made me better. I think we all kind of as a collective made each other better.”

Jeanty might have more than what he hopes is an improved line. He also is expected to share carries with rookie Mike Washington Jr., a fourth-round draft pick who shined in the preseason and apparently has forced Kubiak's hand. The coach previously said he expected Jeanty to get the lion's share of rushes, but has changed his stance recently.

“I think that they’re both going to prepare to play a lot of football and as these games unfold, you react to the game,” Kubiak said. “I think we got two guys that we’re really excited about.”

Whether Kubiak changes his mind about his receivers remains to be seen. He has expressed concern about that unit, which doesn't appear to have a true No. 1 even with rookie and sixth-round draft choice Malik Benson showing promise.

Bowers was essentially that top receiver, but he will miss at least the opener because of knee surgery to repair his meniscus, a person with knowledge of the procedure told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Bowers’ injury hadn’t been announced.

So Cousins won't have one of the league's best tight ends, not exactly the ideal situation heading into the season.

But he also signed with a Raiders team that won a combined seven games over the previous two seasons. Cousins knows he isn't the future in Las Vegas — that probably belongs to Mendoza — but he is the present and wants to win as much as ever.

He has played under Kubiak, quarterbacking Minnesota in 2021 when the coach was the Vikings' offensive coordinator. Cousins said the familiarity eased his transition, but noted there was plenty of new information to absorb.

“Training camp is more just installing your systems,” Cousins said. “Now it’s about game planning and just continuing to build on the foundation we’ve laid.”

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