Brian Thomas Jr., Brock Bowers eye 1,000-yard seasons as Jaguars get set to play Raiders

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Brian Thomas Jr., Brock Bowers eye 1,000-yard seasons as Jaguars get set to play Raiders

Demetrius Harvey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union · The Florida Times-Union

Sat, Dec 21, 2024 ·

8 min read

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Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11) receiver Brian Thomas Jr. isn't your typical rookie pass catcher.

Neither is Las Vegas Raiders (2-12) tight end Brock Bowers .

When the two meet Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Sin City, it'll be a battle to see who makes it to 1,000 yards first, something that has only happened 24 other times in NFL history during the Super Bowl era. Jacksonville native Bob Hayes did it in 1965, a year before the Super Bowl era officially began.

The game is set to kick off at 4 p.m. ET on CBS.

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 15: Brian Thomas Jr. #7 of the Jacksonville Jaguars celebrates a touchdown against the New York Jets during the first quarter at EverBank Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

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Thomas is 44 yards short of 1,000 at 956 yards on 64 catches with eight touchdowns. Bowers is 32 yards short at 968 yards on 90 catches and four scores.

"It would mean a lot to me just being able to come in as a rookie and get that, just accomplish that goal for myself. That would mean a lot even though we haven't had the season that we wanted," Thomas said Thursday when asked about potentially reaching the milestone.

Thomas already has reached a couple of mountain tops. He eclipsed Justin Blackmon's franchise rookie receiving yards record and Allen Hurns ' rookie touchdown record, breaking the latter's tie on Sunday against the New York Jets .

Meanwhile, Bowers broke an NFL rookie record for receptions by tight ends, surpassing Detroit Lions ' Sam LaPorta in Week 14. He has a chance to break Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua 's rookie record for catches of 105, set last season.

Dec 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) line up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

"Great player. Good young player. Just his ability to separate, get open. Obviously, using him the right way and just making plays for him. He's a dynamic tight end," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday.

Bowers is also on pace to become the third rookie TE to eclipse 1,000 yards, something only Atlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts and Chicago Bears Hall of Famer Mike Ditka have done.

Both players will be serious contenders for the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Although, Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels and Broncos QB Bo Nix could have the advantage.

They'll also be chess piece players for their respective teams.

For Thomas, that role began over the last few weeks as the team looked to overcome numerous injuries to key pass catchers.

Brian Thomas Jr. has limitless skillset with Jaguars

When Thomas was selected with the 23rd-overall pick in April, many expected him to be brought along slowly. The Jaguars already had Christian Kirk and Evan Engram as primary pass catchers and signed former Buffalo Bills standout receiver Gabe Davis in March via free agency.

Essentially, Thomas was a luxury pick — a break-glass-if-needed target who could help put the team over the top.

That idea was quickly scrapped with Thomas hauling in 33 passes for 573 yards and five touchdowns through the first eight weeks.

The idea was put six feet under when Kirk went down in Week 8 and Davis went down in Week 11. Thomas stood alone and he's taken full advantage of his opportunities after battling through injury.

"A lot of the things that we've thrown to him were things we've thrown to Christian for three years. Now, Christian's gone, who takes that role? Well, he's shown he's got the skill set to pretty much do anything we ask. We're making sure we don't overload him mentally and he's proven he can handle a lot of things," Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Thursday.

Taylor explained that Thomas caught a "bang eight" that typically would have been for Davis or Engram, another player who's been lost due to injury. He also has caught choice routes, typically assigned to Kirk or Engram.

"He's got the ability to do it all. That's the biggest thing. I mean, if he didn't have that, we wouldn't put that on his plate. We wouldn't ask him to do it all, but he can," Taylor added.

For Thomas, learning different positions including X, Y , Z and F in Jacksonville's offense, has been seamless. While the team did not want to throw everything on his plate in Week 1, he's proven throughout the season that he can handle anything the team throws at him.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) rushes for yards against New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) during the first quarter Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Sometimes, adding too much to a receiver's plate can paralyze them, Taylor explained. But that's not the case with Thomas. He's studied plenty, and he's shown Jaguars coaches more than they saw on tap at LSU.

"I mean, I remember asking him when he first got here, 'What's something you did at LSU that we haven't shown to have yet in the playbook?' He kind of just said, 'Well, I just ran switch all-go, or I ran four verticals, Malik [ New York Giants WR Malik Nabers ] did everything underneath,'" said Taylor.

"So, he just wasn't exposed to that because their personnel didn't match up that way. So, you're kind of uncovering a lot of things that you maybe didn't know just because he wasn't exposed to it. We never thought he couldn't do it. You just didn't see it."

Taylor explained that Thomas took it upon himself to learn other routes or positions. Though he might necessarily be running those routes in that given week, he still knew it in case he was needed. That time came especially once Kirk went down, and Thomas' study habits proved beneficial.

"The thing that's really cool, Chad [Hall] and I were just talking about this the other day, he's taking in coaching points that we've never said to him directly. But we meet as an offense a lot of times and 'Hey, this is the best way we run this crosser route,' and then you see him bring it to life or, 'Hey Christian, on this big box stop, whatever it may be, inside fade stop, run it this certain way,'" explained Taylor.

Dec 15, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) scores a touchdown against the New York Jets in the first quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

"Well, then B.T. goes out, we put him in that position. He does it exactly the way it was coached when really, we weren't directly talking to him, but he's just observing everything in the course of the meeting, retaining it all."

Thomas is a self-described visual learner.

"If I see it, I'll be able to remember. That plays a big part in learning the playbook," Thomas explained.

None of what the team has put on his plate has been overwhelming. He studies the playbook, gets it down and puts it all on the field.

"Just from studying it, once you see it enough, you'll remember it. "So I just try to study as much as I can," said Thomas.

"I can learn it pretty easy."

Jaguars, Raiders battling for top spot in NFL Draft

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) rushes for yards during the third quarter of a regular season NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jaguars held off the Las Vegas Raiders 27-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Though anyone who works for the team hopes for a victory, a lot could be at stake when Jacksonville travels to Las Vegas this weekend.

At 3-11, the Jaguars sit with the fourth-overall pick in next year's draft. Meanwhile, the Raiders are set to pick first, tied with the New York Giants for the worst record in the league.

The Raiders have been in a tough spot this season. They traded star wideout Davante Adams to the New York Jets midway through the season, lost star defensive end Maxx Crosby for the year and have flip-flopped between quarterbacks with injuries to Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell.

Minshew is out for the season with a broken collarbone.

Questions remain about whether or not O'Connell, who is recovering from a knee injury, will start Sunday or if the team will be forced to turn to backup Desmond Ridder .

O'Connell has completed 63.2% of his passes for 899 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions through four starts and six games played this season.

Meanwhile, Ridder has started one game, playing in five this season. He's completed 61.4% of his passes for 447 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

If the Jaguars lose to the Raiders, they will likely move up the draft board, potentially to the third-overall pick that New England currently holds.

The season's final three games can have major implications for Jacksonville's future even amid the potential reshuffling that could come due for the team's front office and coaching staff after the season.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr. can do anything, eyes 1,000-yard season

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