How Two Rookies Will Control Matchup Between Jaguars, Raiders

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders will head to battle in Week 16, but rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr and rookie tight end Brock Bowers will change the game.

Dec 15, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) motions for first down against the New York Jets during the third quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images / Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars may experience an early Christmas gift as they are set to take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16. The Raiders are on the skids of a ten-game losing streak, but the Jaguar's inconsistency could lead to an upset Raider victory. It depends on how these two improbable stars take over on offense.

For Jacksonville, the star in the making turned star of the team, Brian Thomas Jr, will be the answer to a trivia question if the Jaguars are able to take out the Raiders. Thomas Jr's year has been full of franchise rookie accomplishments and star-studded performances, but this Week 16 matchup may show fans a new side of Thomas Jr.

Thomas Jr on the year has 64 receptions and is a few yards shy of reaching the 1,000 mark, going into Week 16 with 956 yards. He has averaged 14.9 yards per reception and has been the offensive power house all season for Jacksonville.

When Thomas Jr finds his groove early, the Jaguars are set up well going for the rest of the game. Given that teams know that Thomas Jr is a legitimate threat, he must avoid being double-teamed on defense. The Jaguars game as a whole will be determined by whether Thomas Jr is involved heavily or not.

The Jaguars also ran into one of the best rookies this season and the new superstar for Las Vegas, Brock Bowers. Bowers has 90 receptions on year and has totaled 968 receiving yards. The two rookies are having very parallel seasons up to this point.

Bowers has broken through three times on the season with over 100 reception-yard games for Las Vegas this season, and given the amount of average points the Jaguars defense allows per game, Bowers may have a field day when chasing down the football.

The young stars of these struggling franchises will meet for the first time in their career, as the Jaguars and Raiders haven't seen each other in action this season. Given the two stars on the offensive side and struggling defenses, fans for both could be in for a high-scoring affair in Las Vegas.

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