Raiders report: LB gives Antonio Pierce a scare, shows durability

There were nervous moments for the Raiders when one of their captains went into the medical tent Sunday with what appeared to be a serious leg injury.

Linebacker Robert Spillane missed one defensive snap before returning to action.

“I went to him right after he got out of the tent,” coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday. “I thought, like we all thought, he was done. And he said, ‘No, I’m fine. I’ll go out there.’ It’s just I think one of those things that scared him. But between him and Maxx (Crosby), you can’t pull those two guys off the field.”

Spillane did not practice Wednesday and wasn’t in the locker room afterward. He was listed on the injury report with a knee injury.

It would be surprising if he missed Sunday’s game at Cincinnati, particularly because he has been so durable this season.

The play Spillane missed against the Chiefs was the only defensive snap he has missed all season.

Pierce said it’s just what Spillane does.

“He’s a linebacker,” said Pierce, who also played the position. “He’s got a lot of stuff going on, right? It’s a contract year for him. He’s a warrior. He loves ball. He loves being a leader. He’s a captain.”

Spillane wasn’t the only Raiders standout who gave the team a brief scare. Rookie tight end Brock Bowers had further testing on his ribs despite playing through pain to finish the game.

X-rays were negative, and Bowers practiced in full Wednesday and indicated he was OK.

“He’s good,” Pierce said. “Brock is tough. We tried to pull him out for like six plays in a row, and he wouldn’t come off the field.”

Feeling centered

Jackson Powers-Johnson looked comfortable at center Sunday after sliding over from guard to fill in for injured Andre James.

Powers-Johnson might be needed at the position again this week.

James didn’t practice because of an ankle injury, and Pierce didn’t sound confident he would play against the Bengals.

“We’ll see how it goes the rest of the week,” said Pierce, who then praised Powers-Johnson.

“I thought that was a really good job by him. We had no snap issues. Just to go in there and make the (assignment) calls and just the communication.”

Powers-Johnson played quite a bit of center in college, which the rookie jokingly referred to as “back in my day.”

“That helped me a ton, so I’m able to lean on that for the preparation,” said Powers-Johnson, who added that center is a more complex position to play. “I think you have a lot more communication because the center has a lot more responsibility to read the defense and command the line.”

Jordan Meredith and Cody Whitehair played guard Sunday, but Dylan Parham was back at practice in a limited capacity and could be nearing a return from a foot injury.

Injury report

James and Spillane were the only players to miss practice.

Tight end Harrison Bryant was limited with an elbow injury that prevented him from playing Sunday. Running back Zamir White (quadriceps), wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (ankle) and offensive tackle Kolton Miller (elbow) were limited with injuries they have been playing through. Crosby practiced in full despite the ankle injury he has been dealing with since Week 2.

Cornerback Jack Jones was listed on the injury report with a knee injury and was limited.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.