The Las Vegas Raiders have been one of the surprise stories in the NFL through the first four weeks of the season. They are off to a 3-1 start, having started the season with wins over the Dolphins, Chargers and Saints before dropping their Week 4 game against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs.

The Raiders may have played their best and most impressive game against Kansas City. They were in that game for 60 minutes and they battled on near-even terms for 60 minutes before coming out on the short end of a 30-27 score.

That game should help the Raiders' confidence going forward, and they will be put to the st again in Week 5 as they go to New England to take on the defending AFC champion Patriots.

The Raiders are contending with a number of injuries as they prepare for that game. Two of the most important players are tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty.

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Bowers has a knee issue and after being limited in the team's Wednesday practice, he was a full participant Thursday. Jeanty may be a little more of a complex case with an ankle/foot problem. He was a full participant Wednesday, but he was a limited participant Thursday.

Both have been key contributors to the Raiders offense. Bowers has caught 16 passes for 202 yards and he has caught two TD passes. Jeanty is one of the keys to the Las Vegas offense. While he has rushed for 264 yards and a 3.38 yards per carry average, he has also caught 19 passes for 165 yards and 2 TDs.