Raiders rookie’s tenacity could earn him more playing time

Jack Bech wanted to be on the field as much as possible the first four weeks of his rookie season.

The second-round pick out of TCU is a fierce competitor with unwavering confidence in himself. He also came into the year knowing the Raiders needed help at wide receiver. It’d only be natural if he was disappointed after playing 30 total offensive snaps in his first four NFL games.

But Bech, after everything he’s been through the past 10 months, knows the difference between a real-life issue and an inconvenience.

Bech’s older brother Tiger was one of 14 people killed in a terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day when a man drove a truck through Bourbon Street.

The tragedy has given Bech a new perspective on life. He believes his brother is now his guardian angel. Bech chalks up his limited playing time to larger forces at work.

“I’ve always been saying, God and my brother, they have a specific plan of what’s going to happen,” Bech said.

Earthly forces are trying to get Bech more involved as well.

Coach Pete Carroll all but mandated the 22-year-old receive more playing time after the Raiders’ Week 4 loss to the Bears. Bech then was on the field for a season-high 36 offensive snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Colts.

He set career highs in targets (five), catches (three) and receiving yards (27) in Indianapolis and tried to punish opponents in the run game. The Raiders will likely try to put even more on his plate as a result.

“Hopefully, Jack will continue to have a bigger part in it,” Carroll said.

Bech likes the sound of that. But he also wants to help the Raiders (1-4) snap their four-game losing streak when they host the Titans (1-4) this week at Allegiant Stadium.

“We need to win more games,” Bech said. “I’ve always said this individual stuff comes way after the team. The team comes first.”

Getting on the field

It’s typical for position coaches to determine who’s on the field for each play during a game. Still, Carroll wasn’t happy when he realized Bech only got five offensive snaps against Chicago.

It’s no surprise then that his playing time spiked a week later.

Bech’s numbers against the Colts didn’t jump off the page, but all three of his receptions resulted in a first down. His grit and toughness as a run blocker also showed why the Raiders targeted him in the draft.

“He’s a really competitive kid, and you saw him catch the ball and break tackles and make first downs a couple times. And it shows up in his blocking as well,” Carroll said. “He’s an aggressive football player, and he fits the style that we like playing with.”

Raiders quarterback Geno Smith was impressed with Bech’s performance.

“I thought he made some plays,” Smith said. “I thought he had some tough catches in there. I thought he did a good job of competing. I thought he did a good job at learning as the game went along. And I think as he continues to play and as he continues to grow, I think he’ll continue to get better.”

The importance of being a strong blocker has been drilled into Bech since his days at St. Thomas More Catholic High School in Lafayette, Louisiana.

“You gotta block to get the rock,” is how he explains it.

That mentality has carried into the NFL, where the Raiders mandate physical blocking from their wideouts.

“You’ve got to come out here, you got to block your butt off in order to get the rock,” Bech said. “And if you’re not willing to block, then you won’t play.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.