Bowman wanted to make an impact with the Raiders

ALAMEDA — NaVorro Bowman’s impact in his first game with the Raiders extended well beyond the 11 tackles and one quarterback hurry he was credited with.

While that was a season high for Bowman and matched the most by any Oakland linebacker this season, Bowman left his biggest mark in the huddle and on the sideline where he helped settle a defense that had been mostly erratic through six games.

Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. wasn’t too surprised.

“NaVorro is a seasoned veteran. He’s an All-Pro a few times over, so he understands the game,” Norton said Thursday. “He’s smooth, he’s smart, he’s a playmaker. He brings a calmness to the huddle that we haven’t seen and we’re very happy that he’s on our team.”

That Bowman played as well as he did shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise. He was a four-time All-Pro and a centerpiece to four top-five defenses during six-plus seasons in San Francisco.

Bowman was also one of the few remaining links to the team’s run of three consecutive appearances in the NFC championship game before the 49ers released him on Oct. 13.

Three days later, Bowman was in a Raiders uniform and cramming like a college student for midterms.

“I love challenges and I felt like last week was a challenge for me personally and a risk for the Raiders to take with putting me out there so fast,” Bowman said.

“I didn’t want to let them down and I also wanted to step up to the challenge. With me having this full week of preparation I look to get better at the calls and the defense.”

Bowman wasn’t content with learning just the basics of the Raiders defensive schemes, even though he had less than 72 hours to cram before Oakland’s game against Kansas City last week. He and linebackers coach Sal Sunseri worked overtime to get Bowman ready.

The result — a defense that was still uneven, but held the Chiefs scoreless in the fourth quarter and forced a three-andout on Kansas City’s final possession, setting the stage for the Raiders’ latest fourth-quarter comeback behind quarterback Derek Carr.

“He was obsessed with playing and playing every down,” Norton said. “We came into it trying to give him just little pieces of the meal and he wanted the whole feast, he wanted the whole plate. He was prepared, he was ready, he wanted it. His performance was just a result of the way he prepared during the week.”