The Las Vegas Raiders are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, and one of the biggest reasons for that is the offense’s inability to run. The issue in the ground game continued against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6, as the team only had 65 yards on the ground.
The 79.2 rushing yards per game the Raiders are averaging is the third-worst in the NFL. Starting running back Ashton Jeanty had another ugly day, rushing 22 yards on 10 carries. He is averaging 3.2 yards per carry on the season.
The Raiders used the No. 6 pick in the draft to select Jeanty just a year ago, but he hasn’t come close to living up to his draft status. Right now, it’s clear that he’s still dealing with an ankle injury, but that can only be an excuse for so long. Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano has seen enough and believes the Raiders need to bench Jeanty.
“Even after three straight losses, the Raiders (3-3) aren’t going to send QB Kirk Cousins to the bench, certainly not after his 313-yard performance in a 33-30 loss to the Bills,” Vacchiano wrote. “But it’s time for them to bench RB Ashton Jeanty, who has never been close to what everyone thought he’d be when he was the sixth pick of last year’s draft. He had just 22 yards on 10 carries on Sunday, giving him just 49 yards on 20 carries over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, Mike Washington Jr., the Raiders’ fourth-round pick, had nine carries for 43 yards against the Bills. And at 4.8 yards per carry, he looks like he’s playing the game at a different speed than Jeanty ever has. So, since Jeanty is nursing foot and ankle injuries anyway, they should let him do that on the sidelines and give Washington a bigger workload, at least for a few weeks. Maybe that might give the Raiders’ terrible ground game the boost it needs to keep their playoff hopes alive.”
Mike Washington Has Been the Better Back
At this point, having Jeanty on the field is hurting more than it’s helping. It’s possible that his issues running the ball are entirely due to poor offensive line play and injuries, but that means the Raiders just need to give him time off.
When he has played, rookie Mike Washington Jr. has been the better player. He is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and just looks more explosive. The Raiders’ rushing offense is a complete non-factor, so giving Jeanty time off couldn’t hurt the team.
Raiders Need to Figure Out Run Game
There are many reasons why the Raiders are on a three-game losing streak, but the biggest one is that they’ve just been playing really good teams. The Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots are all Super Bowl contenders.
If the Raiders are going to compete with teams like that, they need to figure out the run game. Kirk Cousins and the passing offense have been solid, but Klint Kubiak needs to run the ball well for his offense to be most effective. With the Los Angeles Rams coming up, it could be time to let Washington get the start at running back, at least for a week.
Raiders Urged to Bench $35 Million Starter Amid Rough Start