There are concerns regarding Las Vegas Raiders‘ Ashton Jeanty and his ability to be effective in the ground game, which is why head coach Klint Kubiak will likely look to ride the hot hand between the second-year player and Mike Washington Jr.
Jeanty has played 360 total snaps for the Raiders so far this season, leading to a 66.8 overall PFF grade. Moreover, he has carried the ball 108 times for 337 rushing yards and one touchdown while averaging 3.1 yards per attempt on the ground and forcing 10 missed tackles as a runner.
Meanwhile, in the passing game, where Jeanty has been more effective, he has caught 37 passes on 46 targets for 376 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Despite there being concerns, former Raiders CEO Amy Trask isn’t ready to hit the panic button on Jeanty.
“If they are last in the league in rushing yards before contact, that is more about the team as a whole than it is specifically about Jeanty,” Trask said during a Nov. 6 appearance on “CBS Sports HQ.” “By the way, as for Jeanty, he leads the league among all running backs in receptions.
“So he is contributing to the team. Don’t hit the panic button. Look, it takes a lot to get me to hit the panic button. Figure out what’s going on with your offensive line as it relates to the running game.”
Raiders O-Line Needs to Be Better for Ashton Jeanty
Moreover, Trask notes that the reason Jeanty isn’t getting that production on the ground that he is as a pass catcher is due to the offensive line, which the Raiders need to figure out, especially if they want to push for the playoffs.
“The Raiders have issues with the running game,” Trask noted. “Second-fewest rushing yards per game. Last in the league in rushing yards before contact, and the reason I note that goes to the point about it not all being Jeanty-related.
“Now, you may not remember this, but I remember when someone would break up with you and say, ‘It’s not you, it’s me.’ Well, the offensive line should be looking at Jeanty and saying, ‘It’s not you. It’s about us.'”
49ers’ Fred Warner Has Candid Words About Ashton Jeanty
Nonetheless, the Niners’ defense will be looking to take away the Raiders’ run game and make them one-dimensional. Ahead of the Week 9 game in the Bay Area, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner spoke about Jeanty and the Las Vegas rushing attack.
“Dangerous,” Warner told KNBR’s Larry Krueger in a Nov. 6 video when talking about Jeanty. “You can see the speed, his ability to break away from guys. He has a bigger body, having to put body on body with a bigger running back like that, but don’t get it wrong, Jeanty is really talented. There’s a reason why he went where he went in the draft, and we have to obviously be ready for him.”
It will be interesting to see if the Raiders’ running game can get going against the 49ers defense, who are coming off a bye week and have been sitting on their Week 7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Raiders Issued Strong Message Amid Ashton Jeanty Concerns