There are going to be many storylines to come from the Las Vegas Raiders‘ Week 1 win over the Miami Dolphins, but running back Ashton Jeanty deserves to be the biggest talking point. After suffering an ankle sprain at the end of training camp, it initially looked like he’d miss Week 1.
Not only was he able to play, but he didn’t look hampered in the slightest. He finished the game with 102 rushing yards, 45 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. Jeanty finally looked like the player he was at Boise State after an underwhelming rookie season.
So what changed? Jeanty wasn’t nearly this effective last season. The fact that Klint Kubiak was hired as head coach and is calling offensive plays certainly helps, but it’s not the only thing.
The Raiders’ offensive line was arguably the worst in the NFL last season. They decided to address this by giving a historic contract to center Tyler Linderbaum. He’s a great player, but the Raiders paid a massive price tag to get him. He quickly proved that he was worth the investment. He was opening big holes for Jeanty all game.
Though Jeanty will get most of the credit for his big game, he made sure to shout out the offensive line and Linderbaum.
“The way he attacks practice every day, he’s a leader,” Jeanty said of Linderbaum in his postgame press conference. “He brings great energy to the O-Line. Of course, when he’s on the field, he’s relentless out there.”
Kirk Cousins Praises Jeanty
Creating lanes for a running back is just one aspect of an offense. Once a hole is created, it’s up to the running back to take advantage. Against the Dolphins, Jeanty showed great vision and balance. He was also very difficult for defenders to tackle.
The passing offense was a bit hit or miss, so it helped to be able to lean on Jeanty. Quarterback Kirk Cousins was very impressed with the young running back.
“He’s a talented runner,” Cousins said. “I think there were a couple times where I handed a ball off, the corner’s unblocked. He bounces to the outside, and it’s really a race between him and the edge defender. … Instead of it being a one- or two-yard gain, it’s an eight-yard gain.”
Kubiak Happy With What He Saw From Jeanty
Had the Raiders lost Jeanty, that would’ve been a huge blow to what Kubiak wanted to do on offense. He’s a playcaller who wants to run the ball early and often.
Jeanty likely isn’t fully 100%, but it certainly didn’t look like it. Kubiak has watched the running back very closely all offseason, and he wasn’t surprised by how well he played.
“Coming off his injury, I’d say it was kind of on par with what we’ve come to expect from him,” Kubiak said.
If Jeanty can develop into a top running back, the Raiders have some serious young weapons on the offense once star tight end Brock Bowers returns from injury. This offense has some big-time potential.
Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty Has Strong Words for Tyler Linderbaum