After several games of not being able to run the ball effectively, the Las Vegas Raiders finally made a change in Week 8. Ashton Jeanty was mostly relegated to the third-down running back role, while Mike Washington Jr. got the vast majority of carries.
The good news for Jeanty is that Washington only averaged 3.3 yards per carry, so he didn’t cement himself as the RB1 going forward. Though he was highly drafted, Jeanty hasn’t made much of an impact through his first two seasons.
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Raiders’ decision to limit Jeanty against the New York Jets had a specific reason.
“The Raiders leaned into rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. over 2025 No. 6 pick Ashton Jeanty in Sunday’s victory over the Jets,” Graziano wrote. “Jeanty hasn’t played well while Washington has, and the Raiders hope it serves as a wake-up call. If it doesn’t, they’re content to distribute the carries in Washington’s favor moving forward, as he offers a more explosive element in the run game right now.
“Earlier this year, the Raiders believed it was a preseason ankle injury that was slowing down Jeanty, and in truth that may have been part of the problem. But he has been healthy enough to play and fully practice every week, so they’re at a point where they want to see him play better. Sunday’s move shows how much influence first-year coach Klint Kubiak already has, since he wasn’t there when they drafted Jeanty and is playing the rookie ahead of a star who was drafted to be a face of the franchise just last year.”
Can Jeanty Turn Things Around?
The Raiders’ run blocking hasn’t been good, but Jeanty also hasn’t been making plays. The coaching staff clearly believes that he could be better.
Jeanty is a hard worker and a talented runner. If he were a second-round pick, it’d be easier to blame his lack of production on poor offensive line play. When you’re a top-10 pick as a running back, the expectations are a lot higher.
At this point, it’s hard to see Jeanty becoming the superstar running back the Raiders hoped he would be, but he can still be a high-end starter. Perhaps getting a bit of a breather in Week 8 will be just what he needed.
Raiders Counting on All 3 RBs
The Raiders don’t only give Jeanty two carries in the game if they don’t have some sort of agenda. In the future, it’s much more likely that the team utilizes both running backs more.
According to head coach Klint Kubiak, the Raiders want all of their running backs to start getting involved.
“We’re going to need Mike, we’re going to need Ashton, we’re going to need Dylan (Laube). They’re all part of our success, run and pass,” Kubiak said. “Just the way the game went yesterday, Mike got more carries, and going forward, we’re going to be counting on all three of those guys.”
The Raiders’ offense has been really good, and getting the running game going could turn it into an elite unit.
Real Reason for Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty Decision Leaked by Insider