Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty carried the ball just twice for nine yards in Sunday's 38-33 victory over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, a career-low workload he said was communicated to him before the game. Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 draft, entered the contest averaging 3.1 yards per carry, near the bottom of the league.
Coach Klint Kubiak said the decision to lean heavily on rookie Mike Washington Jr. was his call and based on Washington earning the reps, not Jeanty's midweek comments suggesting some Jets defenders did not want to tackle. "Ashton is still going to be a big part of our team," Kubiak said. "He had a huge catch and he's still going to be a big part of our run game going forward."
Washington responded with 25 carries for 83 yards, the most rushing attempts by a Raiders back in weeks. "I knew an opportunity was coming," Washington said. "But it's always just about making sure I do everything I can with whatever opportunities I'm given." The team finished with 95 rushing yards, just short of their 100-yard goal.
Jeanty remained the primary back in passing situations and on third downs, catching three passes for 64 yards. His 45-yard screen catch sparked the game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. "I've been really good in the passing game, and Mike's been good in the run game," Jeanty said. "So I think they just want to take advantage of what we're both good at."
Jeanty downplayed the reduced role after the win. "It doesn't matter," he said. "We won. It doesn't matter how I feel about how many times I get the ball. Whatever it takes for the team to win, I just want to win. That's all." Kubiak said he wanted to review the film before fully evaluating the performance but felt Washington ran hard and the run game took a step forward.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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