Geno Smith had a rough outing on September 15 as the Las Vegas Raiders fell 20-9 to the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium. The veteran quarterback threw three interceptions and failed to reach the end zone, completing 24 of 43 passes for 180 yards in a game that never found its rhythm.
The Raiders’ ground game didn’t offer much relief either. Ashton Jeanty led the team with only 43 rushing yards as the offensive line struggled to create running lanes. Smith chipped in with 20 yards on the ground, while Tre Tucker added just seven.
It was a tough night all around for Las Vegas, with both the passing and rushing attacks falling short. As a result, CBS Sports’ Bryant McFadden is calling out the Silver and Black for lacking an identity in this game.
“They have no identity,” McFadden said on the September 15 edition of “CBS Sports HQ.” “They don’t know what they want to be. And when you look at the players they’ve brought into the organization—Geno Smith and then drafting Ashton Jeanty in the top 10—you would think they would feature him more.
“I think getting him in space could really help the offense in terms of running the football. That would provide a sense of balance, because right now they’re one-dimensional. We’re not seeing Ashton Jeanty surface and showcase his skill set, for whatever reason.”
Can the Raiders Get Their Run Game Going?
The loss pointed to a larger concern—having Smith throw more than 40 times wasn’t the answer against Los Angeles. That strategy led to three costly interceptions from the veteran quarterback.
McFadden also explained how the Raiders could get Jeanty more involved in the run game, helping them avoid becoming one-dimensional and making it easier for defenses to contain.
“You’ve got to utilize and change the strategy a little bit,” McFadden added. “Get him out in space, you know—tall sweeps, outside zones, things like that, where he can use his vision along with his contact balance to be able to be productive.
“You cannot be one-dimensional in this league when you talk about not having a running game and putting all the pressure on your quarterback in an offense that really lacks pass catchers in terms of, you know, playmakers outside of Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers. They’re still trying to figure that side of things out. And that’s what surfaced [against the Chargers].”
Pete Carroll Comments on Ashton Jeanty Usage
After the loss to Los Angeles, Carroll spoke to the media and was asked about Jeanty’s production.
“We’re just getting started,” Carroll said postgame. “He’s breaking into the NFL. He’s figuring it out. When he had 11 or something carries, he’s already had 11. He’ll get more. That’ll come. We’re going to have to run the football better than we did, more effectively.
“We got to get more yards; we have 50 or 60 yards or something rushing — that’s not enough. We got to get more than that. I’d like to see that just as well as you would. The issue with him, trying to get him 25 carries or something like that, we’re breaking him in. So that’ll come.”