Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty hasn’t hit 20 carries in a game through his first two NFL games. He had 19 attempts in the Week 1 win over the New England Patriots, but that workload fell to 11 in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jeanty also hasn’t topped 50 rushing yards yet, making for a tough start to his pro career. Week 3 figures to be another challenge, as the Washington Commanders have allowed only 209 rushing yards and 3.9 yards per carry in their first two games.
On the latest episode of “CBS Sports HQ,” Former Raiders CEO Amy Trask has the recipe for the offense to get rolling behind Geno Smith and Jeanty.
“Since the start of 2024, [Smith] has the most interceptions in the league,” Trask said. “This year, he started out with four. Three were in last week’s game. And I have an answer to how to address this. It’s three words: Run the ball.
“Now look, many people are coming back to this running game, saying there’s a resurgence in the running game. I have never, ever, ever abandoned the importance of the running game. The running game is pivotal to an offense. You know what? It’s one of a quarterback’s very best friends. Run the ball.”
Would More Carries Help Ashton Jeanty Adjust to the NFL?
While Trask notes that Las Vegas have to get the run game going, she does acknowledge that Jeanty finds himself in the adaptation phase that rookies go through transitioning from college to the NFL.
Nonetheless, she does believe that the Raiders can help with this process by giving him the ball.
“You drafted Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick in the draft,” Trask added. “And you know what? To his credit, he has been extremely honest about something I heard from players throughout my career, which is that there’s a tremendous adjustment to be made between the pace in college and the pace in the NFL.
“He’s making that adjustment. He’s aware he needs to make the adjustment. So give him the ball. It will help in two respects: it’s going to take pressure off of Gino, and it’s going to help Ashton to adjust more quickly. Three words: Run the ball.”
Raiders Rookie Needs More Carries
Las Vegas will be aiming to jumpstart their running game in the nation’s capital, and ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky is urging the Silver and Black to get Jeanty going.
“They’ve got to get Ashton Jeanty going and give him more chances. I think it’s twofold for me,” Orlovsky said on “NFL Live.” “One, he needs more carries, and two, they’ve got to get him to the line of scrimmage to give him a shot. He’s been hit behind or at the line of scrimmage the most in the NFL. He’s getting less than a yard down the field before getting contacted.
“The way I’ve always thought about it is when you get into these situations as an offense and you’re trying to get a guy going in your run game, less is more… The Raiders got to figure out this player a little bit more in their run game. They got to figure out ways to get him to the line of scrimmage and give him a chance.”