Ashton Jeanty has emerged as a significant weapon in the Las Vegas Raiders’ passing attack under new head coach Klint Kubiak, who has expanded the running back’s role through the air. Over the first four weeks of the NFL season, Jeanty has caught 24 passes for 165 yards, ranking third among running backs in receiving yards and targets, while his two receiving touchdowns tie for the most at the position.
Jeanty’s breakout moment came in the season opener against the Miami Dolphins, where he scored both receiving touchdowns and rushed for 102 yards on 23 carries. That performance helped the Raiders secure a 27-13 win and marked Jeanty as only the second player since the 1970 merger to record two multi-touchdown receiving games within his first 20 career contests, according to the team. He followed that up with six catches for 68 yards in Sunday’s narrow 30-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The running back, who spent his rookie year behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines on a 3-14 Raiders team, said he appreciates how Kubiak has involved him more in the passing game. “I feel like that was an area of my game that I didn’t get to utilize as much, so coming in with this new scheme and being more involved in the pass game is great,” Jeanty said.
Despite his receiving success, Jeanty acknowledged room for improvement. He rated his own start to the season as a “solid job” but noted the need to get better in pass protection and make sharper reads in the run game. The run game itself has struggled, with Raiders ball carriers averaging just 0.38 yards before contact per rush, ranking 31st in the NFL. Against Kansas City, Jeanty managed only 58 yards on 15 carries, reflecting the broader challenges faced by the offense on the ground.
Kubiak, who joined the Raiders after serving as the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, accepted responsibility for the run game’s underperformance. His system has so far helped revive the Raiders’ offense, with quarterback Kirk Cousins leading the NFL with 11 touchdown passes and the team holding a 3-1 record, already matching last season’s total wins.
The Raiders will look to build on their passing momentum and improve their ground attack when they visit the New England Patriots on Sunday.
According to Yahoo Sports.