Ashton Jeanty caught five passes for minus five yards in the Raiders’ 49ers loss on Sunday, posting one of the worst receiving games ever recorded by a running back. Quarterback Kirk Cousins targeted Jeanty seven times, resulting in two incomplete passes and five catches that added up to negative yardage. The individual play yardages were three, three, minus three, minus seven, and minus one yards.
Jeanty’s performance ranks as the second-lowest yardage total for a player with at least five receptions in a single game. The only worse instance dates back to Jamie Caleb of the 1960 Cleveland Browns, who finished a game with five catches for minus eighteen yards. Caleb’s career figures include just seven catches for minus twenty-six yards, a historical oddity in NFL receiving stats.
Sunday’s game continued a troubling trend for the Raiders’ running backs. Jeanty led the team with 25 rushing yards on six carries, while fellow back Mike Washington managed negative three yards on the same number of attempts. Together, the duo combined for 17 touches and 17 yards, averaging just one yard per touch.
The Raiders’ ground game has struggled all season. Over 222 rushing attempts, they have gained 642 yards total, averaging 2.89 yards per carry. This puts them at the bottom of the league, the only NFL team averaging below three yards per rushing attempt.
The running backs’ struggles have coincided with the Raiders’ recent slide. The team’s inability to generate consistent yardage on the ground has hindered offensive rhythm and limited their options in critical situations. This week, Jeanty’s negative receiving output stood out as a rare statistical low point, highlighting the ongoing issues the Raiders face when relying on their backs.
The 49ers’ defence pressured the Raiders effectively, forcing short or negative plays out of the backfield. Despite Jeanty being a high draft pick, the results have fallen short of expectations through the season and were especially stark in this latest defeat.
As the Raiders review their offensive strategies, the running back group’s performance against San Francisco’s defence will likely be a point of concern. Overall, the team has yet to find a way to turn their rushing game into a productive element of their offence this year.
According to Yahoo Sports.
