HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Ashton Jeanty joined the Raiders with all the hype associated with the sixth pick of the draft, his tackle-breaking running style expected to pump life into the NFL’s worst rushing offense.
Las Vegas, however, continues to rank 32nd in rushing, and Jeanty is finding little room behind an offensive line that has struggled all season to keep opposing defenders out of the backfield.
He has rushed for 700 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 50 yards per game and 3 1/2 per carry. Jeanty has produced just one 100-yard game, a 138-yard performance against Chicago in which he also ran and caught passes for three TDs.
“We have not controlled the line of scrimmage like we need to,” coach Pete Carroll said. “Because the games have gone out of whack score-wise, we don’t see the numbers in the (rushing attempts) that we like to get. But, basically, we got to get better movement, we got to get better spacing, we got to make sure that we’re giving him a chance and get him going.
“We’re just waiting for him to bust, like you all are too, because we know he can, but it’s been hard sledding.”
Jeanty acknowledged he has become frustrated at times, understandable given he hasn’t had the same production — or victories — he enjoyed at Boise State.
He was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy after putting together one of the greatest seasons in college football history. Jeanty led the nation with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns rushing, his physical style capturing the attention of fans and NFL scouts as the Broncos made the College Football Playoff.
Though Jeanty has shown that same ability to break tackles while taking handoffs for the Raiders, he often finds himself face to face with a defender right after getting the ball. It would be easy for him to wonder if he ever will get the chance to shine in Las Vegas.
“I’m never going to lose confidence whether I played the way I did, I wanted to or the way I didn’t want to,” Jeanty said. “Confidence is the only way you can be able to go out there and put up your best performance.”
Quarterback Geno Smith can relate after his own rocky path in the NFL.
He was drafted in the second round in 2013 by the New York Jets, but Smith’s career was in real jeopardy until he resurrected it under Carroll in Seattle beginning in 2022.
“If (Jeanty’s) thinking about what other people are expecting, he’s doing it wrong,” Smith said. “Anybody in this building thinking about the outside is doing it wrong. We’ve got to think about what we expect and what we can do and how we can be better all around. There’s nothing outside of here that matters. Everything that’s inside of here is what we have, is what we need.”
Smith was speaking more in hypotheticals and wasn’t trying to imply Jeanty was being influenced by any external criticism.
Carroll said he hasn’t seen any signs of Jeanty getting down on himself.
“He’s been really constant, hasn’t blurted out anything or whatever, and we’re communicating,” Carroll said. “So it’s not like he’s ducking and dodging the coaches or anything like that. He wants to do everything he can do, too, to help. He’s a terrific competitor, and he’s looking for his opportunities.”
Maybe that will come Sunday at Houston, though the Texans allow just 92.7 yards rushing per game, which is fourth best.
After this weekend, Jeanty will have just two more opportunities until next season.
“I measure (progress) by how I come to work, how I practice,” Jeanty said. “I work hard every week. Maybe I don’t get the results that I want from a stat standpoint, but I think it’s all about how I continue to get better and what I do next.”
Smith returns to practice
Smith, who did not play in Sunday’s 31-0 loss at Philadelphia because of back and shoulder injuries, returned to practice Wednesday. Carroll said no decision has been made on whether Smith will play at Houston.
“We’ll just take it one day at a time, see how he does and how he recovers tomorrow and all that,” Carroll said. “There’s no rush to figure that out because he’ll get a bunch of turns today.”
Smith said he was taking the same guarded approach, but was anxious to get back into the lineup.
“I hated it,” Smith said of not playing. “But I get a chance to prove myself in practice this week.”
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