2 abysmal stats show Ashton Jeanty isn't the problem with Raiders' rushing attack

Mike Moraitis

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2 abysmal stats show Ashton Jeanty isn't the problem with Raiders' rushing attack image

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

After entering the NFL with a ton of hype, Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty is not off to a great start.

Jeanty posted a career-high 63 rushing yards in Week 3 but was only able to muster up 3.7 yards per carry in the 41-24 beatdown at the hands of the Washington Commanders.

Through three games, Jeanty has 144 rushing yards and 47 carries, good enough for a putrid 3.1 yards per attempt.

Jeanty's lackluster start to his career has left many to wonder if the Boise State product might not be as good as advertised, but that is very short-sighted.

The truth is, the Raiders' offensive line has been the problem for the rookie running back and there are two abysmal stats in particular to show that (H/T ESPN's Ryan McFadden).

  1. Jeanty was hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on 11 of his 17 carries in Week 3.
  2. In all three games combined, Jeanty has been hit behind or at the line of scrimmage on a whopping 57% of his carries (27-of-47).

I don't care who they are, no running back is going to have success with that going on.

As if the Raiders didn't have enough offensive line issues, the team started veteran Alex Cappa over second-year guard Jackson Powers-Johnson on Sunday and that didn't pan out.

When Jeanty ran behind Cappa's gap, he averaged a horrendous 0.28 yards per carry on seven attempts, analyst Tristen Kuhn shared.

Compare that to when Jeanty ran behind Dylan Parham's gap, where he averaged five yards per carry on eight attempts.

Not sure what people expect, but Jeanty can't block, also. The Raiders pay guys to do that and they aren't doing a very good job of it.

The numbers are very clear: Jeanty is not the issue with the Raiders' rushing attack and anyone who says otherwise is just lazy.

The good news is, Jeanty has passed the eye test early on in his career. Anyone with eyes can see he has the tools to be a successful running back in the NFL, he just needs the same help all running backs do.

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Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who covers the NFL for the Sporting News. Over his nearly two decades covering sports, Mike has also worked for Bleacher Report, USA TODAY and FanSided. He hates writing in the third person.