Ashton Jeanty, the Las Vegas Raiders’ running back, barely touched the ball on the ground in Week 8, logging a measly two carries for just nine yards. What in the world happened? This isn’t just a quiet game; this is a full-blown backfield shake-up, and it tells us everything about where the Raiders are going with their run game.
The Mike Washington Jr. Era Just Kicked Off
Seriously, Jeanty was flat-out bypassed in the run game. Rookie Mike Washington Jr. stepped up and took a whopping 25 carries. That’s a massive workload shift from one week to the next! Before this game, Jeanty had put up 328 rush yards on 3.1 yards per attempt with a single rushing score on the season. His last three games were already a bit of a struggle, with only 64 rush yards on 28 carries. This Week 8 performance confirms the trend and then some. The hard truth? Washington Jr. has been outperforming Jeanty in the run game. What’s wild is Washington Jr. wasn’t even able to truly capitalize on his 25 carries in this one, but the volume alone speaks volumes.
Screen Passes Are the New Game Plan?
Don’t count Jeanty out completely just yet. Even with the vanishing run game, he still flashed in the passing game in Week 8, catching three passes for 64 yards. And talk about clutch! He ripped off a 45-yard screen pass that set up the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter. This isn’t a one-off thing either. Over his last three games, Jeanty has hauled in 15 receptions for 147 yards and even punched in a receiving touchdown. It really looks like the Raiders are starting to transition Jeanty into more of a pass-catching role, which makes sense given Washington Jr.’s emergence on the ground.
So, what does this mean moving forward? If you’ve got Jeanty on your roster, you’re going to have to keep a close eye on his status with the Raiders’ offense. This shift likely means he needs to drop from that fantasy RB1 status, and frankly, Week 9 against the 49ers is looking like a seriously dicey start. The Raiders’ backfield just changed completely, and we’ll see if this new tandem can get things clicking.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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