Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty says the game is finally slowing down for him as he enters Year 2, pointing to detailed film focus and repetition after a difficult rookie season in Las Vegas.
Ashton Jeanty remembers what it felt like when everything happened too fast.
Last season in Las Vegas. the Raiders running back came in with big expectations. but his rookie year never quite matched them. Jeanty averaged 3.7 yards per carry, and he only had four games when he picked up more than 100 yards from scrimmage. The numbers landed in the middle of a larger frustration for Las Vegas. where an offense struggled to create room for its playmakers.
Some of what Jeanty had to deal with can be explained. The offensive line didn’t offer many holes, and quarterback play didn’t do much to open up the field. Still, there wasn’t much you could do to dress up what was, in plain terms, a disappointing campaign.
On Wednesday, Jeanty talked about his hope for a better second season. His message was simple: he’s readying himself by studying harder and focusing more tightly on what’s actually happening on the field.
“Just focusing in more on the details, what the defense is doing, how we’re blocking things, coverage, all that type of stuff,” Jeanty said, via the team’s website. “So, it’s definitely slowing down, and I think it’s also just repetition as well. The more you rep it, the more the game slows down.”
That mindset matters for a Raiders offense that needs more than just one player to bounce back. Las Vegas hopes it has solved some of the other problems that helped it finish as the lowest-scoring team in the league last year. For Jeanty. a jump forward in Year 2 wouldn’t just feel personal—it would be the kind of jolt the offense needs as it tries to change the way defenders are able to play against them.
If Jeanty’s year is really turning on details and repetition, the Raiders are betting those small adjustments can translate into bigger production once games start again.
Ashton Jeanty Raiders NFL Year 2 Las Vegas Raiders offensive line quarterback play rushing yards yards per carry lowest-scoring team