The Las Vegas Raiders' historically bad offensive performance in the 31-0 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15 featured a trend that has been problematic for the majority of the season: Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty was once again a nonfactor.
During the Raiders' eighth straight loss, which dropped them to 2-12, they totaled 75 yards, with 35 coming from Jeanty on nine carries. His performance on what he called an "embarrassing" afternoon marked the sixth time that he was held to fewer than 50 rushing yards in a game.
"We're just waiting for him to [take off] because we know he can, but it's been hard sledding," coach Pete Carroll said.
When the Raiders drafted Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick in April -- making him the first running back selected within the first six picks of a draft since 2018 -- the former Boise State standout was greeted with high expectations, and rightfully so.
Jeanty was a Heisman Trophy runner-up after piecing together one of the best seasons by a college football running back -- 2,601 rushing yards, second-most in a season in FBS history, trailing only Barry Sanders in 1988. Jeanty's performance gave the organization the confidence that he could handle being a focal point of the offense, so much so that the Raiders' only offseason transaction at running back was signing veteran Raheem Mostert to a one-year deal.
At the same time, they moved on from Alexander Mattison, Sincere McCormick and Ameer Abdullah.
Jeanty's performance hasn't matched the hype or rejuvenated the Raiders' rushing attack, which was one of the worst in the league last season. In 2024, Las Vegas was 32nd in rushing yards per game (79.8), and with three games remaining in 2025, the team remains at the bottom with 70.8 yards per game. Meanwhile, Jeanty has totaled 700 yards on 200 carries.
Jeanty has had his growing pains, but the issues are not entirely his fault. With the Raiders' struggles in run blocking, having two different offensive playcallers in the same season and constantly playing from behind, Jeanty has been unable to establish a rhythm, making it hard to form a fair assessment of his rookie season.
"Obviously, not a lot of space runs for him so far this season," interim offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. "So, certainly a difficult evaluation for him, for any rookie, and you go back and look at it. It's a learning curve to begin with, but on top of that, [there's] not a lot of success in what we've had rushing the football this year. So, in terms of running the football, it's been a difficult stretch for him."
When Jeanty recorded 155 total yards -- 138 on the ground -- and three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing) in the Raiders' loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 4, it appeared that he had found his footing. Jeanty's contact balance, speed and ability to shed defenders were on display in his best outing of the season.
While Jeanty has continued to show those traits in spurts, he hasn't produced numbers-wise since making a statement in late September. Since Week 4, Jeanty has averaged 41.8 yards per game and has only nine carries for 10-plus yards. His longest carry during this stretch is 13 yards, and he has 20 attempts that result in a first down.
"Everybody has their certain expectations, or what they think is going to happen during the season, but it hasn't gone our way, my way, in certain ways," Jeanty said. "[I] just got to continue to keep working and make the most of the opportunities we have left."
The lack of space for Jeanty to work with in the run game has been a glaring issue. He has been stopped for zero or fewer yards on 66 carries. Jeanty hasn't rushed for at least four yards per carry in a game since Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts.
In Philadelphia, the Raiders incorporated some jumbo formations into the game plan, using rookie offensive tackle Charles Grant as an extra lineman to create space. Yet, the plan didn't work. Jeanty has rushed for less than 40 yards in three straight games.
The Raiders have even tried to use Jeanty in the passing game so that he could operate in space. He has 49 catches for 266 yards and 4 touchdowns. But his receiving numbers have also declined in recent weeks. Jeanty has totaled 12 catches for 45 yards since Week 12.
"We have not controlled the line of scrimmage like we need to," Carroll said. "... We got to get better movement, better spacing [and] we got to make sure that we're giving him a chance and get him going."
Drafting Jeanty within the top 10 came at a risk. At the time, general manager John Spytek pointed out that it wasn't a guarantee that the other top running back prospects would be available if they passed on Jeanty. By doing so, Las Vegas bypassed taking an offensive lineman in the first round.
The staff was confident in running back with last year's offensive line, which consisted of Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Jordan Meredith and DJ Glaze, despite being inconsistent for much of the 2024 season. Las Vegas was 22nd in run block win rate (71%).
Under first-year offensive line coach and run game coordinator Brennan Carroll, Pete's son, the unit has struggled. Part of those issues has to do with constant movement up front, whether due to injuries or coaching decisions. Miller and Powers-Johnson have been sidelined due to ankle injuries.
Last week, Miller practiced for the first time since he was placed on injured reserve due to a high ankle sprain that he sustained against the Bears. Las Vegas has had three different starters at center and right guard, respectively. Parham and Glaze have been the only stable presence on the offensive line. However, Parham has been the starting left guard despite playing on the right side all of last season.
The constant shuffling up front has led to a lack of continuity among the group and played a part in their production. The Raiders are 19th in run block win rate (70.6%).
"It's a little challenging," Glaze said. "If somebody's going in and out, you can get into a groove, and then it'll change."
Another element, which was highlighted by quarterback Kenny Pickett, is that the team has to do a better job at switching up its looks in the run game in order to keep opposing defenses guessing.
"We got to mix it up a little bit," Pickett said after his first start of the season last week. "I think gun runs, under center, we can't let them tee off on tendencies. I felt like [the Eagles] were a bit faster than us on certain things during the game, beating us to the punch on some blocks. We have to go take a look at that to see what we have going on."
Carroll viewed Jeanty as a player who could take the pressure off starting quarterback Geno Smith or whoever lined up under center. The Raiders were meant to be a run-heavy team, with Jeanty receiving at least 20 carries a game. He has had 20 or more attempts in just two games.
Carroll said the Raiders' constantly playing from behind and not controlling the time of possession has also led to Jeanty's inconsistent production. Las Vegas ranks last in time of possession (27:26).
"Teams have been able to kind of shut it down and eat the clock on us," Carroll said. "We need to create more situations, but we also [have] to make first downs to get that done. Defense got to get off the field. It hasn't worked in complement [as] we like, and that's why our numbers are down.
"[The Eagles] got to run the ball 47 times last week because of the way the game went, and it's a horrible situation to be in. That's not the way you want to play."
Against the Houston Texans (4:25 p.m. ET on CBS) on Sunday, the Raiders might find it difficult to generate yards on the ground yet again. Houston has been a rigid defensive unit, especially when it comes to slowing down opponents' rushing attacks. The Texans have given up the fourth-fewest rushing yards in the league (92.7).
Even though Jeanty's production hasn't been eye-popping, the Raiders strongly believe he still has the potential to become a dynamic player in the league. It's a matter of the organization creating a system that can maximize his skill set.
"He's got all kinds of plays that he's shown the depth and foot quickness that he has, his ability to get underneath tacklers and blast through and break tackles and make yards after contact," Carroll said. "... He's done his job. We have to give him more opportunities and more space."