The running game has been inconsistent for the Raiders through two weeks. But the Saints could present an opportunity for Ashton Jeanty to take off.
The offensive line and Jeanty controlled the Dolphins through three quarters, as the running back ripped off 98 yards on 15 carries. But since, it has flipped. Jeanty ran for just four yards on eight carries in the fourth quarter against Miami, and then the Chargers shut him down completely.
Jeanty got a huge workload with 21 carries against Los Angeles, but he ran for a paltry 48 yards. He didn’t have a single rush of 10 yards or more.
As a result, the Raiders rank 29th in EPA per play on rushing plays. While it is one spot higher than where Las Vegas finished last season, it can still be a nightmare for the offense.
The Saints’ run defense has been gashed
The Saints have struggled to stop the run through two games. New Orleans ranks 27th in EPA per play allowed against the run and 32nd in success rate allowed.
It has only been two games and the Saints have played two good rushing offenses. The Ravens put up 108 yards, but only ran it 22 times. The Lions had 165 rushing yards on 33 carries back in Week 1.
The small sample size and quality of opponents could be skewing how well the Saints run defense actually will perform the rest of the season.
The Raiders’ offensive line is still problematic
Las Vegas invested in the offensive line by adding center Tyler Linderbaum, and saw the return of left tackle Kolton Miller from an ankle injury. But that has not been enough to make the run blocking good.
According to Pro Football Focus grades, the Raiders don’t have an offensive lineman in the top 50 of run blocking.
Right tackle DJ Glaze has been the best of the bunch, ranking 69th. Left guard Spencer Burford is 155th out of 172 qualified offensive linemen.
The pass protection has improved from last season. However, the run blocking is still disappointing.
The Raiders need to run the ball better. If the offense is going to continue to put up points, taking advantage of poor or even average run defenses will be key.
