The Raiders’ rushing attack has been a disaster this season, as starting running back Ashton Jeanty continues to struggle. That could open the door for Mike Washington Jr.
In last week’s loss to the Bills, Jeanty turned 10 carries into 22 yards. Meanwhile, Washington tied a career-high with nine carries and rushed for 43 yards, drawing a stark difference in the production between the two backs.
Jeanty is averaging 3.2 yards per carry this season and has yet to run for 20 yards on a carry. Washington has a much smaller sample size, but he is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and helped spur the Raiders to a win in New Orleans with a 36-yard touchdown run.
Head coach Klint Kubiak was asked if Washington had earned more reps. Kubiak offered a one-word response: “Yes.”
So far this season Jeanty has handled 98 carries to Washington’s 34. The rookie has outperformed Jeanty on a per carry basis, but has never gotten a heavy workload. Projecting Washington’s efficiency into a larger role is foolish. But given how poor Jeanty has been, giving Washington a chance could spark the putrid running game.
One area that Washington needs to show improvement to impress the coaching staff is in the passing game. He played just five snaps in Week 5 against the Patriots because the Raiders trusted third-stringer Dylan Laube in pass protection more than Washington.
“He’s a rookie, so he had a lot to catch up on,” Kubiak said when asked about Washington’s role in the passing game. “He’s continuing to improve. He’s putting the work in. You see the practice come to life in the games. He’s not where he wants to be. He’s got to keep growing.”
While Washington’s pass blocking appears to be the key issue, Jeanty has not been a consistent positive to the passing game. Despite having 26 catches for 251 yards through six games, Jeanty is second in the NFL with five drops. There is room for improvement in the running and receiving game from the Raiders’ running backs.
Jeanty is still the starter, but it appears Kubiak’s patience is wearing thin with his lack of production, which could open the door for Washington.
More on the Las Vegas Raiders
- Raiders Week 7 Power Rankings Roundup: Raiders Still Earning Respect Despite Losses
- Raiders Stock Up, Stock Down: Ashton Jeanty is Getting Worse
- Raiders’ Playoff Projections: Las Vegas is Wasting a 3-0 Start
- Las Vegas Raiders Face a Tougher Backfield Call Than Expected
