Ashton Jeanty’s production was there on the stat sheet Sunday. His workload, though, told a different story.
In the Las Vegas Raiders’ 33-30 home loss to the Buffalo Bills, the former Boise State standout logged 10 carries for 22 yards and a touchdown while adding four catches for 36 yards. But he was on the field for just 58 percent of the Raiders’ snaps, while second-string running back Mike Washington Jr. - a fourth-round rookie out of Arkansas - saw a season-high 23 snaps and helped spark the ground game in the second half.
Washington’s biggest moment came on an 18-yard run in the fourth quarter. He finished with nine carries for 43 yards as Las Vegas finally found some traction on the ground late, just not through Jeanty.
The numbers still point to a season where Jeanty has been more useful as a receiver than a pure runner. He’s averaging 3.2 yards per rush with 98 carries for 313 yards and one touchdown. He topped 100 yards in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, but over the last five weeks he hasn’t gone over 58 rushing yards in a game.
As a pass catcher, he’s been much more dangerous. Jeanty has 26 receptions for 251 yards and two touchdowns.
His recent usage may also be tied to health. Jeanty suffered an ankle injury during the preseason and has been playing through a plantar fasciitis flare-up, ESPN’s Ian Rapoport reported last week. Against the Bills, he appeared to be in pain after multiple touches.
Elsewhere in Week 6, several other former Boise State players made their marks around the league. Bates had one catch for four yards in a 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
Casey was a healthy scratch for the sixth straight game as the Broncos beat the Seattle Seahawks 17-14 on Thursday Night Football. Cleveland started at left guard in a 34-31 loss to the Houston Texans in London.
Holani ran five times for 20 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos’ loss to Seattle. Lawrence recorded one tackle in the loss to Denver.
Matlock started at fullback and added one quarterback pressure in the Chargers’ 22-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. McNichols finished with five carries for 13 yards in the loss to the 49ers.
Shakir had four catches for 34 yards and a touchdown in the Bills’ win over the Raiders. Skinner added two total tackles in the victory over the Seahawks.
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Boise State Faces A New Road Problem At Washington State
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Boise State Has A Rare Chance If It Can Solve Washington State
Boise State heads into this matchup with a rare opportunity in front of it, the kind that can add a little extra weight to a midseason road trip. The Broncos are preparing for Washington State with the chance to do something they have not managed before in Pullman, and that alone gives the game a different feel than a typical nonconference date.
The Cougars have spent the week sorting through some changes on offense, with a new look under center and a different voice handling the play-calling. Even with those adjustments, Boise State is still dealing with a Washington State defense that has been sturdy enough to make life difficult, which means this trip likely comes down to whether the Broncos can stay composed and find answers in a place where they have yet to finish the job. [Read more 🡒]