Ashton Jeanty has found a part of Klint Kubiak’s offense that suits him perfectly, and the rookie running back isn’t shy about saying so.
Through four weeks, Jeanty has been more involved as a receiver, and that’s been the biggest shift he’s noticed under the Raiders’ new head coach.
“I feel like that was an area of my game that I didn’t get to utilize as much, so coming in with this new scheme and being more involved in the pass game is great,” Jeanty said.
The production has followed. Jeanty has 165 receiving yards, third-most among running backs this season, along with two receiving touchdowns, which is tied for the most at the position. His 24 targets also rank third among backs.
Both touchdowns came in the opener, when Las Vegas opened the Kubiak era with a 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins. Jeanty went for 102 rushing yards on 23 carries in that game, and the Raiders said he became just the second player since the 1970 merger with two multi-touchdown receiving games within his first 20 career contests.
He kept contributing in Sunday’s 30-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, catching six passes for 68 yards in the Raiders’ first defeat of the season.
Jeanty called his start a “solid job,” but he was clear about where he wants to tighten things up. He said his pass protection can be better, and he wants to improve his reads in the run game.
That ground attack remains a problem. Against Kansas City, Jeanty ran for 58 yards on 15 carries, and Raiders ball carriers are averaging only 0.38 yards before contact per rush, which ranks 31st in the NFL. Kubiak accepted responsibility for those issues this week.
Kubiak came to Las Vegas after serving as the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, and the offense has taken off under him. Kirk Cousins leads the NFL with 11 touchdown passes, and the Raiders are 3-1, already matching their win total from a 3-14 campaign in 2025.
Las Vegas goes to New England on Sunday.
In Other News...
Raiders Suddenly Face A Huge Week 5 Ashton Jeanty Concern
A midweek injury wrinkle has put Ashton Jeantys status in question as the Raiders get ready to face the Patriots. The rookie running back has been one of Las Vegas most important offensive pieces this season, which is why any hint of missed time lands hard for a team trying to steady itself heading into another AFC matchup.
Jeanty was added to the injury report on Thursday, and the concern is not just one sore spot but a pair of them. With Mike Washington Jr. expected to absorb a bigger workload if Jeanty cant go, the Raiders suddenly have a backfield situation worth watching closely as the week moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Suddenly Have A Receiver Problem Kubiak Can't Ignore
The Raiders are suddenly staring at a thinner receiver room than they expected, and the timing could hardly be worse. Jalen Nailor is in concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit, while Jack Bech is already on injured reserve with a broken forearm, leaving head coach Klint Kubiak with an obvious depth issue to manage as the season moves forward.
Kubiak said all options will be considered to bolster the group, which is exactly the kind of language that tends to set off the trade and signing chatter around this time of year. Jerry Jeudy, Tory Horton and K.J. Osborn have all surfaced as possible fits, and the Raiders now have to decide whether this is a short-term patch job or the start of a more significant reshaping of the passing-game depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Week 5 Outlook Just Got Trickier After Patriots Injury News
Rhamondre Stevensons first touchdown of the season in Week 4 gave New England a little more balance on offense, and now the Patriots enter Week 5 with a different kind of uncertainty. Stevenson is listed as questionable because of a minor knee injury, even as he remains their top runner in several categories despite a career-low average yards per carry, and his status adds another layer to a game already shaped by injuries on both sides.
For the Raiders, the concern is just as real. Las Vegas is heading into a matchup that already features the Patriots without key wide receiver A.J. Brown and starting cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Christian Gonzalez, while the Raiders themselves may be thin at running back if Ashton Jeanty cannot go. With both backfields and both game plans in flux, this one suddenly feels a lot more complicated than it did a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]