Ashton Jeanty’s jab at the Jets has already turned into fuel for Sunday’s matchup, and Rex Ryan wasted no time firing back.
The Las Vegas Raiders running back stirred the pot this week by saying the Jets’ players did not want to tackle ahead of the road game. That set up a little extra edge before the Raiders head to the Meadowlands on Sunday afternoon.
Ryan, the former Jets head coach and now an ESPN analyst, was not interested in letting that slide.
“Is this kid a joke or what? Does he not look at the tape?
Because when I look at the tape, I see that. I see DeMario Davis not losing a step, still playing at the top of his game.
But you know what else I see? How about Mr.
Tiptoe through the Tulips, avoiding contact? This guy's soft as Charmin,” he said, per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team on X, formerly Twitter.
That kind of over-the-top shot is very much in Ryan’s wheelhouse, but it’s the sort of line Jets fans will gladly embrace going into the game.
Jeanty’s comments also come at a rough time for him and the Raiders. He has not had a strong first half of the season, and Las Vegas has cooled off hard after its fast start. The Raiders have dropped four straight.
Whether Jeanty meant to light a fire or not, he may have handed the Jets defense some extra motivation heading into kickoff.
The Raiders and Jets are set for a 1:00 pm ET start Sunday from the Meadowlands.
In Other News...
Kirk Cousins Gave Raiders Fans A New Reason To Love Sunday
Kirk Cousins gave Raiders fans a jolt Sunday in New York, steering a comeback win that felt like the kind of road result this team has been hunting for. After falling behind at halftime, Las Vegas settled in behind Cousins, who topped 200 passing yards and threw three touchdown passes in a 38-33 victory over the Jets, with scoring strikes going to Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer.
The performance also came with a few wrinkles worth watching beyond the final score. Coach Klint Kubiak addressed Ashton Jeantys limited workload, while Mike Washington Jr. handled the heavier lift in the run game and finished with 25 carries for 83 yards, giving the offense a different look as it worked to keep pace and close out the afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Win Sparked A Bigger Ashton Jeanty Question
The Raiders Week 8 win over the Jets brought a little extra attention to Ashton Jeanty, not because of what he did after the game, but because of what he said before it. Klint Kubiak addressed Jeantys pregame comments and made clear the rookies role was not being shaped by anything he said about New York, a useful bit of context for a team still sorting out how it wants to deploy its backfield.
Mike Washington Jr. ended up handling the heavier rushing load, while Jeanty was more involved as a receiver, a split that fit the way the game unfolded in Las Vegas favor. For a player with Jeantys profile, the bigger question now is less about one weeks usage and more about how the Raiders decide to balance his touches as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Escaped With A Win But Their Secondary Has A New Problem
The Raiders left New York with a win in Week 8, but the trip did little to quiet the concerns around a secondary that was under pressure for much of the afternoon. Las Vegas survived a second-half comeback from the Jets, yet the defense spent too much time on its heels, and the issues in coverage were hard to ignore even with the result in hand.
Eric Stokes was at the center of it, as the Jets kept testing the cornerback and found enough success to keep their offense moving. He was not the only one having a rough day in the back end, either, with other Raiders defenders also struggling to slow down New York's passing game. The victory matters in the standings, but the tape will give this coaching staff plenty to sort through before the next game. [Read more 🡒]