The Las Vegas Raiders walked out of Week 2 with a stunning divisional win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and most of the night belonged to the kind of performance Klint Kubiak’s young team can build on. But Ashton Jeanty was the one glaring exception.
Jeanty came into the AFC West matchup with plenty of momentum after a strong opener, yet Sunday looked nothing like that version of him. The second-year running back was quieter, less efficient and unusually sloppy, turning in what was easily the roughest outing of the Raiders’ win.
The numbers tell the story. Against Miami in Week 1, Jeanty ran for 102 yards on 4.4 yards per carry, added 45 receiving yards, scored twice, and forced three missed tackles. Against the Chargers, he finished with 48 rushing yards at 2.3 yards per carry, 15 receiving yards, no touchdowns, just one missed tackle forced, and three drops.
That kind of drop in production is hard to miss, especially for a player who had been so sharp to start the season. Jeanty didn’t look like himself on Sunday. He wasn’t finding space, he wasn’t making defenders miss, and he wasn’t powering through contact the way he had in Week 1 and throughout his rookie season.
Some of that came down to the matchup. The Chargers had a stronger run defense than the Dolphins, and their front gave the Raiders’ offensive line more trouble. Los Angeles also seemed intent on taking away the run after Jeanty’s big opener, which helped open the door for the passing game.
Still, the swing from one week to the next was extreme, and the miscues made it worse. Jeanty’s three drops stood out because that sort of thing has not been part of his game. He had four drops all of last year, and he matched almost that many in one afternoon against the Chargers.
Even with the rough showing, Kubiak didn’t pull away from him. Jeanty still logged 28 total touches, almost the same workload as the 29 he got in Week 1.
That matters. The Raiders did not bail on the run game, and they did not give up on Jeanty.
That’s why there’s no real reason to panic. Kubiak has said he’ll ride the hot hand when needed, and that was Jeanty a week ago. On Sunday, the hot hand belonged elsewhere, but the Raiders stayed committed.
The outlook should get friendlier in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints, whose run defense has been porous through the first two games of the 2026 NFL season. Las Vegas also showed against the Chargers that it can win both ways, whether by pounding the ball or by attacking deep.
Kirk Cousins had a big night throwing downfield against Los Angeles, and that mattered because the Chargers sold out to stop the run after Jeanty’s Week 1 explosion. That opened space for the passing game, and it should keep defenses honest moving forward.
There’s also a chance Brock Bowers returns next week, which would force even more attention away from Jeanty and the ground game. That would only make life easier for the Raiders’ offense.
If there’s one adjustment Kubiak might consider, it’s giving Mike Washington Jr. a bigger role to mix up the looks and keep Jeanty fresher. That seemed to help in Week 1, but not nearly as much against the Chargers, and that’s on the coaching staff, not the back.
Jeanty’s bad day was real, but it doesn’t change the bigger picture. The Raiders still won, the offense still functioned, and one rough afternoon is not enough to rewrite what he is. If anything, a game like this usually brings out a response.
In Other News...
Kirk Cousins Just Opened A Raiders Question Fans Cant Ignore
Kirk Cousins first two outings for Las Vegas offered a quick reminder of how fragile an offense can look when the quarterback play swings from week to week. In Week 1, the Raiders leaned on the run game to carry the offense while Cousins labored, but Week 2 told a very different story, with the veteran finding his rhythm and helping unlock a more aggressive passing approach.
The contrast matters because Las Vegas does not need two separate versions of its offense depending on the Sunday mood of its quarterback. When Cousins was sharp, the Raiders were able to push the ball and finish drives, even with the run game taking a step back, and that kind of balance is what the staff will be chasing going forward. The bigger question now is whether the Raiders can count on that version of Cousins to show up with any real consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Face A Bigger Marvin Harrison Jr. Question Than Fans Realize
The Raiders are already being linked to a receiver hunt before next year, and the conversation has quickly moved beyond simply adding another target. Trade ideas around a star like Justin Jefferson will always come with the obvious price tag in draft capital, but the broader question is whether Las Vegas should even be exploring a younger, more complicated name like Marvin Harrison Jr. if the opportunity ever surfaced.
Hondo Carpenter raised the possibility of Harrison, but he also made clear there are real doubts about whether the Arizona Cardinals receiver would be the right gamble for Las Vegas. The issue is not just talent, but whether the fit and the cost line up for a Raiders team trying to build something more stable at the position, rather than chasing a headline move that might not solve the long-term problem. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders May Finally Have Help For Maxx Crosby But One Doubt Remains
Malcolm Koonce gave the Raiders a much-needed glimpse of what the pass rush could look like around Maxx Crosby in Week 2 against the Chargers. In just 28 defensive snaps, he logged 1.5 sacks, three tackles, a forced fumble and multiple pressures, and the bigger takeaway was the way he got off the line compared with the opener. His burst and conditioning stood out, and for a defense looking for another reliable rotational edge presence, it was the kind of performance that turns heads quickly.
The question now is whether Koonce can sustain that level when the opposition gets tougher up front. The Raiders have been searching for help to lighten Crosbys load, and Koonces tape offered reason for optimism, but there is still a noticeable hurdle when he goes against top offensive linemen. Until he starts finishing those rushes more consistently and getting home faster in those matchups, the pass rush remains more of a work in progress than a finished answer. [Read more 🡒]