The Raiders may be 3-1, but the health of Ashton Jeanty is turning into a real problem at the worst possible time.
Jeanty missed practice on Friday and was not on the field when Las Vegas began individual drills, according to reporter Sam Warren. That came after he was already limited on Thursday, when the team added a foot injury to the ankle issue that had shown up earlier in the week. The Raiders have labeled him questionable for Sunday, though he is still traveling with the team and could be a game-time decision.
That leaves his availability for the Week 4 matchup with the New England Patriots very much up in the air. The timing is rough for a Raiders offense trying to get its run game moving, and Jeanty’s status now sits near the center of that effort.
The rookie opened the season with his best showing, even while dealing with an ankle sprain suffered in practice before Week 1. Against the Dolphins, he ran for 102 yards and caught two touchdowns.
Since then, though, the production has dipped. Jeanty is averaging 3.4 yards per carry this season, down from the 3.7 yards per carry he posted last year, and the combination of ankle and foot concerns has only added to the uncertainty.
Jeanty said he knows more is expected from him. He pointed to the need to finish plays, break tackles and make better decisions when opportunities appear.
“I think we’ve just got to be better. Simple as that,” Jeanty said.
“Make the plays that are out there. … It starts with us.
Starts with me. Got to break tackles and make bigger plays when they’re available.”
He also said he wants to improve as a pass protector, while acknowledging that his work as a receiver has already helped the offense. Jeanty has 19 catches this season, and he said he welcomes the added involvement.
“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 added.
Head coach Klint Kubiak wants the ground game to look more like it did in the opener against Miami, when the Raiders were more efficient running the ball.
“Going back to that first game [against Miami], just as a whole unit, we played better,” Kubiak said. “We were more efficient running the football, and that’s something we got to get back to. So, it’s something that we’re diligent about.”
For now, Jeanty’s status remains one of the biggest questions hanging over Las Vegas as it prepares for New England.
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