The Las Vegas Raiders have struggled in many areas this season, but one of the things they’ve struggled with the most is rushing the ball. A big focus for them in the offseason was to improve their league-worst rushing attack in 2024, and nothing has changed.
They hired Chip Kelly and drafted Ashton Jeanty for that very purpose, but Kelly’s tenure as their offensive coordinator didn’t even last a season, and Jeanty looks like a bust. Their next opponents are the Philadelphia Eagles, and they’re coming off a game where they allowed 169 yards on the ground. What can the Raiders do to capitalize on that?
Signs of Improvement
Nov 30, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) rushes the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Jeanty’s game against the Denver Broncos was nothing short of disastrous. On ten carries, he was barely able to rush for 30 yards, and his longest rush was for six yards. Drives stall out due to his inability to rush past their offensive line, and it might be time to pivot away from him entirely as a rusher.
There’s no doubt that he still has a lot of talent running the football, as he’ll juke someone out in open space or run through a defender’s chest for extra yardage. However, it simply hasn’t worked out for him behind the Raiders’ poor offensive line. He’s on pace to finish with less than 1,000 rushing yards, and before the season had started, he was viewed as a heavy favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kenny Pickett (15) practices before the game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Kenny Pickett will be the starting quarterback for the Raiders for the first time this season, presumably. Geno Smith is dealing with a shoulder injury, and even if he does recover in time, why hand the starting job back?
Pickett’s limited snaps as the starter provided the Raiders offense a massive boost in the passing game against an elite Broncos defense, who says it can’t do the same against the Eagles defense? I think with Pickett at quarterback, Jeanty should be getting a lot more looks as a receiving back than a pure rusher.
Oct 12, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Raheem Mostert (31) reacts after the game against the Tennessee Titans at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
The Chargers were able to dominate the Eagles on the ground because of their young running back duo. If Jeanty continues to struggle as a rusher, he may have to start splitting the backfield with Raheem Mostert.
Justin Herbert’s legs contributed largely to the win as well, and Pickett has much more mobility than Smith does. The Raiders can use the blueprint the Chargers laid out for them and pull one of the most improbable upsets of the season if they swallow their pride and accept that Jeanty cannot rush the football as a rookie due to their offensive line.
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