By admin 
The Raiders had an atrocious running game last season, averaging the lowest yards per carry in the NFL despite using the sixth-overall pick on running back Ashton Jeanty. One week into the 2026 season, Las Vegas appears to have fixed its ground attack.
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Jeanty torched the Dolphins on Sunday running for 102 yards on 23 carries. He wasn’t alone, as backup Mike Washington picked up 41 rushing yards on just seven carries.
Despite the success of the rushing attack, there are still signs the run game could struggle this season, especially against better opponents.
1 Yard Before Contact
Part of the reason behind Jeanty’s inefficient rookie season was how often he was hit in the backfield. Jeanty averaged 0.64 yards before contact last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
That number improved on Sunday, where he averaged a full one yard before contact on his 23 carries.
Of the top 20 running backs with the most carries in the NFL last season, only three averaged one yard or worse before contact, including Jeanty. While Sunday was an improvement on last season, it was still not a good overall number.
One good sign, Washington averaged 4.04 yards before contact on his seven carries.
2.99 Seconds in the Backfield
Last season, Jeanty spent 2.84 seconds behind the line of scrimmage per carry, according to Next Gen Stats. That ranked 21st for time spent in the backfield. It was actually higher on Sunday, when Jeanty was behind the line of scrimmage for 2.99 seconds.
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Part of this is the Raiders’ zone rushing scheme, where Jeanty will have to be patient to find holes to develop. But it also highlights how quickly things could revert to last season. If Jeanty has to stay behind the line of scrimmage more often, any slippage in play from the offensive line will lead to more tackles for loss.
8 Defenders in the Box on 35 Percent of Snaps
Miami loaded up against the Raiders’ running game. On 34.8 percent of Jeanty’s runs, the Dolphins had eight defenders in the box, according to Next Gen Stats. It was the fifth highest percentage in Week 1 (with Monday’s game still to be played).
Last season, the Raiders’ offense was so inept, defenses rarely had to load the box. Only 16.2 percent of Jeanty’s carries in 2025 faced an eight-man box, the sixth-lowest mark in the NFL.
This number will often be skewed in small sample sizes by game state. A team that leads throughout the second half will almost always face heavier boxes from defenses. If the Raiders can play from ahead more often, this number will probably stay higher than last year’s mark.
4 Fourth Quarter Yards
Despite having a two touchdown lead on one of the worst teams in the NFL, the Raiders were not able to put the game away with Jeanty. In the fourth quarter, the Raiders’ lead back received eight carries. He ran for a total of four yards.
It was a brutal offensive quarter for Las Vegas, but fortunately the defense stepped up to seal the game. Miami had two punts, a turnover on downs and a fumble in the fourth quarter. A more competent offense may have stolen that game from the Raiders after the run game faltered.
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 10:20 AM.