Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, who recently made waves by criticizing the Jets' defense and its tackling ability, had a minimal impact on the field during his team's 38-33 win over New York. Jeanty carried the ball just twice for 9 yards in the matchup at MetLife Stadium.
Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak stated that the decision to limit Jeanty's carries was his own, asserting that Jeanty remains a significant part of the team. "It didn’t have anything to do with his comments," Kubiak clarified when asked if Jeanty's reduced role was linked to his remarks about the Jets.
Instead, Kubiak noted that the team aimed to give fellow running back Mike Washington Jr. more opportunities. Washington Jr. led the team with 25 carries for 83 yards. "We just wanna give Mike a few more opportunities a day," Kubiak said. "I think both of those guys are gonna be a huge part of our rushing and passing success moving forward."
Jeanty expressed that he was informed of the reduced workload prior to the game and seemed unconcerned with his limited touches, emphasizing the team's victory. "We won. It doesn’t matter how I feel about how [many] times I get the ball," Jeanty said. "Whatever it takes for the team to win, I just want to win. That’s all."
This performance follows a pattern for Jeanty, who was the Raiders' sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. His rookie season saw him average 3.7 yards per carry, which dropped to 3.1 yards per carry in his sophomore season entering Week 8. Through his first seven games this season, he had accumulated 328 rushing yards, placing him 49th in the league.
Prior to the game, former Jets head coach Rex Ryan was critical of Jeanty's pre-game comments on ESPN New York. "First off, that would never be said about one of my teams, period," Ryan stated. "Because there would be consequences to that, I’m telling you… you’re as soft as cotton. Quite honestly, 3.1 a carry, you haven’t done jack in this league."
Despite Jeanty's quiet offensive output, the Raiders secured the win, with quarterback Kirk Cousins completing 19 of 26 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns against the Jets defense.