The Las Vegas Raiders began the 2025 NFL season with one of the worst rushing attacks in the entire NFL. While they have looked much better in the last two weeks and are trending in the right direction, they still rank 20th in rushing yards per game and 17th in yards per carry.
Three changes have occurred in the last two weeks, and it's possible that they are all responsible for the uptick in production: Raheem Mostert being activated for the first time this season, Jackson Powers-Johnson returning from injury, and Ashton Jeanty reverting to his college pre-snap stance.
It is difficult to know just how much each contributed to the improvement in running the ball; however, there has been a noticeable difference. Former legendary Raiders CEO Amy Trask recently called out offensive coordinator Chip Kelly for tinkering with Jeanty's stance in the first place.
Former Raiders CEO calls out Chip Kelly over Ashton Jeanty's stance
Jeanty proved to be one of the best running backs in NCAA history during his stint with the Boise State Broncos. The 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up performed at such a high level that the Raiders selected him sixth overall, making him the highest-draft running back since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
Kelly reportedly made an immediate change to his stance, however, which Trask called out while speaking with CBS Sports' Hailey Sutton.
"You drafted Ashton Jeanty with the sixth pick in the draft. He's a spectacular running back, and yet the first thing Chip Kelly did was say, 'I want to change your stance. I don't want you lining up and standing. I don't want your stance the same as the way it was in college,'" Trask said. "Well, wait a minute, he was phenomenal in college. That's why you drafted him. And, now, you're going to tell him to change his stance? Well, guess what? Ashton changed his stance back. I love that Pete (Carroll) said that he loved that Ashton reverted to his college stance, and he's gotten better since it. So, I don't know what the heck Chip Kelly was thinking, but why would you draft someone who is so good at what he does and then immediately tell him to change what he does?"
Trask's frustration is certainly understandable, and her voice is widely respected in Raider Nation. But it should be noted that Kelly vehemently denied changing Jeanty's stance, as those decisions are apparently made by position coaches. This places the supposed blame on Deland McCullough.
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After changing his stance back, however, Jeanty is a new man. In the first three games of the season with his new stance, Jeanty averaged just 48.0 rushing yards per game, 3.1 yards per carry, 49.0 yards from scrimmage per game and 2.8 yards per touch.
Over the past two weeks, returning to his iconic stance from college, those numbers have skyrocketed to 102.5 rushing yards per game, 5.9 yards per carry, 132.0 yards from scrimmage per game and 6.3 yards per touch.
The Raiders' rushing attack has also seen a tremendous turnaround. After averaging 72.3 rushing yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry over the first three weeks, the unit has averaged 173.0 rushing yards per game and 6.2 yards per carry over the past two games.
It is clear that the original plan of changing Jeanty's stance did not benefit him or the team. The rookie has begun to look like the player Las Vegas thought they were getting after reverting to his college stance, and Trask is rightfully still upset that it took this long to figure out.