The Las Vegas Raiders just haven't been able to get rookie running back Ashton Jeanty going during the 2025 NFL season. He's had a handful of great games, but by and large, he's been left to fend for himself amid the offensive line's struggles.
It certainly has not helped that the Raiders have trailed in almost every game this season, by multiple scores in four of their seven games, no less. As a result, Las Vegas has been forced to abandon the run as it tries to play catch-up.
But after a much-needed bye week, the hope is that offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has had some time to self-assess, and he can dial up some schemes that are conducive to the talent that the Raiders have in the building. But things certainly won't come easy in Week 9.
Jaguars' lethal run defense could pose issue for Raiders' Ashton Jeanty
On Sunday, the Raiders will welcome the 4-3 Jacksonville Jaguars into Allegiant Stadium for an afternoon AFC bout. While the Jaguars are on a two-game skid themselves, their elite run defense has not wavered.
In terms of where they stack up against the rest of the league, Jacksonville's defense has given up the 6th-fewest rushing yards, the 8th-fewest rushing touchdowns and the 9th-fewest yards per attempt on the ground through 7 games, according to Pro Football Reference.
They've also held their opponents to under 100 rushing yards in three of the last five games, which included just 86 yards against the Houston Texans, 59 yards against the Seattle Seahawks and 94 yards against the Los Angeles Rams.
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Jacksonville does not just have a few run defenders that are patching up holes, either. They currently have seven players with a Pro Football Focus run defense grade of 73.5 or better, and five more between 68.0 and 73.5. That means 12 significant contributors have solidly above-average marks.
This is an elite unit, through and through. Although they largely struggle against the pass, they are tied for the 2nd-most interceptions in the league, so they are making big plays in the air to make up for their shortcomings.
Jeanty's pure production may not jump off the page this season, but he has forced 26 missed tackles and gained 384 yards after contact. His elusivity rating of 87.9 is downright elite, but Las Vegas' offensive line has to create holes to give him a fighting chance.
The Raiders have struggled against far worse run defenses this year, so this may be Jeanty's toughest challenge yet during his rookie season. Hopefully, Kelly and Co. have a plan in place to mitigate this. If not, it could be another long Sunday relying on Geno Smith.