It is said that one cannot know where they are going if they do not know where they have been. Such is the case for young star Ashton Jeanty. So, while all eyes are ostensibly facing toward the future for the Las Vegas Raiders, understanding what went wrong last year is a critical piece of the puzzle, too.
And very little went "right" for Jeanty as a rookie, even though he compiled over 1,300 scrimmage yards and 10 total touchdowns. Advanced stats prove that things should be much better for him under Klint Kubiak, but they also tell the tale of why he underwhelmed in the eyes of some.
With Kubiak, a known savant at coaching the ground game, Tyler Linderbaum and a better overall offensive line situation in Las Vegas, Jeanty was a big winner of the Raiders' offseason. But before we get there, he still had a little bit from his inaugural NFL campaign that he wanted to get off his chest.
Ashton Jeanty reflects on first season with Las Vegas Raiders
During Raiders media day on Monday, Jeanty spoke with a panel of hosts in Amber Theoharis, Eric Allen and James Jones. When asked about his rookie season with the Silver and Black, Jeanty was quite candid about the way things went.
"Yeah, I mean, it was a tough year for us as a team," Jeanty admitted. "But I think just continuing my process and trying to be great, trying to lead, trying to make everybody better around me. And it wasn't perfect all the time, but you got to make something shake with what you got.
"I think it was just about getting better each and every single week, no matter the results. Whether it was the way I wanted it to be or not. But I mean, I came out of a lot of games frustrated. And not because maybe I didn't have enough room or anything, but because of my performance, and if I played up to my standard or not."
Of course, almost nobody in the building or within Raider Nation blames Jeanty for the way things went last season. The fact that he even sniffed 1,000 yards and scored double-digit touchdowns was both a miracle and a sign of just how great he can be with competence around him.
But that doesn't mean that Jeanty doesn't feel like he left some opportunities on the table. One play, in particular, from a divisional matchup with the Denver Broncos still sticks in his head as a missed chance that could have helped him eclipse 1,000 yards, had he done things slightly differently.
"I'm not going to lie. It was the first time we played the Broncos. We was running mid zone. I had the cut back, but I didn't cut it back; I stayed on my track. If I would have cut it back, then I might have hit my head on the goalpost."
Ideally, these are mistakes that Jeanty isn't making in Year 2. But the fact that he has the maturity to take blame for his minor part in the run game struggles proves that Las Vegas has a young player capable of taking a big leap in a better overall situation.
Reports have indicated that, while the Raiders' new staff wasn't necessarily worried about Jeanty still feeling discouraged from last year, they have reassured him just how critical a piece he is this year and how much promise they see in him. Kubiak is expecting big things from the second-year pro.
Jeanty knows that, and he is excited about the opportunity to play under a bright offensive innovator like Kubiak. He's been watching great running backs who have played for Kubiak for years, and now, it is his turn to be the beneficiary. Jeanty had the following to say about the team's new scheme:
"It's great because you get the linebackers, you get the D-line running all game. You wear them down," Jeanty said. "Then you can come back later, run inside zone, and really gash them and run gap schemes. Obviously, last year was more of a mid-zone. So, we're going a little bit more on a wider zone this year. So, super excited, and I've seen all the success, whether it's Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, obviously Kenneth Walker last year. So, super excited for my opportunity to be successful."
Clearly, Jeanty learned some lessons from a dismal rookie campaign. He isn't hiding from what transpired a year ago. But the hope is that he can apply those now that he is running in greener pastures under a new coaching staff for the Raiders.
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