The Las Vegas Raiders' run game has struggled tremendously since Week 1. They are 32nd in EPA and 31st in yards per carry heading into Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season. They badly need to get back on track against the New York Jets.
Ashton Jeanty has been struggling as well. He only has one game over 60 yards and is averaging 3.1 yards per carry. He has scored just a single rushing touchdown through seven games of the campaign, and his offensive line certainly isn't helping the cause.
However, Jeanty believes he can bounce back against the New York Jets on Sunday. He claims that he saw a weakness in the Jets' run defense on film:
"A couple guys out there that don't really want to tackle, but I'm not going to say names."
Now, this may have just been an observation from Jeanty and not meant as trash talk, but the defense in New York is certainly using it as bulletin board material. Before Jeanty gets a chance to prove himself right or wrong, though, let's look at the film and see if he has a point.
Do the Jets have defenders who don't want to tackle?
When you look at the numbers, the Jets' run defense has been efficient. They rank 8th in EPA when it comes to stopping the run. In terms of missed tackles, their percentage ranks them 8th lowest in the league, showing they are a secure tackling team.
However, when you look at certain players, the film and numbers back Jeanty's sentiment. One player who is especially struggling with tackling is veteran linebacker Demario Davis.
Davis has 11 missed tackles this season at a 19% rate. Cornerback Azareyah Thomas also has 7 missed tackles at a 17% rate. Most teams are running on the Jets' outside and going directly at the cornerbacks.
A great example of this came last week against the Miami Dolphins. On the play below, Ollie Gordon gets outside on a run play. Cornerback Brandon Stephens is the only man who can make the tackle.
He doesn’t even attack Gordon and keeps sidestepping. He doesn't get a hand on Gordon as he gets to the outside. It turns into a 25-yard run for the Dolphins.
Another example is with Thomas on this Malik Willis run. Willis is running a draw and gets upfield. Thomas never disengages from his block and forces the safety to make the tackle.
While Jeanty should have kept the comments to himself, he might have a point. The Raiders might have an opportunity to call outside runs and force the Jets' cornerbacks to play in the run game.
The motivation that Jeanty gave the defense might lead to their best tackling performance of the year. Hopefully, the Raiders' rushing attack can back up the words and play well.
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