The Las Vegas Raiders, despite dropping their ninth game in a row, made a lot of noise in Week 16. Facing off against the Houston Texans, who carried a winning streak of six games into the contest, as well as the league's best defense, the Raiders didn't seem to have much of an avenue to a victory.
However, they battled the now 10-5 Texans down to the final possession, ultimately losing 23-21 at NRG Stadium. Las Vegas' defense showed up more than it has practically all season, and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty was the star of the show for the offense.
After being lazily called a bust over the last few weeks due to a lack of production, Jeanty shrugged off those notions on Sunday against the Texans. The first-year star rewrote the script, totaling 188 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, both of which came on plays of 50 yards or more.
Texans' Will Anderson Jr. couldn't believe how good Raiders' Ashton Jeanty is
Raider Nation has certainly been singing Jeanty's praises all season, but especially after his Week 16 outing. Pro Bowl Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr., one of the league's rising stars, also paid Jeanty the ultimate compliment after facing off against him on Sunday.
"I’ve never been in a game and actually stopped and was like ‘Dang this man’s a dog.’ Ton of respect for him, man," Anderson Jr. said. "He’s gonna be a really good player in this league. Tough back, tough runner, hard to bring down, so he's gonna do a ton of great things in this league, and I have a ton of respect for him."
It is one thing for the fan base or the players and coaches in Las Vegas to feel this way about Jeanty, as they've seen what he is capable of since he was drafted. But for Anderson to hold Jeanty in this high esteem after just one matchup speaks volumes about the special talent that the Raiders have.
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Anderson Jr. was not the only person in Houston who thought this, either. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, who is widely considered to be one of the NFL's defensive savants, also went on in his praise of Jeanty after the contest.
"As I showed the guys all week, Jeanty, he was able to break a lot of tackles. That's what he's done: You think he's down, you think the player is over, and he's still pulling guys for more yards. So, credit to the young man for how he runs the football," Ryans said. "Hats off to Jeanty. Really good player. Has a really bright future in this league. Everything that he advertised on film, it is the truth. He’s a really good player in our league.”
Jeanty, after an up-and-down start to his rookie campaign, seems to be finding his stride at the NFL level. If he can accomplish this much against the league's best defense, with a poor supporting cast, no less, then Jeanty is on a fast track to NFL stardom and proving the Raiders right.