Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
If you haven’t watched much of the Las Vegas Raiders this season, welcome to the Chip Kelly experience.
Through an entire half of football on Monday night, Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has just two carries for 10 yards.
Jeanty actually has two more catches (four) than he does carries (two).
Overall, the Raiders have run the rock just four times, with backup running back Raheem Mostert having one of them.
So, what the heck is going on? Chip Kelly, that’s what.
As he has done on several occasions this season, the Raiders’ offensive coordinator has seemingly forgotten he has the top running back from the 2025 NFL draft.
Sometimes the Raiders go to Jeanty plenty early on, only to abandon using him later in the game. Sometimes, it’s the other way around.
Then, you have games like Weeks 2 and 7, when Jeanty just doesn’t get much work period. He had just 11 and six carries, respectively, in those contests.
Another thing that is puzzling is the Raiders often pull Jeanty in two-minute drills, much like they did at the end of the first half on Monday night.
So, let’s wrap this all up: the Raiders used the No. 6 overall pick on Jeanty, only to not use him enough on a weekly basis.
Coaching malpractice at its finest.
Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who covers the NFL for the Sporting News. Over his nearly two decades covering sports, Mike has also worked for Bleacher Report, USA TODAY and FanSided. He hates writing in the third person.