‘It’s horrible… the worst run blocking line in the NFL!’ – Brutal verdict as CBS reporter savages Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive line after Ashton Jeanty is left to suffer behind stacked boxes, pushed around and given “no space at all” - suong
The Las Vegas Raiders have gone up against some of the NFL’s toughest run defenses in their first three games. The New England Patriots (181 yards), Los Angeles Chargers (284 yards), and Washington Commanders (302 yards) all rank near the top in fewest rushing yards allowed, per Pro Football Reference.
Looking ahead to their Week 4 clash with the Chicago Bears, the Raiders’ running game could get a lift. Chicago has given up 418 rushing yards so far this season. As a result, this matchup a potential chance for Ashton Jeanty to hit his stride.
Nonetheless, Jeanty can’t get the Las Vegas run game going alone. The rookie will need his offensive line to open up lanes for him to go through. Furthermore, CBS Sports’ NFL reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala didn’t hold back her concerns on the Raiders’ offensive line.
“We’re only three weeks in,” Kinkhabwala said on the September 24 edition of “CBS Sports HQ.” “Let’s not overreact, but we can respond to this Raiders offensive line. It’s horrible. It is the worst run blocking offensive line in the National Football League right now. They were absolutely pushed around last week.
“They do expect to get Jackson Powers-Johnson [against the Bears] when we see them, but nobody is being hit behind the line of scrimmage or at the line of scrimmage more than Ashton Jeanty is. He is facing more stacked boxes than anybody in the National Football League, and his offensive line is not pushing anybody out of the way.”
Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty Remains Confident
Although Jeanty may put the responsibility on his shoulders, the lack of a breakout game so far this season is not the entire picture, and it starts with his teammates up front.
“[Jeanty] has faith in himself, but I’m curious to talk to him to see if he is indeed getting frustrated,“ Kinkhabwala added. “And what are the Raiders doing to help create some space for him? Because right now there’s none. I can tell you as good of a running back as he may be, as any running back may be, it all starts up front. Right now, the Raiders are not getting the job done up front.”
Have the Raiders Been Stopped by the Opposing Defenses?
In their 41-24 loss to the Commanders on September 21 at Northwest Stadium, the Raiders mustered just 93 rushing yards, with Jeanty accounting for 63 of them.
The 21-year-old back carried the ball 17 times, averaging 3.7 yards per run. It was a modest step in the right direction, but Las Vegas still needs much more from its ground game if it wants to find sustained success this season. Still, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is
“I think it’s the defenses right now,“ Kelly told reporters on September 25. “If you look at it statistically, Ashton Jeanty’s tied for 10th in the league for carries with two other guys.
“Everybody else—Saquon Barkley averages 3.3 yards per carry, Christian McCaffrey averages three yards per carry. So Ashton Jeanty’s right in the bunch with those guys. I think across the league through the first three games, defenses are ahead of offenses at a big rate… That’s just the league. Sometimes defenses are ahead, then offenses catch up, and it goes back and forth. That’s the nature of this game.”
Nonetheless, the bigger question is whether Jeanty and the rushing attack can take a real leap forward. If the Raiders star finally delivers the breakout performance many have been waiting for, the doubts surrounding him will disappear.
‘It’s going to cost them…’ NFL announces punishment for two Las Vegas Raiders stars after costly mistakes in bruising Week 3 clash… heavy fines revealed in official league report as fans left stunned by what came next… - suong
Two Las Vegas Raiders players, Isaiah Pola-Mao and Devin White, face fines after the NFL announced penalties. It was a tough outing for the Silver and Black in Week 3 against the Washington Commanders, and both players made mistakes that proved costly to them financially.
On September 27, the NFL published its weekly Gameday Accountability report. Created in agreement with the NFL Players Association, the report highlights game-related rule violations that may result in accountability measures, aiming to protect players and preserve both competitive balance and the integrity of the game.
Pola-Mao received the larger fine of the two Raiders players. The 26-year-old was fined for unnecessary roughness during a first-quarter play against the Commanders at the 5:01 mark, when he used his helmet. As a result, the NFL has fined Pola-Mao $17,278 for the incident.
As for White, the unnecessary roughness play that he was fined for came in the fourth quarter at the 11:31 mark after he gave a hip drop tackle. Because of this incident, the NFL fined the 27-year-old $6,500.
Raiders Defenders Will Need to Move Forward
Pola-Mao and White will have to put these issues behind them as the Raiders defense need these two playing at the top of their game against the Chicago Bears.
Raiders defensive lineman Thomas Booker IV will be looking to help slow down Williams and the Bears. Furthermore, he explained what the defense needs to do to give the team the best chance to win.
“I think [Williams is] starting to kind of figure it out—when he should stay in the pocket and when he should get out of there,” Booker told reporters on September 24
“In terms of being improvisational and scrambling, he can really make plays on the move. For us, it’s about containing him and creating as many opportunities as possible to keep him in the pocket, so he doesn’t get out and run wild. That’s what we’ll be focusing on this week.”
Bears QB Caleb Williams Has the Raiders Defense on Alert
Booker isn’t the only one aware of what Williams brings against a defense. Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is praising the quarterback as well, noting he’s been following him closely since his USC days.
“I did watch him a lot [at USC] and had a chance to check him out,” Carroll told reporters on September 24. “He’s a very, very special athlete and
“They have a really nice system. You can see it already coming through. [Ben Johnson] is doing a nice job teaching these guys what he believes is important in offense. You can see that there are a lot of changes from last year. Caleb can do whatever you want him to do, so he’s a very dangerous player to play against.”
