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What Happens Next With Raiders Running Back Pair?
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- What Happens Next With Raiders Running Back Pair?
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak sent a message against the New York Jets last Sunday with his running back usage, as he demoted lead back Ashton Jeanty to receiving back and promoted rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. to lead back.
The move worked to some extent. Washington had 83 yards on 25 carries, including tough runs for first downs and a couple of plays that went for more than that. Jeanty, meanwhile, was productive in the passsing game, as he had 64 yards on three catches, including a big play that went for 45 yards.
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The move did raise a huge question going forward -- what now? Kubiak insisted that Jeanty is still "a big part of our team," but his role is now up in the air.
What is clear is that the coach's opinion of Jeanty has changed dramatically. During OTAs, Kubiak said Jeanty's workload would mirror that of San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, which is ironic given that the Raiders play the 49ers on Sunday. Kubiak added that he wanted to "put a lot of pressure" on Jeanty as he said that "great backs, they don't want to come off the field."
But Jeanty wasn't on the field nearly as much on Sunday, and that was the coach's choice. It certainly wasn't what Jeanty wanted, even though he said the right things, which was basically that it was all about winning.
This week, though, Kubiak's comments were very different. He said, "We're going to need Mike, we're going to need Ashton, we're going to need Dylan (Laube)," which certainly implies a very different pecking order here, according to a piece written by Sam Warren of The Athletic.
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Kubiak was asked if his opinion about whether his opinion of the backfield has changed, and he said opportunities are always "a moving target." It's unclear exactly what that means, and the best the coach could offer there was that it depends on who's "playing the best ball at the time."
None of this bodes well for Jeanty's long-term future in Las Vegas. He's taken criticism from other quarters, with former New York Jets coach Rex Ryan calling him "soft as Charmin" after Jeanty called out several Jets defenders after the running back commented about their willingness to tackle.
There are two different questions that are tied together here. The first is whether Jeanty can bounce back, and we'll start to get answers to that one against the Niners. But the other one is whether Kubiak really wants him to, and if Jeanty really still might be the bell-cow back the Raiders thought he was when he was drafted last year.
