Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty surprisingly takes back seat in win over Jets

Whatever went into the decision, the disparity was impossible to ignore.

Ashton Jeanty carried the ball twice for nine yards in the Raiders’ win over the Jets on Sunday. Mike Washington Jr. got 25 carries for 83 yards.

That is more than a change of pace. That is a change in the pecking order, at least for one afternoon.

Whether it reflected discipline for Jeanty’s bulletin-board comments about the Jets’ willingness to tackle or simply a coaching staff searching for answers to a struggling run game, the distribution was conspicuous.

Raiders coach Klint Kubiak took ownership of the decision while pushing back on any connection to Jeanty’s comments.

“That’s my call,” Kubiak said. “Ashton is still going to be a big part of our team. He made a huge catch. He’s gonna be a huge part of our run game moving forward.”

For Sunday, though, Washington was clearly the preferred option.

“We gave Mike a few more opportunities today,” Kubiak said. “I think both of those guys will be a huge part of our rushing attack.”

A few more opportunities was putting it mildly. Washington received 23 more carries than Jeanty, leaving the Raiders’ usual lead back in a decidedly supporting role.

Jeanty did had three catches for 64 yards, including a critical 45-yarder at one point.

But Jeanty wasn’t drafted seventh overall last year to just catch passes. He was selected that high to be the Raiders workhorse running back.

Asked directly whether Jeanty’s comments played a role, Kubiak offered a one-word response.

“No.”

Jeanty, meanwhile, indicated the reduced workload did not catch him by surprise.

“It was communicated that I’d be getting less touches,” he said.

That establishes the shift was discussed beforehand, although it does not explain the reasoning behind it. And Jeanty offered no definitive answer when asked whether he believed his remarks about the Jets contributed to the decision.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I couldn’t tell you that.”

What he did make clear was that he was unwilling to turn a Raiders victory into a referendum on his workload.

“It doesn’t matter. We won,” Jeanty said. “Whatever it takes for the team to win, I just want to win.”

That was the right response on an afternoon when the Raiders finally had a result worth celebrating.

But the workload remains worth watching. Kubiak’s words suggest Jeanty will remain central to the offense. Sunday’s carry totals told a different story.

The next step is seeing how those two things line up.