He said they’re moving forward. That the past is the past. That they’re not thinking about last year, about the three wins.
That they’re building a culture to win football games.
Ashton Jeanty certainly backed up his words Sunday.
Yeah. It wasn’t that long ago — Aug. 23 to be exact. But the fear most felt when Jeanty went down with an ankle injury never really materialized. The second-year running back for the Las Vegas Raiders recovered enough to be ready and prepared for Week 1.
And, boy, did he ever show out.
Jeanty offered one of his finest games as a young professional, and the Raiders dismissed the Miami Dolphins 27-13 at Allegiant Stadium.
He was dynamic
His effort — 23 carries for 102 yards and six catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns — was supported by an offensive line that played a terrific all-around game and a veteran quarterback in Kirk Cousins who would throw for three scores on the day.
But the dynamic part came from Jeanty. He was better last season than his rookie numbers suggested, so to begin this one on such a high is a plus for everyone involved.
He was drafted in the top 10 for a reason. You saw why in some games last season. You saw it again Sunday.
“I can’t say enough about Ashton,” Cousins said. “He’s a very capable runner and as you saw today, very capable in the pass game. He’s a leader for us.
“A guy who sets a great example and who does things the right way. We put a lot on his plate mentally. … We’re going to ask a lot of him this year. He’s a great player, a great person.”
Is the ankle healthy?
Sure seemed so.
Cousins talked about Jeanty’s ability, which you saw more than once Sunday, to take on an unblocked defender and beat him to the edge. What most might believe could be a gain of 1-2 yards suddenly nets 8. That sort of talent.
You also can’t say enough about those blocking for him. Look. There is no disguising the fact one of the Raiders’ main weaknesses in recent times was the offensive line.
But it more than did its share Sunday to aid in Jeanty’s outstanding game. You also cannot overstate the importance of new center Tyler Linderbaum, who has grabbed control of the front and made it a more complete and competent line seemingly overnight.
“There are positives and negatives from a first game,” Linderbaum said. “I loved the way we competed as a unit. Obviously, we’ll have some things we need to clean up, the way we mesh together. But at the end of the day, we got a win, which is a good day.
“Ashton is a special player. I think all our backs are really special. It’s our job as offensive linemen to get those guys going so they can make some big plays. I mean, you either go 1-0 or 0-1. It’s not the end-all-be-all, but it’s better going 1-0.”
Cousins and Jeanty both mentioned the wellness team and training staff for their work in making sure Jeanty was recovered enough to play in the opener.
You wouldn’t have thought that possible when he was injured in practice some three weeks ago. But he never overreacted. He was sure things would fall into place. He was convinced it wasn’t some long-term situation.
Put in work
“First off, the coaches did a great job preparing us for this game,” Jeanty said. “I felt very prepared and as a team we just went out and executed. I felt good once everything happened with (the injury). Just put in the work.
“We won the game with our O-line. They’re a pivotal part of what we do. It’s no surprise to me. I’ve seen it since we got here and started working in the spring. Super proud of those guys up front.”
It’s good for everyone. For himself. For those blocking. For Cousins. For their confidence.
The Raiders as a favorite began their season as expected and while doing so watched as their star back came up huge.
“Proud of his effort,” Cousins said. “He’s a big reason we won the game.”
What ankle?
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
