The Las Vegas Raiders have seemingly found a winning formula by heavily utilizing running back Ashton Jeanty.
The Las Vegas Raiders may have found a recipe for success in their Week 1 home win over the Miami Dolphins, 27-13. In first-year head coach Klint Kubiak’s first game on the Raiders sideline, the team leaned heavily on second-year running back Ashton Jeanty. This heavy dose of Jeanty proved to be a difference-maker in the Raiders getting off to a 1-0 start in 2026.
Jeanty shouldered much of the load in Week 1 for this new, seemingly improved Raiders offense. The 2025 No. 6 overall pick carried the ball 23 times for 102 yards in the win over Miami and added six receptions for 45 yards and two touchdowns. He led the team in rushing yards, receptions, and receiving yards on 29 total touches.
Kubiak presented an extremely balanced attack offensively, as quarterback Kirk Cousins recorded 30 passes in the game. Jeanty’s 147 scrimmage yards went a long way in helping the Raiders control the tempo and flow of the game.
Of course, it was the Dolphins they beat up on in Week 1. So, despite having a last-place schedule based on their finish last season, the Raiders have some tough matchups moving forward through the first half of the 2026 campaign.
Las Vegas goes on the road in Weeks 2 & 3 to face the Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints. Those feel like winnable games, but you never know how things will go in divisional games, and Tyler Shough seems to be showing more promise with every game he plays for New Orleans. Weeks 4 through 11 could decide the fate of Kubiak’s first season as coach in Vegas.
Starting with Week 4, the Raiders face the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Denver Broncos before a post-Thanksgiving Week 12 showdown in Cleveland with the Browns before the bye in Week 13. The Raiders did beat New England to open last season, but that was before the Pats got rolling under then-new head coach Mike Vrabel, winning 13 of their final 14 games en route to a Super Bowl appearance.
While this looks like a tough stretch on paper, establishing a balanced attack against these teams will be key. Cousins is known for slinging the ball all over the field, but it’s time for Jeanty to put the offense on his back. Out of the gate this season, Jeanty hit the 100-yard mark after doing it just twice in his rookie season.
It took Jeanty four games last season before he even sniffed a 100-yard performance. That Week 4 game against the Chicago Bears last season remains Jeanty’s career-high at 138 yards. If the Raiders are going to have success this year and surprise teams, it’ll balance between run and pass on offense, but ultimately a Jeanty-heavy game plan each week should be the mode to make the Raiders even a semi-threat in the AFC.
