A dazzling Week 16 performance gave way to a quiet Sunday. See why this rookie running back's follow-up fell short, even in a loss.
With their 34-10 loss on Sunday against the New York Giants, the Las Vegas Raiders ironically came out as winners, firmly in position to select with the first overall pick in next spring’s draft. Though the loss was largely positive because of this, there were still some notable struggles that challenged the Raiders in Week 17.
Star edge rusher Maxx Crosby was shut down by the organization heading into the game as they wanted to protect his injured knee, stirring up tension between the Raiders and their franchise player. As the ultimate competitor, Crosby didn’t care about his injury or the team’s record; it’s in his DNA to go out and wreak havoc on opposing teams’ offenses. As part of their pursuit for the No. 1 pick, Crosby wasn’t allowed to do what he does best.
Still, in a recent Bleacher Report article, the B/R NFL Staff didn’t choose Crosby as Week 17’s biggest loser from the team, choosing instead to name rookie running back Ashton Jeanty as the team’s biggest loser.
Jeanty didn’t exactly have a bad game on Sunday, but his numbers fell short of what fans were hoping to see from their rookie sensation. In Week 16, Jeanty rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown, also adding another 60 yards and a touchdown from the passing game against an elite Houston Texans defense.
After his best performance of the season against the league’s best defense, it seemed certain that the 22-year-old would pounce all over the 31st-ranked Giants run defense. It didn’t play out that way on Sunday, however, as he tallied just 60 rushing yards on 16 attempts while contributing 13 yards from the air.
“With another strong outing, Jeanty may have been able to generate some Offensive Rookie of the Year buzz with the most rushing yards and scrimmage yards in the class, but he's well behind Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in terms of impact,” the B/R NFL Staff wrote of the possibilities if Jeanty were able to build on his Week 16 outing.
Though Jeanty didn’t have another attention-demanding performance against the Giants, perhaps it was the one game of the season in which Raiders fans would be okay with an underperformance. After all, it gives Jeanty and company the best chance in 2026 and beyond.