As the Las Vegas Raiders continue their disappointing season, there is a new chapter in the RB Ashton Jeanty and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly saga. The Raiders suffered a heartbreaking 30-29 defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars in overtime, and questions were raised about Kelly’s usage of Jeanty. Against the Jaguars, the Raiders’ rookie running back had a productive performance with notable involvement in the passing game. Jeanty ended the game with one receiving touchdown and five receptions for 47 yards.

But the 23-year-old struggled in the rushing department, as he only had 13 carries for 42 yards from 18 touches. Addressing these usage issues at a recent press conference, Chip Kelly was quick to shut down all criticism as he stated, “I think he leads the league in rookie rushing, doesn’t he? And carry. So, I think everything we do game plan-wise is about winning that game. So, it’s not about how many gets, how many touches.”

The Raiders’ offensive coordinator further addressed the people who are criticizing him and addressed them as “fantasy people” who seem to be a “little disturbed” by his decisions. Kelly concluded his answer by complimenting Jeanty for “doing a heck of a job,” as he has improved with each performance.

And yes, Ashton Jeanty has emerged as one of the best rookies across the league with six TDs (three rushing and three receiving) and 620 yards from scrimmage. Though these comments help Chip Kelly justify his decision, they may not satisfy the Raiders’ head coach, Pete Carroll.

How did Carroll react to Ashton Jeanty’s performance against Jacksonville?

Looking back at the loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Raiders ran 28 plays in the first half and 33 plays over the second half and overtime. But Jeanty touched the ball 11 times for 63 yards in the former period and only eight times for 29 yards during the latter period. Hence, Pete Carroll was also asked about Ashton Jeanty’s performance in his post-game press conference.

To which the Super Bowl-winning coach said, “Yeah, (Jeanty) is doing great. I just wish we would (have) got the ball to him on the perimeter a couple more times because it’s about 20% of the time you’re going to get him down.” He then concluded his answer by further praising Jeanty’s output and described him as “doing great.”

Obviously, Carroll didn’t directly call out his offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly. But the message seems clear from the Las Vegas head coach, as he wants to get the ball to Jeanty in space more. Henceforth, it will be interesting to see how the team’s play-caller reacts to this subtle message and whether there will be another chapter in the Jeanty-Kelly saga.