The Raiders’ offense has stumbled out of the gate in 2025, and nowhere is that more evident than in the run game. Rookie Ashton Jeanty, drafted sixth overall and fated to be a spark, has instead spent much of his first month getting hit before he can even reach the line of scrimmage, a nasty 27 of his 47 rushing attempts (57%), according to ESPN tracking data. 

For Jeanty, being a by-product of Las Vegas’ league-worst run-block win rate and mounting tackles for loss, those struggles weren’t just bad luck but proof of a deeper problem in Pete Carroll’s system. And for longtime Raiders great Tim Brown, he wasn’t too keen on the way rookie Ashton Jeanty has been used so far… pointing to broken plays, weak blocking, and a system that doesn’t play to the young back’s strengths. During a quiet moment at home, he turned to his wife and rewound the tape. 

“The offensive line has not given him an opportunity to even get to the line of scrimmage,” Brown told EssentiallySports ahead of Week 5. “I was watching the game, and I was like, ‘Baby, come here, come here.’ I rewind this, and I just said, ‘I want you to just tell me what you think, right?’

Even though she doesn’t usually watch football, she could see Jeanty was getting swarmed in the backfield. “And it was a couple of plays where Jeanty was trying to run the ball, and he was getting hit by not one, not two, but three guys in the backfield. And her limited understanding of football, she was like, ‘That don’t look right. That shouldn’t be happening.’ It’s unfortunate for him right now that the offensive line is just not cooperating with what needs to happen.” Brown’s frustration reflected a deeper issue backed by hard facts.

Through four weeks of the 2025 season, Ashton Jeanty has faced relentless pressure behind a faltering Raiders offensive line. The struggles first showed up in Week 2’s 9-20 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, when he was stopped on 7 of 11 carries by defenders like Kenneth Murray Jr., Joey Bosa, and Sebastian Joseph-Day. Things unraveled further in Week 3’s 41-24 defeat to Washington, the game Brown referenced. On 11 of 17 rushes, Jeanty was met almost instantly, including a second-quarter handoff near midfield where Daron Payne, Jamin Davis, and Montez Sweat converged on him before he could cut.

Even his breakout in Week 4, a 138-yard, three-touchdown performance against Chicago, wasn’t free of trouble. Nine of his 21 carries still began with immediate contact, among them stops from T.J. Edwards, Andrew Billings, and Sweat, now playing for the Bears following his trade. The lone game where Jeanty enjoyed some breathing room was Week 1’s win over New England, when defenders broke through on only three of his 19 attempts. The tape highlighted what the stats made so obvious: Pete Carroll’s Raiders were not building their offense around what Jeanty does best.

“It’s unfortunate for him right now that the offensive line is just not cooperating with what needs to happen. And until that happens, man, until they decide that they’re going to make this running game go, it’s going to be tough for him. Because you think about him, that’s probably different from a lot of other running backs,” Brown said.

He was referring to Jeanty’s ability to make quick cuts and create plays in space, traits that set him apart from typical power backs. He felt the Raiders’ scheme didn’t give Jeanty room to use those skills. Instead, poor blocking kept forcing him into traffic before he could even make a move.

The numbers back Brown’s concern. The Raiders sit dead last in run-block win rate at just 62%, according to ESPN Analytics, the worst mark in the league. They have already given up 18 tackles for loss, fourth-most in the NFL, and their 32% pressure rate ranks near the bottom of the AFC. It’s no wonder Jeanty keeps getting hit before he can even make a move.

Jeanty breaks out as Raiders shift scheme

Week 4 gave fans a glimpse of what Ashton Jeanty can really do, even with defenders still crashing into the backfield.

This time, the Raiders switched things up. Pete Carroll loosened the offense, mixing in spread looks, outside zone runs, and swing passes, the kind of plays the young RB used to shine in back at Boise State. And it paid off

Jeanty looked every bit like the player Las Vegas hoped for when they took him sixth overall. He ran for 138 yards, scored once on the ground, and added two more through the air. Five of his carries went for over 10 yards, including a brilliant 64-yard touchdown that showed off his burst and vision.

The Raiders couldn’t quite close it out, falling 24-25 to the Bears. But Jeanty’s Week 4 stat line was historic. He became only the third rookie to post over 100 rushing yards, score on the ground, and add two receiving touchdowns in the same game. The last two to do it? Kareem Hunt in 2017 and De’Von Achane in 2023.

Tim Brown’s point stands stronger than ever: when Jeanty has space to work, he turns it into something special.