The Las Vegas Raiders have been looking for silver linings over the past couple of months, and those have been hard to come by. However, Ashton Jeanty’s 188-yard and two-touchdown performance against the Houston Texans last Sunday provided the Raiders with what they’ve been looking for. So, while the team is still at the bottom of the league in the Week 17 NFL Power Rankings, there is a little more optimism in Las Vegas this time around.
ESPN
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 32
Jeanty, the No. 6 pick, hasn’t had the season he and many others expected. But his performance against the Texans (188 total yards and two touchdowns) was a reminder of why the Raiders drafted him so high. Despite the Raiders’ run-blocking struggles, Jeanty has still gained 828 yards and 10 total touchdowns. “I’m sure there’s people questioning and doubting [Jeanty],” coach Pete Carroll said Sunday. “It can mount on a young guy, can mount on anybody. For him to show like that, it’s a beautiful expression of who he is and what he’s all about.” — Ryan McFadden
It’s kind of crazy that despite how frustrating this season has been for the Boise State product, he’s still only 172 rushing yards away from reaching 1,000 yards in year one. That’d be a significant accomplishment considering how bad the offensive line has been this year. It’s also attainable since the New York Giants allow the second-most rushing yards per game (150.9) this season, and the Kansas City Chiefs gave up 164 yards on the ground to the Tennessee Titans last week.
NFL.com
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 32
Pete Carroll might be embattled, and the Raiders might have lost their ninth straight game, but they came out and battled the Texans for four quarters in Houston, nearly pulling out what would have been a shocking win. The best aspect, regardless of what happens after the season, was seeing Ashton Jeanty break out for his best game of the year, with a 60-yard TD catch to give the Raiders a third-quarter lead and a 51-yard TD run that made it a two-point game with under six minutes remaining. The Raiders couldn’t pull it out, but seeing Jeanty thrive was one of the more welcome developments in a lost season. — Eric Edholm
Even more encouraging, Jeanty broke 11 tackles last week, according to Pro Football Focus, which was three more than any other running back in the league. He also ranked second with 106 rushing yards after contact, three yards behind Saquon Barkley and 31 yards more than anyone else. Not a bad day for the rookie!
Bleacher Report
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 32
The Las Vegas Raiders had their best showing in months, thanks to Ashton Jeanty’s breakout game, racking up 188 scrimmage yards and scoring two touchdowns against the Houston Texans’ No. 1 defense in points and total yards. Behind arguably the league’s worst offensive line, which includes a few backups, Jeanty flashed his star potential in a matchup with the league’s best defensive unit. Coming off a career day, the rookie first-rounder proved he can make the best of a bad situation with a subpar supporting cast. Still, the Raiders remain at the bottom of the power rankings, in need of a lot of help across their roster. — Moe Moton
Adding to Moton’s point, 703 or nearly 85 percent of Jeanty’s rushing yards this season have come after first contact, per PFF. Give the man just an average offensive line this offseason and watch him thrive.
The Athletic
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 32
One concern: This Sunday’s game
Maybe this is too simplistic, but the Raiders need to lose Sunday. The Giants have their quarterback. If New York lands the No. 1 pick, it can trade back and load up on picks. But Las Vegas needs the No. 1 pick to get a QB and begin a hard reset. — Chad Graff, Josh Kendall
I completely agree with Graff and Kendall, but if Las Vegas plays the way it did last Sunday, the offense could easily put up 30 points against New York. Like the Texans, the Giants do have a good defensive line, but the backend of the defense is what separates those two, as the G-Men’s secondary has some major issues. Also, their d-line is built to get after the quarterback rather than stop the run, minus Dexter Lawrence. So, this game is very winnable for the Raiders, and the same goes for next week against the Patrick Mahomes-less Chiefs.
Sports Illustrated
30. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 32
Tough break for Chip Kelly, who was dismissed as the Raiders’ offensive coordinator and may have gotten edged out for the Tar Heels’ offensive coordinator job by Bobby Petrino. On second thought, leaving Las Vegas for Chapel Hill sounds like its own version of football hell. — Conor Orr
Orr’s analysis doesn’t provide any insight into people who are still with the organization, but interestingly, he’s the only person to move the Silver and Black up in the rankings. For the record, the New York Jets (31) and “Topeka” Chiefs (32) are the two teams that dropped. Orr cites the Chiefs’ upcoming move as his rationale, and one has to imagine losing by three possessions to the Titans while being down to a quarterback no one has ever heard of, plays a major factor in that decision, too.
