Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty ran in overdrive during his NFL debut, which included the go-ahead touchdown in a 20-13 win at New England on Sunday.
Jeanty averaged two yards per carry (19 rushes, 38 yards) and caught two passes for two yards. Head coach Pete Carroll chalked up the modest production mostly to Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up at Boise State last season, overserving himself adrenaline.
“He was pretty juiced up. He’s going to be way better,” Carroll said Monday, shifting gears from winning his debut to preparation for the Chargers (1-0).
Jeanty took his first carry of the game behind lead blockers off right guard for a gain of nine yards. For most of the rest of the game, the Patriots stacked the box to prioritize stuffing Jeanty, and the Raiders countered.
Carroll said the offensive line being on the same page and Jeanty showing more patience are advancements the offense will stress after quarterback Geno Smith passed for 362 yards and did most of the work in Week 1.
Tight end Brock Bowers (knee) left the game with five receptions for 103 yards, but Carroll didn’t have an update on his status. He doesn’t anticipate Bowers sitting out because of his toughness. Tight end Michael Mayer caught four passes for 38 yards.
Carroll used his first draft pick with the Raiders on Jeanty and paired him with Smith, a steady hand who played for the 73-year-old coach in Seattle.
On Monday, Carroll stressed the Raiders know what they’re going to get from the 34-year-old Smith: “Cube (QB) is going to do his thing.”
Bowers established a NFL rookie receiving record of 112 catches with the Raiders last season, and quickly felt comfortable leaning on Smith in offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s scheme.
“We’ve seen it all camp,” said Bowers, praising Smith’s ability to thread the needle against tight coverage. “No one on the team is shocked, really. It’s good that we can come out here and showcase what he can do. We stalled, obviously, I don’t know what caused that, but we know what we’re capable of. We just all had to lock back in and really get back rolling.”
