Derek Carr Issues Eye-Opening Words on Raiders Run Game
Posted September 27, 2025
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The Las Vegas Raiders‘ rushing attack remains a significant concern, highlighted by their 41-24 Week 3 loss to the Washington Commanders on September 21 at Northwest Stadium.
Las Vegas managed just 93 yards on the ground, with rookie Ashton Jeanty accounting for 63 of those. Ashton Jeanty carried the ball 17 times, averaging 3.7 yards per attempt.
While it’s a slight improvement, Las Vegas will need a much stronger ground game to find consistency as the season progresses. Nonetheless, the Raiders’ rushing attack will look to get going against the
Chicago Bears in Week 4.
Moreover, former Raiders quarterback David Carr is showing faith in Jeanty and the offensive line, and they can get the running game going against Chicago.
“Let’s not just be gossipers,” Carr said while breaking down film on the Home Grown Network. “Let’s not say, ‘Oh, Jeanty can’t do it.’ (…) Let’s just get him some clean space. I believe in the Raiders.
“These Bears are coming to town, and they’re going to say, ‘You can’t run on us. You’re not running. We’re going to keep going after you. We’re going to move the front. We’re going to bring edge pressures. We’re going to bring an odd pre.’
“I promise you, the Raiders are going to work this so thoroughly. Will it be perfect this week? I don’t know. I hope so. But these things take time. They’re in a new system and making new calls. If they have the intensity and urgency to keep working, Raider fans, and I’m in there with you, we’re going to be just fine.”
Raiders’ Chip Kelly Talks Ashton Jeanty Concerns
While much of the attention is on Jeanty and the Raiders’ struggling run game, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly pointed to the tough defenses they’ve faced, noting how those teams have made it difficult to get their ground attack going.
“I think it’s the defenses right now,” Kelly told reporters on September 25. “If you look at it statistically, Ashton Jeanty’s tied for 10th in the league for carries with two other guys.
Of the top 12 backs in the National Football League through three games, there are only four who average over four yards a carry: Jonathan Taylor, Kyren Williams, Bijan Robinson, and [James] Cook from Buffalo.
“Everybody else—Saquon Barkley averages 3.3 yards per carry, Christian McCaffrey averages three yards per carry. So Ashton Jeanty’s right in the bunch with those guys. I think across the league through the first three games, defenses are ahead of offenses at a big rate… That’s just the league. Sometimes defenses are ahead, then offenses catch up, and it goes back and forth. That’s the nature of this game.”
Las Vegas Have Faced Challenging Run Defenses
In the first three games, the Silver and Black have played a couple of the top run defenses in the NFL. The New England Patriots
(181 yards), Los Angeles Chargers (284 yards), and Commanders (302 yards) are the top defenses in rushing yards allowed, per Pro Football Reference.
Now, against the Bears, the Raiders should have more room to run. Chicago has given up 418 rushing yards so far this season, making this Week 4 matchup a potential breakout opportunity for Jeanty.
Vikings' Bold European Trip Could Cost Them More Than They Bargained For
The Minnesota Vikings are at the start of their 10-day trip to Europe. On the surface, they have two winnable games ahead of them as they face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin followed by the Cleveland Browns in London.
This was not a trip that the NFL mandated for the Vikings. Instead, when the idea of playing consecutive weeks in Europe came up, the Vikings were the team that raised their hands and shouted “Ooh, ooh,” hoping the teacher would call on them. The Vikings got their wish.
These trips are huge revenue enhancers for the NFL. They will have sell-out crowds at Croke Park in Ireland and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in England and a lot of NFL-related merchandise will be sold. The Vikings will gain their share of the financial windfall.
Owner Mark Wilf explained why the Vikings wanted to participate in the two-game excursion.
“We're club first, but we are also very mindful of making sure the league and the sport grows,"
Wilf said. "The more the business grows, the more the fandom grows, and it just makes it exciting for everyone. Our players are up to it."
More likely that the players love their jobs and want to keep them, so that objections to the trip are not made public. Arguing with the boss is not a favorable idea for any player or coach.
But despite all the preparations the team has made for a 10-day trip to Europe, this is likely to have an impact as the season plays out. The immediate reaction from Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard was a SMH (shaking my head)
post on social media. He would later back off from that position, saying it was a logistical issue for a player traveling with his young family, but that it was a great experience for the team.
Vikings attempt to keep routine intact
It is hardly that. The Vikings may have taken every precaution on how to lessen the impact on the players and coaching staff, but this kind of travel is draining. Additionally, NFL players have a routine that they have to follow in order to get through a 17-game schedule. Typical weeks include a game on Sunday and then film breakdown, weight training and light afternoon practice on Monday. Tuesday is almost always the day off.
Wednesday and Thursday are long practice days. The gameplan is revealed on Wednesday for the next week’s opponent and specific plays for that game are implemented on that day. All plays are practiced on Thursday and this is the day that teams try to perfect their performance on their core plays.
The Friday practice session consists of extra work on special teams and the 2-minute drill. This session is not the full-day session that the players have on Wednesday and Thursday.
Saturday sessions usually consist of a morning walk through and position meetings. Teams often fly on Saturdays for road games and whether the game is home or road, the players stay in a hotel and most teams will impose a curfew.
The Vikings will try to execute their normal schedule for this trip but the bottom line is that they will have 10 days out of the country and two very long cross-Atlantic flights.
After playing the Browns in Week 5, they have a bye the following week before resuming their schedule in Week 7 with a daunting home game against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The Vikings should have an excellent opportunity to beat the Steelers and Browns, but once they return, the schedule gets far more difficult and their body clocks will still be adjusting
The impact of this trip is likely to be felt throughout the year, and it seems unlikely that the enthusiasm that accompanied the acceptance of two weeks in Europe will be rewarded at the end of the season.
