Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty’s return to standing up straight in the backfield has the approval of head coach Pete Carroll.
Jeanty went back to that stance for Sunday’s game against the Bears and posted a season-high 138 rushing yards on 21 carries. Jeanty had altered the stance at the request of the coaching staff after being drafted in the first round, but said after Sunday’s loss that it feels more natural to stand up straight and “it’s just how I’m gonna play” from now on.
“I loved it,” Carroll said at his Monday press conference.
The Raiders also got 62 yards from Raheem Mostert on Sunday and Carroll said the emergence of the running game was a welcome development despite the result.
“Everybody’s been saying he just needs to break one run or whatever,” Carroll said. “Well, he did, and he had a great game, and he looked fantastic for us, and Raheem was really good too. I thought the two complemented each other well. . . Watching the film last night, I saw nothing but upside because the ability to run the football, to have a running back that is a real threat, a running game that’s a real threat, allows us so much balance.”
The Raiders will try to keep things rolling on the ground as they try to snap their three-game losing streak against the Colts in Week 5.
