Raiders’ offensive line woes leave Geno Smith under siege, Ashton Jeanty stifled

By Canadian Press on September 22, 2025.

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Raiders could have made their offensive line more of a priority when assembling their roster for this season, but they focused more of their efforts elsewhere.

Now, Las Vegas is paying the price.

The line has kept kept Geno Smith under constant duress and prevented rookie running back Ashton Jeanty from displaying the magic he exhibited last season at Boise State, when he was the Heisman Trophy runner-up.

One potential change could be on the way. Or, at least, a return to the season-opening lineup.

Coach Pete Carroll said Monday that Jackson Powers-Johnson, who has not played since the opener because of a concussion, will have the chance to win back his starting right guard position from Alex Cappa.

“In all phases of it, we got to get off the football better and make more of the running game,” Carroll said. “There’s not enough happening there to act on the play-(action) pass game. So we just got to keep working it. We got the guys we got, and we need to keep developing and keep building on it.”

Smith was sacked five times in Sunday’s 41-24 loss at Washington — and it could’ve been a lot more. He was hit on eight other plays, but still found a way to throw for 289 yards and three touchdowns. The Raiders have given up 12 sacks this season, tied with two other teams for second worst.

Jeanty had his best game as a Raider with 63 yards on 17 carries. According to ESPN, he was hit behind the line of scrimmage on 11 of those handoffs.

He hasn’t found much running room three games into his career, having gained 144 yards with a 3.1 yards-per-carry average. The Raiders as a team rank 30th with 3.06 yards per rush.

“I think the running back’s going to be a real player,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. “He’s got quickness, he can break tackles and so going into it, you can see why he’s as talented as he is.”

The Raiders were questioned for drafting Jeanty sixth overall this year, not so much because of any concerns about his talent, but because running back has become a devalued position.

Given the early results, Las Vegas might have gotten more production if it had made an offensive lineman more of a draft priority while still picking up a running back in the later rounds.

The Raiders instead drafted two linemen in the third round who Carroll said aren’t ready to play, though that day is coming.

They also signed Cappa, a 30-year-old who appears past his prime. Pro Football Focus rates him 56th among 88 guards.

“So, we have what we have, and we got to make our guys do better,” Carroll said. “We got to fit it together better than we have.”

What’s working

The Raiders have at least one takeaway in each game, the first time they have done that through the first three weeks of a season since 2016, when they forced turnovers in their first five games.

What needs help

The Raiders entered the season with questions about their young cornerbacks, and it’s often been a struggle. Las Vegas is 24th in allowing 237 yards passing per game and 27th in giving up 7.56 per play.

Stock up

Third-year pro Tre Tucker has in practice looked more like a complete wide receiver than a simple speedster who goes deep. He showed off his abilities against the Commanders, setting career highs with eight catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns. One of the TDs came on a 61-yard reception where Tucker used his speed to get open for a deep pass over the middle.

Stock down

Special teams were a mess. The Commanders opened the game with a 69-yard kickoff return to set up a quick touchdown. They later returned a punt 90 yards to the end zone. On top of that, the Raiders misplayed two kickoff returns on their end.

Injuries

TE Michael Mayer is in the concussion protocol, but Carroll said he was hopeful of a return soon.

Key number

50 — The Raiders were the first team to give up plays of 50 or more yards on a kickoff return, a punt return and a run in the same game since Dec. 12, 1999, when the expansion Cleveland Browns allowed those gains by Cincinnati. Atlanta gave up those plays to Philadelphia in 1996 and Buffalo to Miami in 1976, the only other instances over the past half-century.

Next steps

The Raiders the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Mark Anderson, The Associated Press