LAS VEGAS -- Sitting inside his locker at the Raiders' training facility, running back Ashton Jeanty didn't seem worried that a two-plus-week absence from practice to recover from an ankle injury would affect his performance in the team's season opener against the Miami Dolphins.
Sure enough, his feelings were correct.
Jeanty began his second year gloriously, rushing for 102 yards and catching two touchdown passes in Las Vegas' 27-13 victory at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday afternoon. He joined San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and former NFL running back Brian Westbrook as the only players with multiple games of at least 100 rushing yards and two receiving touchdowns.
"What he did tonight is what we expected from him," said coach Klint Kubiak after his first win as an NFL head coach. "But doing it on a bad ankle, with a little less practice than he's used to, I think just tells you the kind of guy you're dealing with."
For a moment, there were concerns about Jeanty missing the Raiders' first game and possibly more. On Aug. 23, Jeanty injured an ankle during the team's training camp practice. The immediate silence after Jeanty landed awkwardly on the turf, and the team's prayer circle that happened after last year's first-round pick had been carried away by trainers, made the situation look even more dire.
Jeanty, however, always knew he would suit up. And he showed why he is a vital part of the team's success.
"I just felt very prepared for the game, and then as a team, we just went out there and executed," Jeanty said. "So, that helped me make plays out there as well."
Jeanty had three rushing attempts for 10-plus yards, including a 15-yard carry on which he leaped over a defender en route to a first down in the middle of the third quarter. He averaged 4.4 yards rushing on 23 carries and recorded a career-high seven rushing first downs.
"He's a talented runner," quarterback Kirk Cousins (21-of-30 for 160 yards, three TDs and two INTs) said. "I think there were a couple times where I handed a ball off, the corner's unblocked. He bounces to the outside, and it's really a race between him and the edge defender. ... Instead of it being a 1- or 2-yard gain, it's an 8-yard gain."
With All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers sidelined after he underwent a knee procedure on Tuesday, Jeanty stepped up as the primary target for Cousins.
Jeanty caught all six targets for 45 yards. His first touchdown catch, which came late in the second quarter, showed off his route-running ability. Jeanty was lined up on the outside before motioning to the backfield and running a Texas route while beating cornerback Chris Johnson to secure a 13-yard touchdown. His second touchdown reception, which happened at the 10-minute mark of the third, was an example of how fullbacks like the Raiders' Connor Heyward matter in Kubiak's offense.
Jeanty trailed behind Heyward, who blocked linebacker Willie Gay Jr., and that allowed him to break away and catch Cousins' pass for a 13-yard touchdown.
"I'm just thinking to myself, like, who's covering [Jeanty]? Like, I don't know. ... He's a freak athlete," wide receiver Tre Tucker said.
Jeanty's performance provided a blueprint for how Las Vegas can be competitive when the time comes to face tougher opponents. By establishing an effective run game mixed with Cousins' short and intermediate throws, the Raiders were able to control the time of possession.
Las Vegas had the ball for 34 minutes and 53 seconds, compared to Miami's 25:07. The Raiders had two drives of at least 10 plays that lasted more than seven minutes each, including the 16-play, 93-yard scoring drive to begin the game.
"Anytime we run the football like that, it puts us in with a wind at our back," Cousins said.