Running back Ashton Jeanty was selected sixth overall in the draft by the Las Vegas Raiders amid high expectations. After two games, his statistics are still very modest. He has an explanation for his subdued performances.

Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty of the Las Vegas Raiders took stock after Monday night’s 9-20 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. After his second NFL appearance, the 21-year-old was self-critical.

“Last week, it was my fault; I didn’t read the plays well enough. I take responsibility for this time as well. I could have gotten more out of some of my runs; the O-line did their job. I just have to keep working on myself to become a real difference-maker for us,” Jeanty explained.

Referring to the speed of the game, he added: “To be honest, I’m still getting used to it. Last week I felt like I was a little slower, but this week was better. I’m not where I want to be yet, but once it clicks, it’ll be good.”

Ashton Jeanty joined the Raiders after an outstanding college season in which he rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns at Boise State and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Improvement seen in Jeanty despite room for improvement

Given those numbers, his high draft position, and the manageable competition in the Raiders’ backfield, Jeanty was considered a candidate to make an immediate impact and take on a central role from the start.

So far, however, the rookie is still in a settling-in phase and waiting for his breakthrough. In Week 1, despite scoring his first NFL touchdown against the New England Patriots (20-13), he fell short of expectations with only 38 yards on 19 carries.

In Monday’s second game of the season, Jeanty almost doubled his average – from 2.0 to 3.9 yards per attempt – but again only managed 43 yards on 11 carries.

Even though he has had a bumpy start so far, Jeanty’s talent is beyond question. The Raiders are clearly counting on him as an integral part of their offense, as evidenced by his 35 touches in the first two games. If this pace continues, it should only be a matter of time before Jeanty delivers the spectacular performance everyone is hoping for. Also interesting: NFL: Quarterback situations of the teams – Bengals pick up duo after Burrow shock