Ashton Jeanty has been getting knocked down since he stepped in the ring.
Since the Raiders selected him with the No. 6 overall pick last year, Jeanty has failed to justify his position as the highest-drafted running back in seven years. He averaged 3.7 yards per carry as a rookie. This season, he is down to 3.1 — ranking 49th in the NFL — rushing for 328 yards through seven games.
Even amid a miserable season — and a Raiders four-game losing streak — the 22-year-old smiled confidently when asked about the Jets, taking a swing at a defense that he thinks might make him look like Jim Brown.
“I think we can definitely get the run game going, get back on track and just really get after these guys,” Jeanty said this week. “Couple of guys out there that don’t really want to tackle, but I’m not going to say names.”
Several members of the Jets defense acknowledged they heard the insult, but they declined to punch back at the second-year running back.
“Of course, whenever our name is brought up, it catches our eye, but the way I operate, I go out there and play 110 percent effort, no matter who I’m playing against, no matter what they say,” safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said Thursday. “Obviously, certain things can add a little more fuel to the fire, but at the end of the day, I gotta go out there and do my job.”
Jarvis Brownlee responded to Jeanty on social media — “Stand on that, woe,” the Jets cornerback posted — then added another succinct statement when approached at his locker.
“We’re gonna see Sunday,” Brownlee said.
Jeanty’s confidence likely comes from watching film of a defense that ranks 24th in rushing yards allowed per game (128.1) and 21st in missed tackle rate (12.9 percent).
In last week’s loss to the Dolphins, the Jets (2-5) surrendered 156 rushing yards, while Miami running back Ollie Gordon II forced a career-high 10 missed tackles, according to Next Gen Stats. Miami essentially clinched its first win of the season on a 63-yard fourth-quarter touchdown by Caleb Douglas after Fitzpatrick failed to tackle him.
But the Jets also have a matchup that sets up for a bounce-back performance, facing an offense that ranks 31st in rushing yards per game (74.7) and yards per carry (3.0).
“I’ve got plenty of confidence in our guys,” defensive coordinator Brian Duker said. “I think it can be better. Obviously, overall there’s certainly room for improvement. I’m always going to want more in that area as well.
“In this past game, there were a couple of technique things I wasn’t happy with. I’d keep it a little more schematically specific to how we fit things. But I didn’t feel like we were great at it, so this week we’ll address those. I’m looking forward to doing a better job with those this week.”
The Jets will return to MetLife Stadium on Sunday, one week after being booed in their building. Their head coach (Aaron Glenn) is on the hot seat. Their best player (Garrett Wilson) is popping up in trade rumors. Another last-place finish is back on the table.
Motivation shouldn’t be hard to find.
“It’s bulletin board material, nothing other than that,” Jets linebacker Demario Davis said. “I’m big on the game is played inside the white lines. Simple as that.”
