Raiders finally give Ashton Jeanty room to shine

LAS VEGAS – Ashton Jeanty spent last season running into problems he could not solve by himself.There were too few openings, too many defenders waiting for him, and too many afternoons when simply getting back to the line of scrimmage required more work than it should.He kept running anyway.Kept showing up.

Kept carrying himself like someone who believed better days were coming, even when there was little evidence to support that faith.Sunday offered some.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story And for a running back whose rough rookie season was followed by an ankle injury that threatened to complicate the start of his second, the significance stretched well beyond reaching triple digits.Jeanty rushed for team-high 102 yards on 23 carries in the Raiders’ season-opening victory over the Dolphins and added a team-best six catches for 45 yards. His 147 yards of offense offered an encouraging glimpse of what he can become in Klint Kubiak’s offense.His teammates saw the possibilities, too.Jeanty found openings, cut past defenders and powered through tackles.

He made himself available in the passing game and helped establish the physical tone the Raiders want to make their identity.“He won on the ground, he caught it in the air, he got multiple touchdowns, broke a hundred yards,” said Raiders left tackle Kolton Miller.“It gets you fired up.”Even Kirk Cousins, who has seen plenty during his 14-year NFL career, found himself marveling at the running back taking his handoffs.The 38-year-old quarterback pointed to a couple of plays when an unblocked cornerback appeared positioned to limit Jeanty to a short gain.

Instead, Jeanty bounced outside and turned a potential problem into a footrace.As Cousins explained, the defender usually has the advantage in that s...