The Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) have not been good at running the football to start the 2024 season.
Through the first two weeks, they have averaged just 2.5 yards per carry and a league-worst 49 rushing yards per game.
Head coach Antonio Pierce knows that’s unacceptable and that it must improve as soon as possible.
“That’s poor. That’s p–s-poor,” Pierce said, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And it’s not good enough. And our players are going to hear about it.”
This offseason, the Raiders parted ways with running back Josh Jacobs (Green Bay Packers). It came as a bit of a surprise since he recently led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards in 2022, but they were confident in third-year running back Zamir White.
Unfortunately, White has rushed for just 68 yards on 22 carries (3.1 yards per carry) and zero touchdowns to start the year.
Sixth-year running back Alexander Mattison hasn’t been much better, rushing for only 20 yards on nine carries (2.2 yards per carry) and one touchdown.
While Las Vegas’ running backs have been disappointing, Pierce believes it starts with the offensive line.
“The big boys up front got to block. Bottom line,” Pierce added. “They know it. We’re gonna talk about that.”
Pierce has been preaching a physical style of football ever since taking over as the Raiders interim head coach last season.
While Las Vegas has yet to play to his liking this year, it will have a great opportunity bounce back in Week 3 when it hosts the Carolina Panthers (0-2), who have given up 23 rushing first downs and are allowing the second-most rushing yards per game (199.5) in the league.
“There has to be an intent and a play style that we talked about that we practice and that we’ve been preaching from Day 1,” Pierce concluded. “It’s not showing up on game day.”